Chapter 22

[Opens with Yumisa and Leon sparing a few days after the surgeries are done for all groups. There are 100 subjects left from Project Akron. They'll get their armors in this chapter and it will go on until they arrive just outside the range of Unitech HQ]

"Is...Is that... Is that all you've got," Leon said amidst heavy heaving?

"Well I don't wanna break the last best punching bag," Yumisa replied with a grin.

Coupled with her retort was a kick, slicing through the air making a sound no kick should ever make. Leon had already braced himself for it but the sound of air being cut, no matter how sturdy the receiving end of that kick was; anyone would shudder to imagine the damage.

As the kick neared impact, Leon gave up on defending and dove narrowly avoiding it. Yumisa's heel came down hard and fast exploding the mat and shaking the training area. Silence permeated the room, at least no person made a sound, there was only the swinging lights, the falling debris from the exploded floor and mats, and finally the swishing sound of the sliding door opening.

The onlookers along with Yumisa and Leon quickly scurried about when the door opened.

"So which one of you broke the floor this time? Wait no don't answer that, it was Yumisa again," a monotone voice sounded from the opened door. Usually, this tone would be attributed to Cassius, especially since the project started. However, this voice contained certain femininity, more so than Cassius' androgynous voice.

"Hey, you can't just assume that because something is broken I did it," Yumisa said with an expression of grief and offense.

"Considering your operations name is 'Req' I think it's quite fitting to assume nine times out of ten you broke something."

"Yeah, but isn't my name 'Req' like a requiem. Not that I like that name much."

"Actually, it was supposed to be 'Wreck' as in wrecking ball. I felt Cassius was being both rude and a bit on the nose, so I changed it," Nora stated matter-of-factly. By this point, she had already entered the room and was tinkering with a screen embedded in the wall. The screen retreated into the wall, while Nora stared at the hole that was being quickly repaired.

"Anyway follow me you'll all be getting your armor now. Cassius made one tailored to each one of you, your own personal armor."

They couldn't hear it clearly but Nora was grumbling in a low voice. From what they could just barely hear, it was something about 'cost' and someone or thing that was an 'arrogant prick'. But none of them cared much about that, they were more excited to get their armor.

"What type of armor do you think you'll get?"

"Who do you think will get the best armor?"

"Yumisa is probably getting a giant ball right? She is the wrecking ball after all."

The group erupted into laughter except for one. In the last few weeks and especially the last few days, they had all grown closer. With all the pain and death that surrounded them these last few weeks, they only had each other for support; so naturally little jokes like that one was nothing for them. After the laughter died down they went right back into imagining what kind of armor they'd get and who would get the best one.

The conversations carried on through several hallways. Along the way, they came across the dropouts who suffered from relatively minor injuries. Relative only because even though some of them were screaming bloody murder, in comparison to the ones who couldn't even scream. Most of the dropouts on the third floor suffered from surgery-related complications. Mostly rejection to certain aspects of the surgeries or certain aspects were enhanced in their bodies naturally. With time they could have everything corrected, so there was still hope for them. The second floor was where the truly injured stayed. The people on the second floor were either catatonic or comatose. They still showed signs of higher-brain function, so to the outside, they were pretty much locked in their bodies but aware of the world. The first floor was quarantined. Those who didn't survive were temporarily kept on this floor, sealed in air-tight.

Eventually, they arrived in the basement which was renamed the Hangar. It looked entirely different from when the project started. Before the basement was pretty much empty, only having armor stands and a bit of equipment. What they were seeing now though looked nothing like the basement they knew. On the far wall opposite them, there was a two-story structure they could look through to see something resembling a sci-fi command center. On the east wall to their right, there were several dozen metal human-sized containers, along with Cassius. Still looking around on the west wall there was still the virtual reality gear and rigs. Lastly, at the center of the basement was another two-story structure; different from the first one they saw which was translucent. They wouldn't know what was in this structure until they could enter it. But that wasn't nearly as important as getting their armor.

"Find the container with your name it will only be opened by your DNA, you will feel a small prick; not the kind that I was so kindly referred to as," Cassius said giving a small nod to the red-faced wide-eyed Nora before continuing, "Now then moving-"

"Can we jump straight into our armor," it started with one voice but soon all one hundred started chattering.

"Then I will cut it short, find your container, and get changed," Cassius said standing aside to open the path.

The group excitedly filed into the narrow path, some even cursed Cassius' choice to design it in such a manner. A few immediately found their containers. In a complete departure from their initial impression, the container was very spacious. There were several things inside that no one there had seen before.

"Go straight to the back, stand at the center of the circular machine, and face the entrance," Cassius said.

The ones already in the container did as he said and the doors closed behind them. Those who were still looking for their container listened and searched with even more vigor. Soon they heard heavy footsteps and doors sliding open. The noise quickly drew the attention of those still outside searching. Several people of the group donning their armor walked down the path as the others made way for them.

"The rest of you should hurry up so I can tell you what it does,"

"Indeed, even I was greatly surprised, I think I might get one for myself one day," Nora and Cassius said. Nora had a proud look on her face and the pride extended to her voice, while Cassius was still for the most part speaking flatly.