Just Another Assignment

[Max Griffiths]

*We're on our way back to the city. The old woman is handcuffed in the back of the car. She talks constantly. Tells me about her life, about what she says was mine, before I was fixed. I don't listen to any of it. She's easy enough to ignore, once we're away from that place. We'll be in the Tower soon. Then she'll realize that nothing she says matters.*

[Max Griffiths]

*I hold up my id card for the guards at the toll booth outside the city. I take the back roads to the Tower, and we're in the underground lot within 20 minutes. Another ID check. A pair of inner-city Dracs comes for the woman. She tries to turn around when they start taking her down the hall. Still talking. Something about Max. I don't listen. I am not Max. A door slams and she's gone.*

[Max Griffiths]

*New assignment: small town in the Zones. I exterminated a pair of killjoys there a little less than a year ago. Turns out some of citizens are angry about it. Became a danger to the others. Maybe need stronger medication. Now I'm going there to help some units get control of the situation.*

[Max Griffiths]

*I pause halfway to the city to check out an abandoned house. No one's there, but there's canned food in the kitchen, bandages on a shelf, and a broken radio on the floor. I don't see anything in the surrounding area, either. Looks like the rat's nest is empty for now. I burn it down before I leave, to make sure they can't come back.*

[Max Griffiths]

*I get to the outskirts of the town as evening falls. I park near the other BLI vehicles and walk over to a group of Dracs. They look nervous when they see me. One steps forward.*
Hello, ah, glad you're here. We've got the civilians all inside, but the troublemakers are sticking to the alleys and such. We think they might be using the killjoys' old hideout. They're no killjoys themselves, but they've managed to clip a few of our men.

*I nod, looking down the street. It's quiet for now.*

We're not sure what their status is - do we have clearance to stun or kill ?

Do what you want.

I see... *he looks confused* So then, if they shoot at us, we'd... ah...

Stun if you want. Kill if... *I notice a dog running across the street and pause, distracted. I look back at the Drac, who's waiting for me to finish my thought* if you want. They're killjoys now. Bad ones. But killjoys.

[Max Griffiths]

*The Drac nods, then goes back to the others to relay the message. I stare down the street. Shouldn't be too hard of a job. I think through the layout of the town and how best to approach the situation. The drac interrupts me, clears his throat. I look at him.*

Sorry, but we were, ah, wondering what your plan is? We're going to start working our way through the main buildings, clearing them as we go. Which squad would you like to -

*I start walking away before he finishes. He talks too much. Not interesting. Besides, I like hunting alone.*

[Max Griffiths]

*I don't have to go far before I see one of them. She looks around the corner of a building, sees me, and runs away. I take out my gun and follow. She might be stupid enough to lead me to the others.*

[Max Griffiths]

*I follow her down a side street, then stop at the entrance to an alley. She opens a door about halfway down and disappears inside. I look up at the windows of the buildings on either side. Could be snipers. Would they think of that? I look back at the door, then start towards it. I consider radioing the Dracs. Probably couldn't help much. Besides, they talk too much.*

[Max Griffiths]

*I don't have time to react to what happens next: when I'm a few yards from the door I'm hit from behind. They're no marksmen - the first bolt hits my shoulder and the second misses entirely, but there must be more than one shooting because the shots come at almost the same time. The third hits the center of my back before I can turn. I feel the electricity jolt through me, and I fall forward. I black out before I hit the ground*

[Max Griffiths]

*When I wake up I'm tied to a chair. I don't open my eyes at first, and keep my breathing steady. I listen to the echos in the room. Concrete. Thin carpet. A door in front of me, a small window high behind me. Probably a basement. Multiple people in the room... six. Unsure of their gender, possibly four male, two female. They whisper among themselves, arguing over what to do with me.*

*I consider my options. My wrists and ankles are tied with a heavy plastic material, not rope. Difficult to break. I shift slightly and feel that my holster and belt sheath are empty, but the knife at my ankle is still there, as is the syringe of fast-acting sedative. As it is, I can't do much. Better to let them make the first move. Maybe make a mistake.*

[Max Griffiths]

*I open my eyes. One of them notices after a few seconds, and steps back. I don’t say anything and it seems to unnerve them. After a pause, a male approaches me.*
Do you know why you’re here? *He’s angry, but scared. Dangerous combination for him. Shows weakness. I don’t reply.*
I said, do you know why you’re here? *I still don’t reply, and he shouts* Answer me! *and punches me in the face. My head snaps around. I look back at him. He seems unsettled by his action, but gains confidence when I don’t react*

[Max Griffiths]

Fine, I'll tell you. You're here because we *He gestures to the others in the room* Finally got tired of you people running our town. We'll sell your pills and watch your shows, but you have no right to come in here and kill people, like you killed Jack and Spring!

*I tilt my head to the side. Names mean nothing to me. He scowls* Two killjoys, a guy and a girl, and one of their friends. The third one got away. You shot the first two yourself. Ring a bell?

*I still don't know what he's talking about.* No.

No? No?! Why, you - *He stops, at a loss for words* You miserable fucker! You don't even care enough about the people you kill to remember shooting them?! *He starts to turn away, then abruptly swings back around and punches me twice, harder. I feel blood trickle down the side of my face under my mask, and drip onto my collar*

[Max Griffiths]

*It takes a longer for the spots to fade from my vision this time. I need to stop him before he does real damage. I scratch one of the arms of the chair with a fingernail. Wood. Could be broken, perhaps.* You want us to leave?

*He half laughs* No, we want the others to leave. We want you - *He pulls out a gun and points it at me* to die.

*One of the girls lets out a small scream at the sight of the gun, and two of the others step forward* Chris, wait - are you sure you should do that?

Of course I'm sure! You know what he did! Besides, he'll never leave us alone after this. We kill him, hide the body, then go out to the patrol and tell them we surrender. They won't want to keep the fight going. Life will go back to normal, only without this bastard running around the Zones.

[Max Griffiths]

*He's gesturing with the gun, distracted. Gives me a chance. I pull up on the arms of the chair as hard as I can, and they break off. I stand up and swing one of my arms; the wood hits the man's face as he turns back around and he falls to the floor. While the others fumble for their weapons I drop the chair arms and break off the legs as well, freeing my ankles. I drop when a girl starts shooting, and pull out my syringe, shooting a dose of sedative into the neck of the fallen man*

[Max Griffiths]

*A laser beam barely misses my head and I roll, pushing myself up and into one of the girls. She gasps as I shove her against the wall, and when I duck back down she's hit in the chest by a shot intended for me. I slide my knife out of its sheath as the one who fired cries out the girl's name; it's almost too easy. I knock him to the ground, slit his throat, and take his gun. One of the males grabs my jacket and the other jumps on my back, getting a choke hold. I break the arm of the first, kick him in the side of the head as he falls back, and loosen the other's grip by slamming back against the wall. He grunts in pain but doesn't let go, so I flip my knife in my hand and stab backwards, catching him in the side.*