Animus Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-4): Initiate, Co-Op, Death Match, Advance

by Joshua Anderle

  Kaiden hovered over the ‘Next-Gen’ talent icon. “You ready?”

  “Hell yeah, let’s bring on the new me.”

  Kaiden smiled as he accepted the talent. “I agree.”

  Author Notes

  September 24, 2018

  Thank you for not only reading this story, but also these author notes here at the back.

  A little about Animus: Initiate (Book 01)

  It has only been about 12 days since the first book in this series was published. Unlike many of my other collaborations, I didn’t immediately put it out to my fans upon release day because the focus wasn’t to go to the fans of The Kurtherian Gambit.

  When I worked with Joshua to build this new Universe, I wanted to head towards another type of story.

  One that was straight up Sci-Fi yet leaned into the crowd that loved stories set in a virtual world, yet touched the ‘real’ world.

  Characters

  Joshua and I went round and round on the characters. Having worked a lot of collaborations, I believe I have a pretty good feel for when a collaborator is feeling the characters and enjoying the story we are creating.

  I would come up with a character, and he would give me something like ‘Well, ok, you are driving this and I can make that work’ which I started to understand was ‘wow, don’t like that, but I don’t want to push dad too much.’

  I chose to pull out of him characters HE liked. After listening to his thoughts, I would say something like, ‘Wow, ok, well, I guess if you are writing this, I can try to make this work…’

  Both of us are willing to give a little, but still have a point we can’t cross. It took some back and forth for us to find our main character Kaiden Jericho that worked for both of us. The fact I’m a born Texan (like Joshua) had nothing to do with Kaiden’s location. He came in from the beginning of Initiate and it has everything to do with it being the state Joshua is both from and presently living in.

  I was surprised to read the first part of the book (since it was set in Seattle, I hadn’t considered Kaiden to be from anywhere farther away than the West Coast.)

  HA! Joke was on me.

  I thought we had one book per year of school…

  In one of the reviews for Initiate, there was a comment from a reader who thought Book 01 was going to be the whole first year of the Nexus Academy.

  So did I.

  I think I mentioned last book that I wrote the main beats for book one, then Joshua and I reviewed and re-worked the beats to the first book. Joshua kept extending the book with new scenes.

  What was supposed to be one book, became three.

  Mentally, I’m exhausted when a story hits 70,000 words. I just want the end to occur. I don’t know how many times writing The Kurtherian Gambit series I would eye the word count, wondering if I could just cut out some of the story, and finish at 64,000. I don’t think I ever did, but I know one time I finished at about 68,000 and threw in the towel (so to speak.) Only to have my production editor Stephen Russell ask me about the missing battle scene.

  I stared at the computer, re-reading his question over and over when I realized I had to bang out another 5,000 words minimum (I think it ended up 8,000 words) to finish the book.

  I still shiver thinking about that moment.

  So, anyone that can write stories beyond 75,000 words I tip my hat. I just don’t have the desire to keep going. I need a break.

  I hope you liked this book.

  If you like this, or any book on Amazon, consider leaving a review as they help all of us Authors as we produce books, and see whether you, our fans, like them or not!

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle / Joshua Anderle

  Death Match

  Animus Book 3

  Chapter One

  Water, oil, and blood dripped from the grates above the canal. Angry shouting and the fizz of overheated electronics came from above, muffled but audible. A group of six wandered slowly through the tight corridor, three to each side, trying not to step into the puddles on the floor and keeping their noise to a minimum.

  Two loud gunshots sounded above. Some whooping and hollering followed, a joyful response to the violence taking place. Up ahead, the group saw a stream of blood trickle through a small hole in the wall. It traced a path into a gutter and streamed down the side of the left wall. The three on the left inched away in an attempt to avoid the crimson liquid coming their way.

  “Holy hell, whose idea was it to choose the creepy mission?” Cameron hissed, his annoyance and disgust evident even over the comms.

  Jaxon turned, holding a finger up to the front of his helmet to tell him to quiet down as another voice popped up over the link.

  “If I recall correctly, you were the one who said, ‘Screw it, choose whatever and let’s get in there.’ Maybe next time, you’ll be a little more thorough and take a look through the mission and map description before we begin?” Kaiden sneered over the comms.

  The team in the canal pressed on. Cameron grunted as he walked forward, his voice lowering to a whisper but still plenty angry. “You get to act all high and mighty because you’re not down here. You’re riding around in your little ship while the rest of us have to walk through this tunnel of what I actually hope is mostly rancid flesh.”

  “You’re a bounty hunter. Drug dens, chop houses, that’ll be most of your gigs in a few years anyway, right?” The ace chuckled. “Besides, it’s not like we drew straws. You guys are infiltration, while Marlo, Luke, Genos, and I are the distraction team. You were the best choices.”

  “How does that work again?” Silas asked. He leaned around the corner and signaled that it was clear. “I can cause plenty of distraction of the explosive variety.”

  “My score is bigger than yours, Si,” Kaiden reminded him. “Plus, you lack the personal touch that I have. Luke and Marlo are our big guns—well, a big gun and a big hammer, but it’s mostly a metaphorical term anyway.”

  “And Genos? Is he a secret pyromaniac or something?” Raul inquired. He flinched as he saw a few drops of some unidentifiable liquid fall across his visor. Izzy reached out from behind and steadied him before motioning for him to keep moving.

  “He’s the closest thing we have to a pilot. Doin’ a damn good job of it too, Genos.” Some quiet, unintelligible words came over the comm. “About two minutes? Better gear up, then. Also, your comm link is off. Oh, that’s on purpose?”

  “All comms but mine and yours should have been offline until we went hot, but I can see most of us did not apparently listen to that part of the plan,” Jaxon noted dryly.

  “I figure most of your team didn’t, although Izzy and Chiyo are still offline. So gold stars for you and the ladies, and Cameron, Silas, and Raul don’t get any dinner for a week.”

  “There’s no way he can actually enforce that, right?” Raul asked.

  Cameron shook his head. “He gets rank three and he thinks he’s actually the captain of the initiates. He’s been trying to make some of the others in the Soldier dorm call him ‘sir.’”

  “I would have expected people do that regardless of rank. Also, your comm is still on.”

  “Regardless of rank? You thought people would grant you titles because you naturally have such a dignified and commanding air about you?” Silas jeered.

  “Well, why thank you, Silas. I didn’t know I gave that kind of impression. I figured I did, but I wasn’t sure others were picking up on it.”

  Silas and Izzy gave muted laughs while Cameron sighed and Raul shook his head.

  “Good God, he is insufferable,” the tracker huffed.

  “Keep that up and there’s no dessert at lunch for you either, Raul.”

  “You keep picking on us for not following the rules, but you didn’t seem to know about the no comms rule either. You simply got lucky,” Cameron pointed out.

  “It was a clever ruse to weed out those who were paying attention. You all obviously fell for my charisma and subterfuge.”

  �
�Turning off comms. We’re nearly there.” Silas deactivated his long-range mic before looking back at the others. “Looks like he thinks he’s an actor now,” he muttered, bemused.

  “He might be. That EI of his seems to have some crazy talent options,” Raul commented, also turning off his long-range mic.

  “He’s merely getting full of himself—thinks he’s the alpha bastard now,” Cameron jested.

  “The glorious and supreme alpha bastard, thank you,” Kaiden corrected. “Also, your mic is still on.”

  “Goddammit.” Cameron hissed as he pressed the side of his helmet to turn it off.

  “Either way, he seems to be getting more into his role as an ace and actually taking point on missions,” Silas mused. “Even if, in this case, taking point means you don’t want to be in front of where he’s shooting.”

  “Considering where it’s gotten us, I think I actually miss the days where he was simply a trigger-happy gun jock,” the bounty hunter admitted.

  “I mean, he still is. Just…you know, with authority if not maturity,” Silas retorted.

  “Guess we have you to thank for that, eh, Chiyo?” Raul asked, looking back at the infiltrator. “Don’t know how you got through to him with that massive ego, but if I had to guess I would say…drugs?”

  Chiyo shook her head. She motioned across her mask for silence and pointed at Jaxon. The Tsuna ace looked around another corner farther ahead, motioning for the others to join him. “Kaiden, we have found the entrance to the underside of the building. Are you ready?”

  Kaiden looked at Marlo, who was priming his Tesla cannon, and Luke, who took his massive hammer and gripped it in both hands. “We’re good. You’ll hear us in a bit,” he said. He walked over to the cockpit and looked through the window over Genos’ shoulder, seeing the decrepit prison their targets were using as a base coming up quickly in the distance. “Where do you think the best place to set us down will be, Genos?”

  The Tsuna mechanist looked around the building, his lips pursed in thought. “I can either play it safe and drop you off on top of the building or the exterior landing pad to the far side, or play it off like a hostage or convoy drop-off—”

  “Boring.” Kaiden dismissed his suggestions peremptorily.

  “Or I can do a hot drop toward the entrance of the prison and let you make your own entrance while I deal with the security towers around the building.”

  “Next time, lead with that option.” The ace clapped Genos a couple of times on the shoulder.

  “I figured that would be your preferred option. But I do hope that I can sometimes convince you that the more tactical option may possibly be the better option…occasionally.”

  “Chiyo thought that too. But considering all our missions usually end up in a firefight, it’s usually for naught.” Kaiden pulled his shotgun. “It’s why I don’t bother equipping stealth or silenced guns anymore.”

  “Yes, she told me as much.” The Tsuna drifted the ship around the prison, looking for an entry point. “She also told me that it was usually you who would initiate the fire fights.”

  The ace shrugged. “Our positions would get compromised.”

  “Usually after you killed someone. At least that was the pattern I noticed,” the alien responded, looking at him.

  Kaiden opened the visor of his mask so his companion could see the annoyance in his eyes. “But can you argue that my plans don’t work?”

  The mechanist stared at him for a moment before looking back at the window. “I suppose I cannot.”

  “Exactly,” he declared triumphantly before closing his visor and walking back to the hold.

  “Though those plans may be why the staff hides you from diplomats and Academy patrons when they visit,” Genos said thoughtfully.

  “What was that?” Kaiden asked, shouting the question.

  “Just figuring out coordinates. Get ready to drop!” he called back.

  “Gotcha. Ready when you are,” he acknowledged, walked up to the exit ramp, and grabbed a handle overhead.

  “Is that a new gun, Kaiden?” Marlo asked “Doesn’t look like that Raptor you usually use.”

  “Yeah, only used it since a couple of missions ago.” Kaiden held the shotgun up. The white body extended to the tip of the barrel, which was a short and wide silver tube that connected to a chamber in the middle of the weapon that was illuminated by red energy. “It’s a Tera Sovereign model, a Havoc III.”

  “What’s that red stuff?” Luke asked.

  “This baby fires superheated shards. Cuts right through even heavy armor. The shards pass through this chamber and it heats the metal on the way,” he explained.

  “So that’s some sort of incendiary chamber?”

  Kaiden shook his head. “Nah, plasma. It’s somehow sustained in the chamber.”

  “That sounds kinda dangerous,” Marlo noted. He sounded a little concerned.

  “It’s worked for me so far. I heard about the Havoc series a few years back. This was the last model they created before they were discontinued.”

  “Why were they discontinued?” Luke inquired, continuing to look cautiously at the weapon.

  “Some sort of explosive blowback issue. WC had to step in and make them stop. Didn’t read far enough along to see what the big deal was. But having used it a couple of times now, it seems damn tragic.”

  The two titans looked at each other for a moment before taking a few steps away from Kaiden, who looked lovingly at the gun. The ship began to slow, and they could feel themselves descending.

  “I’m about the open the ramp. It would appear that there are a few men waiting to greet you.” Genos relayed the information in a calm tone.

  “Open the hatch. We’ll make proper introductions,” Kaiden commanded. “Try not to get blown out of the sky while we’re out.”

  “Certainly noted,” the Tsuna affirmed. “Best of luck with the mayhem.”

  “Thank you, good sir.”

  The ship hovered near the ground and the ace released the handle and walked down the ramp, Marlo and Luke following closely behind.

  They were met by a group of nine men, each in different armored uniforms showing allegiance with various cartels, gangs, mercenary companies, and terrorist groups. The one in the center approached them. He was bald with spidery scars that formed around his lips and right cheek. His pale green eyes were socketed into a face that stretched around his skull as if trying to pop out. He wore a set of black medium armor. A crest on the right breastplate depicted a smiling skull with smoke issuing from each side of its mouth in a ‘V’ shape, designating him a member of the Vice Ghouls gang. Kaiden recalled that they had a small presence back in Texas, but they were mostly run through the west coast and apparently had a couple of chapters in one of the stations.

  “Got a lot of balls to come to a rogue port without invitation. You didn’t even land on a pad for inspection and clearance.” He sneered as he surveyed the three of them with derision.

  “Kind of a stickler for protocol for a congregation of misfits, murderers, and psychopaths,” Marlo noted quietly over the link.

  “You’re lucky our cannon is out.” The man flicked a thumb behind him to show a large anti-air cannon, the barrel pointing low and deactivated behind him. “Or else you wouldn’t have even been able to set foot in our place.” He eyed the three for a moment and smiled, showing decayed, blackened teeth. “Though if you ain’t got nothing to offer or a good excuse for coming here, your fancy suits and toys could catch a nice price.”

  “Remember, Dense, it’s first come, first served,” one of the larger men said. He wore a Red Sun uniform with no helmet, showing dark skin and a shaved head with one eye scarred and blind. He wielded a large blade with a serrated chain—a chainsaw blade, as they were often tagged. Calmly, he walked up to Luke, examining his heavy silver armor and hammer. “Looks like it would be a good fit for me.” he growled, pressing a fist against the titan’s chest. “That hammer can get sold for scrap. I prefer a weapon th
at shows the insides of my victims, not just flattens them.”

  Luke grabbed the man’s fist and pushed him back, looking at his blade for a moment. “Maybe we don’t belong here, then. I prefer to be around guys who actually know how to use their weapon and don’t get theirs off the edgelord rack to show his buddies how spooky he is,” he retorted, his tone clipped.

  The man pulled the heavy blade off his back, holding it in one hand and pointing it at the titan. The tips of the blades stopped only a couple of inches from his helmet. “Want me to rev it up? See if you’re still talking with all that bravado when you see how fast this blade spins.”

  “Give it a shot. It won’t hurt me,” the giant challenged. “Even without the armor. Look at all that gunk on the chain. That thing is more likely to snap and whip you in the face than cut into me.”

  The Red Sun merc gripped a handle on the base of the blade. “Allow me to be a nice host and offer you a demonstration.”

  “Stop it, Jedrek,” Dense, the apparent leader, demanded. “We should at least give them a chance to explain themselves. Don’t want word to spread that the gentleman of the Angola rogue port are such wicked bastards.” His grin was wide and devious. “It would be true but think of the PR damage if it got out.”

  “Let’s just kill them!” another cried. The owner of the voice was lanky and dressed in a patchwork of armor of various sizes and colors. He wore a mask around his mouth, goggles over his eyes, and some kind of skin cap over his head. The headgear was partially damaged, showing a wild tuft of hair. “It’ll be fun. Come on, come on,” he wailed fanatically. Kaiden saw an insignia on his left shoulder—an angel with horns made from a shattered halo that showed he belonged to the Soulless Breed gang, though some considered them more of a cult.