"Warning. Low Power: 20% remaining. Recommended power saving: Disable Cloaking."

I blinked awake as adrenaline coursed through my system. I coughed and sputtered as I rolled onto my stomach, my chest feeling tight. It took me a few moments to compose myself before I tried to push myself up, only to fail miserably at the attempt. My arms were stiff, and the rest of my body felt like I had been put through a meat grinder.

Did I pass out?

My injuries were a sharp reminder of what I had just been through.

Had Anomaly managed to make it safely back to the workshop? Where was the ECU? The place should have been swarmed, because there was no way Ajax would give up that easily. Maybe the Walker that chased me was actively searching somewhere else.

Whatever the case, I was alone in the dark, with silence so thick I could have heard a pin drop.

The stiffness in my arms shifted to an uncomfortable pins and needles sensation as I forced them to cooperate. I staggered to my feet and straightened up, pain flaring throughout my body. It seemed the drugs my suit administered had worn off during my short sleep. I would need more before I set off, lest I risk the pain distracting me.

I inhaled sharply as my suit pricked me, delivering pain relief directly to the damaged areas. The pain dulled as I found a wall to lean on, and I resigned myself to another minute or two of rest. For the moment, I was safe, and I needed to take advantage of that. There was no telling what kind of trouble I was going to run into on the way back to my workshop.

"Upgrade, report. Your vitals spiked."

I read the decoded message that came through. It was preceded by dozens of other messages in a similar vein. None of them struck me as particularly urgent, but the fact there were so many led me to believe that Cyberspace was immensely concerned about my well-being.

How cute of them to worry about their pet Mechakinetic…

"I'm fine. Things got a little dicey and I had to escape from a Walker. Took a shot from one of their miniature particle cannons, so I'm low on power." I messaged back, wondering how much information I should actually divulge. There was no use whining about my injuries because they would see for themselves once I returned to base. "I'm on my way back. Don't send out any rescue squads for me. If you have, recall them. Ajax will be searching for me."

It took a few moments for the next message to come through.

"There are many things I want to say, but I doubt they would have much effect considering I have said them before. You, Maxis Troy, are a reckless fool with a penchant for the inconceivable. Nevertheless, your gambit succeeded. The hostage is secured back at your workshop. We await your arrival."

I sighed heavily and straightened up. I wasn't going to get anywhere standing around in this soaking wet room.

"Good to hear. On my way back."

I dismissed the messages and started moving, my feet squelching against the sodden carpet. I carefully made my way through the various hallways until I found a fire exit at the back. I hesitated to open the door because I had no idea what to expect on the other side. Would Ajax have booby-trapped the whole building? Would it explode the moment I opened the door?

From my obsessive scanning, I couldn't see anything that stood out, and the nearest Walker was a minute and a half away. From the data I was receiving, it seemed like they were back to their regular patrols. I had to risk going outside, despite how much my paranoia was screaming at me not to.

The door clicked open, and I crept out into the fresh night air.

Nothing.

I took another deep breath and replayed the events of the night in my mind.

All in all, I thought this was a successful endeavor in more ways than one. Not only had we secured Richard, but we also managed to further cripple Pandora. Ajax captured all but Reflex, who had probably turned and ran the moment he realized we had thoroughly screwed their mission up.

Wildgrowth had been a surprise. Her spawns managing to sneak up on me caused a fraction of frustration, but I felt like I dealt with the threat easily enough. Anomaly managed to focus and remove Silver Sky from the equation, and I made Windwalker so paranoid of being shot that he effectively removed himself from the fight to the detriment of all his comrades. Numbskull wasn't much to consider seeing as he lost his nerve right after I had shot him.

Then there was Bloodhound.

Bloodhound.

My inability to pull the trigger felt like it was going to ruin everything. Would he cooperate with the ECU, or would he spite them? I didn't know anything about him. He was just another face that Pandora had at their disposal. I wondered how deep his loyalties ran.

Bonesmith had apparently kept his mouth shut while he was in custody, and The Cains had even less reason to stay quiet than Pandora did. Ajax and Chronos were spearheading the ECU's operations right now. If they wanted to, they could make Bloodhound cooperate in a similar way that I was going to make Richard work for me.

It wouldn't be a first for the ECU.

I couldn't cross my fingers and hope.

I should have killed him.

It felt wrong to even think about it. No matter how logical it may be, replaying those events and watching myself pull the trigger to end his life made my stomach churn. Deep inside, I knew that was a good reaction to have. It meant that murder was still something I was averse to, but that didn't mean I made the right choice.

I failed to make the hard choice when it really mattered.

Looking back at the factory I left, a part of me wondered if it was worth hunting down the Walker that took Bloodhound and the rest of the Pandora hunting squad if only to remedy my mistake. I was quick to dismiss that idea. I only just got away from one of those things. Chasing one down would be signing my own termination directive.

I'll figure this out once I'm back at my workshop.

When I started moving again, I made the conscious decision to stick to low ground. That meant cutting through alleys and using larger industrial buildings as cover whenever another Walker passed by with its flock of Sweepers. At least this time they weren't chasing me down.

I was in and out of buildings without anyone taking notice. I was a ghost, a murky displacement of air that anyone would chalk up to an eye floater if they saw me.

It wasn't until I was moving through an empty warehouse that my suit sounded a warning.

"Warning. Brain irregularity detected. Automated defenses activated."

I froze in the middle of an aisle, my muscles tensing as I slowly started scanning my environment for signs of life. My shoulder-mounted grenade launcher redeployed and began turning to scan the room.

Mirage?

I didn't dare move, but my heart started racing.

This function was something I implemented on a whim, with the hopes that it could warn me if I was trapped in an illusion. I had no idea if it would work, and I had no way of knowing if this was really Mirage or just another rogue mentalist whose hideout I had stumbled into. I kept my head on a swivel, switching between all my visor functions, trying to deduce where this influence was coming from.

However, I knew Mirage's power could fool all the senses. It wasn't long ago that he trapped me in an illusion where I felt like I had been moving when in reality, I had been standing still.

Complete domination over all five senses. If I couldn't trust my eyes and ears, I needed to create something that didn't require any input on my behalf. The worst part was I wouldn't know if it was defending me in the first place. If Mirage really had me trapped, I would just be standing here none-the-wiser.

I took a breath and forced myself to relax.

"I have to admit, amigo. You've turned out to be something really scary."

The voice made my skin crawl.

Of all the places in the city, I just happened to run into him here. What were the chances of that?

I opened my eyes just in time to see my laser sear a hole through Mirage's chest. The man toppled over, writhing and twitching as life left his body. His head fell to the side, his eyes bulging and horrified. I knew it wasn't really him, despite my suit scanning and recognizing the body was now deceased.

Mirage's mouth began moving.

"You've caught me with my pants down! I wasn't expecting you to find me so soon, muchacho. Now I'm going to have to find somewhere else to lounge about… Ay, this is not ideal, no-no-no," his arms shot out and grabbed onto a nearby pallet before easily pulling himself back to his feet. The hole in his chest remained. "This is starting to become a trend, no? You see me, you shoot me. Not even a simple ¿Cómo estás?"

"I'm hopeful you might be stupid enough to show the real you, one day," I replied evenly. "I might get lucky. You pulled quite the stunt at New Market. I could have killed you right then and there, but I knew what you were trying to do. I wasn't going to fall for it."

"Hmm. I was wondering if you got my note. Those statues can be quite unnerving," Mirage smirked. "I'll admit, it was a risky gamble on my part. I was bored and wanted to test some theories. I suppose it mostly worked out in my favor," his smirk slowly vanished. "But I have to admit, I am disappointed that you didn't take the opportunity. It would have saved you a lot of trouble."

"One problem solved while creating a million more," I countered. "I'm not playing your game, Mirage. I'll kill you on my own time."

His laugh came out low and slow.

"Oho… I can just imagine it. Whoosh… the laser hitting me just like this," he touched the fringes of the hole on his chest, frowning as he stuck his hand through out of morbid fascination. "I can't help but wonder what it will feel like. Will you make it quick, or will you make me suffer slowly? I get the feeling you aren't the quick type. Sí? What we got is different—personal."

He pulled his arm out of the hole and crossed his arms.

"That's your own doing," I said easily. "You had every chance in the world to disappear and leave me alone, but here you are, skittering around in the dark. You're a rat; the last vestiges of The Brotherhood of Cain clinging to life. If you're smart, you'll leave New Elpis altogether before stepping on my toes again. That guardian angel you were talking about? Your suspicions had some merit to them, and let me tell you that you don't want to cross them."

What was he actually trying to achieve by staying in the city?

Banshee had fled to Ashton while Bonesmith was still missing in action. The man either found a way out of New Elpis or died where nobody could find him. Either way, I didn't care as long as he was out of the picture. Mirage seemed to be the only person to stick around. He wanted something, and I suspected it had something to do with me. Francis had mentioned an obsession, but whatever brought that on was a mystery to me. Maybe there wasn't a reason—just a compulsion of madness.

"Ay! Where's the fun in that?" Mirage scoffed like the idea was ridiculous. "Disappearing and fading into obscurity, a safe but boring life. I don't intend to live that way, it's not the way I've lived since the moment I could walk. Every step is a struggle, an uphill battle that rewards adversity. Every day in this city is a reward," Mirage opened his arms and raised them up. "This is living, don't you see? I am part of the stage—an ever-changing series of events. I am grateful for the small part I have," he laughed maniacally. "You think I'm just going to give it up because I might die? Upgrade, my friend, that is the best part."

"You want to die?" I replied, unimpressed. "If you're so eager, then save us both the hassle and come out of hiding."

"Ah, so quick to resort to killing?" Mirage's smile widened as he sauntered forward and sat down on a wooden crate. He crossed his legs and leaned back. "What am I saying, of course you are! You wouldn't have developed so many lethal defenses just to hand me over the ECU," he pointed to the hole in his chest. "Mierda, it certainly works. I've dearly missed our intimate chats. There's just been so much excitement to focus on. Perdóname, por favor. I should have been more considerate and made more time for you."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Mirage's ramblings always felt like I was trying to navigate a labyrinth. Every time I felt like I was close to something meaningful, I would reach a dead end. I don't know why I had any hope of trying to understand the mind of a madman.

"Do you realize how exhausting you are?" I disabled my camouflage. "Stop wasting my time. I'm right here."

There was a look of curiosity that appeared on the illusion's face, almost like he was considering my offer.

"You're still quite young, so I can forgive the lack of insight. That sort of thing takes a while to develop," he winked with a toothy smile. I didn't rise to the bait. By now, I understood that everything that came out of his mouth was meant to get a rise out of me. "No one wants to die, pretty obvious, no? It's the end of the journey! After that there's no more." He slowly walked toward me, leaning down to match my height. "I'm not afraid. You want to know why?"

"No," I said, knowing my answer wouldn't really matter.

Mirage pursed his lips and shrugged as he took a step back.

"Okay then."

A snort managed to force its way out of me.

"I figured you were the type to just tell me anyway."

Mirage smiled and shook his head.

"Words only have their meaning when someone is willing to listen. What is the point if nobody wants to? Maybe I overestimated you, Upgrade," his smile disappeared and disinterest overtook his features. "Are you just like everyone else, hm? Are you someone who only listens to things they want to hear?"

He stood up and I saw a rare flash of anger.

He stepped back up to me, this time without the flare of whimsical insanity. He pushed his face against my visor.

"NO! I saw it the moment I looked at you! I've seen the real you—the one behind that helmet. The boy—the little fish—who listens and learns!"

I could feel his weight push against mine, despite knowing it to be a false sensation. There wasn't actually anyone in the room with me. Mirage was conjuring all of this inside my head, and it felt so shockingly real. I hadn't had a clear understanding of his powers when he used them on me before.

It was different now.

I knew how the basics of his power functioned, and he wasn't even trying to hide it. This illusion had a hole in its chest and my suit was reading him as deceased, which was why my automated defenses weren't attacking him. Was he even aware he was manipulating me this way, or was it simply a coincidence that he continued to puppet his dead illusion? What did he really know about me and my mechatech? Was it possible that he wasn't even controlling this illusion, and it was something my mind was conjuring instead with his power as fuel?

No… that couldn't be it.

His illusion talked with personality and ideas – nothing I could actually come up with on my own. That meant there was an element of personal control there. He was nearby, and he was actively manipulating my senses to converse with me. He couldn't get close because my automated defenses would kill him, and he didn't want to die.

He had an agenda.

I just needed to figure out what it was.

I shoved his illusion off and stood my ground.

The illusion only stumbled backward before collapsing back onto the crate. His smile returned in the blink of an eye, and he was back to his old self again. I watched Mirage inhale slowly, taking in a breath that should not have been possible.

"It's coming to me, amigo. Slowly, I'm figuring things out. I'm listening," he flicked his ears. "Kind of funny what things you hear when you take a moment to stop and look around," he closed his eyes and craned his neck to look at the ceiling. "This world—this ocean—it's smaller than anyone thinks."

If Mirage wanted, he could keep me trapped here forever. With some small – insane – dedication on his part, he could kill me by locking my senses down until I died of dehydration. There had to be a way I could escape, but how could I when any action I took wouldn't translate to the real world?

Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Mirage—to my understanding—could fool all of it.

Was escape truly impossible?

There has to be something I can do.

"One day, you might very well kill me," Mirage nodded fairly. "I can see it happening. At the rate you're going, you will make something that'll eventually do me in. I count on it, amigo. It's a certainty—an inevitability I can't avoid. But… but…" he raised a finger. "As long as this journey means something, it'll all be worth it."

What?

"You want to leave your mark on the world," I concluded. "You want to be remembered for something. What, exactly? Being part of The Cains?" I couldn't see that correlating. Mirage spoke with grandeur, so he would want something equally magnificent. "That's not exactly admirable, unless you want to be attributed to Grim's legacy somewhat. If you wanted that, you've already missed the mark. You're a ghost—someone the entire city barely acknowledges."

Mirage chuckled with a look that told me I was missing something.

"Not quite, my friend. Not quite. I'm not after something so vain."

What, then?

Gaea wanted to ensure the safety of New Elpis and the rest of the people allied with her. Cyberspace wanted humanity to burn so they could rule over the ashes and propel the remnants into a twisted utopia of their own making. What did someone as twisted as Mirage want? There was no way it could be anything so large-scale. He didn't strike me as the type.

Big fish, little fish.

From the beginning, he understood that everyone to some degree was only out for themselves. That's how he viewed the world. So, through a similar lens, what would someone like that be aiming for? What goal would a cynical viewpoint like that create?

Longevity felt like it made sense. To survive and outlast everyone else. However, that didn't seem to be the case. If he didn't care about survival, what was there left to pursue?

I arrived at only one answer, and despite its absurdity, it felt like it fit Mirage perfectly.

"Satisfaction."

Mirage snapped his fingers, his smile shifting into a grin.

"There you go."

I scowled. There was no catharsis in figuring it out, and I was half-convinced he was only agreeing with me to further confuse me. It seemed like a vicious cycle. My confusion would only serve to amuse him more. Maybe it really was that simple.

Mirage did this for fun.

"That's it, then?" I didn't bother to hide my disappointment. "I don't know what to say. I expected a little more from you."

"To die, knowing that the journey meant something is more than enough for me. That my role in all this was crucial," he licked his lips, his eyes narrowing as he gazed right through me. "Upgrade. Upgrade! Listen to that name… Upgrade. Fantastic choice, might I add. Can't say mine was particularly inspired. I didn't get to choose it, you see. It was given—a reputation I felt obligated to embody."

"They're just—"

"—names?" Mirage finished for me. "Grim said the same thing, if you can believe it."

I was going to be here forever if I didn't find some way out of this. I needed to stop listening and start thinking about ways to escape. If he had control of all my senses, then logic dictated that I couldn't rely on those senses. That conclusion itself was absurd. A normal human being could not survive without them. We could not evolve, learn, or grow without them. Some people survived with impairments to certain senses like the blind and the deaf—but all of them? I could not fathom it.

If I couldn't use them, what could I use?

My technology was the obvious answer. I had automated defenses to stop him from getting close – he said so much himself.

"You've been pretty quiet there," Mirage's illusion said, inching closer. "I wonder what's going on in that head of yours… maybe I should take a look, hm? Pull all those pesky thoughts out for the world to see."

The fear that he could do that jolted me, but I managed to lock my focus in.

"What do you want, Mirage? Are you just going to keep me here forever?"

Words.

I said them without thinking while I occupied my mind elsewhere. Hopefully, it would keep him busy for a minute or two.

"What do I want? You already know what I want. Satisfaction. Entertainment! I suppose the better question is: what do I want with you?"

Mirage wasn't close enough for my automated defenses to attack him, which meant he wasn't actually in any close proximity. He was attacking me with his power from an obscured distance. Without control of my senses, I couldn't trust any movements I consciously made to translate back to reality. I was effectively stuck. It was a repetitive conclusion to come to but I needed to keep my train of thought moving. I couldn't allow it to stop.

I needed to think.

No senses.

Automated defenses stopped physical attacks.

A stalemate.

I needed something else.

Something Mirage couldn't influence.

A sixth sense.

Wait a minute.

"Which is?" I asked dully, only half listening. "You want to use me or something? Like Gaea does? Like the ECU would?"

My power.

The epiphany felt like a rush of adrenaline I felt earlier.

Regardless of whether or not I was trapped in an illusion, I was still wearing my suit. While I wouldn't be able to make any upgrades, I knew I would still be able to interface with it. My hands were covered by the suit's gloves, and everything else was connected.

I closed my eyes and focused on my power, Mirage's voice falling away to a distant echo.

[Charges: 9/30]

[Type]

Powered Combat Suit MK X

[Durability 22/100 - Repair Unavailable - Incompatible Components Detected]

[Power Remaining: 19%]

[Materials]

Neoprene-Steel ★ MK VIII

Durability MK XII

Insulation MK X

Sturdiness MK XI

Flexibility MK XI

Acidic Resistance MK V

Fire Resistance MK VI

[Software]

Network Frequency Detection MK IX

Network Decryption MK IX

Intrusion Countermeasures MK XII

[Power Systems]

Jericho Core MK V

[Offensive Systems]

Multi-Function Shoulder-Mounted Turret

Grenade Launcher MK IV

Gattling Laser MK III

Extendable Blade

Material: Victorium

Length: Fifteen Inches

[Defensive Systems]

Kinetic Dampening MK III

Cloaking MK III

[Life Support Systems]

Medical Diagnostics System MK V

Medical Delivery System MK V

Oxygen Tank MK II

[Movement Systems]

Multi-Directional Compression Jet MK III

Grappling Hook MK IV

[↓. . .↓]

I saw it all there, exactly as I left them. I couldn't accurately describe the feeling, but it was like splashing cold water against my face. I knew this was real—that there was no manipulation.

The Citadel showed me I could view more than just what I touched, but everything connected to it. My suit was touching the floor, which meant it was connected to the rest of the building. However, it wasn't just the building. It was everything beyond that too. Everything the building was connected to. The concrete. The streets. The district. The rest of the city.

If I didn't reign in my power, it would overwhelm me just like before.

I pulled my power back, and my suit became a distant, but notable glowing star amongst a sea of dull flickers. It was much less impressive than what I saw at the Citadel, but on the peripherals of my mind's eye, I could see the burning suns. Their beauty almost seduced me again, but I managed to reign in my focus.

I narrowed my vision and descended back on my suit again, but I stopped before I got too close. My suit was a gigantic star surrounded by millions of dull stationary ones. It was a bright red sun gifting light to everything around it.

This had to be the warehouse and everything in it. They were all dull white flickers of light, all except for two. I was obviously the larger one, but there was a smaller red one clustered in with a bunch of white. It was so tiny I barely recognized it at first. I narrowed my focus down further, and I descended upon this red star. It glowed like a soft candle as I observed it, waiting for its turn in the spotlight.

I descended further.

Clothes.

But not just any clothes.

[Charges: 9/30]

[Type]

Red Singlet

[Durability 66/100 - Repair Unavailable - Incompatible Components Detected]

I grinned.

Found you.

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