My first instinct was this is an elaborate trap. But Jadyn was looking over his shoulder and around the club on a regular basis, eyeing his men and watching them patrol the area, looking for any suspicious activity. He motioned for me to follow him up to the VIP section and sit down near him.
"They're watching us closely. Every move we're making they are proding us for info, seeing what we're doing, that and they are interfering with the bounty, which is a breech of contract. I'm here to help you Leo, free of charge because I know what they are capable of. They're monsters beyond monsters...and they have someone you love...they told me to use it as leverage to get you to come to me...to kill you, but I'm not going to.
"What I'm going to do is tell you where they are. And then it's up to you Leo. It's up to you to finish what they started because they can't do it themselves. Good luck Leo, here are the plans for the base where they are staying and the instructions on how to get there. I wish you luck, you're going to need it."
He got up to leave and exited the club in a hurry with his men, I stared down at the schematics and star charts that he handed to me and gaped in amazement...what I was staring at was a detailed path through the Omicrons, into heavily Nomad infested space. The base was buried in a magenetic field screened from Nomad interferance...the details of the base were complicated...but I knew what several of the things meant in it...conversion rooms.
----
"Break Loose Leo...it's your only chance..."
I snapped the restraints quickly and broke free. I fell to the floor groaning. I was negative any clothes on my person and the floor was wet and cold. Electricity flicked throughout the celing and the thing holding me was a circular cage with four latches where my legs and arms went, each was now melted and still smoldering. I looked up to the window seeing guards approaching.
"Ignition." I heard in my head, and heard a melody from what I could figure was from my childhood echo throughout my brain. In front of my vision hung a blue haze and everything slowed down, from the guards movements to my own breathing. My arms seemed to move at normal base as I took down countless guards and then eventually stood infront of Sarah.
"Stop this Leo...get back to-"
"You were supposed to love me...and yet you stick me in these...these conversion rooms. I don't even remember who I was, I don't remember...I don't f***ing remember!
"Leo, no!"
An explosion of blue and Sarah fell through the door leading into the room. She was going into spasms before she passed out. I searched her body and found two guns, I ran into another room...and found my belongings from a life I didn't remember. Two energy swords, and a fighter suit. I quickly put on the fighter suit and exited the room standing in front of me were countless guards...
"I will give you once chance...you have seconds to live if you stay here to fight me...you will leave now...in order to preserve your lives..."
None moved and I sighed.
"If that is how you want it..."
They rushed me-
----
I came out of it panting, I was on the floor now. People were walking by giving suspicious glances my way as I stood up. A bouncer came up and asked me if I was using. I only shook my head and he made another statement on how the club does not support drug use. I only said again that I wasn't and I had been feeling sick. The bouncer shrugged and told me to see a doctor. If he saw me doing it again he said he would kick me out and make sure I was blacklisted for using.
While he walked away I got to a chair and wiped the sweat from my brow and panted a little bit. So, there was something to that melody...something about it was fimilar...like it was from my childhood a long time ago, I struggled to remember the tune but was only met with some kind of wall...seems I needed more memories in order to remember. I rose to my feet and walked out of the club quickly, being eyed the whole way by the bouncer until I made it to the street, and to my ship.
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
From what Jadyn had given me, they existed deep in Nomad space, shielded by a magnetic field of radiation. The station looked huge and complex from the blueprints I had been given. It was time I figured out how this skill of mine worked, from the enhanced sight to the detailed views that I could see when in the mode. I was piloting the ship close to several police cruisers when they scanned my ship. They went on about their business as I flew by.
I landed on Manhattan and flew to a secluded area of the planet, one still barren of buildings for my own training purposesso here is what I had figured out. The ability was turned on by some kind of melody from my childhood apparently. The tune was that of ups and down and a happy melody mixed with a sad one. As I thought about the tune, the melody began to play in my head and I saw the blue haze come over my field of vision. Immediately I heard the word ignition in my head again, and then the haze vanished and I returned to my previous thoughts. So the melody was the activator, and the word ignition was either a block, or what I used to shut the ability off. Interestingthe haze came back in full force this time, and my head felt like it was going to explode
--
The guards rushed me and my anger rose to incredible levels. The first guard rushed me and my arms moved just as I had been trained. Quickly I dismembered the first guard with the energy blade and his scream was cut short as I brought the blade into his chest. I withdrew the sword and swung it around quickly as the other guard came up close, before he could stop running; his head went tumbling to the floor, his body soon followed.
The remaining guards took a step back, both shocked, and confused on what to do next. I only smiled as the rest rushed me in full Nomad mode, their eyes glowing blue. I laughed as they came running towards me spinning the twin blades with fury and power. As my arms moved, killing them, I could see each person, rushing me; my arms were working without my brains orders. I was ducking in and out of the guards swings and moves, swinging my own blades quickly cutting their chests and arms as I went.
One of the larger guards tried to impale my neck on one of his own energy blades and I leaned back as he came in, missing my throat by mere inches and spun my right leg in-between his own two legs, knocking him off balance. I spun backwards releasing the blade into his right rib, and sending it through his heart and other lung. I quickly spun back around with the blade out and attacked another guard coming up by chopping both his legs off, and while he screamed, his head was removed. I rose to my feet slowly, all the guards dead or wounded. I looked up to the window, staring through it
Autumn I said, my voice sounding strange, almost like an echo.
I put the blades back on my hips-
--
I came back gasping, my head was on fire, and my brain felt like it was leaking out of my ears. I reached up to feel a large amount of blood leaking out. I stumbled to my feet and stared straight ahead. I wasnt done trying to figure this thing out yet. I focused on the song again, the blue haze coming back easier than it had the past few times. Now what? I had the ability on, but how did it work? What did I have to do to get the different modes to activate? Was this it? I heard ships passing low to the ground. Immediately my mind processed the sound and I knew the speed, altitude, and size of the ships. Three fighters, moving at twice cruise speed, low altitude. Words popped up in my field of view.
Exercise Caution, Fighters are equipped with heavy weaponry. Suggest seeking cover and hiding own ship. Priority Mark V.
Almost immediately my body worked on its own, getting in to the ship and moving it back into the tree line, I got back out and huddled down to the ground effectively stealth my entire body and person. The fighters did come in low and paused in the area I was in, they landed some thousand feet from my person and climbed out, scouting the clearing. I kept myself hidden well as they scouted the area I was in, using my ability.
Hes here. The lead one said. I recognized him quickly as Takashi. He was obviously irritated as he started mumbling something incomprehensible.
How do you know? Maybe hes figured out his implants and he heard us coming? You werent being the slightest bit quiet. said a little girl, but obviously in charge as she stared at Takashi.
Impossible Gwen, hes only a tool, something that Autumn wants as a little play thing.
And youre the one who hates him, isnt it pretty clear she would send you here to capture him, how ironic.
Shut up little girl.
The girl got agitated at this point and went Nomad mode and threw Takashi a good distance towards me.
You watch your tone, peasant! Hes my-
Yeah, yeah Gwen I know. Hes your want to be father right?
Father?
He is my father , so you watch your tone, peasant
Call me peasant one more time-
Peasant.
Takashi ground his teeth as she walked ahead searching the area.
Hes not here. We move on, hes disappeared again.
Autumn isnt going to be happy.
No **** Sherlock.
The two boarded the two fighters and the remaining guard got into his and took off, back in the direction of the city. I rose from the grass and watched them vanish over the horizon. So they were looking for me were they? Interestingmaybe I should milk this a little more to see if they come back. I focused again and switched over to Nomad mode again, the fighters banked hard right and turned around, and landed quickly. This time I didnt move. The two exited the ship and stood a few paces away from me.
Seems you were wrong Takashi. Said the girl named Gwen.
Seems he was. I replied.
You need to come back with us Leo. Theres been a situationAutumn-
Is still searching for me and wants me dead, did I hit the mark? Oh, and arent you supposed to be calling me daddy?
No. Takashi interjected to keep the girl from blowing up. Shes gone insane. Were off on our own. Weve been searching for you for a few days now. Shes delirious. Always has been, she took her own husband in for testing for crying out loud. He said pointing at me.
Is that why you left me for dead on that Outcast planet? I asked him.
He only grew quiet and looked around.
Im not going in with you, and if you come and try to force me, Im sure you know what will happen.
We knowLeo. The girl said again, calming down. My motherAutumntells me that youre my father. I hardly believe it, were two totally different people. Our DNA doesnt even match for crying out loud, I checked it.
How can you when its so corroded with Nomad DNA?
Youre being difficult. Takashi said again.
Im being perfectly reasonable for what you people have done to me. Rebels against Tainted or not, if you come after me I will make sure that you rue the day.
I turned around watching my back every few minutes; they werent pursuing but running their hands through their hair and looking at the ground. Gwen spoke up when I got about ten paces away.
They have Shan-Katacuchi.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her. She only stood there, looking somber.
They havent let up since they took her, shes suffering Leo. Her DNA doesnt work like Takashis does.
Takashi grew uncomfortable at her name being said. I found this odd, if he didnt remember his past, why would he grow upset at her name being spoken, I squinted my eyes down and decided to take the bait.
Why do you look so miserable when her name is said Takashi? You dont even remember her.
The hell I dont he said almost yelling at me. He drew back and looked at Gwen who told him to calm down. He quieted down and looked at me again, tears forming in his eyes, mixed with anger and sadness. Something told me he remembered bits and pieces of his memory but didnt say ****. This is why he was betraying Tainted, but for all I knew, this could be a ruse in itself, I determined to keep it to myself for now, until I figured out who was who and what was going on for certain.
Listenyou will stay away from me. If you or any other Tainted member comes within a few systems of me, I wont be held accountable for my actions.
We can teach you how to use your implants-Gwen tried to say again, I only turned my head as I walked to my ship.
Ill teach myself, you and your people have caused enough problems as it is.
With that I walked to my ship, to leave them to their own devices.
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
I was surprised they didn't follow close like they had in the past. Soon as I got to my ship, I saw them retreat to their own and take off in the opposite direction, obviously defeated. I stared after their ships for a few more minutes before focusing again and attempting to turn on the abilities again, and succeeded. Each time I did though, it felt like my head was about to explode. My brain simply didn't want to do it for some reason. Something wasn't allowing me to do this properly for some reason, something just wasn't right...
--
I put the blades back on my hips and breathed hard, staring up at the window, and at Autumn who looked down so casually.
"I took your friend, you know..." she said through the speaker system.
"You leave him alone." I replied, angry.
"He's proving to be quite the subject...you shouldn't have held him back...Leo."
--
I gasped...several memories came hurling back all at once. Takashi Katacuchi, my previous membership in the blood dragons...The Blood Dragons. Son of a b****, Chugoku, Kyoto, my mother...my father...I grabbed what I had already laid out on the ground, practicing my abilities and threw them into my ship. With any luck, the previous memory of me killing him wasn't real, and maybe by some chance, he was still alive...with any luck I was right...with any luck...I could still have a father...
----
Order Battleship
Unknown System, Unknown Sector Bridge
"Sir." someone said behind me. "Leo has departed Manhattan, heading into Chugoku via the Omicrons, and Alaska, what shall you have me do sir?"
"Intercept him." I said simply. "It's time for a father-son moment and chat."
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
“The sun is sitting over Manhattan on the Southside, you sure you want to head down there sir?” said the cabbie.
“It’s where my ship is parked. Of course I do.” The man replied simply.
“You may want to reconsider si-“
“If I paid you to be my advisor, you would be getting much more than just a cab fare.”
The driver quieted down and continued to drive towards the Southside but stopped just before entering.
“This is as far as I go. I’m not suicidal.”
Disgusted the man threw the cabbie his fare and climbed out of the cab. No sooner than he closed the door that the driver of the cab roared the hover car to life and took off faster than someone who had stolen money from a bank. The man swore and started to talk through the districts towards a shabby looking bar just a block away. He opened the door and it instantly grew quiet inside.
“I’m looking for a man named Leo.” He said. A woman in the back of the bar shifted uncomfortably. “Never mind, I found someone more interesting.”
“Don’t be causing no problems in my bar stranger, I’ve had enough problems with being in the area I’m in, especially after sundown.”
He smiled when he said “stranger” but kept his composure.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” the man said smiling.
He walked over to the woman sitting at the booth and she stiffened up.
“Sarah.” He said nodding towards her.
“What do you want.” She said simply.
“Leo.”
“You know you can’t capture him, we’ve tried for almost a month to do it, and each time he evades our grasp.”
“How unlikely that he couldn’t get captured, even with the great ‘Sarah’ at the helm.” He said with sarcasm dripping off the words. Sarah looked away, tears welling up in her eyes. “You really think she hasn’t noticed that you’ve been sheltering him from her view?”
“I know she hasn’t, she’s going crazy. She’s done two unsuccessful wipes on herself already. I’m having a feeling she’s losing her mind. If she hasn’t noticed what we’ve done already, then there isn’t any harm in what we’re trying to do even later on.”
“What? Use Takashi to take down Allecto? That’s crazy talk.”
“He says he’s up for it, and willing to take it out.”
“That’s what he said Sarah, but we both know that’s a one way mission.”
She grew quiet and looked around, playing with her hair.
“I know.”
The man rose and stared at Sarah once more before turning to leave, at the door he stopped and stared back at her one more time.
“If you don’t know where Leo is, I’ll just have to find Takashi, won’t I?”
With that he closed the bar door, letting it swing shut loudly, leaving Sarah to her thoughts.”
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
"Please, don't alert me to something I don't already know." I said sarcastically.
The past few days had been irritating. Several jumpholes were out of phase alignment and I was forced to take the long way around through the Omega's...something I wasn't to fond of. With the Wilde, and Nomad population spiking in those areas, I was found dodging weapons fire and trying to make it into Cambridge and up into the Tau's from there. I made it into Chugoku a few days later, exhausted from the flight, and just as I approached Kyoto...
"Leo?" someone said across the comms
"Hello?" I replied.
"Holy hell, it really is you..."
"Who is this?"
"I think you need to dock...we need to talk, now."
That voice...
---
"Leo, you're exhaust manifold is hanging off the under belly of your ship."
"Shut up." I replied.
Kacachi laughed.
"Your seal on your-"
"I said shut up."
"You know, hitting the landing pad that hard wasn't the best idea. Takashi will give you hell for it later, I'm just getting the primaries out of the way before he really digs on you for it. Where is Takashi anyway?"
"Something about a new girl he met, I don't know the exact details."
"Figures, keeps us in the dark all the time, lets go get a drink while we wait for him."
"Good idea."
---
"I'll meet you in the bar." and I cut the comm
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
"I can't believe it's really you." he said eyeing me with a smile.
"I can't believe I'm here." I said looking around with a nervous look.
"What are you so spooked of? You've been missing for years, relax have a good time. A welcome back to the Blood Dragon's if you will."
"I'm not 'back' if you will...not fully anyway." I said turning away and looking out the window, placing my hands on the table.
"Not fully? Are you being cryptic again Leo? You know how I hate that."
"No, I'm not. I don't remember my life at all...I'm in a constant state of amneisa and I'm being constantly hunted by some group named 'Tainted'. No matter where I go, it's like they know where I am...instantly...I've had a few people help me, but they vanish as soon as they came, and won't tell me anything about my previous life."
He thought it over for a second, looking around with a sigh.
"Cryptic as always. You're name is Leo Uzamaki, you're a really good pilot, one of the best infact. You grew up here since I could remember, with me. I remember the good times, the times when our fathers-"
"Wait," I interupted "our fathers?"
"Yes, don't you remember...you don't remember your own father? Well the man who became your father when you were left here on the station all those years ago..."
"How long ago?"
"Lets see...we figured out that you were three years old when you came aboard, and you grew up here for 18 years, then you vanished for three more years, so that would make you 24 years old as of now."
"I see...my father? Is he...alive?"
"Yeah, he's alive. Havn't seen him for a while though. Think he's on some big mission. Not sure for what though. These bounty hunters coming into Chugoku have been becoming more and more troublesome, so he's been forced to bring his battleship out of retirement and hunt them one by one each time they come into the system."
"Think I can talk to him?" I asked.
"What's with all the questions Leo? I can understand how you've lost your memory, but hell man...listen...he was pretty pissed with you dissappeared, said you took Takashi with you and you two committed treason to the Blood Dragon people by leaving...just vanished. Your father was furious and even spent a few years searching for you, but gave up about a year ago, said that if you really didn't want to be apart of the Blood Dragons you wern't any more, I'm surprised that you even got on board with out the station opening fire on you, even after I said your name aloud in the channel."
"You bastard-" I started.
"Hey, I'm following orders Leo, nothing else, nothing more."
"Whose orders?"
"Theirs." he said pointing...across the bar, I saw Autumn.
"Hello again...Leo."
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
Trapped, like a rat. I cursed my own stupidity. He was one of my friends from my past, so there was no implanted memories, so I knew that he had just stabbed me in the back. Autumn was alone, but I knew better, she was like me, maybe more than what I could believe. She might be stronger, there was no telling, and I wasn't about to find out. My body automatically went into a defensive stance.
"I'm not here to fight you Leo. I'm here to help you." she said, putting her hands out.
"So you trap me like a rat, put me in a corner so I can't escape. You know dangerous people don't like being trapped or cornered like this. You take another step closer and I'm going to break your skinny little neck. I mean it."
"I know you do. That's why I'm staying where I'm at. Listen Leo...this isn't what I wanted."
"What the hell do you mean?"
She sighed and looked at me.
"I told you it would be hard...for what you had to do. But you told me to do it anyway...five years ago I was apart of a program...named "TANED" or "Technological Advancement of Nomad Environmental Directive". We studied the evolution of Nomad parasites and their bloodlines. I was the team lead and discovered the first Nomad fighter without a Nomad brain. I used it after it's alteration for Human usage and the tech merged with my mind, making me the first ever Nomad-Human hybrid with control of my body...and my first to discover the resistance to the infestation."
"What does this have to do with me." I said, staying in a defensive stance.
"You were my husband when I became infested, or...altered. You accepted me for what I became and told me everything would be ok...but then...an Order representative came to me, telling me he was exactly what I was, a Nomad-Human hybrid with control of his own body, he said that he could help me, only if I had paid attention to you, telling me he was bad news...because..."
A holographic image shuttered and yelling could be heard.
"She's using the holo-emitter...transmissing on a frequency...it's scrambled!"
"Listen Leo...I'm not who you think I am...stay away from the Omicrons!"
The channel cut off and the holo image dissappeared.
"You are involved with some freaky people Leo." Kacachi said staring at the spot where Autumn's holographic self was once standing.
"Shut up Kacachi, and tell me the best route out of Kyoto with out being detected."
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
He was hard to convince to help, but eventually he gave in.
We changed my IFF transponder to another signal and I launched sucessfully, only after a few minutes did they realize their mistake and attempt to attack me, I laughed as I passed through into Tohoku and towards Tekagi's Arch. As soon as I cleared the field, I looked behind me and saw a massive battleship explode out of the cloud. I gawked at the symbol and saw the Blood Dragon insignia. They were really interested in me for certain.
"Leo Uzamaki, power down your weapons and prepare to be tractored in." they said over my comm system.
"Over my dead body!" I screamed, attempting to shake them. But the battleship stayed right on my tail. I angled my fighter down into a steep decline towards the nearest Jumphole and quickly jumped into the Omicrons, the battleship slid to a quick stop as I passed through the hole, leaving their area of influence. I laughed but then recalled what Autumn had said...
"Listen Leo...I'm not who you think I am...stay away from the Omicrons!"
She didn't want me to pass into the Omicrons, and as soon as I came through, I saw why. A massive battleship had parked just outside the jumphole, and on the side it read "Tainted" in blood red paint. Before I could react, they began to tractor my ship into the bay, I struggled with the controls, but none of them worked. All I could see was the landing pad. I tried one last attempt in despiration and it worked, I shook loose of the massive dreadnaught's tractor system but over-calculated my landing and crashed into another bay, slamming into the wall as I did. The emergency ship systems triggered and foam engulfed the outer portions of the ship, protecting my body from any damage.
I climbed out and saw several guards approaching...my right eye twitched and I felt something happening to me. Memories were flooding back...
...all of them...
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. The Banished Legion
