I with Seraphina following closely I hurry down the tunnels, I don't have a destination in mind, I'm just moving and turning down as many corners as possible. I don't doubt that our pursuers are going to start looking underground for us once they see what we did in the headmasters' office, and since we weren't seen running outside, after a sweep of the building they will look underground.

Eventually, Seraphina begins lagging behind as she grows more exhausted from the running and not having caught her breath from sobbing after my "death". I really hated worrying her like that, but when you get your bell rung by a bullet, passing out isn't the worst thing to happen. The injury still hurts really bad but after feeling it with my hand I think I felt bare bone, which is not good, but the bone feels intact which is good cause my brain should be in its proper place. Despite the lack of penetration, I have a severe headache which throbs in pain with every step, and my vision is a little wobbly but nothing extreme. I slow down my pace and find another end of a tunnel to duck into. I read that the ladder leads to a gardener's shed. I climb the ladder and check inside. I have to move some buckets of dirt out of the way to open the hatch. The building is empty and has no windows. I help Seraphina into the shed and I collapse onto some bags of grass seed.

I lie back and slow my breathing when a sharp pain shoots through my head and suddenly I am walking down a familiar hallway, but I can't place it. I am on the verge of sobbing with my throat so tight I can hardly breathe. My breaths are each labored and heavy and my eyes are watering. I slam through a door and into a bathroom before standing over a toilet and vomiting. I then begin sobbing and shouting,

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

Over and over and I hold a pair of dog tags in my hand. I feel the ones around my neck jingle, the ones in my hands aren't mine. I also see then my hands are covered in blood up to the elbows and there are burnt holes in my fatigues. I fall to my knees as I continue to cry before snapping back to the gardener's shed where Seraphina is calling out to me.

I quickly get up and throw up in a corner of the room. Since I haven't eaten all day it's mostly bile without any chunks, it's putrid, but nothing extreme. I finish and wipe my mouth before facing Seraphina and asking,

"Yeah, what's up?"

She shakes her head and says concerned,

"You grabbed your head and looked to be in extreme pain."

I nod and reply,

"Yeah, head hurts a little. I think I'm good just a bit shaken up."

I smile at her as I pour a bag of kitty litter I found on top of my puke. I find a potable water tank and wash my mouth out before sitting down again to think of a game plan. My plan now is to find a way to make it to the AMS hangar, I know it will be guarded to some extent, but if we can both armor up we can hold out there till the cavalry arrives. I have noticed the lack of response from the US Marshals, but it most likely is due to political stupidity. I am a little shaken by that odd vision, I didn't pass out, did I? All I can tell is that something is wrong, I can feel it in my gut.

I flinch in pain as the wound on my head is suddenly touched and see Seraphina kneeling next to me while touching the long gash across my head which is still bleeding, not enough to worry about bleeding out at least for another hour, but still having to wipe blood out of my eye is kinda annoying. Seraphina says,

"We gotta get this closed up. It looks nasty and I think I can see skull. Mike, you have to be more careful... I don't want you getting hurt."

I nod before taking off the suit-coat. I grab a nearby box cutter lying next to the grass seed bags and begin cutting up the nice clothing. I don't know what exact material it's made of but it comes apart really easy under the knife and before long I have a few long strips to work as bandages and some random liner to use as some gauze. I hand them off to Seraphina who sloppily ties one bandage around my head with the padding over the wound. After she finishes I undo her poor knot and retie it making sure it is secure. Due to the color and how it's applied it almost looks like a Rambo headband.

With that, I sigh before standing up. I check the new rifle I picked up. It's one of the newer model assault rifles made by the solar empire. It's full rifle length which makes no sense to me, as one would think a carbine would be a better choice for a black operations group. The caliber written on the barrel says 7x45mmS, meaning it's a fairly hot and wide round. I check inside the magazine and find I only have ten in the one I have loaded and each mag can only hold twenty-five which seems rather small to me. At the very least, it's not a bullpup so longer-range engagements aren't going to be a nightmare.

I finish my checks by placing bags of grass seed and fertilizer on top of the hatch before checking the shed door. It's locked but not by a padlock, instead, a handle lock. Because it's a garage-style door I can just simply grab the locking mechanism from the inside and disengage it by simply twisting the bolt to an upright position. I lift the door a foot and peek outside, all I see is a dirt path leading away from the shed, and aside from that just the woods of the island. Unfortunately, without my jacket, my undershirt is a bright white, and now with some cool red stains, Seraphina is wearing a glittering-gold dress that has been mutilated. We aren't exactly dressed for woodland combat, and it's still daylight, so darkness won't be able to shroud us. We can't just wait around either, eventually, they will figure out to check every single hatch accessible from the tunnels, and when they find a blocked one, a death squad will be on the scene quickly to clean up.

Seeing outside is clear I open the garage a little bit more and we crawl through the opening. I stay just off the path by a few meters I am not certain where we are and I use the path to help navigate. The path leads us back towards campus and I see we aren't too terribly far away from the AMS hangar. I also see at least one enemy or unidentified AMS standing around the hangar, watching towards the main campus.

We slink forward using what cover we can to obscure us from any watchful eyes. The last little bit we spend crawling through a drainage ditch. Thankfully it is dry as although nice outside, it's still a little too chilly to be all wet and sloppy. The last few meters are a dead sprint across. I check before running and we break for it. We slam into the concrete walls with a little more force than needed, but honestly, at this point, a few bruises from this is the good option.

I slowly make my way to a back entrance and look through the small window. The interior of the hangar is lit up and the main doors are sealed. I try the handle and find it locked. I swear as the door opens in my direction, and it's an electronic lock so I can't even try to pick it if I even knew how. I crouch down to get a better look at the number-pad attached to the card reader. And cuss out loud. Seraphina asks,

"What's wrong? Can we not get inside."

I shake my head and enter the code as only two numbers have any wear on them. 6 and 9. The code is '6969' and the door unlocks and I say,

"Just never thought a semi-military storage facility would allow a code like that."

I open the door slowly and we enter the big room. We first come across Seraphinas AMS and I feel my stomach sink. Her AMS has been ripped to shreds. Both arms are removed and taken apart, the wing things on the back are turned to slag metal, and the cockpit is wide open and I can see lots of exposed wire meaning they tore it up. Her AMS is useless. I hear Seraphina swear under her breath upon seeing this. We move on and find Wendigo who looks a little bit damaged, but overall is intact, but the cannon and all other weapons lie scattered on the floor either halfway melted, or with deep gashes cut into them making them useless. I swear a little as I have no other ranged options with Wendigo now because the missile launcher from Alaska was taken away after that mission. I begin to look around for a replacement weapon when I hear a female voice call out,

"Unfortunately you will be unable to find a gun for that old thing... Lucky for you, I like history and tradition so I didn't let them destroy it. It has been a while since I saw an older American model. "

Stepping out from behind a random AMS is Helena, and the man she was with at the meeting. The man is wearing the same armor like the other Solar Special forces members. Helena is clearly wearing some body armor, but it's designed to look very formal. I face her and raise my rifle but the guy with her has his trained on me, and Helena has a pistol trained on Seraphina. She simply says,

"Drop it. While the others in the operation want you dead on sight, I really don't want you dead. Call it nostalgia for not shooting you now, but we will see after a nice little chat."

I sigh and drop my gun. They don't lower their weapons and I remove the harness off my body carrying my ammo and pistol. I raise my hands to shoulder height to show I am unarmed. The man approaches and gives me a quick pat-down. He goes a little too far South and I say,

"Buy me dinner first bucko, and I'll let you have that in your hand as much as you want."

He recoils and gives the all-clear as I don't have any other weapons on me, unfortunately. He gives a once over on Seraphina who stays silent and clears her as well. After we are both confirmed unarmed they lower their weapons and Helena holsters hers. I simply ask in a flat voice,

" So... were you always against me, or is this a new thing?"

She just shakes her head and sighs before replying,

"I really was never on your side, while your offer was tempting to become a knight once more, I was, well offered your job a while ago. I hope you understand that I didn't know it was you who became the praetorian, I don't know if you remember, but prior to my capture and eventual defection I was part of the praetorian order after you so kindly destroyed it way back when.

The only reason I defected is that I do not like the current imperial family. The current head, and the last head, both of them I detest. I don't have time to go into full details, and at one point you did know, and that's the sole reason why I currently live, and I still owe you for that. That is why I haven't shot you.

Right now I want my title back, and I want to serve an emperor to be proud about... not that idiot Claus, but his father. Someone with a spine like the old emperor had at the beginning of the war. I think that with my direct guidance and help the empire can unite humanity, of course, hopefully peacefully, but even the most peaceful solutions... require a little blood."

I nod along and see Seraphina looking between us with a look of utter confusion on her face, that makes sense, she has no idea I am twice her age, and especially that I killed her father. Suddenly I feel another splitting headache. I grab my head for a moment before a sentence forms in my mind. I say to Helena without emotion,

"Proditor facit ut proditor vult"

Her eyes go wide for a moment and she steps back in shock before righting herself. She replies,

"I guess you are right. I am a traitor. I see myself as more of an opportunist, but traitor is the best description for me, unfortunately.

Mike, I am sorry it is this way, but you are dead or were dead. You can't expect me to make plans around a corpse. I know what I want and I will do what I have to in order to get it. I wish you could remember more, I don't know if you'd be angrier, or more understanding. It's an interesting thought."

I look her in the eye without emotion and ask,

"What is your plan with us. All I ask is for a quick and painless death, and for Seraphina if that's your goal."

Helena nods to my question and responds,

"Well... I don't know about you yet, but as for her, dead or alive was our orders, alive better for reasons I assume you know.

You know I have an idea to try and make it up to you. I get you are rightfully angry with me, but at the same time, I also know from experience that you understand that I have acted only in my best interest, and absolutely meant no harm towards you or anyone in our old squad, in fact, I hoped to get my position without hurting any of them.

What I offer is of course a pardon, for perceived crimes against the empire, which I absolutely know are bullshit, and on top of that, I can try to get you a nice little title and a beautiful wife. I have a few cousins and nieces that would love to marry a guy like you currently are."

I clench my jaw and grit my teeth before asking,

"What the hell is with you all and marriage? Does every imperial male thing with their dick alone?"

The man beside Helena gives a short laugh and Helena replies,

"Yeah I figured, you haven't seemed interested in anyone after Prisca..."

At the mention of that name, my whole body seizes and my head feels like it's about to split open and I double over. That horrible feeling from before washes over me and I feel as if I am about to dry heave, but slowly from deep within me, I feel a burning cold rise up. I stand up straighter than usual and I lock eyes with Helena before she replies sheepishly and says,

"Oh... you don't remember her...but you still remember how she made you feel... forgive me."

I can't feel anything but that painful cold within me but I nod and reply,

"I don't know. I wish I did..."

Helena looks at me apologetically and says,

"I'll leave that be. That conversation is for later... but for now, take three big steps away from Seraphina, I remember and have read what you have done, I won't make the mistake of underestimating you. I've seen what happens when you have that expression... or lack of."

I do as ordered and the man puts Seraphina in handcuffs. She looks over at me with fear and confusion in her eyes. She simply asks me,

"Mike... who are you?"

I reply,

"I don't know... I just don't know"

The man just holds onto her but only takes her over to Helena. Seraphina looks back towards me with tears in her eyes and says in a quiet voice,

"Mike... help me..."

I grab my head once again as another wave of pain washes over me as the face of a blonde woman appears in my vision. Her eyes are are the most beautiful blue I have ever seen. There is blood in the corners of her mouth and a nasty gash across her head. She looks up at me in pain but also in a way meant to comfort me. I smell horrible black smoke and she says to me in a reassuring tone,

"Mike... help me..."

I snap back to reality on my knees and my right hand holding an invisible pistol having just shot a ghost. The burning cold now threatens to consume me, the world seems to become dull, the bright colors becoming grayer, but the detail increases tenfold. I hear my own heartbeat, initially quick and pounding from the pain, but slowly it becomes calm and slow just like my breathing. The pain in my head fades and I feel as a strong hand grab my shoulder and begin to help me up. I look up to see it's the man and I hear Helena shout to him,

"Get away from him! NOW!"

I don't think, but everything is calculated. My right arm comes up and I use the back of my hand to push his hand from my shoulder, but I follow through rotating it around to grab his wrist which I pull past me and put his rifle barrel into the crook of my arm.

(Warning Brutal Deaths Ahead With Graphic Description)

I drive the heel of my metal foot onto the top of the man's foot. I go just above where a steel toe would be and he reacts accordingly by trying to double over in pain. I take one step back with my right foot and come back forward with my elbow which firmly slams into his face causing him to go backward, I pull him back to me pulling into another hard elbow, this one splitting his forehead open.

I use my right hand now to grab the back of his head and pull him down as my knee comes upward. It's not as powerful as it could be if I used two hands but I'd rather not be shot. I then follow up my attack with a low kick to the top of his knee. Due to his knees extending to full after being forced upwards by my knee, and my left foot still firmly planted on his right this snaps his right leg almost instantly. The wet crunch as his knee inverts rings through the hangar building, as does his agonized screams in pain. He finally lets go of his gun though.

I take the gun from his grip and raise it towards Helena who shoots at me with her pistol, it hits my armor and this time I barely flinch as if my body anticipated it and adjusted to eat the force without my input. I shoot back and it hits her sturdy armor, but her smaller size and unpreparedness for the bullet knocks her down. She still keeps the pistol, but Seraphina while still handcuffed jumps on her and tries to wrestle the gun away.

I return my attention to the injured man who is trying to draw his sidearm. I slam my foot into his forearm breaking it as well. I keep him pinned like this and drop the gun and raise my fist. I then bring my fist down as I drop a knee into his chest. The tough armor protects his ribs from my knee but his face is still exposed to my fist. I feel his nose break under my fist and then follow up with its twin, my left hand.

One after another I keep punching the grounded man the coldness inside not going away or even relenting. I don't feel guilt for this action, nor do I feel anger. I fell nothing, just an empty void of cold. I don't know why I'm doing this either. I could have just shot him. Simple enough, but something deep inside me told me to do this. It felt almost as if it were the right action, despite clearly being the wrong one. A new feeling is inside me as I pummel the man's face into a pulp, fear. Not of death, but of myself. Is this what that thing meant when it said to lose my humanity? Just who was I before when this is the "return" to how things used to be? Why did the name 'Prisca' cause such a reaction, a deep emptiness inside?

When I finish my thought I stop punching, the man's face is unrecognizable and my knuckles have lost the top part of their skin, almost revealing the white bones underneath. The man isn't moving anymore, nor is her breathing, I had beaten him to death while having an existential crisis, but the cold still remains, as do the questions, and there is someone in the room with some answers.

Seraphina is tossed off of Helena after a moment of fighting and Helena goes to raise the gun but I kick her hand swiftly, causing her to lose her already tired grip. She scrambles to her feet and tries to run. I follow her and cut off her exit with long strides. When she is cornered she draws a fairly large knife and holds it expertly towards me. I loom around myself for a weapon. I find a fairly large pipe wrench and take it up in one hand. I then approach and simply say,

"You said you wished to talk... I have some questions, so let's talk."

She spits towards me and replies,

"Why couldn't you have just surrendered? I offered a pretty good deal! The best and last deal you are going to get... You're a monster again... this is why I hate that bitch Kassandra. She could have just given you all your memories, so what if you were at the end a little weird? Without all those memories, all that's left is this. An emotionless... cold blooded... killer."

I simply nod agreeing to her statement. I don't get it. What made me like this? What the hell is wrong with me. This is a goddamned nightmare, I don't want to be like this. While my mind is in turmoil, I ask,

"Explain, please... what am I missing? "

She shakes her head and says in a more calm tone, but still defensive,

"You're broken, the things you went through, it's horrible, but understandable you would have some murderous, and sociopathic tendencies. All that resentment, anger, pain, and sadness all do hell on a person's mind. Plus you were way too young. I'm no psychologist or psychiatrist, but without your ability to rationalize, or even understand where all those feelings come from it might result in what we see now.

That's what kept you sane, and allowed you to be... well you. Pain for pain's sake isn't healthy, just like anger and sadness. If you don't know what's causing these feelings a person would understandably go insane. What Kassandra did is remove those memories, and now all you are left with is a void and those deep emotions... she said she had put some kind of mental block on the worse stuff, only leaving "What he had before the war", and I assume that broke somehow or is breaking... I don't know, That's just what she told me... please don't hurt me."

I stare at her for a moment and say back to her,

"I don't want to hurt you... Never did... I-I don't know what's going on Helena... I'm scared..."

My voice wavers a little as I drop the wrench. The turmoil eventually bubbled up so much the coldness was driven away, replaced by all the fear, and confusion inside. I don't cry but I want to. I don't want to be crazy... I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to kill anymore... I just want to go home... I want to go to the backyard and play catch with my dad...

Another wave of pain washes over me as I suddenly find myself outside in a baseball field near a park. I can't see his face, but I know it's him, and... I don't know we are just walking out from practice, it's summer, and we are going to get ice cream. I feel his arm wrap around me and the feeling of being touched snaps me to reality. I am on my knees and Helena is down beside me with an arm around me, the knife on the ground. Now I have tears in my eyes, I'm not sobbing, just crying. She pulls me close and says gently,

"I admit, I was glad you died back then we all were... not because we wanted you dead, but because we finally wanted you to rest... at the time we hardly understood what you were going through, we fought, we suffered, so we thought you were no different but just couldn't cope...so death in combat rather than an eventual suicide was... more honorable and more fitting. As we aged we learned and understood that your war wasn't the one we fought.

While we stood back and fired upon foes from safe distances you leapt across the field of battle to use yourself as a shield for our infantry. You got closer to the ones who served with us more than any of us combined so when they died you grieved harder, yet you were forced to keep it hidden as to keep morale high. When you were hurting you quietly had it dealt with as not to worry us... even after you were captured and interrogated that one time. You joined the war to avenge your father, your only family, while the rest of us joined either to gain honor on the field or for their country.

Most of all, while all this happened... you are the youngest of us all... you fought and suffered and nearly died when you didn't even have hair on your chest... Looking back we can't imagine what you went through...

I'm sorry we have to be enemies, I really am, but please understand, life goes on and I made my choices, and I refuse to back down from my choices, because they are mine to make, you taught me that, it's just unfortunate that my choices clash with the ones you made."

I reach up and touch her hand and reply,

"I know... I don't feel any hatred or betrayal, even though I said that thing in Latin. I don't want to be in this situation either... I won't let you capture us though, you know that, but... I won't kill you."

She removes her arm from around me and stands in front of me before picking up her knife. She shakes her head and says,

"Unfortunate, but I'll be using this, our abilities at fighting hand-to-hand are very different so I need all the advantages. "

I smile lightly and stand up before wiping my eyes, now filled with renewed determination. Then Helenas jerks violently to the side as gore explodes out the side. The gunshot still ringing in my ears. Horrified I look over to see a lone female AMS pilot. She is in what looks to be the unarmored version of the combat armor the other imperials had been wearing. She has a single pistol in her hand as she approaches. She says sternly,

"I will not allow any sympathy for the enemy traitor... now for you two. I recommend coming with me quietly"

Suddenly the coldness returns, then it begins burning like no other, unlike before where I was calm and collected in my cold killing trance, my breathing and heart rate go wild while my face remains like stone. Never before have I felt an intense hatred like this. Even when Genevieve was being assaulted or when my death was near, the burning need to tear this woman to shreds, to make her suffer is beyond any need I've ever felt, but I stay still and hold out my hands facing upwards as if ready for handcuffs.

My vision seems to fade around the edges as I focus on her. Each step timed, each movement of her eyes noted, even the slightest wobble in the way she holds her gun is analyzed and understood. She gets close and brings the gun almost right up to me and says,

"Not you... orders are to kill."

A gunshot rings out but I don't die. Without even noticing I had moved my left arm up and grabbed the gun. It's aimed directly at the ceiling and the slide is held back, not allowing another round to be chambered. She stares at me in surprise before I twist violently causing her to lose her grip and drop the gun which I promptly throw to the other side of the hangar. I reach down slowly and pick up the wrench and simply ask,

"Where did you come from?"

She backs away in fear the gravity of what's about to happen dawning on her. She stammers out,

"I-I am the pilot for the AMS outside... I heard the gunshots and came to see what was happening but the big doors wouldn't open so I came on foot."

I simply say back with as much malice in my monotone voice as I can,

"You should have stayed in your AMS"

With that, I swing the wrench into her upper arm. There is a resounding 'thunk' as metal slams into flesh. Her arm goes limp as she screams in pain and begins scrambling backward, right into the wall. She pushes herself up against it as I keep walking forward. I no longer feel that horrible emotion before. I once again feel nothing except some sick sense of justice, that what I am doing is justified. She shouts towards me,

"I-I am a knight! You can't do this, there will be consequences! I am the first daughter of hou-"

I simply thrust the wrench forward as if thrusting a sword into her gut knocking the wind out of her. I stare down at her and say,

"I don't care. Just tell me what you know about this whole operation and who is responsible... well I already have an idea, but what is the goal and how many troops are there?"

She shakes her head and spits onto my leg and says,

"Go fuck yourself!"

I shake my head and bring the wrench down onto her foot. She screams in agony once again and I crouch down to where she is now on the ground and say,

"If I don't get answered I'll just keep breaking things. "

She nods rapidly and responds in fear,

"O-Okay... I'll be good... This operation is supposed to be the first strike against the royal faction in the empire, the whole goal is you and Seraphina and anyone who might resist. We sent around fifty infantry and four AMS. It was technically headed with ex-knight Helena, with me and the other pilots being backup commanders.

All fighting has stopped for around ten minutes now as all other forces have been annihilated. The United States is not reacting as it would instantly lead to war, and some lawmakers and decision-makers don't want to be involved in a civil war...

That's all I know! I swear, please don't kill me."

I nod and thank her before saying,

"Well... it's a damn shame though... you killed one of my oldest friends... even if we were against one another."

Her eyes go wide and she screams at me,

"Please! Please! I'll do anything, just don't kill me! I'll marry you! I'll be one of your concubines, I can pay you my family's fortune or even help support the empress. Or maybe you just want something of me now! I can do that!"

She reaches for me and I take a step back my face unchanging, but I think out loud,

"What the fuck is with imperial men? Do they literally have no other drive but their sex one?"

Then the wrench comes down hard onto the top of her head. The sound is very difficult to describe but it sounds as if I hit a ripe watermelon, that was wrapped in plywood and easily cracked through all of it. It's a horrible sound, one I hope to never hear again but she is dead.

I let go of the wrench and look at my hands. They are shaking and I feel tears building up again as the burning ice leaves my soul. I take two steps before puking up more bile and dry-heave a few times after before kneeling down near Helenas Corpse. I close her eyes and cross her hands on her chest before tearing off the half-cape she wears and wrapping her head and face in it. I silently weep over my lost friend, although we may have been on opposite sides in the end, and I only have one complete negative memory of her, deep inside, I know I considered her close.

After a few moments of grieving I take the cuff keys off of the man and free Seraphina who winds up and slaps me hard. She shouts at me in anger and confusion,

"Mike! What in the almighty FUCK was that!?"

I just shake my head and reply,

"I don't know, I will explain, but we have to get out of here first, nothing I can say right now will satisfy you... just know I will protect you. "

I try to think about what to do and pull up blanks on any form of exit plan. I have no main cannon to use and Wendigo is not compatible with most regular AMS weapons. I think for a moment then look up at the unmoving goliath. I then notice the eyes of the AMS are on... he's watching us... and I think I have an idea... and the nightmare for me is about to become one for my enemies.