The days leading up to when he would have to show his combat prowess were quite eventful as he had to switch to civilian clothes which he was not entirely opposed to but would have preferred military fatigues. A young man was waiting for him outside the quarantine building. He led him to a building tall enough to pierce the dome.
He was informed that his mech would be involved in a later part of the simulation but for now he would have to do without it.
" Is it true? " The young man asked. " Is it true that you were on the surface two hundred years ago."
He observed the man. Freckles paired with chestnut hair gave him an air of meekness but Larnos knew better than to underestimate anyone regardless of how they looked.
" Yeah, " he answered. " What's your name kid?"
" Aurian, " the young man answered. " And yours? "
" Larnos."
The duo walked in silence, each in their own world of thought. The building they were heading to had a black and gold color scheme with the gold forming highlights around the jagged edges of the multi-floor structure with the word 'Elysion' placed at a vantage view for all to see.
At the entrance stood Anis, Neon, Rapi and the infamous commander. While in quarantine Larnos had picked up 'interesting' pieces of information but he would rather hear it from the horse's mouth.
" Hey relic, " Anis greeted cheerfully as he and Aurian approached the group. " Seems we are doing this with you. "
" Is it because I fought by your side earlier? " He inquired to which Rapi answered in the affirmative.
He turned to Aurian and thanked the young man who gave a quickly worded response before walking off.
" Nice kid, " Larnos muttered to himself. " So, how exactly does this work? "
" It would be better to show you than explain it, " Rapi said as she led the group inside the building.
" What weapon are you going to use? " Neon asked enthusiastically as she practically pranced around him.
" Probably my standard assault rifle, " he mused. " What about you?"
The commander in question explained that humans were not given any weapons other than a single hand gun that would be used to end a nikke that had been 'corrupted'.
" What do you mean by corrupt? " He asked the group. " Is it like some kind of virus? "
" Something like that, " Rapi answered and he knew better than to pry any further.
The corridor had a sterile feel to it with people lounging around, that is until counters entered followed by the infamous 'relic'.
They led Larnos to a room where Ingrid, Anderson and the other two industry leaders were. Each C.E.O had a select group of nikke standing by them. All eyes turned to the group, specifically Larnos who was never one to enjoy being in the spotlight.
" Welcome, " Ingrid greeted through a P.A system. " Today you will be running through a set of simulated battle events. The commander will show you how humans prepare for the simulation while Rapi takes the others and gets ready. "
The commander led him into a small room with various equipments placed across the room. In a locker on the left side of the room was his combat suit that had undergone major changes with the most obvious being the suit was now split into an upper body and lower body segment respectively.
The obsidian color had not changed but was now accompanied by gold accents similar to what was on the building's exterior. Perhaps it was a subtle move to 'convince' him to ally with them. This infuriated him but he made sure not to show it. This suit was a reminder of what he had lost and what he fought for.
" So what's it like being a commander? " Larnos asked the commander.
' He's quite young if you ask me but he must be a damn prodigy to be a commander, ' he thought.
" It's quite daunting, " the commander answered. " But most commanders don't usually live long. But we are one of the few humans that get to see the surface. "
Larnos wanted to inquire further on what he meant by earlier commanders not living long but decided to hold his tongue for now.
" How long have you been in service as a commander? " He asked the man.
The chestnut hair on the seemingly young commander covered his eyes as Larnos turned to face him.
" Less than a month, " the younger of the two answered. " I was given that rank immediately after I graduated from the academy. They do that for everyone who graduates the academy."
Larnos froze. That explains why he barely gave orders when he met him. He was nothing more than canon fodder like he was. Only in his case he was designed to be a poster boy for the higher ups to control as they see fit.
Two hundred years and the only thing that changed was how they were called. 'Commanders' were nothing more than meat constantly fed into the grinder for reasons that could be possibly be similar to what he saw in his era.
'Poor souls have no experience whatsoever,' he mused.
" Tell me something, " Larnos said as he grabbed his assault rifle and began inspecting it. " How long does a commander usually last on the surface and what is your name? "
" Not more than a year and my name is Lu, " he answered a moment later. " That's why we need someone like you. "
" Me? " Larnos gestured to himself in disbelief, his rifle had undergone some changes as well. " Kid, I'm from two centuries ago and chances of me making any significant impact is long gone. "
Lu attempted to protest but he was stopped by a hand. Larnos walked up to him and placed a hand on the shoulder of the young and inexperienced commander and says;
" Listen kid, no one man can win a war but if we do our part many might get to see the humanity take back the surface. " Lu nods and heads out of the room leaving Larnos alone with his thoughts and memories.
Times like these are when it becomes practically unbearable, the mask he's worked so hard to create would always threaten to break but by some stroke of luck it wouldn't. The dying words of the men and women who followed him to their deaths still ring in his mind yet he refuses to acknowledge them.
" You coming? " Lu's voice rang out from the hallway.
Steeling himself once more he stepped out of the room and joined Lu.
The room that the simulation would be held in was much larger than what he initially expected. The ceiling was so high that he could barely see it. Just above where they entered from was an observation window which looked to be a one way view. Blue lines stretched out across the room and even ran up the walls giving it a unique atmosphere.
" So how exactly does this work? " He turned to face the group after he was done observing what looked futuristic to him but normal to them.
" Simple really, " Anis spoke as she rested her weapon, a gold and white futuristic grenade launcher on her shoulder.
" High above us are multiple state of the art projectors which are configured to depict any scene the operator chooses. Oh right, the operator is a nikke that is in charge of the simulation as a normal human mind can't possibly handle the rapid data stream without snapping.
So the operator then selects what kind of rapture to spawned in and what the winning and loosing conditions for that specific simulations are. Do note that even though the sensations might seem real, they are not, " Anis explains which leaves Rapi and Neon in shock.
" What? " The blonde brunette looks at her squad mates.
Rapi doesn't say anything while Neon has her mouth open, still in shock it seems.
" Just because I play around doesn't mean I'm dumb, " Anis tells her. " I'm a nikke too you know. "
" Right, " Neon mumbles as she pretends to check her weapon.
A robotic voice cuts whatever future conversation the group would have had. It announces the start of the simulation before a wave of white washes over the entire room. A moment later an entire dilapidated city rises from the ground. The 'earth' rumbles as jagged ruins tower high above with artificial rays of sun basking over everything.
The three nikkes enter a combat stance with their weapons trained in different directions. Lu immediately takes cover behind a collapsed wall and begins giving orders to the nikkes.
Everything felt surreal to Larnos. He knew it was fake but it felt real. Heavy thuds emanated from within the virtual city. Quickly he took cover behind a structure and held his rifle close.
A pilot out of his mech was a worse case scenario, all things considered. Granted he had fought as a grunt before 'enlisting' for the Arsenal program.
' Enough,' he chastised himself as he took controlled breaths. ' You are a damn soldier, act like one. '
A glint of white catches his eye and he brings his rifle into a firing position. He had been provided with seven magazines and his pistol which came with eight. The added weight of the extra magazines took a moment to get used to.
" Here they come," Rapi alerted before opening fire on the incoming group of raptures.
The other two wasted no time with Neon having to move closer than the other two due to her weapon being a shotgun. Anis was the last to fire and for good reason. She targeted a group and let loose an explosive shell on them which left no survivors.
" This is not right, " Larnos muttered under his breath as he watched the trio annihilate the raptures.
The raptures he knew would never charge head-first like this. It was almost as though they were distracting the trio from something else. Quickly he turned to face the opposite direction and saw another group rushing towards them.
His weapon was a relic but a weapon is still a weapon and can be deadly if used correctly. He took aim and fired a single shot into the crimson eye of the pack leader. It let out a shrill before it collapsed with a heavy thud but the group simply trampled over their fallen comrade.
Muscle reflexes kicked in and he fired, making sure each shot pierced the crimson eyes of most of them. Rapi noticed the group and redirected her fire towards them. Soon both groups were completely wiped out.
" Check your surroundings, " Larnos barked as memories of battles with raptures began resurfacing. " Anis, get to higher ground and scout. If you spot any raptures pelt them and notify us. Neon had towards the commander and be his shadow. "
He pulled out the mag and counted the remaining bullets before putting the mag back into its position. He gestured to Rapi to scout in a direction but she had a baffling expression as she watched him.
" Right this must mean nothing to her, " he reasoned.
" Think you can head up there and scout? " He pointed to another building.
She was hesitant for a moment before nodding and taking a leap which startled him.
" Right, nikkes. "
All was quiet for a while and this put Larnos on edge. He wanted to move from their current location but his gut said otherwise.
A guttural sound echoed through the ruins. Something he had experienced only once and it was not something he was not so keen on experiencing again.
" We need to move, " he told the others. " Now. "
Before the others could question why another hoard of raptures appeared around a corner. This time they had some form of projectile launchers that were at the front of their bodies. Anis fired a few explosive rounds into the group before retreating to a lower level while the others were forced to take cover.
A group of raptures broke off from the main hoard and entered a dilapidated building which greatly concerned Larnos. A projectile shot past his head, searing his cheek as it did so.
As his group returned fire, the raptures began to move in a haphazard manner, making them completely unpredictable but were coordinated enough to not crash into each other.
" Since when could they do that?! " Neon asks in bewilderment.
" Rapi, " Larnos evaded another shot. " Do you see the other group of raptures? "
She answers in the negative before dropping to the ground due to concentrated fire. She re-groups with Neon and Lu. Anis is further away, delivering explosive rounds into the incoming hoard which does little damage to them now adapting to her attack pattern.
" Move! Now! " Larnos barked as the second group burst through a building to their right before opening fire.
As panic begins to set in, the same roar from earlier pierces through the cacophony and the raptures ceased their attacks. They slowly begin to retreat, not even trying to fire back as they did.
Larnos cursed under his breath as he ordered the group to head down a path while constantly looking over his shoulder.
" The simulations don't usually go like this! " Anis declared as the group continued moving through the ruins. " What the hell is going on? "
No one could give a reply as a massive creature burst from underneath a few feet ahead of them. It had an appearance similar to that of a large canidae with jagged growths shooting out of its back. Its eyes were devoid of color and black ooze lazily dripped out of the side of its opened maw with rows of jagged teeth.
Letting out a screech that it should not be able to produce it charged at the group, evading incoming shots with agility and dexterity it should not possess. Once it got within range it swiped at Anis with its left fore paw, sending her flying off into the distance with a thunderous boom and used the momentum to turn mid way and strike Neon with its club of a tail that rendered her inoperable for the time being as she was driven head first into the ground.
Rapi attempted to shield Lu but the creature was much quicker and intercepted her by clamping its maw around one of her legs and slamming her repeatedly into the ground ruthlessly like a predator would do to its prey to render it unable to fight back.
It hurled the bio-android at Lu before focusing its attention on Larnos. It growled but did not move in for an attack as Larnos stood there paralyzed, reliving the memories of his battle with this abomination years ago.
This 'thing' was given the codename " Nyxarus " and he lost more than half of his original squad trying to kill this thing.
" Larnos, " it purred, a voice equivalent to that of ten men speaking at once. " It has been… too long. "
Larnos froze, rifle trembling in his hands. He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, trickling down his face. " You should not be alive. You should not be here, " he managed to choke out, a mixture of dread and disbelief in his voice.
Nyxarus did not give a verbal reply but rather gestured towards its skull and its maw twisted into a perversion of a grin.
Larnos swallowed hard, mind racing as he tried to will his body to move. But it was rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the sheer presence of this abomination.
" What do you want? " He asked in a tone barely above a whisper.
It laughed, a low reverberating sound that echoed further than it should have. " Isn't it obvious? " It teased. " I am here for a fight. "
Its eyes narrowed as it took another step forward. Larnos could feel the weight of its murderous gaze, like a force pressing on him. " Tell me, Captain, do you still remember that night?"
He did and he would be damned if he let history repeat itself. Ten seconds after land fall two of his men were considered K.I.A and three out of the remaining eight would not return back to base. Months after the battle and the only identification that could be used was the ruins of the mechs.
A surge of anger cut through the fear. " You are an abomination to life itself, " he spat, his grip on his rifle tightening. " Simulation or not I will kill you. "
Instinct took over and he opened fire. Nyxarus leaped, twisted mid-air with otherworldly elegance and landed a mere foot from him, black orbs watching him.
" Run little one, " it hissed. " Remember and run. "
He attempted to fire once more but it evaded with ease and swat him away with its tail. He felt a few ribs crack from the impact alone. The force sent him flying down a path littered with wrecks of cars.
" Come now, " it purred as it slowly made its way towards him. " Don't tell me the infamous 'Daemon' has lost his spark. "
Larnos struggled to his feet, using his rifle as support. " I will not be so easily defeated beast, " he declared.
Nyxarus dropped low to the ground, its tail gently swaying in the air. " Good, " it said. " Where's the fun in you being unable to fight? "
Larnos wasted no time in firing upon his target but rather than fire where it was, he aimed for where it would be. Bullets struck its hide with a thud but Nyxarus ignored his attack and tried to snap at his left leg and he evaded by leaping over its opened jaws but Nyxarus twisted its body to a sickening degree and struck him mid air, sending him into a wreck of a car.
His ears rung and a metallic taste filled his mouth. Nyxarus did not give him a moment of respite as it hurled debris at him. Rolling out of the way he attempted to open fire once more but failed to hit his target as it evaded with complete ease and took a swipe at his torso once it got within range.
Three superficial cuts formed across Larnos's chest but adrenaline pushed him to ignore the pain and struck Nyxarus with the butt of his gun with enough force to snap its neck.
" There it is, " Nyxarus purred as its head snapped back into place. " You haven't lost your touch Captain." Its rancid breath washed over his face momentarily forcing him to hesitate as the scene reverted back to that night for a brief moment.
Fear once again gripped him as Nyxarus took multiple steps back just in time to avoid a diving kick from Anis. It cocked its head to the side as the nikke stood in front of Larnos. " Letting others fight for you again? " It pointed out with a paw.
" Anis, stay out of this, " he croaked before trying to shove her away. " This is my fight and I won't let anyone else get hurt again. "
She tries to protests but he shoves his rifle's butt into her midriff and forced her away. " Your battle is with me, " he declared as he pointed defiantly at the abomination.
The duo exchanged no more words and engaged in a deadly dance, each participant moving with finesse and speed that left the blonde brunette in shock but ultimately Larnos would not be victorious.
He had spent six out of his seven assault mags and just fed the gun the last magazine. Nyxarus charged at him once more and again, evaded any form of attack he could muster and clawed at his midriff once again and tore a chunk of his flesh.
Blood poured out of the fresh wound but he had no time to even look at the damage caused as it turned on its heels and dashed in again but adrenaline allowed him to evade what would have been a devastating strike.
Ammo completely spent in his assault rifle he reached for the holster of his side arm but only grasped at air.
' It can't be. ' He grasped at the other side and the same result occurred once more.
" It seems you are in a tight spot Captain." It didn't wait for him to come up with a rhetorical answer as it lunged at him.
Before Nyxarus's maw could snap around his skull it dissipated into pale blue particles before the world around them collapsed.
" Simulation End. " A robotic voice declared.
His legs gave out beneath him and he crumbled to the ground. Like before it took an external factor for him to survive. The adrenaline wore off and he succumbed to the fatigue.