The limousine didn't follow the skyway. How could it do that when there were cultists blocking the air with their anti-air machines? Not only that, they preoccupied the road with roadblocks, forcing Jakob to dismount, and take them on with the vibrant blade he held in his hand and the rifle he got from the limo as they passed the highway.
The limo plodded through the traffic. The fog closed in as the flashes of the muzzle spread everywhere, forcing Jakob to use the deployable shield he armed on his left hand to block.
The communicator device was out of range. There was a jamming signal that he couldn't get through. Not to mention that there was a consistent bullet fire that didn't allow him to rest.
Jumping inside the limo. Taking a magazine from the ammunition case. He inserted the mags into his webbing, threw the armor plate from his vest and replaced them with another. He didn't know where these came from, but this limo truly was a moving fort that could house the future star of Aured City. Climbing back to the open roof of the limousine. He gunned down scouting drones and the cultists who carried heavy ammunition, leaving the rest to Gaul who has kept up.
Jakob turned. He saw a figure armed in an exosuit heading their way. Glowing with the etherian tint. The figure used the flyers to slingshot the etherian to the limo who was trying to stop the limo on its track. Only an etherian would have these thoughts, forcing Jakob to block the fully armed etherian who simultaneously released a shockwave that almost side sweep the limo to the side. Climbing on top of the limo's roof, Jakob drop kicked the etherian off the limo. Barely holding on, Gaul pulled Jakob back to the limo's trunk. Jakob's arms trembled. He sucked in air and stood upright again.
"Etherian."
"Going to take time to kill him."
"Are you sure?" Gaul said, emptying a mag on the etherian, who shrugged it off like it was nothing.
"That's what you people hire me for," Jakob cracked his neck. "Not that I am expecting any more reward. This wasn't in the agreement. I could do better by escaping alone."
"You won't, right?" Gaul hesitated.
"I guess you know little of the place that offered this job for me. Breaking contracts is one thing that my group rather not do. Besides," Jakob swipes the vibrant blade. "It'll hurt me in the arms though. You know how insane their physical bodies are?"
Jakob wiped his wet face and pulled his hair up. He glared at the etherian, who charged like a bull. Then with a thrust the etherian stopped. Jakob spun to have more momentum for his blow, which the etherian easily parried. The bruised face of the etherian glared at Jakob. Palming the etherian, changing his stance to a high guard. Jakob tore through the vital parts of the exosuit, making the exosuit nothing more than a hindrance to the etherian. No matter how years passed, the exosuit never improved. Turning his body with a whirl, he struck the jaw of the etherian, thrusting the point of the vibrant blade on the eye of the etherian. Even targeting the weak point wasn't enough to pierce through that etherian skin. Although the etherian felt pain as the blade contacted with his eye.
Taking the exosuit off. The etherian glared at Jakob.
"You!" His voice was ragged and nasally. "I don't see any etherian glow on you!"
Jakob didn't answer. He struck at the etherian, forcing the etherian to blast Jakob with a shockwave. Jakob rounded the etherian. Shooting the plasma shooter before the etherian could pull out the ether to their palms. Jakob may be young outside, but inside he was an old man who had seen too much of the future. How could he lose to the brats who had not seen the hellish future?
His heart slowed to a crawl. Ten heartbeats. Twenty seconds of heartbeats. Thirty heartbeats. He lashes the blade, bisecting the etherian from waist to shoulder while the vibrant blade groaned before it shattered into fragments. Silence descended for Jakob as he throw the hilt of the vibrant blade and taking the grappler stake from the body of the etherian.
As Jakob contemplates, he saw a flyer with rotor wings dropping a container next to him. Approaching the container, he saw a video player taped on the side. Taking the video player, he played the only clip inside it. He felt a jolt of electricity as the recognition software installed into it took a sample of his face.
"Yo," Olga appeared on the player. "You look like shit. This is a onetime transition and I only have sixty-seconds so I'll make this quick. Boss is investing in you. So take the Ghost inside you and bring it back. Well, if you die, I'll just have it remotely detonated. Looks like we were in time. Owe me a drink?"
Jakob nodded. Opening up the container, he found a suit in gray colors. Circling around the suit, he saw the one-eyed helmet and the slim structure of the suit composed of nanoweaved materials reinforced with graphene. He saw a suit like this once in his past life. The suits worn by the Outriders who held back the last Etherians before the end came.
The Ghost was one of the suit that never came out in the open. Everyone knew of the story of how the first suit truly never belonged to anyone. Something that shouldn't exist was now in front of Jakob. He smiled weakly at the thought of the two things that shouldn't exist standing on this highway. Jakob wondered if this was a cruel fate. But he couldn't believe that either.
Opening the back of the Ghost Prototype Suit. Jakob felt strength as his battered body felt the liquid enveloped his battered body, soothing his wounds. The Ghost Prototype Suit suddenly tightened around Jakob. The suit whirred and whine before the heads-up display opened and the artificial voice rang out.
[CODENAME: Flatline, confirmed. Ghost P-Zero booting up. Tightening firmware. Synching bodily functions. Complete. Welcome Host, Ghost P-Zero booted..]