The scene in front of me seemed almost surreal in the wavering haze of the desert heat. An unwanted mirage built on the unforgiving bedrock of my nightmares, shadows of a life I tried to put behind me manifested into reality through some cruel twist of fate as I stood there frozen. The promise of death swirled past me in the desert air as Kareem's lifeblood stained the sands. The blade that pierced through his stomach vibrating ever so slightly as streams of blood trickled down from his lips, meandering past his neatly trimmed stubble as the red and black substance slowly dribbled down the gleaming length of metal. His eyes wide with shock searched mine for a moment, The warm brown of the hazel eye that adorned the left side of his face contrasting sharply against the fading glow of the mechanical replacement on the other side. Both equally human as they desperately roamed my face, frantically searching for an answer to a question he would never get a chance to ask. His expression contorted somewhere between fear and confusion as he struggled to process the situation. His face caught in a kaleidoscope of emotion before it finally settled on an annoyed smile. His eyes shimmering with mirth at the absurdity of it all as the slight curve of his lips enunciated the final expression that settled on his face as the light in his eyes finally went out and his body went limp. For a moment the world seemed to hold its breath, the quiet howling of the desert wind fading away till a solemn silence was all that was left to accompany the soft green glow of the barrier. What the fuck, What the actual fuck. My mind barely managing to stutter through its own thought as I struggled to absorb the scene in front of me, an issue my body didn't seem to have as I found myself already in motion. Vestiges of a man I no longer wanted to be clawing their way to the surface as my legs took a tentative step forward. The bare soles of my feet sinking into the warm sand as the nanites that made up my shoes flowed up into my coat. The quiet black cloud of critters weaving themselves into their brethren that formed the black duster that hung of my frame. Each step forward coinciding with the slow in and out of my breathing as I pushed past the anger, shock, and grief. Centering myself in the knowledge of what needs to be done. I clearly don't have all the details of what's going on and I have no clue who set this in motion because make no mistake nothing about this seems even close to natural but what I do have is priorities. First I have to get Kareem's body back in one piece. He deserved at least that much. Second, the two idiots definitely turned off the automatic security protocol in order to pull this shit. A security protocol that will automatically resume its function ten minutes after shutting down, meaning with all the previous dicking around I have around roughly five minutes to put Jose down. Lastly I have no idea if it's actually been five minutes, could be four and some change. Either way it's shaping up to be a profoundly shitty day. Four steps till contact, the sleeves of my coat extended downwards, wrapping around my hands as they formed skin tight black gloves. The newly formed garments growing more and more compact as the tiny critters pulled firmly against each other. Layering themselves over and over again like links in chainmail, seamlessly integrating into each other in preparation for what was to come. Three steps, my coat followed suit, the length going past my knees coming alive as the nanites that wove themselves into the fabric came apart. The tiny buggers flowing upwards as the material pulled in on itself, the fabric weaving itself back together just short of my hip as I stepped into his range of motion the sand around him speckled with blood and vomit. Two steps, Kareem's lifeless eyes stared up at me. His face still sporting a conspiratorial smile as his body hung limp on the blade. A revolver holstered under his shoulder flickering into my line of sight as his coat swayed in the desert wind. Appreciate the reminder my man he's definitely armed with more than just blades. As the coat opened further it revealed his formerly prim button up shirt soaked in blood as the gentle vibrations of the blade kept his body tense, his corpse locked into position as it remained skewered on the length of aserium. One step, Kareem's blood spilled haphazardly over Jose's head like some sort of demented baptism. The steady stream of red and black soaking through his usually buoyant mop of curly brown hair, leaving it almost pasted to his scalp as the lifeblood of his best friend dribbled down the sides of his face. A face that was turned away from Enam, peering into the great expanse of heat and sand that surrounded them. As I closed the distance Jose's body remained almost unnaturally still. The slight tremble that periodically ran through his figure, the only indication he was still somewhat conscious. If that's what you feel like calling whatever this is. As his coat hung open, I caught a glimpse of the same standard issue revolver as it hung serenely on a holster under his left shoulder. Wonderful, the world just can't stop giving. As the distance between us became almost nonexistent the silence was interrupted by the sound of heavy breathing as a second blade slowly emerged from his other elbow. "Jose" I said softly, hopefully managing to keep my voice as calm as possible. "How are you doing buddy, didn't take last night's drinking session as well as usual huh." I moved closer, circling around as loudly as possible so he knew I was coming as I attempted to put on what I hoped was a concerned smile. "A little too much of that sweet, sweet Shakari liquor huh." Another step, his head still bowed towards the sand twitched as I moved within striking distance. The sudden movement causing me to flinch slightly as I raised my hands up in front of my face in the universal sign for peace. "Let's get you all cleaned up and hydrated. How about we get you a jug of water, some grilled skewers, maybe another bottle of that good good. What do you…. Oh." He raised his head, his face soaked with Kareem's blood, trembling uncontrollably as it contorted in agony. His eyes met mine as tears of blood streaked down from his eyes. Carving wavy patterns through the mixture of blood and sand that caked his face. The trails of crimson mering with a mixture of blood and puke that dribbled down from his lips. "Shit" I whispered softly the word barely falling from my lips before a curved blade cut upwards through the air towards my neck. Jose previously still figure barely more than a blur as his blade slid smoothly out of Kareem's body. Our friend's corpse collapsing unceremoniously onto the sand behind him as the distance between us shrank rapidly. The blade taking barely more than a millisecond to travel through the air as an elongated curve of death extended from my friend's forearm. The length of aserium swimming up from his elbow like a shark through liquid metal, slicing through the desert haze as it reappeared barely inches from my neck. He always did tend to respond with violence. The thought barely forming in my head before my legs hummed with power, the green glow that ran through the channels in my calves blazing to live with a near malevolent glee as I ducked into the blow, my left arm popping up in a block as the blade bit into the dark material of my coat. The nanites hardening in accordance to my will as the length of metal skid viciously across my forearm, the blade occasionally slicing into the parts of my forearm that hadn't managed to finish hardening as I guided the weapon into the air above my head. Drops of my blood littering the space between us as his arm remained up above, his swing leaving his right side wide open as the butt of a pistol peaked out of his coat, a detail that immediately came in handy as I slammed a right hook right above his rib cage. The nanites that made up my gloves hardening as my fist landed directly on the weapon's holster, the impact causing an audible click to pop out from the apparel as I sent Jose sliding back a couple of steps. A blow that elicited no other reaction from my opponent as he erupted back into the fight, His legs barely more than a blur across the desert sand as he plowed through the terrain . His eyes almost glowing with rage as he swung the blade in an aggressive backhand motion, his eyes almost drunk with rage as a drooling growl tore through the air. His movements vicious, angry ….. and far sloppier than the man I remember. Already up close I slammed my left palm into his elbow, a move that would have cost me my palm if he was thinking clearly. Right now however the strike barely slowed his arm down as I stepped into his space, hooking my right arm under his armpit as used his momentum to flip him over my hip, the revolver skittering free from its holster as his body left the ground. The blade extending from his arm waving in the air behind me as his head made its way towards the… wait behind. Without hesitation I hardened the arms of my coat the nanites barely pulling over each other before a blade sliced through my bicep, the edge easily pushing past the slight resistance of the slow moving critters as a stinging pain shot through my arm the blade slick with fresh blood as it swam down his arm shooting back out his elbow. The weapon remerging right as I slammed him face first into the sand below. The impact sending up a plume of dust and dirt that brushed against my face, scattering particles of blood, sand and something sticky against my eyelids as I struggled to keep them shut. Concentrate and stay calm we're already a minute down. A quick mental order sent a section of the nanites that made up the arm of my coat running across my forearm and bicep. A pained grunt slipping from my lips as the critters pulled the torn skin and muscle back together, binding and applying pressure as I worked my eyes back open. The streaks of blood adorning the sand below me filtering into my vison just in time for me to notice a foot headed directly toward my face, the metallic appendage glistening in the light of the desert sun as the heel came apart. The new slot violently propelling a straight razor right where my forehead used to be. The blade slicing off a lock of my hair, as I barely managed to lean backward, the dispersing cloud of sand revealing Jose's form. His body posed in a donkey kick as his eyes stared back at me, his irises spotted with a thin layer of blood and sand remained cold and unblinking in their focus. Unperturbed by the unbelievable agony he should be experiencing. Did..did this man almost just murder me with a yoga pose? Fuck this, the lines of energy in my legs hummed to life once more as I swung a kick forward sending cool metal of my toes crashing into his stomach as the sensation of his ribs cracking punctuated the air. The blowing sending him tumbling forward across the sand till his body came to a abrupt halt, as his head slammed violently into the ground. The impact sending up a puff of dust he lay motionless. Three minutes, the butt of a silver revolver lay next to me. The barrel buried halfway in the dune during the course of our struggle, a wry smile found its way to my face as I stamped rather rudely on the exposed handle shoving the weapon deeper into the dune. At least something went according to plan, he should be down for the count. Another groan found its way out of my mouth as the stings and aches of all my cuts and bruises snuck past the adrenaline, all that's left is to patch his ass up and drag him to the medical unit. With a tired sign as I turned back towards Kareem's body, his corpse draped awkwardly across the sand as his eyes stared into the empty blue of the sky. A wry smile still decorating his face, probably because the lucky bastard managed to skip all the actual work like usual. The thought brought a smile to my own face as I crouched down to close his eyes for the last time. We had a good run my friend. "Though I obviously carried" my words the only sound in the space around us as the moment continued to stretch out for what felt like a small blip in eternity. A moment that was interrupted by the sounds of intense thumping a few feet away as Jose's body spasmed intensely. His figure flopping violently in the sand as whatever was happening to him ratcheted up in intensity as his mouth opened in a silent scream of … something until all of a sudden his body simply collapsed into the sand. Barely more than an unmoving lump of flesh and steel until a few seconds later, Jose quietly pushed himself up for the desert floor. His body sagging awkwardly as he made his way to his feet. His eyes, still layered with a thin film of blood and dirt locked firmly on mine as two scythe-like blades slowly extended out from his arms. Haah, a minute and twenty seconds. As I rose to my feet the arms of my coat dissolved into a living cloud of black mist, the nanites drifting down into my palms as they reformed themselves into two solid black batons the length of my forearm. Their weight reassuring in my hands as I stared down my opponent. Our eyes locked in silent understanding as we each took a step forward, planting our feet in the sand for what I hoped would be the final phase of our confrontation. A minute and fifteen seconds, we shot toward each other. The ground beneath us erupting in blast of sand and dirt as the shrill hum of our legs pushing into overdrive filled the air, as we met in a blur of screeching metal. Blade and baton clashing over and over again in a discordant soliloquy of violence as one of my favorite drinking buddies tried to remove my head from my body. Fifty seconds, I leaned back as a blade sliced through the air in front of my nose. The sideway slice smoothly transitioning into a spin as Jose converted the momentum into a smooth two step, as a second blade slid out from the elbow of his opposite arm. Piercing towards my neck until it clashed against one of my batons as we shot through the desert, our figures flashing back and forth as we pushed our legs to their limits. Up, left, right, straight thrust and then a low kick. Jose moved flawlessly through this series of motions, All traces of the sloppy fighter I had dealt with before gone as he seemingly became a paragon of techniques. His hands clenched like he was holding two swords as his blades danced across the barren expanse. Each swing moving faster and faster until not getting decapitated became my central focus as the fight dragged on. Take him down? I really believed in myself. A series of shallow cuts decorating my arms and cheek my only compensation for staying alive as my thoughts desperately sought a solution to my seemingly immortal opponent who was managing to move this well despite receiving a series of what should have been crippling injuries. Well I ducked an overhand swing. Let's catalog shifting under his arm so I could thrust a baton firmly into his chest, the blow barely catching his attention as he retaliated with a flurry of well placed slashes this bullshit. Doesn't feel pain, Our weapons slammed violently against each other as I was unceremoniously shoved backwards, the nanites that made up my batons struggling to hold their form as they met a barrage of precise ferocity. Enhanced strength, speed and reflexes. The blades pressed firmed down onto my batons locking me into a contest of strength. A contest he was undoubtedly winning as I kept retreating further and further, shifting the pressure as best as I could while I struggled to stay on my feet. The pressure only intensifying furtger as he shifted smoothly between various kata his blades systematic in their approach as he slowly dismantled my defe…. Wait systematic this motherfucker is tapping into old combat programs. Programs his body should no longer be able to process. Well that simplifies things quite a bit, fifteen seconds left before we both run the risk of being evaporated. I might have to do something desperate if I want to walk out of this alive. Somethings that's going to be more than just a tad risky in execution. As I took a step back, Jose's figure shot forward. The blade extending from his left hand slicing down towards my head as he pulled back his right arm in preparation for a thrust. His movements clearly resembling the fifth kata. Thirteen seconds, the baton in my left hand shook on impact as it met the incoming blade. The weapon slanting to the side as it guided the blade off course. My arm practically screaming in agony as I used the momentum to spin to the side. The right side of my stomach lighting up with pain as his other blade sliced straight across with enough force to pierce through the hardened nanites that protected my torso. The injury ripping open even further as I forced myself to spin forward. Each rotation allowing me to travel further along the length of the blade, in a maneuver that allowed me to bring my batons together above my head. Bring everything I had in me down as I struck him across the neck as hard as I could, the blow crushing his trachea as rivulets of blood ran down my side. The blow dropped him to his knees, the previously precise rhythm of his breathing reduced to a series of desperate wheezes. As his crumpled figure still attempted to execute the program as he stumbled forward, his arms swinging weakly through the air. The swings barely finding their way towards me through the air as I managed to stumble out of his reach. My body dizzy with pain and blood loss as I dropped to one knee, the batons in my hand dispersing as the nanites that made up their form desperately rushed towards my injuries. Binding and sealing whatever they could as I used what little energy I had to keep an eye on Jose. A crushed trachea should leave him immobile for four minutes before he dies, probably a little longer with all his enhancements. 0 seconds the turrets burst out of the ground barrels rotating gently as they zoned in on the only living being not registered on the security detail. Me, the emerging weapons bringing a smile to my face as I finally let go and lay flat on the sand. Closing my eyes as the sounds of boots colliding against sand emerged from the barrier's entrance. We both made it through the thought soothing my troubled mind like a blanket on a cold winter's night as everything around me faded to black.