Chapter 64: A New Chapter

High above the clouds, through freezing winds, soared two unsuspected figures. One white, the other purple, both splitting the ether like shooting stars. A man and a woman breezing through the night sky, intertwining in a race against time.

[Approaching Target Location: 200 km]

[Above Detection Altitude]

They were almost there. He didn't know why they were going there, but they were going there. Every time he asked Sasha about it, she would evade the question. She didn't want anyone else on this first mission.

Their overall goal was to disrupt enemy operations to halt their attacks on Henosis, while they came up with a plan to deal with the AITF. Although he could tell there was something more, it was too shallow. Sasha and Serena had planned on raiding specific target locations, which meant they were looking for something. There was also the fact that they were split into teams, C and Crow, Jack, Zach and Mag, and finally the two of them. They were all raiding different facilities at the same time, but only he and Sasha would actually infiltrate into the enemy's territory. The others were only decoys meant to be distractions.

"So you're still not gonna tell me why we're here?" He asked as they began to descend, The rays of the rising sun piercing through the thunderous clouds below them. "I told you, you'll know once we get there," Sasha answered, seemingly unsettled by his question. He knew she was agitated, but it bothered him even more.

"After all that talk about trust…" he sighed. "Slava, don't you dare test me right now," she burst out, interrupting him, "you have no fucking right after what you did to Serena!" Oh, so this was what this was about. She was blaming him for Serena's current state. For what he didn't tell them about his fight. How he was saved by someone who looked to be Destiny, or at least what she'd become. It was stupid, he'd barely seen what happened back then and even if he did…

"You know full well it wouldn't have changed a thing even if I had explained it." Serena was just that kind of person, stubborn to the very end. Both sides were recovering, she knew Sasha and the others needed time to adapt to their new environment.

[Altitude Warning!]

They pierced the clouds, into the raging snowstorm, a warning appearing in his vision as his suit began to morph around his body. They wouldn't be able to use their domains during this mission, stealth would be their number one priority. All of their weapons were equipped with silencing capabilities. The rifle on his back and of course the sharp chain wrapped around his chest, from his neck to his hip.

"Just shut up and focus on the mission," she finally said once the city's dome came into view. "We need to relieve some weight off of Serena's shoulders." Serena did go into a semiconscious state to preserve his strength, but Sasha's words didn't seem genuine. And if anything, Angel was there to help, which was the strangest thing to him, of all people Angel…

[Stealth: Configuration Complete]

His body began to grow transparent as he looked to his side, getting a last glimpse of his partner's figure. She hadn't brought her scythe for fear of detection, and he could notice due to her suit, a dark layer covering her body, the black version of the 'cosmic' one he was now so familiar with. She had a sniper on her back, two semi-automatic pistols under her arms and two kamas on her hips.

Looking at her vanishing figure, he grew curious. She was the leader of Henosis, yet she took the risk of coming here, abandoning her mentor. What could be so important that she had to see it with her own eyes, so much so that even Serena couldn't stop her?

[Impact Imminent: Deceleration Thrusters Engaged]

Sasha landed before him, good. They had no doubt noticed the disturbance. By now, they should be asking themselves: what's going on? With no traces of any Awakened activity, they would either have to do nothing or come out and scan for the source of the disturbance. Either way, getting in wouldn't be a problem.

He thought they would at least wait a bit before forcing open the gate, but it seemed like Sasha was having none of it. Jack really was a genius to be able to make tools like this without his domain. Just thinking about how much time he'd spent on his suit made his head ache, he couldn't even imagine how Jack did it. It made him question The Prophet's competence. If she had so many talented people by her side, how come she never went on the offensive instead of waiting for the advent of a stupid prophecy?

As the door's mechanisms were engaged, it began to fragment into small cubes that slowly folded themselves onto each other, leaving a gaping hole at its center that just kept getting bigger and bigger. On the other side, he could already see and hear alarms going off. The countdown had begun. Lunging forward, he jumped through the hole that was now closing back up.

"Shit! We were told to increase security! Why was nobody on this? Get into formation!" Once inside, he walked past a group of soldiers rushing to surround the closing gateway. They were all up in arms, the massive cannons aimed at the entrance. Checkpoints like these had rarely been used since the construction of the lunar beacon.

When he finally reached the end of the hangar, he was faced with the magnificent City of Peace. A cluster of the largest skyscrapers he'd ever seen intertwined and connected through numerous hollow paths, surrounded by an endless void. Upon stepping onto the transparent bridge that led to its center, he got a glimpse of the rivers of magma flowing at its depths.

The city with the greatest eastern influence in America. He began to hasten his steps. The closest to the Union in aesthetics and population. How many refugees did it harbor? How many spies did it hide? What did Sasha have to find here?

He reached the first building, jumping on its wall to run past a crowd crossing an adjacent bridge. He'd never seen a place so vibrant. The only place he could compare it to would be the residential area he used to live in. But even then, compared to that chaos, this place felt like heaven. Everything was organized in a way that gave it a sense of purpose, whether that be the artistic neon signs or the advertisements lining the walls. It felt like the city of the future, of the American dream.

"You're finally here," Sasha said as he regained his colors on a balcony overlooking the central area. "What took you so long?" It took him a while to get here, he'd been so mesmerized by the scenery that he hadn't seen the time fly. But now he was here, on a balcony overlooking the central district. There was one thing every city had, and it was its central power station, its core. "Remember, it'll only be a matter of time before they realize what's going on." She pointed toward the entrance below. "And once we get in, and they see us, they'll realize it's us." A vision of the building's layout appeared in front of him. "I'll infiltrate from above and you from below like we discussed," two intertwining paths appeared on the schema. "Once you get your hands on their communications, we'll be able to talk to each other." She walked over a dead civilian body, preparing to jump, before turning back. "Oh and remember, no using your domain unless absolutely necessary, there's a difference between a thief and a 'Tainted' thief. There cannot be any witnesses today."

Yeah, she'd changed. Sasha silencing a civilian… Silencing the thought, he jumped down. He needed to steal one of their communication devices, analyze the wavelength they emitted and replicate it so that they could communicate without being spotted, hiding in plain sight.

"So, how's your research going?" Passing by the Alpha gate, he overheard a conversation. The central tower was divided into three layers of security Alpha, Beta and Gamma, just like the suits. The deeper they went, the tighter the security would become and the fewer people they would encounter. That's how it worked everywhere now, why risk a leak when most processes could be automated? Getting in would be easy, no matter the security, but getting back out would be the problem. Once they got whatever Sasha was looking for, the chances of them realizing there was an infiltration would increase drastically. Messing around with such an intricate network within such a small timeframe was bound to leave traces.

"Same old same old, the algorithm's doing its thing. What about you? How's security treating you?" Slava reached out toward the talking woman's waist when he paused at her words. Security… That's it! The AITF knew that they were coming, according to Serena. So their altercation wasn't a matter of if, but a matter of when. And who knew what this fortress was hiding, it was like a maze, they were basically mice running into a mousetrap. No matter how hard they tried, once they got their hands on the cheese, they would be trapped. If they wanted to get out of here with what they wanted while remaining as hidden as possible, there was only one solution; disarm the mousetrap.

"Now you listen to me carefully," the man jolted up from his seat at the sound of Slava's distorted voice. "Did you hear that?" He asked his friend, grasping at his own chest. "Hear what? Are you good man?" The other looked concerned, seemingly unable to hear the same. "If you say or try anything funny, you will die in the most atrocious way possible, no one will be able to recognize your body or the cause of death." The man's eyes widened as he blankly stared at the woman now standing before him. "Hello? John?" She asked worriedly. "You will leave and go back to your post." This man would lead him right to where he needed to be. "I… I'm…" The man looked at a loss for words as his lips moved on their own. "Now!" Slava grew impatient, getting even closer to his ear, raising his voice just enough so that the woman wouldn't hear it. "I'm sorry… I… I need to go." He darted off, Slava following closely from behind. "John wait, what…" The worried woman didn't get the chance to understand what'd happened, he was already gone.

They walked past numerous people, corners and halls. No one seemed to notice the distress on the man's face. Either that or they simply didn't care. The environment was plain compared to the impression the city gave off. The people working looked to be young, all wearing the same exosuits, Alpha9 models, unfit for combat, made to monitor vitals among other things. This would be troublesome.

The surroundings became less and less crowded as they passed through the Beta gate. While the man's condition worsened, Slava urged him forward with threats, each more terrifying than the last, as he got more and more information about him from the network. Every time he tried to speak, Slava would shut him up. Communication needed to be as brief and concise as possible to avoid detection. They eventually reached the Gamma gate, where they abruptly turned into a small, dimly lit room. The door had slid open as soon as the man had reached it, and once he entered, numerous moving parts rose from the ground to scan him.

"Authentication Complete! Welcome Back, John Black!" A female voice echoed. The door closed behind them and the room lit up, revealing multiple displays and a now untinted window leading to a gigantic room with two intertwining toruses spinning at its center, the reactor.

"Is there any surveillance in this room?" Hearing this, the man paused for a moment, but before Slava could inquire, he answered somewhat awkwardly. "Yes… but I'm just here to monitor the situation. I…" Slava interrupted his words, uncoiling his chain. "Bring your hand to the terminal." The man hesitated, so Slava raised his voice. "Do it!" The man complied and when he did, wires coiled around his arm plugging themselves into the terminal. Seeing this, his eyes widened, but it was too late.

"Don't worry, your family's safe." Hearing those last words, his muscles relaxed, and he dropped the weapon he'd picked up. "Nothing personal, it's just business, a family matter." Slava appeared behind the body, the blood quickly drying up from his body and blade. The man was scared until he realized that Slava was actually with him. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't hide it well enough. The people working here weren't bums. They were trained, they knew how to fight. Now, he was ready to call her.

"Slava? What happened? What took you so long?" She asked, but before he could answer, her following words revealed her shock. "What did you do? Why are soldiers converging on your position?" So fast? Was it the vitals or the data breach? It didn't matter anymore.

"Sasha, listen to me, there's been a change of plans." Her plan wouldn't work, they would be walking right into their trap. Easy to get in, but hard to get out. "You…" she knew that talking about it now would only be a waste of time. "Okay, what is it?" She seemed annoyed, but at least she wasn't angry, maybe she knew this was a trap all along.

"I got into the security room," he said, dropping the bomb she wasn't expecting. "What? How?" She asked, but he evaded her question. "That's not important, I can override the security protocol of this place, but I need you to buy me some time. I'm looking at the reactor right now, and I see multiple good positions for you, I need you to go make a ruckus while I break this code." He was about to let her speak when a thought came to mind. "And before you ask, I guess you want to go to the only place I can't see on this map. Level Omega, huh? Don't worry, I'll get us there." A restricted region way under the reactor and the lakes of magma. She was clearly stunned, unable to answer. "Next time, just don't hide things like that from me, I did my time, I don't need to redo it with you." He couldn't hear her answer, but he saw her move, which gave him the signal that she'd understood.