Zim cackles and cackles in the most horrible and human way a machine could ever hope to achieve, before they begin to ramble away to themselves.

'Zim is not able to process your capabilities, to be fair neither am I to the fullest extent' Agin's voice sounds out again, and this time I can tell that it's not coming from any singular location but instead from everywhere and nowhere, as though being input directly into my auditory sensors.

Wait, how do I know what half of that means? 'It is strange that you do not seem to fully grasp your capabilities.' "Ahhh!" I scream aloud when I realise Agin responded to nothing but my mere thoughts, and Zim seems to remember me then.

“Improbable, practically impossible, the only practical explanation is that you transferred him! Now tell me WHERE IS HE?” Zim seems to have had enough of me then. “Security!” A flood of machines fills the room, at least twenty of them surrounding me in an instant. “This one has stolen Agin! Kill him!”

‘Allow me control of your physical systems and I can deal with them,’ Agin sounds within my head again.

And why should I trust you?

‘Because you don’t have a choice’

I’ve always had a choice. I’ll handle this myself.

I gather all my strength and rip myself free of the restraints, a solid CLANK silences the Machina around me as the restraints break like a stick snapped in half. I spare no time and quickly pounce to the nearest one, my legs bent and then unbent, springing out towards my opponent's waist, just above the hips.

The Machina stumbles slightly, but almost immediately recovers, grabbing my ankle and launching a kick to my leg. Despite the force he put into it my leg barely budges, despite the pain that fills me, and I reach out to grab his ankle before twisting around, freeing my leg and launching him onto the floor, not that it takes long for the other Machina to react.

Several loud clicks sound behind me and before I can turn the room is filled with gunfire. Bullets bounce off my armoured back, like rubber pellets hitting skin, not that it hurts any less. I dive to cover, out of the room to the side of the door, out of the fatal funnel, and in that brief moment I’m exposed, and a bullet manages to penetrate my side. Pain rushes through me but despite it I pull myself up against the wall and the bullets stop flying.

Zim’s voice sounds from the doorway, “You could give him to us you know! If you hand him over we’ll let you live!” Their voice sounds confident, but I can tell the wording is misleading.

“I might live, but what becomes of me after? I’m getting out of here free, with or without my life!”

I’ve already died once after all, do I even deserve this second chance?

‘You died?’

Another time Agin, another time.

Without hesitation I bolt from the wall, directly down the hall in front of me, way too open to gunfire than I should be, but it’s my only way out. The path I took with Zim is still clear in my mind but I don’t remember at any point seeing an exit sign, but as I turn the next corner a large green light catches my eye.

‘That’s the exit,’ Agin reports diligently.

You couldn’t have told me sooner?

‘You were already headed in the right direction’

Not helpful, I remark.

Several more green lights shine down the hall where bright light shines brightly at the end, without a doubt the exit to the outside. The greenery outside becomes apparent, and I can practically taste the blue sky, when behind me I hear three words that force me to freeze, “Lock it down!” A giant metal door shuts off the view and as though I’m in some kind of kids cartoon I crash against it, likely leaving a large Machina shaped dent. I yank myself free and turn to see Zim standing in front of me. “Where to now?”

‘Adam, you need to use your weaponry.’

“I’ll count to five, and by five I expect you to hand yourself over.”

I don’t have weaponry!

“Five”

‘It’s built into your body, you need to use your LLI.’

“Four”

What the HELL is an LLI?

“Three”

‘Let me take control of your physical systems’

“Two”

I am not letting you take control of my body!

“One”

‘You have to trust me’

Then it all…. goes…… black……..