Mankinds last Silhouette

Chapter 10: Anthony

Two soldiers in standard Imperial uniforms dragged an unconscious man down a dark alley. He was confined in a stainless steel box with wheels that squeaked at every pothole, their piercing sound echoed through the narrow, deserted passage. The eerie silence of the night was occasionally broken by the mechanical footsteps of the imperial androids accompanying them. The flickering streetlights cast long, distorted shadows.

"I once heard that he took out the 15th Imperial garrison three years ago," whispered the younger soldier, his voice barely audible over the squeaking wheels.

The older soldier, Drew, sighed and rolled his eyes as he ensured Anthony was securely fastened inside the box. "Yeah... ahem, he did all that and more. I was there when it happened. We had him surrounded, but he still managed to escape," Drew recounted.

The younger soldier, Luther, frowned as he looked at his mentor and then back at Anthony, who lay motionless inside the steel confinement. "So..." He gulped, trying to steady his nerves. "So... why are we the only two escorting him to the rendezvous point?" He whispered again, his voice trembling with uncertainty.

"Well, Luther, if you hadn't noticed, we're being escorted by two imperial androids. We have nothing to worry about," Drew reassured him, though there was a slight quiver in his voice that betrayed his own apprehension.

Luther tightened his grip on his side of the restraints, his knuckles turning white. "Okay, Drew, if you say so." His palms were so sweaty an ant could figure skate on them. He wiped his hands on his uniform, trying to get a better grip.

"Fort Jared," a raspy, gravelly voice crept from behind the soldiers. Drew's eyes widened in alarm/

They both turned sharply and to their horror, Anthony had regained consciousness. His eyes, dark and intense, stared back at them. Luther immediately gave Drew a concerned look. "What is Fort Jared, Luther?" Anthony's voice was a low, mocking whisper.

Drew cleared his throat as he pulled at his collar. Even though the streets were silent in the dead of winter and the sun had disappeared from view, Luther was hyperventilating, his body quivering with each step. His fear was palpable.

"Drew, are you alright?" Luther yelled, shaking Drew's shoulders in a desperate attempt to snap him out of his daze.

"He... hee..." Drew struggled to formulate words, not daring to look back at Anthony again. His mind was racing, filled with memories of the past and the fear of what was to come.

"Why don't you tell him about Fort Jared if you feel so safe with your precious androids around," Anthony taunted, his eyes gleaming.

Luther looked at Drew, even more confused and now increasingly frightened. He had heard rumors, but the reality was beginning to dawn on him.

"We need to hurry and get to the drop-off point now," Drew urged, his voice betraying a hint of panic. "What happened at Fort Jared?" Luther demanded, his voice rising with anxiety and a touch of anger. He needed answers.

"Thirty imperial androids and fifty soldiers all destroyed and killed," Drew replied, his voice turning somber.

Luther's eyes dilated in shock. "What do you mean? How is that even possible?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"When it happened and we arrived at the scene, it was too late. We never knew who committed the crime, but they were all dead," Drew explained, still haunted by the memory. The gruesome sight of fallen comrades and destroyed androids was etched into his mind.

Luther scoffed at the idea and proceeded to tug on the chains. "I don't believe it. I've seen the firepower of one imperial android, and for this one man to destroy thirty? Unbelievable," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.