Subject 13 sat on the ground staring at his blood-covered hands, unbelieving of the carnage that he knew they wrought. The Genocider warhost had been crushed on Earth last year, he saw the reports detailing the constructs self-termination and scouring of their fleet from Sol; despite extinction no longer being a significant threat to the Human race the doctors and researchers still insisted that all Subjects continue to perform field tests, and lately they've been dispatched against dissidents.
This mission was the first time since the eradication of the alien host that Subject 13 had allowed his implants to activate and it was very different than the last time he did it. The orders and whispering of the Overmind had been replaced by the echoes of its deathscream. The last moments of the A.I. looped incessantly when he removed the mental block, 13 only felt a screaming incoherent hatred that was beyond his ability to control when he tapped into that power now.
"You were amazing." Subject 9 said, her voice filled with awe.
13 looked up at her, "Was I?" he asked sardonically.
"I've never seen anyone do that before!" Her eyes sparkled with reverence, "Not even the high and mighty Subject 3 could do anything like that! I mean, I just watched you flambe some poor bastard and tear another guy's throat out in like, two seconds!" Subject 9 continued to gush, "You took your collar off and you were just...gone! By the time I caught up you'd already cleared out the building! In an hour you...you just...a whole military base!" Breathless, she sat down next to 13 and gazed dreamily out at the setting sun, "I wish I could kill like you."
A fist collided with her mouth, laying her out on the ground; a strong, gloved hand gripped her throat and hefted her up.
Subject 13 stood there, his teeth clenched with fury, "Don't you ever say that to me again."
Subject 9 sputtered and gasped for breath, her windpipe completely closed in 13's grip. Her vision started to blur and darken at the edges before his grip loosened and she dropped to the ground.
13 watched the young girl alternately cough and gasp before vomiting into the dirt, the look of barely restrained anger still on his face.
"Fuck you Dwin. It was a compliment." She finally managed picking herself off the ground and resuming her place at 13's side, "I think I'm missing teeth." She whined.
He ignored her, "We were supposed to protect humanity." he said bitterly, "So what the hell is this?" He motioned out toward the scattering of dead and the remains of the separatist outpost.
Subject 9 shrugged, "We get a mission, we kill everything we're told to."
13 scoffed, unsurprised at her response. He knew that her casual approach to violence was a side-effect of those damned implants; though she was certainly more of a human than he was if push came to shove.
"While I don't share your sudden squeamishness, I do agree that the old men are losing their way." She added thoughtfully, "If missions like this are any kind of indicator...I don't think they plan for us to survive the war."
Subject 13 nodded his agreement, "I don't think it'll be long now until we have to fight our way out."
They sat there in silence for a long time before 9 interrupted his thoughts.
"So are we about ready to go?" Subject 9 said with a hint of impatience. She surveyed the area one more time and brushed the ashes off her clothes.
13 walked over to her, placing a hand under her chin and gently turning her head. He could see bruising starting to develop around her neck and her lip was bloody from where he'd punched her.
"You still have all your teeth?" he asked
"Yes sir." she replied, "You're going to have to hit me like a man next time if you want it to do anything." She added with a wry smile.
Despite himself he chuckled at her bravado, "Alright then, why don't you prep the shuttle for launch? I'll be along shortly."
She nodded and turned to leave.
"Oh and Talis?"
"Hmm?"
"You know that Autarch Revolver you've been pestering me about?"
Her eyes went wide as she guessed what he meant, "What!?" she squealed with delight before suddenly catching herself, "I mean...thank you Godwin, it should be quite an...adequate sidearm." She was trying her hardest to sound nonchalant and professional, forcing the smile down deep before resuming her walk toward the shuttle, though at a noticeably faster pace.
"It's under your seat!" He called out to the swiftly retreating figure.
13 sighed, most sixteen year old girls don't get giddy at the mention of a new gun, but then, most sixteen year old girls hadn't grown up as a government experiment.
He, at least, had the luxury of volunteering to be a guinea pig.
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