Date: December 11th, 10:33 PM, the Year 2050
Location: Fate City (Outer District), Pikes
Code: D.F.
For a moment, silence was all there was. But I knew better. Someone was out there, at least one observer. My sensors prickled with warning.
"Is something wrong?" Hedgehog asked, her small voice cutting through my concentration.
A feeling all too familiar entered my consciousness stream—like a fragment of memory long forgotten. It was a feeling of responsibility for another life. This meant I couldn't just let him take over. Not this time.
"Hedgehog, that was your name, right?" I said
"Yes!" Hedgehog's face lit up like the rising sun.
"Let's play a quick game. If you win, I'll get you anything you want for dinner."
"What game?" she giggled, bouncing slightly on her toes.
"I want you to close your eyes, plug your ears, and wait as long as you can. I'll do the same, and whoever opens their eyes and unplugs their ears first will lose."
Her brow furrowed with concern. "What if I lose?"
"Then we can't be friends," I said
Her expression suddenly lost its glow, a shadow of sadness crossing her features. "So, you must not lose," I added softly.
"Whoever opens their eyes first needs to touch the other one by the shoulder to indicate that they lost," I added, setting up my escape.
"Got it!"
"Now, let's start."
She took her fingers and plugged her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. With a flick of mental switch, she was filled with determination, her small body going still with concentration.
I was lucky that whoever was watching us had the patience to let me go through with this charade. I could sense a mutual understanding when it came to the child. That brought me relief on some level.
"Whoever you are, I thank you for not striking while the child is present," I said aloud, my voice barely above a whisper. "Let's take this outside so she won't get hurt."
There was no response. I made my way to the exit while staying on full alert. I could sense a subtle movement—like a brush of wind blowing in my direction. How had I been discovered, and who had found me? The other me never left survivors. Never. I was a hunter that would keep attacking until I sensed no vital signals within a twenty-meter radius. So there was no possible way for anyone to get this close without planting a tracker or following at a careful distance. Whoever it was probably knew about my twenty-meter sensory boundary.
As I stepped outside, cold air brushed across my face. The rain had stopped, but clouds hung thick overhead, blocking any starlight that might have illuminated my surroundings.
I turned my attention toward the faint presence standing five meters away. What was the watcher thinking?
And just like that, my body moved before my mind could fully process the threat. A leg swept toward me, aiming for my knees. Dodge left. Block. Counter. My attacker had closed the distance in mere seconds.
A gun appeared in the assailant's hand. Peace Walker, most likely. Though I couldn't see him clearly, my sensors traced his outline—glowing red optics in a faceless helmet.
No sound. The attacker was good.
My energy field caught the first bullet, the projectile disintegrating against the barrier.
A knife flashed next—its edge vibrating at a new frequency. He'd found my shield's weakness already. The gun would be next. I had to move.
As my feet hit the ground, I grabbed my sword from my waist, charging it with energy just in time to meet the attacker's blade. Metal screamed against metal. He's stronger than he looks.
"Cyber armor," I observed as our blades locked. Behind the shimmer of his camouflage, black segmented plates shifted with each movement. "A fine tool."
Our blades disconnected with a metallic ring. He'll strike low then feint right. I adjusted my stance accordingly.
Slash.
The Peace Walker retreated as predicted and raised his gun once more. I've seen this sequence before.
Slash. One quick swoop and I cleaved the weapon in two, its halves falling uselessly to the wet ground.
I could feel it stirring inside me—the predator's grip tightening. For a moment, I was about to lose control. The jumps, the slashes—they were moments of vigilance slipping.
"Eliminate" the voice inside whispered, seductive and cruel. " He is trouble."
Shut up, I commanded.
I switched off my blade, lunged forward, and grabbed my opponent's face, slamming him into the ground hard enough to crack the pavement.
My victory was premature. His body flowed with the impact, distributing the force. Trap. His hand shot up to grab my wrist, crushing pressure targeting the weakest points. Breaking my arm is his goal.
I increased power to my own cybernetics, barely countering the pressure. His helmet's faceplate flickered, red optics pulsing brighter. He's diverting power to his limbs.
I've been trying my best to avoid Peace Walkers, partially because they are troublesome but mostly because I didn't want to have their blood on my hands. But this one was proving difficult to subdue non-lethally.
His leg wrapped around my waist, squeezing with inhuman strength. The knife reappeared, arcing toward my neck. Too fast. Left side exposed. If I dodge right, he'll release his leg grip and roll away.
I need to end this now, otherwise the self-preservation program will trigger and I will kill both him and Hedgehog
Decision made. I dropped my center of gravity and twisted sharply, sacrificing my left shoulder to the knife while driving my right elbow into his exposed neck sensors—the gap in every Peace Walker's armor.
The blade bit into my shoulder. Pain flared across my network. Worth it.
A shock rippled through his body as my elbow connected with precision. His grip loosened. Systems failing. The red optics flickered once, twice, then dimmed.
I rolled away, clutching my wounded shoulder, scanning for signs of consciousness. His body lay still, systems offline but vitals stable. Exactly what I wanted—incapacitated, not dead.
The voice inside me howled in disappointment. You could have finished him.
"Not today," I whispered, rising to my feet. I needed to get back to Hedgehog before the Peace Walker recovered or his reinforcements arrived.
As I turned to leave, I cast one final glance at my unconscious opponent. What was it they wanted from me? Not to kill me—they could have sent more than one Peace Walker for that. No, they wanted something else, something only I could provide.
But that would have to remain a mystery for another day. Right now, I had a dinner promise to keep.
I was halfway back to the building when my vision began to blur at the edges. The wound in my shoulder pulsed with an unnatural heat.
Something was wrong.
My legs grew heavy.
"No, not now... fuck," I managed to whisper as my knees buckled beneath me.
I collapsed at the entrance, one hand desperately reaching for the door. Inside was Hedgehog, still playing our game, eyes closed, ears covered. Unaware.
My consciousness began to fragment .
Life form detected. Proceeding to take control of all senses. Target locked in..