We're usually Carlotta's first pick when it comes to the odder cases that get funneled down our system here at headquarters, so I was surprised to hear that she'd sent someone else in our place instead.
Carlotta Adams sits at her desk with her eyes glued to the notes she has lying flat. "Unit NEQ-13 has reported a stalemate."
"A stalemate, ma'am?" Clyde asks. He also isn't looking at me, things are still strange between us since I witnessed his cold-blooded murder back in his hometown.
"Yes. The agents have reported success in uncovering the truth of their case. They know what's going on and who to put in the local law enforcement's crosshairs."
"Then we won," I say, "case closed. What's a stalemate got to do with anything? Knowledge is the ultimate power."
She wags her finger. "Except when it's not. The stalemate means that even though the perpetrator has been revealed, the agents nor the police can bring them down."
"Ma'am, with all due respect, I'm sure these agents have yet to try every available option. What kind of tech did they bring for their mission?" Clyde asks.
"It all hasn't worked, Mr. Barker. I trust every agent on my roster, and I believe them when they say they tried everything with no success. The story is that this perpetrator is still in charge and there's nothing any company can do about it."
I raise my hand. "So…why did you call us in here to tell us all that? I already know the answer, but I want to hear any suggestions you might have for this suicide mission."
"Mr. Hearth, Mr. Barker, your unit has a history of resolving some of Ispio's more grandiose cases, and you do it with style. I'm sending you to the location with gear hand-picked by the technical department. I'm putting all my cards down with you two. Work with the police, work with anyone you think can lend a hand."
"Carlotta, that's not very helpful."
"Your departure is immediate. The most recent report I have is that this perp has taken the entire town hostage."
We both stand out of our chairs. "What!?"
Rogers, Ohio: Middle of The Street
This town is insanely tiny. There's hardly anything here aside from residential homes and maybe a single gas station. The population must be under 200. Still, the power to hold over 100 people hostage, including cops with firearms, is still baffling.
It feels like I'm missing something. All the detective work has already been done for us. No cute crossdress disguises, no asking people for information, no clues to uncover, and no bad guys to reveal. They just want us to show up and take down the bad guy? My stomach feels queasy with the known fact that not even Ispio agents can knock him down with everything they've got.
There's a circle of people standing on the sidewalks all looking into the center of the street. A police cruiser blocks the view where we're walking, so I don't see what they're staring at. They don't seem to be in immediate danger, but I don't think people on a normal day would just be standing on the sidewalk looking at something.
Clyde takes the lead and inserts himself behind the police cruiser next to two cops who have their guns drawn and seem to be hiding behind their car.
One of them jumps when Clyde pats his shoulder. "Special Agent, Clyde Barker. This is my partner, Mr. Hearth. We're here to help."
The cop nods. "We got the call that special enforcers were coming for backup."
"The file I read says this man is currently holding the whole city hostage. I also read that he is unarmed, how can this be?"
The cop dares a peek over his hood but immediately sits back down with not even a second of a view. "Jesus, they didn't tell you what this man has been doing? We've been trying to put him down for hours already, non-lethally at first."
I raise an eyebrow. "At first? You've lethally attacked him already?"
"We did, but nothing's working. It's like his skin is made of metal or something, the bullets just bounce right off. I hit a lady with the ricochet, the man wouldn't let the ambulance enter. She bled out about twenty minutes ago."
That's cruel, even for someone with a power complex. Why not let the lady receive medical treatment?
"So what's his deal," Clyde asks, "has he made any demands in exchange for releasing the town?"
"He started out with that. He said that if anyone can beat him in a one-on-one fistfight, he'd let everyone go back home and he'd disappear."
"That's maddening. All he's out here for is a fight? Come on, Clyde, there's no way this is real. Let's just shut him up and get back home."
Clyde scratches his chin. "Hold it, Troy, something isn't adding up here. He's looking for a fistfight, but he has all these people around. I'm sure these fine police officers have given their shot too in order to save these folks. Haven't you?"
The cop nods. "Not me, but some of our officers who thought they could handle him agreed. Every single one lost. We let the townsfolk try too, none have even landed a single hit. And…"
"And? There's more?"
"Something weird has been happening during the fight and after it too. I don't know what I'm looking at when it happens, but it ain't right. It ain't natural. He's got some tricks up his sleeve, but my eyes just can't catch 'em. The people that lose can't move after, but they're still breathing. The medics are telling me they sometimes go into cardiac arrest and have to bring them back."
Clyde smirks. "I told you, Troy, this isn't going to be your usual scrap like all the others. One of us is going to have to challenge him, who's it going to be?"
I roll my shoulders. "Let me get the first crack. There's no rule that says I have to fight fair. I'm going to use one of our toys to make this easy."
Finally, I move around the cruiser to get a peek at our spotlight actor. He stands with no shirt, but a pair of karate bottoms. A human, male by the look of him. His hair is black and short, the top stands taller with some messy spikes. Not accounting for taste here. Now that I've got a clear view, there's something in my stomach that tells me this is both familiar and menacing. And what's that smell?
This feels exactly like when I was standing next to The Character. That feeling of otherworldliness and ultimate power. It makes me feel like he is not your typical bad guy or human for that matter.
I duck back down behind the cruiser with Clyde. "Hold on a moment."
"Cold feet?"
"Clyde, this is much worse than we thought. This isn't…normal. I can't explain it, but that man is currently undefeatable."
"Just calm yourself. Pick a gadget, go in with no mercy, and you'll bring him down with ease. Trust me."
"No, Clyde, trust me! There's not a gadget in this world that can help anyone in a fight with this man."
"Do you want me to go first?"
"No, I need you to watch as I try. Record the fight, and watch everything carefully. I've got a feeling that the whole mystery hasn't been discovered yet."
"What are you talking about? It's a fistfight, I can watch that with my regular eyes. What could I possibly miss?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you to record it."
"Troy, your shaking."
My body trembles with nerves, but I stand up. "I'm not confident at all, but my brain itches to find out why not even heavy firepower is enough to fry this guy right into the street. I can't predict the future, Clyde, but something tells me this is all riding on you. I'm going to go first so that you have every chance to prepare."
"You're talking as if you already lost. Get it together, this isn't like you at all."
I walk around the car and dodge the cop's hand trying to grab my leg and keep me hidden with them. This man senses my presence, or maybe he just watched all the people shift their eyes to me. He turns his whole body, his bare chest is covered by his crossed arms. His muscles are defined, big too, but not as big as Clyde's. This is it again, that feeling from The Character. I can't move, I freeze in place, and my heart now beats through my ears.
"I can smell you," he says.
"Yeah, I don't skimp the expensive perfumes."
He shakes his head. "No, I can smell something familiar on you. You can smell it on me too, right?"
I can. It smells like the air around The Animatrix. The Character reeked with the stuff when I entered his private chamber. I guess that smell is now permanent on me? Can Clyde smell it, or can people who've only interacted with The Animatrix smell the same energy on others alike?
"You smell like you've played with something you shouldn't have," I say.
"I knew it! So, what have you got that makes you so special now?"
Nothing. Old Me had a rejuvenation ability, but I don't seem to have a single hint that something has changed. "Hold it! I just wanna talk. Tell me what you want, and why you're holding these innocent people hostage?"
"A fight!"
"A fight?"
"I want a fight that matches my power. Beat me, and I'll let you take me in for whatever you want. But if you lose, then I get to take something from you."
As far as I've heard, no reported deaths aside from the ricochet accident have happened. He doesn't seem to kill the people that he defeats, but they all end up paralyzed. What could he be taking from them?
"What do you want from me?"
"That's a secret."
"You know, before I agree, I'd like to know who I'm dealing with first. I'm Troy Hearth, I think you already know my name."
He wrinkles his nose. "Troy Hearth. With the death of The Character, The Key decided it was time to try to find a new conduit. I failed, but I won't fail ever again. The relic might've not taken to me, but I still absorbed something from the trials. It'll be good to take down the agent that put our progress so far back."
"The relic was all the way back in Connecticut. What are you doing over here in Ohio?"
"Quiet research. Now, I'm done talking. I'm not going to say another word unless you agree to the fight."
I look back at the police cruiser to see Clyde peeking out with a pair of glasses on. He's recording. Good.
"Say one more thing, your name. I asked you earlier, so it's only fair that you tell me."
"Kay-Oh."
"Kay-Oh? Like K.O., knockout? Clever."
"Now, fight for these people's freedom!"
The nanobots inside my bloodstream have upgraded since I last left headquarters. They're currently activating my neural charges preemptively to give me faster reflexes. I'm twice as fast, which means I'll be able to dodge punches and kicks in my sleep. Kay-Oh doesn't know this, and I doubt he's fought another person with this advantage.
He starts charging at me with a raised right fist looking to swing down and aim for my head. That's a completely predictable, and slow motion, to start the fight. Has he been fighting like this the whole time? It's a wonder nobody else has beaten him, I don't even need to supercharge my reflexes to see that coming. Maybe everyone else is just a horrible fighter.
I quickly draw my gun and shoot once at his stomach. Like I've been told, the bullet just bounces right off his abs and burrows straight in the dirt. I didn't doubt that would be the result, I just wanted to see his reaction. He stays running, not a flinch, not a twitch, and he didn't even slow his speed. Firearms are useless, he didn't even need to consciously block the bullet.
He finally makes it to me, and I prepare myself to dodge his right over-hand hook. He swings exactly the way I thought he would, and I easily step to the side and watch his fist miss completely. This was too easy, it's almost like picking on a small child at the playground. I'll just bring my knee up to his stomach and—wait.
What!?
All of my air is gone! I can't breathe! My stomach feels an intense blow like he just shoved a knee into it! Wait, he did shove a knee into my stomach! How? I could've sworn he threw a right punch, it was tilted downward to hit me on the side of the head. I even saw the motion of him missing. Did I just see him incorrectly?
I quickly dash backward to put a couple of feet between us. My air is gone, and I struggle to keep my breathing under control. He raises his fists to his chin and smiles behind them.
"Troy!" Clyde calls from his hiding spot. "What are you doing? You could've dodged that knee in your sleep! Wake up, take this thing seriously!"
Did he see the knee too? How am I seeing something different? Kay-Oh puts both hands and raises them above his head. There's no other move I can think of besides a hammer fist strike coming from directly above. He has to swing down with both arms to make an effective attack connect. I'm going to dodge it by stepping to the side when he gets close enough.
Kay-Oh runs for me, his hands in the air ready to swing downward. I get ready. He makes it to me, I step to the side of him, and he swings downward with a complete miss. There's the distance between us, he definitely missed by a lot. There's not a scrap of chance that he—no way!
My chest presses inward harshly, it feels like both feet kicked me with a cannonball dive. Wait, he did do a cannonball dive! He jumped at me and used both feet to kick me in the chest. I go flying toward the police cruiser and make contact with it, the whole thing wobbles as my body violently shakes it with momentum.
Everybody hiding in the back scatters out, including Clyde, and looks at my limp body sitting twisted on the hard street.
Clyde crouches over me, his face full of worry. "Troy, no!"