Kaiden dug the blade into the beast’s back and dragged it down to its waist. The shrieker screamed and held on, but its head raised and gave him enough time to rip the knife out and drive it into its chest. They flipped, the shrieker now under him, and he drew Debonair and shoved the barrel on its forehead to fire three quick shots. He pushed off the body and scrambled to his feet to retrieve his Tempest.
“Help!”
Kane backed away from a group of four shriekers which stalked him, his cannon useless as it was venting. Kaiden spun and dropped to one knee. He fired at the group and dispatched two of them in a flurry of laser fire before his own weapon overheated. One of the shriekers hurdled over Kane and glowered at the ace, who began mentally counting down until his machine gun could be used again. The other shrieker continued its pursuit of the skinny merc. Lazar and Hodder were both too busy to lend their aid. Then, before the shrieker could pounce, a shot rang out and its head burst apart. The remains slumped to the floor. After a second shot, Kane’s pursuer also dropped. Magellan stood in the corner and gave him a quick salute as he turned to fire at the remaining horde.
Before Kaiden could wave back, Chief yelled into his ear, “Kaiden, above!” He looked up as more shriekers descended. “Shit! Guys, look up.”
“Hodder! Now!” Lazar ordered.
“Got it, boss,” he responded as he turned a knob on one of the belts along his chest. “You guys have thirty seconds to get your asses out of here. This place is going to blow.”
Kaiden continued to fire and a shrieker dropped dead out of the mid-air. The others simply jumped down instead of climbing.
“Kaiden, behind you is a room, and the doors still have power. I’ll cast in and lock them.” He looked back as the others retreated through the door they had come from. He was too far away to sprint to it, not with the number of mutants in his way. He nodded, ran into the small room, and smashed his hand on the console to close the doors behind him. Chief left his HUD for a moment before a click and shudder heralded heavy bars that crossed the doorway. The shriekers pounded and slammed against the doors as they emitted screams of rage. The frame warped against the assault. A large explosion all but shattered his eardrums, even with the dampeners on.
Smoke floated in through the cracks above the doors. He heard nothing but the ringing in his ears for a moment before it faded slightly. Pieces of debris crackled and thumped as they fell in the Lab room beyond.
“Crazy bastard,” Kaiden muttered. “But at least we don’t have to deal with those monsters anymore.”
An arm wrapped around his shoulders. “You guys made a hell of a racket.” Kaiden leapt instinctively aside and drew Debonair. He aimed it at the stranger in the room.
“You woke me up from my nap. Did you have to kill all of them? It seems like a waste. They make a good meal.”
“Who the hell are you?” Kaiden demanded. The lights in the room were fairly dim, but he could make out some details. The stranger was tall with tanned skin and a lanky physique and short blond hair. His long arms and legs suggested an athlete but his thin torso was noticeable even in his light armor which glimmered golden, indicating its shielding. He wore a visor or shades with pointed edges over his eyes and sported a lackadaisical grin on his face.
“Me? I’m merely a traveler, looking to see what I can find that tickles my fancy.” He rubbed the back of his head and his neck cracked as he shifted it from side to side. He yawned before continuing, “I guess you guys are a retrieval team? Maybe not. You’re too well-armed. Those pansies usually have stun guns and tracer rifles which aren’t exactly built for mutant killing—or any killing, for that matter. For all the smarts those nerds in the labs are supposed to have, the muscle only helps the theory of Darwinism.”
Kaiden, despite the friendly demeanor of the man, felt uneasy. For a moment, he wondered why he was apparently simply hanging out there. Then it dawned on him, and the chill returned. He raised Debonair to fire, but before he could pull the trigger, the stranger had closed in. His arm was forced behind his head and his shots went uselessly into the wall. His adversary slammed something into his chest and he heard a hum as surges of electricity danced along his armor. The barrier shattered, and he felt the full surge of electricity course through his body. The man flipped him, his thin physique belying his strength. He slammed Kaiden into the ground and followed by smashing his boot into his helmet.
“A little quick to the trigger there, Ace.” He knelt and forced Kaiden’s head to the ground. “But I guess that’s what I get for losing my manners. My name is Gin Sonny.” Kaiden’s breath hitched.
“Tell me, kid…” He continued to push Kaiden’s head against the floor. “How did ya get here?”
Chapter Four
Two Months Earlier
The gates to Nexus Academy’s entrance opened, and the eager student body swarmed in. A cacophony of cheers and conversations created a jovial atmosphere. Students, wearing their Academy jackets that displayed their year and division, filed quickly into groups as friends met others in their new year and caught up.
Kaiden looked around and absorbed the pleasant feeling of familiarity as a returning student rather than being bussed in as a last-minute recruit like the previous year. Some students stared or gawked at him, and he allowed himself a small smile. He had wondered how many top scores and records he had to establish to make a name for himself around there. It was satisfying that he’d achieved a little celebrity status. Now, he simply had to keep it up.
He heard his name shouted. Even with all the voices talking at once, this one was unmistakable, mostly because he called him “mate.”
“Flynn, is that you?” he shouted, and his gaze swept the crowd. A shaggy blond waved his hand a dozen or so yards away. Kaiden returned the wave as Flynn and Amber made their way over.
“Hey, Kaiden, how was your break?” he asked.
“Good. I kept busy and could have used more than six weeks,” he admitted. “It hardly feels like I left at all.”
“At least you didn’t have a chance to rust,” Amber responded. “Unless you’ve been eating bonbons this entire time.”
“He’s more of a sucker kind of guy,” Chief interjected as he popped into visibility.
“You’d better be talking about candy,” Kaiden huffed and regarded the EI with playful anger.
“If that’s the pet name you decided, sure,” he chirped.
“That’s a little low-brow for you,” Kaiden sneered. “Are you already hitting the bottom of the barrel? You’ve only been active a year, shiny.”
“If you didn’t mess up so much, I wouldn’t go through my A-material so quickly,” Chief retorted and twirled for emphasis.
“Hello again to you too, Chief,” Amber said.
“Howdy, Amber, Flynn. How y’all doing?” he asked.
“Better, now that we’ve actually arrived. Our flight was canceled and we only got to Seattle yesterday, then had to make the trip here a few hours after landing,” Flynn mumbled. “But I guess I can’t complain. Marlo had to drive all the way here. He stayed and worked with his uncle in Arizona over the break. Apparently, he’s in the World Council Military.”
“Where is that big, lovable goof anyway? Y’all are usually tied at the hip,” Kaiden asked.
“I don’t know. He said he saw Luke and went to grab him but kinda got lost in the shuffle.” Amber retrieved an EI pad from her pocket. “Hey, Luna?”
“Yes?” a light-blue nymph-like EI with wireframe wings appeared. “Do you want me to look for Marlo on the network, miss?”
“I might have mentioned it before, but that is a nauseously cute EI for what we usually do,” Kaiden pointed out.
“Hey, I ain’t complaining. Besides, not every EI can have my swagger,” Chief stated.
“You are a damn ball.” Kaiden deadpanned and stared in response to the EI’s glare.
“It looks like you don’t need to, Luna.” Amber smiled and waved. “I see them. Hey, guys!”
; “What’s up?” Luke shouted. Cameron, Raul, and Marlo joined the group.
“Que Pasa,” Cameron said and shook hands with Flynn. He gave Kaiden a brief, stern look that the ace returned before he smiled and offered a fist. Kaiden knocked his own against it in greeting. “It looks like the gang’s back together—the good ones at least, except you, Kai.”
“Keep talking that shit and see if I back you up the next time you have a team of droids after ya,” he warned sarcastically,
“Good to see you all. Now, we’re only missing Chiyo, Silas, Izzy, and the Tsunas,” Flynn remarked. “It should be easy enough to find them.”
“Genos messaged me a few nights back. Apparently, the Tsuna report to the dorms first thing. They have some upgrades scheduled, and we’ll have more than twice the number of Tsuna students this year. Evidently, they thought the first year was a great success.”
“Well, if most of them are half as good as Genos and Jaxon, they’ll make fine additions.” Luke beamed and knocked his shoulder against Raul’s head. “Would you quit messing with your hair?”
“Stop hitting me. This wind is messing up all my work,” he grumbled and moved a few strands of hair back into place. “This is our first day as advanced students. I like to make a good impression.”
“What? That you should be a hairdresser instead of a tracker?” Luke chuckled. “I worry that you’re gonna bring a blow dryer as your sidearm.”
“I have mods in my helmet for that,” Raul stated and adjusted his jacket. “Style is half the battle. Once we’re out of here and I make a name for myself, I’ll be on the news and in fashion articles all the time.”
“Heh, soldier chic. I’m sure it’ll catch on,” Cameron jeered.
“So, guys, what are we waiting for?” Marlo asked, and the group turned to him, “We should head to the theater before all the good seats are taken.”
“Well, I had hoped we would all get together before going to the introduction ceremony,” Flynn interjected. “Besides, there’s one for every year. The initiates start first right?”
“No, last, at least this year. The initiates don’t show up for another few days,” Kaiden explained, and the others looked at him in surprise. “What? What did I say?”
“Nothing. But…I guess it’s strange that you actually know what’s going on with school events. After a year when you seemed to keep your head in the ground, it’s a change of pace,” Amber admitted.
“Yes. After a whole year, I learned enough to read the pamphlet,” he quipped and rolled his eyes. “Nice of you to notice.”
“Hey, Kaiden, what’s up with the scars?” Marlo asked and pointed to his face and neck.
Kaiden rubbed the spot in question and hiked the collar of his shirt up. “Yeah, I got them while having a bit of fun. No worries.”
“What kind of fun did you have?” Flynn asked mirthfully.
“The profitable kind,” Kaiden answered and earned a puzzled look from Flynn and shrugs from a couple of the others.
“Hey, and hi,” a voice called excitedly.
The group looked in the direction of the greeting. “Hey, Izzy! Silas!” Amber ran to hug her friend as Silas walked past.
The enforcer clasped Kaiden’s hand and both showed a little force in the greeting. “Trying to show off there, Sy?”
“Nah, man, just greetin’ ya.” He smiled.
“It feels like your trying to snap my arm,” Kaiden stated.
“I’m an enthusiastic greeter. Good to see everybody.” He shook Flynn’s and Cameron’s hands. “It looks like we’re only missing blues and purps.”
“We probably won’t see them until after the introduction. They have their own thing going on,” Kaiden explained. “I guess with you and Izzy, that’s all of us for now.”
“What about Chiyo?” Izzy asked as she and Amber sauntered back into the group.
“She’s already in there, saving us seats in the balcony, but I doubt she can hold that many for long.” Kaiden looked at his list of messages from Chiyo on his oculars’ HUD.
“Then let’s make a move. There’s no need to keep her waiting,” Flynn declared. “Let’s kick off the new year.”
As Kaiden entered the side door that led onto the balcony, he took a moment to peer over the edge and saw several rows of Tsuna. It resembled a bizarre art project as various shades of blue moved and shifted in the seats. Their kelp-like hair in various designs and braids danced around with their movements. He looked for Genos and Jaxon and finally saw them at the far end.
He waved but they didn’t seem to see him, and he wanted to shout but was pulled away by the others. As he followed the group, he sent Genos a quick message to tell him he had arrived and where he was and waited for him to read it. The Tsuna looked up. He wore some goggle-like headgear which Kaiden guessed were oculars for his EI.
The two friends exchanged gestures of greeting and Kaiden moved on to find Chiyo, who sat toward the end of her row. He wagged his fingers at her and grinned as he approached.
“It’s good to see you, Kaiden.” Chiyo greeted him with a smile as he sat beside her. “I hope your break went well.”
“Just peachy,” Kaiden replied as he kicked his feet up and rested them on the railing in front of him. The others took their seats along the row. “How about yours? We only talked a few times, but you said you went back home for a couple of weeks?”
“Yes, to see my father. It was nice to spend a little time with him, but I spent most of the break working.”
“Yeah, I remember you telling me you shadowed Laurie.” Kaiden snickered. “I haven’t talked to him at all since last year ended and was surprised that he didn’t fret about me and his precious device away from school grounds for more than a day. He’s something of a trip, isn’t he?”
“I only talked to him personally a few times. He was quite courteous for a man of his stature and whom most people believe to be a recluse.”
The ace frowned and slouched in his chair. “Either he’s taking pills, or I bring out the giddiness in him.”
“He did speak about you, though, and said that you should pay him a visit. When he and I discussed the tests you and I did together, he said—and I quote—‘Kaiden has been an awful handful, hasn’t he?’”
“Did you remind him I was the MVP in those tests?” Kaiden responded but returned her gaze with a sheepish look. “No offense. You did damn good too.”
“How kind of you.” She said flatly and chuckled slightly after a moment. “I made sure that your good name wasn’t dragged through the muck, but it didn’t take much. He seems rather enthralled with you.”
“If only some of the women in my life were half as interested,” Kaiden grumbled. “Still, I guess you’re fit to burst with all that you learned. I can lend an ear until the ceremony starts.”
“I’ve shared more than enough in our messages. Besides, the work I helped with cannot be freely discussed.”
“You can tell me, but then you’ll have to kill me?” Kaiden asked cheerfully.
“More like if I told you, you would be visited by several men who cannot be traced and you would vanish.” Her tone held no joke or sarcasm.
“Yeah, maybe it’s best you keep it to yourself.” Kaiden coughed, folded his arms, and leaned back.
“I was joking, Kaiden.” She smiled in response to his relieved sigh. “I haven’t earned sufficient trust to work on something at that level yet. But I did work with a couple of the professor’s personal infiltrators and learned a great deal. They’ve both been in the field for over two decades, and their skills and knowledge are tremendous.”
“It’s kinda surprising that there are hackers who are so good you seem in awe of them,” Kaiden admitted.
“There is always room to grow and more to learn, particularly with how fast security adapts and programming changes. What they were able to do with their own skill alone I was only able to keep up with due to assistance from Kaitō.”
He was openly impressed and wante
d to ask what she’d learned and how they could use it in missions, but the lights dimmed as the stage was illuminated. Holoscreens materialized on the front of the balcony and Chancellor Durand’s cheerful face appeared. Kaiden looked through the translucent screens to see the chancellor move to the podium on the stage.
“Good morning, students and now former initiates,” he greeted them cheerfully. “Welcome to the first day of your second year at Nexus. You fought hard, learned much, and have paved your own road over the first year. Now, it is time to build on that determination and advance.”
“Kinda sounds like he’s ripping off Sasha’s speech,” Kaiden commented. Flynn shushed him with an elbow in his rib.
“This year will bring new challenges, and you will have new responsibilities and privileges,” Durand continued. “You are now upperclassmen and other students will look up to you and follow your example. Your trials will be greater, and your courses will be deeper, but that’s merely the start. And, if I were to guess, you would all be disappointed otherwise.”
At the shouted agreements and chuckles, Durand nodded and raised a hand to quiet them as he continued. “This academy has earned its elite reputation for the kind of men and women we raise. If you were to balk or leave in fear, that would reflect poorly on us. We are your teachers, so your growth and failures fall on us, but the responsibility and achievements are yours.” His face turned solemn for a moment but quickly relaxed. “There are also the benefits of continuing your studies—better classes, more choice and synapse points, and potentially free time which you can choose how you spend.”
The chancellor looked off-stage and nodded at someone in the wings. “This year, we shall continue the focus and drive of your first year but will add a few surprises.”
The chancellor’s face faded from the holoscreens, which now displayed the profiles of the various students and scrolled through them.
“All three hundred of you passed last year—the first year we’ve ever had with no expulsions or failures. I’m proud of you all. But that means you may have grown comfortable in your status and standing here. Therefore, since you seem capable, we will increase the challenges immediately. I think I wish to see who among you took your vacation as a time of self-reflection or merely as an excuse to slack off.”
Animus Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-4): Initiate, Co-Op, Death Match, Advance Page 95