Elise Ogden was a sweet, sixty-year-old lady who lived on a farm not too far outside Tanisport. She had a habit of going to bed early and kept her windows open at night.

Sitting in our autocar fully armoured up, we watched from afar as she went to bed - Anne through her nanosensors, me through the scope on the Laser Sniper Rifle.

Like so many elderly citizens, Elise kept her phone to charge in the room next door. Between the nanobots, the stealth paint coating on my black-and-grey armour, and her snoring, sneaking in and out was fairly easy. As I snuck out with the stolen cellphone, I reflected that it was probably the last easy thing we’d do tonight.

I reached the car and handed Anne the cellphone. “Here. Can you open it up?”

“Sure. I’ve been wanting to try out my latest trick.”

Anne’s nanobots landed on the phone screen. They swirled into the exact shape, size and pattern of Elise Ogden’s fingerprint.

The phone unlocked, revealing a picture of two smiling teenagers and a border collie.

“You hang on to this,” I told Anne as I got back in the autocar.

“We’re about twelve kilometres from the base right now. How close do you want to get?”

“A kilometre, like last time. There’s a woodlot that’ll let us get fairly close to the masking field boundary.”

It was just short of two a.m. when we reached the one-kilometre point. Anne guided the car off-road, sheltering under a clump of trees which hid us from casual view.

I disembarked and equipped myself for the mission.

Laser rifles, standard and sniper. Battlehammer. Ten fullersteel pilums. Fuel bombs and Molotov Cocktails. The Jammer Beacon. Serums. Other bits and pieces I’d made plans for.

The Weightlifter’s Boon to help carry it all.

“Will you jam them when you go in?” asked Anne.

“That would be screaming my presence from the rooftops,” I replied. “The beacon is to wreck stuff on my way out.”

“I’ve got my nanobots inside the boundary now. All quiet, no traps I can see.”

“Guards?”

“As we saw last time. They’ve got infra-red binoculars, though.”

“Good. Our armour doesn’t show up on IR, thanks to the stealth paint.”

Anne nodded, the helmet making her movements a lot more sinister than one would expect of a fifteen-year-old girl.

I reflected that whenever we went public, we might need our armour to be a bit more family friendly. Right now we looked like discount Snake Eyes action figures from G.I. Joe.

Then again, a lot of what I’d done wasn’t family friendly.

“Keep the rifle handy,” I said, “and remember - if I message you to retreat, you retreat. I’ll meet you at the rendezvous.”

My messaging system activated.

: You be careful.

: Will do.

Twenty minutes later, I passed through the boundary.

Masking fields were in essence optical illusions created and projected over a wide area. Few inventors actually built them - physical camouflage was much easier - but a now-deceased hero, Chewing Scenery, had been a specialist in using them to confuse and trap more than one Sarnak assault party.

The boundary shimmered briefly as I passed through. I darted behind a convenient bush.

: any movement?

: nope. Guards as before

: ok, I’m approaching the fence now

I Observed the electric fence as I approached it.

VILLAIN’S ELECTRIC FENCE

800/800 HP

30 DAMAGE/SEC ON TOUCH

In theory I could smash a hole in the fence, but that would trigger another alarm. Instead, I pulled out another little invention.

The Fullerite Cutters were not a weapon - they had zero damage - but a tool. Fullerene didn’t conduct electricity, so I’d made a set of box cutters out of it - specially for the fence.

Clip, clip, clip, clip.

In seconds, I had a man-sized gap in the fence. Good enough to sneak through.

: still no response from the guards

: there’s one in the tower near me

: don’t bother - he’s busy watching porn on his phone

: you’re peeking over his shoulder, aren’t you?

: some of my bots are

: it’s nothing I haven’t seen

: did not need to know that

: focus on mission, bro

The second wall was not electrified. Just a standard brick wall, with barbed wire on top.

A quick climb to the top, more snips with the cutters, and I was in. Getting out would be trickier, of course.

I snuck across the estate. Carefully trimmed hedgerows, a manicured lawn, rosebushes, a Grunter Rookie on patrol….

Well, there’s my first target.

: this guy’s also watching

: I don’t see a phone…. is he watching inside his helmet?

: no… he’s looking in a particular direction …. through a window

: and he’s getting a live show

: I’m guessing he has image zoom on his helmet cause that window’s almost three hundred metres away

: I really shouldn’t have brought you on this mission

: you need my nanobots, bro

: wow, some of this stuff is educational

: mission focus. Dealing with him now

My first pilum launched into the air. Aided by Javelin Strike, it rammed into the Rookie.

GRUNTER ROOKIE -320 HP!

The force of the blow sent the man to the ground. His armour shattered clean through.

The crack! that accompanied it, however, was spectacularly loud.

+175 XP! -1 ETHICS

Lights switched on in some windows of the mansion, while others switched off.

: wow, that was loud

I winced. Alerting the entire compound hadn’t been the plan. Then again, the pilum strike was a lot louder in practice than I’d expected it to be.

: you’ve really stirred the hornet’s nest

: at least four places where I’m seeing movement towards you

Nothing for it, then. Time to go full out.

I hit the Jammer Beacon.

The entire complex plunged into darkness.

: where are the grunters?

: one approaching from the north, two from the west, one east. they’re all coming to where your target was

: investigating the source of the sound, makes sense

I quickly ducked behind one of the rose bushes. Not useful as cover but good concealment.

The Grunters raced into view. Three suits. I fired off a quick Observe.

GRUNTER SOLDIER

LEVEL 9, HP 300/300

GRUNTER SOLDIER

LEVEL 9, HP 300/300

GRUNTER ROOKIE

LEVEL 7, HP 250/250

: where’s the fourth

: he’s sweeping the area

Smart man. Or someone smart on their side at least - the other three had gathered around the corpse of their comrade. One of the Soldiers had bent down to investigate.

I pulled out my ‘special’ pilum and hurled it.

Unerring Throw let me hit a target for certain with a thrown weapon, irrespective of distance. This worked well even if the projectile was distinctly non-aerodynamic. Which is very true of a pilum to which a fuel-air bomb is attached.

The spear smashed into the armour of the standing Soldier.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -80 HP! BLEEDING, -5HP/SEC.

Unfortunately, the bomb didn’t go off immediately. The soldier staggered backwards, as his comrades whirled to see what had happened.

Instead of falling back.

I hurled a Lightning Strike at the bomb.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -212 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -209 HP! CONDITION INFLICTED: CONCUSSION, -5 INT, -4 PER, -5 DEX.

GRUNTER ROOKIE -224 HP!

Lightning Strike erupted from my hands again, this time hitting the Grunter Rookie.

GRUNTER ROOKIE -30 HP! GRUNTER ROOKIE IS DEFEATED. +175 XP, -1 ETHICS.

The second Soldier had been trying to get up when the blast had hit, and he’d taken it right in the neck. He was lying on the ground now, completely disoriented.

The bolt from my Laser Rifle smashed into him, burning off another 40 HP.

The second time I missed, and he turned towards me.

I rushed forward with Bodycharge.

My body slammed into his, knocking him to the ground. Another 44 HP burned away. 7 HP remaining…

I fired another shot from the laser rifle right into his chest.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -40 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

A shot ploughed up the dirt.

The third Grunter Soldier had entered the fray.

: to your west, he’s hiding behind that tree and shooting in random directions

I backpedalled rapidly, checking in the direction the shot had come from.

There.

Lightning Strike hit the man, driving him backwards.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -30 HP!

No time to think. Another Lightning Strike followed. Then I hurled the third pilum.

Powered by my Agility Points, the second javelin strike hit its mark.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -320 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

…. A mite of overkill, but at least I got him.

: okay, you’re clear for now, but there’s more suits coming out of the mansion. Oh and there’s a bigger suit.

: got it. getting to a safer spot

I yanked out my two spears and stashed them in inventory. Deformed though they were, there was no point in leaving evidence behind.

Five down, at least four more to go… if not more. Seven working spears, 115 AP and slowly building back up, 270 MP and recovering fast …. and it had been less than a minute since I threw my first pilum.

I scampered across the lawn, trying to keep a low profile.

: need a count on hostiles

: six I can count, no seven

Seven? We’d counted only nine total, earlier. Never mind. I’d handle it.

: they’re coming outside

: one leader in a big suit, rest normal types

I ducked behind a tree. Sure enough, I could see several battlesuits at various ranges - mostly Soldiers.

Time to use those javelins.

My first and second pilums launched into the air in quick succession. Driven by Javelin Strike, they impaled their targets within a second.

The ear-shattering cracks as they punched through the Grunter power armour were remarkably loud.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -320 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -320 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

The remaining suits rushed towards the location of the sound.

I had only seconds.

I grabbed the Adrenaline serums I had in storage, opened my helmet, and downed both in a flash.

Instantly, I felt my AP skyrocket. Sharp stings started to run through my brain, as if I had a nest of bees in my skull.

The sensation, though unpleasant, lasted less than a second. Then I re-equipped my helmet.

Another pilum flew through the air.

This one slammed into the neckpiece of another Grunter Soldier, killing him instantly.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -320 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

Unfortunately, one of the others spotted me.

Laser fire burst out in the night, slicing chunks off trees to my right and left.

I hurled another pilum at one of the soldiers. Javelin Strike made it a hit.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -320 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

The remaining Grunters had gotten their act together in that time, however.

Fire ripped through the trees, blasting leaves and bushes to char. I was pinned down.

: how many?

: three, all shooting half blind

Half blind was still dangerous when it came to suppressive fire.

So I struck back with lightning.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -30 HP!

GRUNTER SOLDIER -30 HP!

GRUNTER SOLDIER -30 HP!

GRUNTER SOLDIER -30 HP!

GRUNTER CAPTAIN -30 HP!

GRUNTER SOLDIER -30 HP!

There was a captain there? Great.

: the big one is charging in while the other two keep firing

I smiled to myself. Perfect.

As the Grunter Captain raced in, looking for me, the other two slowed down the pace of fire.

I readied myself.

When the Captain reached by the corpse where I’d been hiding, I swung at him with the Battlehammer - and Deadly Blow.

It struck like the world’s biggest gong.

DEADLY BLOW! GRUNTER CAPTAIN -400 HP! CONDITION INFLICTED: STUNNED!

The impact sent shocks down my spine. If the normal crack! of a Javelin strike was shattering glass, this was a fifty-car collision with an exploding Jumbo Jet.

The Grunter Captain also seemed shocked. The force of the blow had left massive breaks across most of his suit, wrecking the armour plating with a spiderweb of cracks and ruptures. I smashed into him again with the back of the hammer.

GRUNTER CAPTAIN -80 HP!

The Captain finally let loose with his heavy laser. The blast slammed into me, driving me backwards.

DAMAGE TAKEN! 45 DAMAGE FROM LASER BURN.

ARMOR REDUCES DAMAGE BY 25%. ARMOR POINTS REMAINING: 355/400.

I forced myself through the impact to deliver another Lightning Strike.

GRUNTER CAPTAIN -30 HP!

The Captain staggered back, and I closed the gap with Bodycharge.

GRUNTER CAPTAIN -44 HP!

My hammer slammed into the Captain’s helmet.

GRUNTER CAPTAIN -80 HP! GRUNTER CAPTAIN DEFEATED. +500 XP, -1 ETHICS.

WARNING: YOU HAVE NEGATIVE ETHICS. THIS WILL IMPACT PEOPLE’S PERCEPTION OF YOU.

… seriously, power? Timing?

I looked up. The two remaining Grunters were falling back. Well, running.

: they’re panicking

: I can see

: not letting them get away though

84 AP left.

I grabbed a pilum and hurled.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -320 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

The javelin strike slammed one soldier against the wall, impaling him.

The last Grunter Soldier had rushed back into the mansion.

: where is he?

: um… you’re not going to like this.

: tell me

: there’s more of them inside… one big one and two more mid-sized

: and they’ve all got heavy lasers

: and they’re taking positions by the windows

: firing positions

: yeah

: oh and normal guards also there

: time for a distraction

I hurled a Fuel Bomb at the wall.

The explosion was louder than before. The walls vibrated.

: hey, they’re falling back from the walls

: of course, they don’t know if I’ll chuck another bomb through the window next time

I dashed through the mansion door.

Laser bolts slammed into the walls to my left and right. A Grunter Lieutenant stood ahead of me.

My Battlehammer slammed into him.

CRITICAL HIT! GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -160 HP!

The man staggered back, and I followed up with Bodycharge.

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -44 HP!

A Lightning Strike to the man, followed by yet another blow.

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -30 HP!

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -80 HP!

The man finally got his laser up, and the force of it slammed into me.

DAMAGE TAKEN! 45 DAMAGE FROM LASER BURN.

ARMOR POINTS REMAINING: 310/400.

A brutal slugging match, as I hammered the man again.

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -80 HP! GRUNTER LIEUTENANT IS STUNNED!

More laser fire slammed into me, this time from another, distant quarter. Another Lieutenant.

DAMAGE TAKEN! 45 DAMAGE FROM LASER BURN.

ARMOR POINTS REMAINING: 265/400.

I fell back, lashing out with a Lightning Strike against the wounded Grunter Lieutenant.

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -30 HP! GRUNTER LIEUTENANT DEFEATED. +300 XP, -1 ETHICS.

A door to the left. I dashed through it as yet more laser fire hammered the hallway.

The room here was full of paintings and decorations. Mostly nude paintings, as it were. I leaned against the wall next to the door and readied myself.

: they’re outside the door

: bunched up

: yeah - grenade!

An object sailed through the door, and landed eight feet ahead of me.

The blast was LOUD.

Fragments hit me at high velocity.

DAMAGE TAKEN! 100 DAMAGE FROM GRENADE BLAST. ARMOR 165/400.

My ears rang. Dammit. Hadn’t anticipated this - should have.

The Grunter Lieutenant charged into the room.

My Battlehammer slammed into him.

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -80 HP!

The force knocked him back into the wall.

Another body slammed into me. The Soldier who’d run before.

I fell backwards, the Grunter Soldier on top of me. He grabbed for my throat.

I yanked out a Pilum from inventory and stabbed upwards.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -40 HP! CONDITION INFLICTED: BLEEDING, -5 HP/SEC.

The pilum stuck in the Soldier. He continued to try to strangle me.

: the captain’s coming in!

Risk time.

I flung a Fuel Bomb out.

The blast this time was even louder.

GRUNTER SOLDIER -180 HP! GRUNTER SOLDIER DEFEATED, +200 XP, -1 ETHICS.

GRUNTER CAPTAIN -142 HP!

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -208 HP! GRUNTER LIEUTENANT IS STUNNED!

DAMAGE TAKEN! 120 DAMAGE FROM CLOSE RANGE EXPLOSION! ARMOR 55/400.

DUE TO LOW STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY DAMAGE REDUCTION LOWERED TO 10%.

The Grunter Soldier on top of me, however, had slumped over.

My faceplate was dented, and my bodyplate had a spiderweb of cracks running across it.

: the big one’s running. Medium one’s still getting on his feet

I shoved the Grunter Soldier off and bounced back on my feet.

The Lieutenant turned to me and fired his weapon.

DAMAGE TAKEN! 54 DAMAGE FROM LASER BURN. ARMOR 1/400.

My Battlehammer slammed into him with the force of Deadly Blow.

GRUNTER LIEUTENANT -400 HP! GRUNTER LIEUTENANT DEFEATED, +300 XP, -1 ETHICS.

: where’s the captain

: downstairs. He went downstairs, still running. Guards following him.

Probably preparing a trap of some sort.

: your armour’s in pieces

: I know

: swap time?

I nodded.

I stepped against the wall, took a deep breath, and accessed my Inventory.

The damaged armour came off. I let it drop for a moment.

Instead, I pulled out the spare armour pieces I’d carried with me.

The backup Bodyplate swapped in, and the spare greaves. The Gauntlets, the boots, the bracers, and the spare helmet followed.

NANOFIBRE WEAVE ARMOR EQUIPPED. ARMOR POINTS 400/400.

FOR CARRYING A BACKUP SET OF ARMOR TO REPLACE YOUR DAMAGED ONE, YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED FORESIGHT AND PLANNING. +1 TO WISDOM.

Well. That… was a nice surprise.

Clean-up mattered, though. I quickly stashed the damaged armour pieces in inventory. The pieces disappeared.

: situation update?

: the guards are all gathering downstairs. the girls are upstairs still.

: guards preparing some sort of trap

: any guards upstairs

: no but most of the rooms are locked

: two rooms have men in them. One has a gun

: laser?

: pistol

: I’m going up. Watch the downstairs and figure out what the trap is

: got it. good luck.