�Today�s the day, you sure that this will all
work out?� Andrea asked as Robert pulled on a black shirt.
�It will, I�ve pulled operations that were
a shitload harder than what we�re about to do, it�s no cakewalk, but we can
still pull it off, I wasn�t transgenic when those ops were pulled, and Jon and
I didn�t have help from X5s.� Robert replied as strapped a long knife in its
sheath to his right leg.
�Are you still sure, they are packing some
serious firepower at the warehouse, there may only be thirty of them, but you
can only take so much damage.� Andrea said as she pulled on a tank top.
�I can take care of security, they�re
going to be spread out in their distribution of men, we simply take them out one
by one.� Robert replied analysing how he would deal with security.
�Does that include snapping necks and
spilling guts?� Andrea asked crossing her arms.
�I told you that I am what I am, if I have
to spill some blood to stop Manticore technology from going to China, I�ll do
that.� Robert replied as he pulled out his H&K CAWs and withdrew his sword
from the side sheath.
�I didn�t expect that to change, you just
don�t consider non-fatal actions to shut them down?� Andrea asked.
�I will, just don�t expect that there will
not be a bodycount, I will kill anyone if I suspect they are about to raise the
alarm.� Robert said as he inspected the sword.
�That sword looks like the one in the movie
we watched last night, did you get the idea for it from there?� Andrea asked
pointing at the weapon.
�I did in fact, though I ditched the
anti-handling device on it, figured there would be a few mishaps sooner or
later.� Robert replied as he slid it back home.
�I see, what other tricks do you have up
your sleeve?� Andrea asked as she pulled her long black hair into a ponytail.
�Besides being able to kick anyone�s ass,
not much, we�re just going to hit fast and hard, they�ll never see us
coming. I�m not bringing anything more than pistols though, given enough time
they�ll start linking incidents together, I thought I�d stay a bit more low
profile from now on.� Robert said.
�What happens if they find out somehow
we�re coming and are ready for us?� Andrea asked.
�Hence these things.� Robert said as he
pulled on a set of gun holsters adapted to hold his standard weapons complement.
�Sometimes I find it disturbing how easily
you take life.� Andrea said looking at him as Robert fit his P14-45�s into
the shoulder holsters.
�Let�s not start this one again, I�ve
explained too many times to too many people about why I do it, I will take life
when I feel it is necessary, that�s it.� Robert said as he pulled out spare
magazines for the pistols.
�You�re still not making it any easier to
accept, are you ever going to stop, drop the guns, knives, swords, grenades and
C4 and live a peaceful life?� Andrea asked.
�When I finish the job.� Robert replied
gruffly.
�How do you even intend to end Manticore,
you may be good, but even you can�t destroy that place.� Andrea asked
glaring at him.
�I�ll find some way, if anything happens
to me I don�t want you to be on the run for the rest of your fucking life,
that�s why I can�t let Manticore stand.� Robert replied voicing his
concerns about what would become of the X5�s should he fail.
�If you haven�t forgotten trying to kill
you is like trying to teach a rock the jump command, it doesn�t happen.�
Andrea said walking up to him and tapping his head.
�I can still die, enough bullets or
explosives and I die, remember that when a dozen guys open up with rifles on
me.� Robert said as he gently traced a finger across her right cheek.
�Quit talking like that, the only thing the
two of us are doing today is dealing out a serious amount of ass-kicking, and
maybe some extra activities later, like this.� Andrea said as she grabbed
Robert�s head and brought his head down to hers and kissed him passionately.
�I never know when to stop rambling about
that sort of crap, thanks for the reminder.� Robert said smiling as he kissed
her back with equal intensity.
�That�s what you�ve got me for, someone
to drag your humanity back out, and give you more meaning in your life.�
Andrea said as Robert wrapped one arm around her waist and brought her close,
the other hand tipped her head back up and he kissed her again.
�Jon�s going to be back soon, let�s just
have something to eat, I don�t want him to �accidentally� barge in on us,
you know what I mean.� Andrea said as she kissed him one last time until they
broke off and started heading towards the kitchen.
�You�re right though, we go in, kick some
ass, grab the Manticore junk, and burn out of there, especially with a kick-ass
partner to work with.� Robert said as he patted her shoulder as they entered
the kitchen.
�You take Jon�s advice more often than I
thought about never arguing with a woman.� Andrea said looking back at him.
�I know good advice when I hear it, and I
know you�re right.� Robert said as he turned on the coffee maker.
�You�re damn right, but one other thing,
if we�re going to continue our current relationship, I just want to know right
now, can I ask you in a couple of years or so to lay down your lifestyle of
violence so we can start a family?� Andrea asked gazing intently into
Robert�s eyes.
�You have my word on it, I do not intend to
continue this forever, on that you can trust me, but until said time, I will
defend you kids by whatever means necessary.� Robert replied.
�I wasn�t expecting that to go away, but
it�s what I wanted to hear, and that�s good enough for the time being.�
Andrea said.
********
�You�re leaving already?� Kendra asked
as Jon pulled his pants on.
�I have too, I have a job to do today.�
Jon replied as he tied his belt buckle in.
�You always have a job to do, if you�re
not blowing up drug lords you�re shooting corrupt officials, when does it
end?� Kendra asked propping her head up with one hand as she lay on the bed.
�I don�t know, I�ll only be gone for the
day, what�s the damn problem?� Jon asked as he pulled his shirt on.
�The problem is that you�re disappearing
and I don�t know where you go or if you�re coming back, I want to know if I
should expect a fucking corpse for a boyfriend.� Kendra replied.
�Its my fucking job, I have
responsibilities, I have to do what I can to help clean up this city and protect
Max and Andrea, what�s the damn problem?� Jon asked.
�The problem is that you may be a
sex-charged tower of adrenaline, but you�re also a trained killer, I can�t
wait thirty years for you to stop your damn crusade.� Kendra replied.
�I�m not asking you to, just give me the
time I need to sort a few things out. Besides, like Robert has, I have a debt to
X5, I may live on sex and fighting, but this is still my one obligation� Jon
said.
�What possible things to do you have to sort
out?� Kendra asked wondering what else was on Robert�s agenda.
�I have to deal with the Manticore
situation, I have to deal with any attempts to capture the X5 group, I am
Manticore, I know what that technology can create and I can�t let it
spread.� Jon said as he pulled on his jacket.
�So you�re just going to go off when you
feel like it, to do a job that could get you killed, do you ever think about
what this could mean to other people?� Kendra asked accusingly.
�I know what it means, I care about you a
lot Kendra, but I can�t just let the fucking world go to hell, its what I do,
and besides, you know I�ll always be back, Robert once said I was too stubborn
to die.� Jon said as he came over to the bed and bent down and kissed her.
�You�re not going to stop are you, is this
your lifestyle for the rest of your life, guns, explosions, sex and booze?�
Kendra asked.
�It�s who I am.� Jon replied as he
gently stroked her blond hair.
�Just make sure you don�t get that fine
ass of yours blown off.� Kendra said as she slapped Jon�s butt as he got up.
�You can count on that never happening baby,
just let me do my job, and we can do something else later. I can guarantee you
though, one of these days, its just going to be you, me and a whole lot of
amateur porn video stacks.� Jon said as he gave her one last kiss then left
the apartment.
�Take care of yourself out there.� Kendra
said to empty air. That boy may be a sex-crazed killing machine, but I still
like him, hope he doesn�t get his ass shot off out there.
********
�Today�s the day, I hope you�re hungry though, I kind of overdid breakfast.� Logan said smiling as Max walked into the kitchen, eggs, bacon, sausage and fruit was all in a vast array on the counter.
�That�s alright, I�m wearing my hollow
leg today.� Max replied as she grinned.
�I hope you find some way to burn it off
though, I�d hate for that beautiful body of yours to get swollen up on account
of my cooking.� Logan said as he handed Max a plate to put some food on.
�Keep it up, I�m sure we can find some way
to burn it off.� Max said with a devilish smile as she scooped food onto her
plate.
�You have to slow down and take pity on us
mere mortals Max at one point, I can�t always keep up with a bionic wonder.�
Logan said as he scooped his own food onto his plate.
�Quit beating yourself up about that out of
five people dedicated to save the world, you�re the only one who isn�t
superhuman, you do a lot of things the rest of us could ever do.� Max said as
they sat down.
�That may be true, but it doesn�t make it
any easier when a man�s size three girlfriend can kick his ass without even
trying.� Logan said as he bit down on a piece of sausage.
�Pipe down over there, or I�ll come over
there and teach you a few things about this size three body.� Max said as she
scooped some eggs up.
�And do what, I think I know all I need to
know about it.� Logan said smiling.
�I�ve got a philosophical question for you
Logan, what�s the sound of one hand shoving your face into the scrambled
eggs?� Max asked.
�Figures that I�m the one that�s being abused in this
relationship, when do I get to threaten you for once?� Logan said looking up
at the ceiling vexingly.
�You don�t, I�m the only one around here
authorized to kick ass.� Max replied with a grin.
�Crap, I was hoping I could threaten you in
some way.� Logan said vexingly.
�You could stop cooking, that could be
construed as a threat.� Max replied.
�I could also stop doing this.� Logan said
as he got up and walked around the table, and started to massage Max�s
shoulders.
�Oh god that feels good, if you ever stop
doing that I�ll have to kill you Logan.� Max said as she gently ahed as
Logan�s hands worked her shoulders.
�How do I get compensated for making meals
and these massages, you never explained this to me yet.� Logan asked.
�I won�t kick your ass lover-boy.� Max
said as she rose up from her seat and wrapped one arm around Logan�s
midsection.
�I�d hardly call that a fair deal.�
Logan replied as he put an arm around Max�s midsection and drew her close.
�I seem to be stealing a lot off of you,
statues, food, massages, hearts�� Max said as she gently ran a hand across
the stubble on Logan�s cheek.
�I�ve managed to steal the best time of my
life from you, I�d call it even.� Logan said as he gently stroked Max�s
back as he used his free hand to bring Max�s head close and kissed her deeply.
�You are the most amazing man I have ever
met, they say you have to through hell to get to heaven, I guess all those
losers I dated were leading up to you.� Max said as they broke off the kiss.
�Likewise, a failed marriage and a broken
engagement were the foes I had to slay to find you, but it was well worth it to
finally meet you.� Logan said as he gently stroked her hair as they sank down
onto a couch, the breakfast being forgotten.
�I can�t stand the thought of not falling
asleep in your arms anymore, not waking up next to you, I don�t know how I
could go back.� Max said as she burrowed her head underneath Logan�s chin as
they lay there together.
�I don�t know either, how could I even
think about going back is lost on me.� Logan replied.
�You two can play lovebirds later, we have
work to do today.� Robert said as he walked in with Andrea.
�I thought I could at least expect some
respect and privacy from you for Christ�s sake, don�t you have anything
better to do than break into a man�s home?� Logan asked trying to get up,
but Max was still on top of him.
�I don�t really have time for this right
now, we have a job to do today, and Manticore-in-a-bottle is not something I
want to see in the stores anytime soon.� Robert replied.
�Robert, shut up, now.� Andrea said
smacking him upside the head.
�Why do you X5 woman always find it
necessary to deal out pain and suffering to men?� Robert asked looking at her
as he rubbed his head.
�I only find it necessary when you won�t
leave my sister and her boyfriend alone because of your obsession with the
current situation.� Andrea replied.
�I�ll obsess with it as much as I damn
well want, the situation is serious and I can�t watch the deal happen due to
anyone�s urge for sexual pleasure.� Robert said in a serious tone.
�What the hell is wrong with you, for Christ
sake you are being a prick.� Andrea said giving him a cold stare.
�Well excuse me for giving a shit about what
happens today.� Robert replied.
�Robert, I love you like a brother, but shut
the fuck up before you screw up again with Andrea, cause I will kick your ass
should that happen.� Jon said as he walked into the apartment.
�Now you�re on my back, what do I have to
do around here to get you people off my back?� Robert said turning around to
look at his friend.
�You can shut your fucking mouth about the
goddamn mission and let someone like me peep on those two.� Jon said pointing
at Max and Logan.
�See, you can�t presume to lecture me on
this stuff, not until that attitude is ditched.� Robert said his hands forming
into fists.
�Shut your own trap first, all you�ve done
in the past five minutes is sound like a complete ass, what the hell do I have
to do to make you realise that?� Jon asked.
�Shut your own fucking mouth, all you look
for in a woman is a good lay, don�t presume to lecture me on a
relationship.� Robert said taking a step forward.
�Robert, what the hell do you think you�re
doing?� Andrea said grabbing his arm. He shoved her, she fell to the floor,
and Jon reacted.
�I�ll give you something to think
about.� Jon said as he swung in a vicious right that connected with Robert�s
face. The blow smashed into his right cheek, and knocked him down to the floor,
Robert was about to pull himself back up until Jon landed a kick in Robert�s
chest and sent him rolling across the floor.
�You just made one hell of a fucking mistake
asshole.� Robert said as he leapt to his feet, he advanced on Jon.
�You�re about to pound in the face of your
best friend because he tried to beat some sense into you?� Andrea said
grabbing Robert�s right arm again.
�I�m going to repay him for what he just
pulled, got a fucking problem with that you can go fuck yourself!� Robert
snapped as he threw off her arm, and in the process shoved her down again.
�Then try it, but we both know you�ll
never even get close to hitting me.� Jon said standing there as Robert
approached.
�We�ll see about that.� Robert said as
he charged. Jon sidestepped and brought his elbow down on Robert�s neck as he
charged by, knocking him forward, allowing Jon to follow up with a high kick
that smashed Robert down again.
�You�re just making this harder on
yourself, what are you going to do, just keep coming while I beat your ass
down?� Jon said as he set up for Robert�s next attack.
�I�ll be satisfied when your face is on
the floor bleeding.� Robert said as he approached again.
�Better pack a lunch.� Jon said as he
attacked first this time, with a pair of fists that connected with Robert�s
chest, and followed up with a sweeping move that swept out Robert�s feet from
under him.
�You just made your mistake.� Robert said
as he reached out and gathered Jon�s ankles together, toppling Jon over.
Robert leapt back up to his feet, Jon was about to get up when a foot connected
with his face, knocking him over again. Robert spat and walked out of the
apartment.
�Don�t bother waiting for me anymore,
you�ve been wasting your time on me, but it�s your own fucking fault for
believing that it could work, for what its worth, you weren�t that bad as a
lover either.� Robert said to Andrea as he left.
�I wasn�t planning to you asshole, go fuck
yourself from now on, I can�t believe I let myself fall in love with you.�
Andrea snapped.
�Where�d that stupid fuck go?� Jon said
as he got back to his feet and scanning the room.
�He left, leaving me and what we had in a
pile of rubble.� Andrea replied sniffing.
�Jesus motherfucking Christ, that idiot is
not going to fuck it all up now, I�m going after him, find him, and beat his
ass down until he gets some sense knocked into him.� Jon said as he left the
apartment in pursuit of Robert.
�Don�t fucking bother, I�m not letting
that fucker ruin my life over and over again just so I can get laid, don�t
waste your energy.� Andrea called after him.
�Shut the fuck up and at least listen to
what I can get out of him, listen to this!� Jon yelled as he tossed her a Tac
radio that he had tuned to the earpiece he was wearing so he could record his
coming discussion with Robert.
�So much for that.� Andrea said sighing as
she dropped down into a chair.
�Give Jon a chance to straighten Robert out,
he�s known him long enough, maybe he can still help him.� Max said as she
went over to Andrea.
�I wouldn�t count on it, we�re either
going to find a body when they�ve worked out their differences or skid marks
from when Robert peels out on his bike to leave Seattle, good riddance.�
Andrea replied, knowing she had lost Robert, and knew that is was over, she
wouldn�t waste her time on him any more than she already had.
*********
�You can�t run from this forever asshole.� Jon said looking for Robert.
�Just watch me.� Robert said as he walked
over to his T-Sport.
�Why the hell are you doing this you fucking
moron?� Jon asked.
�Fuck off, I�m out of here.� Robert said
as he revved his bike up and peeled out of the garage.
�That sonuvabitch thinks he�s going to
skip out on all of this he�s dead wrong.� Jon muttered as he got into his
BMW X5 and drove after Robert.
Might
as well fill in an obligation, load up my stuff, and hit Manticore. Robert
thought as he arrived back at his home, and went into his room and grabbed his
equipment, checked it out, and then started loading it onto his bike. He picked
up his guns, explosives, and other equipment, as much as he could load onto his
bike, and decided hit Manticore, that�s all I�m fucking good for now.
�You�re not going anywhere asshole.� Jon
said as he jumped out of his BMW X5 from which he had just arrived in.
�Try and stop me, all I can do is take care
of business, if you hear about Manticore being destroyed in a few days, think of
me.� Robert said as he loaded a magazine into an H&K PSG-1.
�You�re not going anywhere, you�re not
throwing your life away, I�m not going to let you do this and I can�t let
you break Andrea�s heart because you can�t let go of your past.� Jon said
walking up to him.
�What are you going to do about it, you
can�t fucking stop me from doing this.� Robert said as he pulled out his
H&K UMP .45 and loaded a magazine into it.
�I can and will, until I beat some sense
into you.� Jon said as he brought his right fist in and smashed Robert across
the left cheek.
�Don�t start this again, I�m not going
to hold back if you provoke me.� Robert said as his own hands formed into
fists.
�You couldn�t put me down if you tried
right now.� Jon said as he took a step forward.
�We�ll see about that one, come on, try
and stop me.� Robert said raising his fists.
�You asked for it.� Jon said as he
attacked.
Jon attacked at his top speed with absolute
ferocity in his assault, landing a fist that snapped Robert�s chin up and
followed up by a kick that drove Robert�s midsection down, where Jon slammed
his knee into Robert�s chest. Robert fell to the floor, but reached out with
one hand and grabbed a nearby pipe wrench and smashed it into Jon�s left leg,
knocking Jon off-balance. The move did little good as Jon pivoted and brought in
his right foot to connect with Robert�s face, as Robert put his hands on the
ground and pushed up, Jon delivered another kick that smashed him to the ground
again.
�Fuck off before I really hurt you.�
Robert spat out.
�You�re the one on the floor.� Jon
replied.
�I�ll show you who�s on the floor.�
Robert said as he rose up, but was brought down again as Jon�s fist connected
with his face that and the blow rocked his head back.
�Either you fucking die or start listening
to me.� Jon said as he kicked Robert over again.
�I�ll take death over your ramblings.�
Robert said as he spat out blood.
�What the fuck is wrong with you?� Jon
said standing over him.
�Nothing, I just realised that the only
thing I can do with myself besides die is attack Manticore and destroy it for
good.� Robert said as he leapt back to his feet, but Jon landed another blow
that brought him back down just as quickly.
�You�re not going anywhere until you lose
this attitude, I can�t let you go into a self-destructive mode.� Jon said as
Robert wiped blood from his face.
�You�re not the one to decide that for me,
fuck off, now.� Robert said.
�Either you smarten up now or I keep this
up.� Jon said as he kicked Robert in the face again knocking him to the ground
on his back.
�What�s the fucking point, I don�t have
any reason to live.� Robert said.
�You�ve got one of the hottest goddamn
woman around who loves you and some friends, you�ve got your mission to
protect X5, what more do you need you fucking idiot?� Jon said as he vented
out more as he smashed Robert in the face again as he tried to get back up.
�Andrea has nothing more than an infatuation
that she can drag me back into the light so she can have a story-book life and a
big strong protector. I don�t have any friends as of right now, I just acted
like I always do and drive people away. The X5 situation can be handled by you
should I fail blowing Manticore up, now if you excuse me, I have to do a job. It
doesn�t matter anyways, she told me to fuck off and you heard her when she
said that.� Robert said.
Robert pulled himself to his feet again, and
started walking towards his T-Sport motorcycle. Jon brought his elbow around and
smashed Robert in his mid-back, he then brought up his foot and smashed him in
the back of the head, putting him down once more.
�Leave me alone for fuck�s sake, I just
want to destroy Manticore or die in the attempt.� Robert said as he pulled
himself back up.
�You�re not leaving Andrea high and dry
because of your obsession with the mission and dwelling on your past, either
smarten up or I beat you up.� Jon said as he kicked Robert again.
�She told me to fuck off anyways, I can�t
go back to her, Fuck off, now.� Robert said as he pulled a long knife from a
sheath and slashed Jon�s right leg, he leapt to his feet and brought the knife
around to slash Jon�s face, but Jon�s fist connected first and blasted
Robert into the wall.
�I knew a guy once that was honourable and
decent, he was the kind of person who dealt out beatings to guys like you, he
would never use his past as an excuse for 13 years to justify his behaviour,
shame he�s you now.� Jon said as he walked up to Robert to pull him up, then
delivered two more hits to his face.
�I�m not going to listen to this shit, I
haven�t changed.� Robert said as he dodged Jon�s next blow, but the next
two hit dead on.
�You have, you used your dead girlfriend and
Manticore as your crutch so you could maintain acting like an ass for 13 years
straight, I�m not letting you go for 26 years.� Jon said as he delivered
another uppercut that smashed Robert�s head around.
�Why the fuck do you care so much?� Robert
asked as he dodged the next blow, but Jon�s knee compensated as it smashed
into his chest.
�Because you�re my friend, and I�m not
letting you end up like this.� Jon said.
�What does it matter, I�ve lost my last
chance for love, friends, and anything beyond killing in general, why should I
bother?� Robert replied.
�Because you still have a chance, why do you
have to hang onto this anti-social shit and Delta Force crap all the time?�
Jon asked.
�It keeps me alive, and others from getting
hurt if they know not to get involved.� Robert said.
�I�d say it just keeps you alone and a
possessor of a hollow existence.� Jon said.
�I said you should leave me alone.� Robert
said as he attacked.
Robert acted fast, his arms came up and
delivered blows that knocked Jon back, Robert then brought his right foot up and
smashed Jon in the side of head, followed up by another kick that smashed Jon
across the garage. Robert reached into his jacket and yanked out a P14-45,
chambered a round, and put the gun to his eye.
�What the fuck do you think you�re
doing?� Jon said as he got back up.
�Ending this shit once and for all.�
Robert said as he flicked the safety off.
�Not now, not ever.� Jon said as he yanked
his own P14-45 out and shot the gun out of Robert�s hand.
�What the fuck do I have to do around here
for you people to leave me alone?� Robert said as he reached for his other
pistol.
�Stop trying to end your life, with guns or
by shunting everyone away.� Jon said as he shot again, shooting Robert�s
other pistol away.
�Don�t tell me Andrea got to you as well
with her foolish optimism, I thought you were smarter than that.� Robert said
as he got up and went for his shotgun.
�Don�t start this asshole, I�m not
letting you do this.� Jon said as he got up and attacked Robert again,
knocking him down.
�Just let me die.� Robert said through
gritted teeth.
�No way in hell am I letting you do that.�
Jon said as he kicked him again, pushing Robert away from any weapon that was
lying around.
�Why does this foolish optimism of her�s
have to infect you two, it�s nothing but survivors infatuation that she has
with me, she�ll get over it in a week.� Robert said.
�God damn you are the most stubborn son of a
bitch I�ve ever met, what happened to you falling in love with her?� Jon
said as he kicked Robert again.
�I just got a stiffie from her body, nothing
more.� Robert replied to which Jon reacted to by smashing Robert in the face
again.
�You are such a fucking idiot, why can�t
you just start accepting that you�re in love with Andrea and you�re just
using your past as an excuse to break it off because you�re afraid of what
might happen?� Jon asked as Robert swung back, but he dodged the blow and
smashed Robert across the face again.
�Me, afraid, what the hell are you talking
about?� Robert said as he spat out blood again.
�You may be one of the bravest men when it
comes to the battlefield, but when it comes to matters of the heart and social
interaction you�re a fucking Frenchman.� Jon replied.
�So what�s it to you, all you care about
is a good lay, why should I listen to anything you have to say?� Robert spat
out as Jon kicked him once more in the face.
�Because I�m not letting my best friend
waste his life anymore, I won�t let you ruin what you�ve got with Andrea
because you decided to go soldier again.� Jon replied.
�So what if I am wasting my life and
breaking a heart, I�ve killed hundreds of people, why should one broken heart
be any different?� Robert asked.
�Because you love her moron, you love her
with all your heart, your brain is still working under a military dictatorship,
overthrow it.� Jon answered as he extended a hand out to Robert.
�So what if I am in love with her, I just
told her she could go fuck herself for all I care, why should I even bother?�
Robert said as he grabbed Jon�s arm and pulled himself up.
�If you do exactly what I tell you to do
right now, and it doesn�t convince you to go back to her, I�ll leave you
alone right now, and you can get back to attacking Manticore on a suicide
mission.� Jon said.
�What do I have to do?� Robert asked.
�Picture your future, pick two actually, one
without Andrea, the other with, if you can accept what this will do to yourself
and Andrea if you choose to forget her, then by all means go ahead, but just do
this.� Jon said.
God I can see it, roaming the country, blowing up crime rings and killing off corrupt officials that are murderers, same old thing, and lonely. Andrea and I, living together, I can see that too, but I can hurt her so badly because of who I am, why should I bother? Because you love her, you want her so badly you can taste her even though her scent has long left your nose, despite the fact that taste of her flesh has long left your lips. That�s why you fucking idiot, I can�t believe I�m destroying my life, and quite possibly her�s because I can�t let go of my past.
�I can�t imagine not being without her in
the future, but that doesn�t mean shit because I just blew her of three times
now, and she won�t take me back this time, you know at as well as I do.�
Robert said as he sank back down to the floor his head in his hands.
�Just tell her how you feel, apologise, and
do it right for fuck�s sake.� Jon replied.
�She won�t accept it, I�ve broken her
heart this time, and Max won�t let me near Andrea now for sure after what
I�ve just pulled, what can I do, I want to spend the rest of my life with her,
but that�s impossible now. I may love her with all my heart and soul, but that
doesn�t mean jack to anyone anymore, especially not Andrea.� Robert said as
he worked over what he had just lost.
�Leave that to me, I�ll make them
listen.� Jon demanded, knowing what he had to do to have Robert pull it
together.
�Yea, they�re going to listen to you, I
thought I was the one who had gotten smashed in the head.� Robert said
sarcastically.
�What is wrong with you, you�re giving up
now, why?� Jon asked why Robert had given up on Andrea.
�Because it�s over, I can�t think of any
way I would want to fall asleep or wake up next to Andrea, to love her and be
with her for the rest of my life, but it�s over, I have to accept the fact
that this one got away.� Robert said, a lone tear fell from his right eye.
�Maybe, or maybe she already knows.� Jon
said, he pulled out an earpiece and held it out in the palm of his hand.
�You mean she�s been�� Robert started.
�Listening in the entire time, I left her a
TAC radio to listen in on our little conversation.� Jon finished for him.
�She�s probably coming over to see you
now, can I trust you two to play nice while I�m gone?� Jon asked as he
dropped the earpiece.
�Don�t let her come, I�ve fucked around
with her emotions and life too much already, let me just perform one last favour
for her and destroy Manticore, that�s about all a lone pathetic man can do for
her.� Robert said, reminding himself of what an ass he had been.
�Shut up now jackass, you�ve toyed with
her emotions by just saying what you have for Andrea to hear, and not follow up
with commitment.� Jon said cutting Robert off from falling further into his
self-denial.
�What the hell can I do for her, all I�ve managed to do is make her upset and feel unloved, she deserves better than me, I want to be with her, but it just doesn�t work.� Robert replied, voicing on how the past had interdicted things between him and Andrea.
�You can love her, support her, protect her,
and make her feel like she�s worth anything and everything, that�s what.�
Jon said as he walked over to Robert and hauled him to his feet.
�You have another chance, take it.� Jon offered, reminding Robert of Andrea.
�With whom?� Robert asked, like I
really have a chance with her after everything I did to her!
�Try her.� Jon said tapping his nose,
Robert sniffed the air, and picked up on the scent of Andrea, and she was
getting close.
�This can�t work, it will never work.�
Robert said folding his arms.
�You really think that?� Jon asked
wondering if his friend was giving up for once.
�For fuck�s sake yes, I can�t be what
Andrea needs, I can�t let go of it all.� Robert replied.
�You will let go if it all in favour of
something better, when she gets here, I want you to look at her straight in the
eyes, and let it go, you won�t even notice it as something else takes the
place of all your hate and rage.� Jon said putting his hand on Robert�s
shoulder, giving his best friend the only advice that he could offer.
�This is my only shot at ever becoming who I
was again isn�t it?� Robert said pondering what was becoming of his life.
�It is my friend, and the key to it is
coming.� Jon said as he left his friend standing there as he detected the
scent of Andrea coming much closer to the garage. Jon got back into his BMW X5
and drove off, leaving his friend with one last remark.
�Screw this up and I�ll beat your ass
until the depression is over.� Jon said as he drove off.
�Fuck here goes.� Robert said as he opened
the door, and was slapped by Andrea�s hand.
�Asshole, its over, I can�t wait around
for you to throw your goddamn life back together, I don�t care what you feel,
it doesn�t make up for it anymore.� Andrea said her eyes blazing with hate.
�I deserved that.� Robert replied, knowing
he deserved that slap she deserves to beat me over the head with an I-beam
though.
�Jon shouldn�t have stopped bashing your
face in.� Andrea said as she slapped him again.
�I should have known you would come to your
senses, you would have been nothing more than a lapdog if you came back to me
for more punishment.� Robert said as he took her next blow but still stood
there accepting it, realising he deserved it and she needed some way to vent her
anger.
�I should have known that you would never
let go of that stupid military shit, dumb fucking me.� Andrea said as she
struck him again, this time a fist made contact and rocked his head around.
�Good to see that you�re getting some
cerebral mass working again when it comes to me, it�s about fucking time you
realised it was an infatuation.� Robert said, but Andrea struck him twice as
hard as before that time.
�I did love you, but I can�t let that
blind me anymore, you�re nothing but a self-righteous son of a bitch that
thinks he can his past as an excuse to do whatever the fuck he wants.� Andrea
replied.
�I�ll take that under consideration,
meantime why don�t you grab your stuff and get out of here, I�ve got
something I need to do.� Robert said as he started walking back to the table
that was piled with guns.
�You�re leaving?� Andrea asked standing
there.
�Why not, no one will give a fuck, I have
some things I have to take care of, sorry I couldn�t be who you wanted me to
be for what it�s worth.� Robert said as he picked up his fallen pistols and
put them back in his holsters.
�Don�t feel sorry for me, feel sorry for
yourself for fucking your goddamn
life up.� Andrea snapped.
�Shut up, I�m out of here.� Robert said
as he finished loading his bike, mounted it, and rode off.
�I didn�t beat his ass down for ten
minutes so you could reject him and tell him to piss off.� Jon said through
clenched teeth as he re-entered the garage.
�Fuck you, I�m not letting myself get
jerked around by him any more, you can go beat him up more if you want, but it
won�t bring me over to his sorry ass ever again.� Andrea snapped crossing
her arms.
�I can�t believe I beat him down for ten
minutes, I bring him those close to coming back to you, all you had to do was
listen to him, didn�t you hear the conversation?� Jon asked as he leaned
against the wall and sighed.
�You tried to fix something that was fucked
up beyond repair, better luck next time.� Andrea said as she grabbed her bag
out of Robert�s vacant room and started walking out.
�You�re throwing away a life with someone
who loves you, and possibly ruining his, you may have just pushed him over the
edge you realise.� Jon called out as she opened the door.
�Tell it to someone who cares, Robert can go
fuck himself and die for all I care, he deserves it.� Andrea snapped as she
left, walking the streets, not knowing where to go.
**********
�What were you doing?� Max said as Jon
entered Logan�s apartment.
�I was beating his ass down for about ten
minutes, he seemed receptive, right up to the point where Andrea told him to
fuck off, good fucking luck to those two I say.� Jon replied furious with what
had happened.
�That son of a bitch deserved it, he�s
hurt her in the relationship three times too many, you should�ve kept beating
him.� Max said coldly.
�I didn�t feel that would accomplish
anything, Andrea made up her mind, she said she�s not going to let him jerk
her around anymore, he�s probably going to suicide-attack Manticore, things
are turning out just fucking fine I�d say.� Jon answered, his eyes still
smouldering from what he had just started and fucked up.
�We can�t worry about that now, the deal
is still going down, we have to stop it.� Max said rising up from her seat.
�You two may want to see this!� Logan
yelled from his computer lab, as Max and Jon dashed to see what was going on, a
special news bulletin was being put on.
�We have just received news that a major
shootout is in progress in the warehouse district of the East side, we are
bringing you live feeds from police hoverdrones.� The reporter said as the
screen flashed up.
Gunfire was emitted from a dozen locations
throughout the warehouse, but none of it seemed to track the target, it darted
everywhere, firing round after round, killing off the gunmen.
�An unknown man has been firing on this
warehouse for about five minutes now, and is noted as travelling faster than
bullets.� The reporter�s voiceover continued as the scene played out.
Jon breathed relief as he realised it wasn�t
Robert as he saw the man jump
into the open, he was bigger than Robert,
seven feet and two inches tall, he was massive, he moved as fast as an X5, a few
bullets caught him but he absorbed them like they were nothing as he continued
to fire.
�This man has absorbed at least twenty
direct hits from gunfire according to scene footage, and is not wearing any
protective armour, he has also opened fire and killed any police that have
approached him.� The report continued as they watched.
�I�ve got to stop this guy, that crazy son
of a bitch finally made one, he made TX5!� Jon yelled as he burst for the
door.
�A what?� Max said confused.
�Tracker with X5 capacities, we are fucked
unless he is stopped!� Jon yelled back as he slapped the elevator call button.
*********
Goodbye Jon, Andrea, Max and Logan, maybe I�ll see you in death
Robert thought as he rode his bike through the city. As he rode he heard the telltale sound of gunfire, he would have ignored it except that is was coming from the warehouse where he was supposed to take out the Manticore technology. At this point he didn�t give a damn about it, but he wanted to see if Jon had been foolish enough to try it on his own. He stopped and sighted in, he saw a blur as someone went by with incredible speed, they stopped and absorbed heavy gunfire, but continued to fight, and the man who absorbed it was the biggest man Robert had ever seen. Lydecker did it, he put Tracker and X5 genetics together, guess I�ll have to stop it, can�t let any Manticore experiments run loose even after it�s destroyed. Robert thought as he got off his bike and checked his weapons, he was wearing his heavy flak jacket, he was loaded with magazines, his H&K UMP .45, the H&K CAWs, the P14-45�s, and his incendiary devices, he was ready for a fight with this man. He approached, then picked up a scent, it was Andrea, she was there, that�s why he�s so hell-bent on attacking, Robert thought, he sighted in with his vision, she was unconscious, the man was just clearing things up before he took her back. I can at least do this for her, Robert thought as he came within yelling distance.
�Why don�t you pick on someone your own size fuckhead!� Robert yelled to the man.
�Like you?� He said smirking.
�Like me, let�s see what you�ve got.� Robert said through his most intimidating voice.
�Your fucking funeral and cemetery bring it on.� The man said as Robert came closer.
�Let�s see if you bleed.� Robert said as he yanked out his H&K UMP .45 and cut loose. The bullets hit as Robert�s incredible vision, reflexes, and aim guided the shots, the man absorbed the fire, the bullets were not doing the damage Robert needed them to do, he cursed.
�That all you�ve got?� The man said smiling as his body healed itself.
�Try this on for size.� Robert said as he pulled out his H&K CAWs and fired three times. The heavy slugs impacted and knocked him down, but did little else as he leapt back up to his feet and attacked. He smashed Robert down and kicked him hard in the chest and head as he pulled him up and threw him thirty feet into a parked car.
�You�re pathetic, put some muscle into it.� The man taunted Robert as Robert got off the hood of the car.
�I�ll show you muscle.� Robert said as he ripped off the fender of the parked car, a Ford F-150, he smashed the man in the side with it, knocking him down.
�You�re good, but you�re not that good.� The man said as he rose up and struck Robert down with a burst of speed in which he rammed into him.
�You�re sadly mistaken.� Robert said as his legs hooked up and smashed him in the face.
�Playtime is over, you lose now.� The TX5 said as he attacked at a speed Robert could never hope to match, and in one blow, he hit at maximum strength, the blow broke three of Robert�s ribs, he felt it for once, a bone breaking, he resented old sensation coming back.
�You haven�t beaten me yet.� Robert said as he grabbed his fallen shotgun and fired off three more slugs, and withdrew the sword from its sheath and slashed the TX5 in the face.
�You just won�t admit it, you lose Tracker, I�m the next wave.� The TX5 said as he kicked the shotgun out of Robert�s hand and kicked him over.
�Not yet.� Robert said as he
slashed again, his sword hacking away at his opponent.
�Quit trying, you can�t win.� The TX5 said as he grabbed Robert�s wrist that held the sword and broke it, god he�s more powerful than I�ll ever be! Robert thought as he gritted his teeth as pain wracked throughout his body as the TX5 hit him again.
�Leave him alone!� Jon yelled out as he got out of his BMW X5, he had driven like a madman to get there.
�Another one, shame you will share his fate!� The TX5 yelled back as he approached his new target.
�Try this on for size.� Jon said as he pulled out an M249 from the back of his SUV and fired it at the TX5. The bullets fired, hit, and knocked the TX5 down but Jon didn�t stop as he emptied the entire drum of the machine gun, and pulled out his FN FNC.
�Still alive eh?� Jon said as he fired and emptied the entire clip into his opponent, the rounds continued to pour into the TX5, shredding the body up. Robert pulled himself back up, his bones were knitting themselves, repairing the damage, he pulled out his P14-45�s and fired at the fallen form of the TX5, emptying the clips, but the TX5 still rose.
�Shit, retreat and regroup!� Robert yelled as he holstered his pistols, picked up his shotgun and slid the sword back into it�s sheath, he threw a napalm grenade in front of the TX5, hoping it would hold him off. He ran towards Andrea and scooped her up and threw her into the back of the BMW X5 as he and Jon got into it and drove off.
�Fucking shit, he healed far faster than we ever have, Lydecker�s been improving his recipe.� Robert said as he held his ribs, they knitted themselves together and he expressed a sigh of relief.
�Is Andrea alright?� Jon asked as he drove.
Robert looked back, she had a bruise on her face that was spreading rapidly, a few slashes were evident on her chest, obviously the TX5 thought that he needed to inflict as much damage as he could.
�Bruise on the face, slashes on the chest, five-inch blade most likely, but the shirt may be covering more.� Robert said as he looked back.
�That�s just great, aren�t you glad you fucked up with Andrea now?� Jon said in a mocking tone as he drove.
�Fuck you, I don�t give a damn what you have to say about this, let�s just get out of here.� Robert snapped.
�You�re the man who made the mistake.� Jon said.
�Shut the fuck up, he�s probably tracking us as we speak.� Robert replied as he changed the clips for his P14-45�s.
�Let�s just get Logan and Max,
get out of the city, and plan our next move.� Jon said as he drove towards
Logan�s apartment building.
�What fucking next move, he can heal faster, hit harder and move faster than we ever will be able to do, we can�t beat him.� Robert said, I can�t beat him, he�s what I should have been, but Lydecker wanted to play it safe with my batch..
�Who the hell are you, are you backing down from a mission, what happened to soldier-boy that could do anything?� Jon asked mockingly.
�Times have changed, this time our opponent can defeat us with ease, what�s the fucking point?� Robert asked back.
�The point is that we�re going to cap his ass with the biggest guns we have and kill him, that�s why!� Jon snapped.
�Yea that�s a well-thought out plan, right up there with suicide bombing and air strikes.� Robert replied.
�Just call Max and Logan so we can give them a heads-up!� Jon snapped back.
�Fine, but it�s not going to do us any good.� Robert said as he pulled out his cell phone and started dialling Logan's number.
�Hello� Logan�s voice echoed.
�Emergency situation, Tracker on the loose, get out of there, he�s after you.� Robert said.
�What the hell are you talking about, and why the fuck should I listen to you?� Logan replied.
�Because a new Tracker is in town and kicked my ass pretty badly, he�s going to come after you two soon.� Robert explained.
�I�d say you got what was coming to you, why should I believe a word of
what you�re saying?� Logan�s voice echoed through the phone sounding doubtful.
�Because it�s the fucking truth, I got my ass kicked, Jon got me out of there, this TX5 thing has beaten up and slashed Andrea.� Robert snapped into the phone.
�Hold on, a what?� Logan asked puzzled.
�A fucking death machine that has my strength and regenerative abilities, but the speed and coordination of an X5, I don�t have time to discuss this, just get in the car and get out of the city!� Robert yelled into his phone.
�He doesn�t believe me.� Robert said to Jon.
�He�s telling the fucking truth,
if you�re not out of there in two minutes that guy is going to find and gut
you like a fish in front of Max, go now!� Jon yelled into the phone as he
drove.
�We�re going to my uncles cabin, it�s outside of town, go there we�ll figure out what we can do there.� Logan said as he shut off the phone, grabbed his laptop, and bolted out the door with Max to the garage.
�They�re going to his uncles cabin, it�s outside of town, do you know exactly where?� Robert asked as he shut his phone off and put it away.
�Yes, Logan said I took Kendra up there as long as nothing valuable was soiled or destroyed and we cleaned up afterwards.� Jon said as he flashed his sector pass to the Sector Police and drove through.
�No more details, I feel bad enough from the beating I received, let�s just get out of the fucking city, I don�t want to hear any more stupid shit from you today.� Robert said holding his hand up.
�Fine, but I�m just going to say that the main reason you�re not able to get along with others is that attitude.� Jon replied.
�Fuck you, I don�t need another lecture on that.� Robert said.
*********
�I take it you two have a good
explanation of why we ran out of the city like crazed rats on a sinking ship?�
Max asked Robert and Jon as Logan tended to Andrea�s wounds.
�The TX5 was created, and it can kick our asses without working up a sweat, that�s why, we�re lucky to be alive right now.� Robert responded.
�A what?� Max asked puzzled.
�For fuck�s sake we told you, a TX5 is a Manticore creation that has the strength, healing augmentations, and senses of a Tracker, with the speed and coordination of an X5 to boot.� Jon answered.
�So what�s the problem? Can�t
you two just bust his ass with some big guns and win?� Logan said looking up.
�I wish, Lydecker has improved upon the healing powers we possess, he took seventy eight .45 rounds, one hundred twenty-five 5.56-mm rounds and six heavy slugs from my CAWs, he still got up, we could have died from that much punishment.� Robert said.
�I see, now how do you expect to defend us from him?� Max asked.
�We get our biggest guns out and
hope for the best, I can�t beat this guy one-on-one, not only is he far
faster, but his strength level is well above mine.� Robert replied.
�Isn�t there any way you can take him out from afar?� Logan asked as he finished stitching and bandaging Andrea�s wounds.
�No, he�ll smell us coming ten miles away, he can out-move and out-fight us, we can only hit as hard as we can and hope to win.� Jon responded as he twirled a P14-45 on his index finger.
�So our mighty protectors have
finally failed to beat the shit out of the anyone they meet?� Andrea said as
she came to rubbing the bruise on her face.
�Fuck off, I�d like to see you take him, or wait you did, how did that go anyways?� Robert shot back and rose up, Andrea did as well, but Jon stepped between them.
�Hold it, Robert your beating down Andrea will not accomplish anything, you two may have some issues to work out, but let�s focus on the task at hand, living.� Jon said pushing the two back.
�Why don�t you tell that bullshit to someone who has something to live for, not that I do or anything.� Robert said his eyes full of fire.
�Maybe if you hadn�t treated me like shit for�� Andrea started.
�Shut the fuck up now, I�m not going to get killed because of some lover�s quarrel tying up our only chance at survival, you two can settle this later.� Max said standing up, she grabbed Andrea and shoved her back down on the couch.
�I don�t have anything to settle, I�m just going to get some guns out and cap the TX5�s ass, nothing more.� Robert said.
�Great plan, why don�t you just strap dynamite to your person then charge up to him and detonate?� Andrea said sarcastically.
�I was thinking about it, only you�re the one who�s doing the charging.� Robert replied in a cold tone.
�Shut up both of you, it�s all we have, if you have any other ideas on how to stop the deadliest thing that ever walked the Earth, I�m ready to hear them.� Jon snapped.
*Beep*
�Damn cell phone, who the fuck wants what?� Robert said as he yanked it out and opened it up.
�Remember me?� The voice of the TX5 echoed.
�You�re that asshole who took a crack at the X5, what the fuck do you want, I don�t have time for games.� Robert snapped into the phone.
�I have an offer for you, the two of you Trackers versus me, meet me at the warehouse where you stashed those X4�s, we end it there. By the way the X4�s are in Lydecker�s hands just letting you know and all, and the Manticore technology transfer was stopped when 150 federal agents stormed the location of the Manticore information.� The TX5 responded.
�How do I know every last soldier and police officer isn�t waiting for us?� Robert asked suspicious of the deal.
�Because I don�t need a cadre of men to kill you, either come to me or I come after you with a TAC team or two.� The TX5 responded.
�Done, we�ll be right over.� Robert said and shut the phone off.
�What did you just do?� Jon asked.
�We�re meeting this asshole and finishing it.� Robert said as he got up.
�We�re going to meet him and he could have how many men with him?� Jon snapped.
�He doesn�t have anyone, because he knows we could detect the scent of the soldiers with their guns ten miles away, so we would bolt, he knows he can beat us, that�s why.� Robert said as Jon got up as well.
�I guess, we going over now or what?� Jon said sighing, realising the chance that he might actually die in this battle.
�Right now, we find him and kill him.� Robert said.
�What happens if we lose, what stops him?� Jon asked.
�I flick this detonator.� Robert said as he withdrew a small device.
�What does that do?� Jon asked curiously.
�It detonates a ten-kilo charge of explosives that will be in your BMW X5, the blast will level the building and kill the TX5.� Robert replied.
�Whoa, time out, no one said shit about blowing my ride up!� Jon said.
�It�s our only choice if we fail, or is your car more important than the mission?� Robert asked staring at Jon with an accusing glint in his eyes.
�Fuck you can blow it up, not like it�s going to do my corpse much good anyways, let�s just make sure it never comes down to that.� Jon replied.
�One last thing, should anything happen to me out there, this disc contains my last will and testament, as well as my words, play it should I fail.� Robert said pulling out a small DVD case from his jacket and put it on the table.
�Why should any of us give a damn what you have to say living or dead?� Andrea snapped at him coldly.
�Just show some fucking respect to a dead man.� Robert said as he went out the door.
�Play the damn thing, just do it as a last bit of courtesy for a man who dedicated his life to saving yours.� Jon said as he left as well.
�Let�s do this.� Robert said as they got into the SUV.
�Let�s hope it doesn�t do us in.� Jon replied as they drove off.
�Good luck to those two, they�ll need it.� Max said.
�Amen to that.� Logan added.
�Hopefully just Jon comes back.�
Andrea muttered do you hate him that
much, he was ready to come back
after all and take the blame. Fuck yes I�m right, he fucked with me two times,
he doesn�t get a fucking third strike, he can rot in hell for as much as I
care. Or do you, you still love him, but nothing can come of that, just don�t
act like he�s the biggest scumbag ever to walk the earth, that position is
filled by Lydecker. I hope he survives this, so he can get on with his life and
get out of mine, maybe even take care of Manticore for good, but at least he
will gone in either case.
********
�I was wondering if you two would ever show up.� The TX5 said.
�You got a name?� Jon asked.
�The name�s Kane, remember it in your death throes.� The TX5 responded.
�It hasn�t even begun, you may be faster but you have to defeat both of us, try it.� Robert said as he drew back his trench coat, revealing his H&K UMP .45 submachine gun.
�Even your guns will not stop me from killing you, you can�t beat me, you two are more than a decade out of date.� Kane said smirking.
�Out of date, but not out of options.� Jon said as he withdrew his UMP .45 as Robert levelled his at Kane.
�Ah good, resistance, I look forward to defeating the fabled Trackers, I will remember you well my opponents, as I remember all my vanquished foes.� Kane said still smirking at the two.
�You�re really that confident of victory?� Robert asked raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
�I don�t presume to have the knowledge of that outcome, I already know it.� Kane responded with a smirk.
�Quit with the victory speech, let�s just do this so I can can your ass and go fuck my girlfriend.� Jon snapped at Kane.
Robert and Jon aimed their submachine guns, Kane tensed his body to dodge the bullets and charge the two, and then the fight began with absolute ferocity and rage.
