The Last Assassin: The Rise of Titan

Chapter 2: An Assassin's Upgrades

     I heard voices, all mumbled and I couldn't make out any of the words. I was in and out of consciousness, and I thought I was already dead. So I was surprised when I suddenly woke up, wide eyed, as I sat up in the bed of some place I didn't know. As I sat up, there were two individuals at either side of me, a male and female. The male stood at around 6'2 and he had a scruff looking face, with sandy blond hair and pale blue eyes. He seemed around maybe his mid-40's, he wore a scientist's labcoat and he seemed to be writing something down on the laptop he carried around. The female seemed to be much younger, more around my age, and with similar features. She had the same color hair and a darker blue shade of eyes, almost like lightning, but she was much shorter than the male.

     I tried to sit up, but I couldn't move my arms. I looked at my arms, and I expected to see them there and Morgan cutting them off was just a dream. I was at least half right, as they were there... but they weren't my arms. They were metallic and unresponsive, like metal prosthetic limbs.

     The male got closer and said, "Hello, Kyle. We've heard a lot about you." He put a hand to my shoulder and looked at me. Before I could say anything, I felt my muscles and nerves tense as a surge of pain went through. I sat up as the pain became almost unbearable, but then the pain faded. I blinked and looked at my right arm, seeing my fingers start to move.

     "What... What did you do?" I asked as I slowly lifted my arm, moving it around as if it was my actual arm. I clenched my fist a couple times and looked at the robotic limb that replaced my missing arm. I did the same for my left arm as I lifted both limbs up, my breathing starting to get heavier.

     "Calm down, Kyle," The male said as he took a step back. "My name is James Rose, and this is my daughter Eva. We found you outside of the facility."

     "Facility?" I looked at them and slowly stood up. "So you're the people that started to build that thing in the center of Silver Streak. You're the people that sent Morgan the suit! You're the people that let him cut my fucking arms off!!!" I grabbed James by his labcoat and looked into his eyes. "You give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your arms off right now!"

     "We're just the ex-employees! We didn't send Morgan after you!" James shouted as he could practically feel my rage surging through. Suddenly, his daughter Eva got between us and tried to shove me off.

     "Get off him!" She shouted as she shoved me off, but to no avail. "You're really gonna attack him for the actions of others?!" I looked at her, then at James, and then let go of him.

     "What am I doing here?" I asked as I looked at them. "My throat was already damaged, then Morgan cut my arms off and dropped me off a five story building." I looked at the bed I was in just a moment ago. "I... I should be dead. I felt my own heart stop."

     "We brought you back to life and attached those augmentations to your limbs, before the nerves died that is," James said as he straightened his labcoat. He put his hand on my shoulder, which I was just glad was still flesh. "We also fixed the damage to your throat and repaired the scar tissue." I looked at him, then looked into a small mirror near the bed. My neck looked fine, aside from one small scar. It looked like someone cut into it with a scalpel, and I sighed. "Look, Kyle. I understand you've been through a lot. And yes, you did die for a moment. But you shouldn't focus on that."

     "Oh yeah?" I sat on the bed and looked at my metallic arms. "So what? These just prosthetic limbs, or did you add something to them?"

     "Well we knew who you were before this, so we took the liberty to upgrade your arsenal into your augmentations," James said as he sat down on a chair by the desk in the room. "Clench your fist and see for yourself." I looked at my arm and clenched my fist. I saw a small device rise from my wrist, and a long blade shot out.

     "Shit!" I moved my head back as the blade shot out, almost hitting my eye, and I looked at how sharp the blade was. "That's... quite the upgrade." I looked at the other arm clenched my fist again. The entire wrist opened up and an entire revolving gatling gauge came out. My middle and ring finger knuckles opened up and a small but precise scope came out of my left shoulder, stretching out until the scope was at my eye.

     ".50 Caliber," James said, and I released my fists, holstering the weapons and scope back into my arms.

     "The same bullets Morgan had. Except the gun was in his shoulder." I looked at James and Eva. "Did you guys use the same technology to make my arms?"

     "Allow me to explain," James said as he stood up. "You see, Eva and I used to work for this company, Veronnus Corps, who took over the construction project. They used technology based off of an ex-special forces unit located near New York."

     "Project Fallout..." I said as I looked at them. "I dealt with those guys. That's where some of my weapons were from. I'm the one who took them down and separated the project.

     "We know," Eva said as she broke her silence. "We know a lot about you, Kyle. Thank your friend Morgan for the information," She looked at me. "Or rather, thank yourself for giving him the information."

     "Eva, stop antagonizing the man," James said as he looked at Eva. He looked back at me and sighed, "We were told the technology would be used for alternative purposes. We had no idea they'd weaponize people with it."

     "Didn't stop you from putting them on me," I said as I looked at my arms.

     "We need your help to destroy them," James said as he sat back down. "With Morgan at their side as their TITAN--"

     "TITAN?" I asked as I looked at James. "The hell does TITAN stand for?"

     "Terminally Integrated & Titanium Augmented Neural-System," James said as he looked at me for my reaction.

     "Wouldn't that be TITANS?" I asked again as I sat down on the bed.

     "TITAN rolls off the tongue easier," James said as he shook his head. "But back to the case at hand. You can't attack them head-on, especially with Morgan at their side. No, we need to weaken them. Start attacking their labs and stop their productions, then when they're weak enough, attack them at the center."

     "And you need me for this?" I looked at them. "Why not just hook yourselves up with augmentations of your own?"

      "I'm more of a pacifist, myself," James told me. "And with Eva... I couldn't ask her to put herself in danger."

     "Ohh. I get it now," I said as I looked at him and chuckled. "I'm expendable." I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Was I really willing to put my life on the line to help some pacifist scientist take down a corrupt corporation using Fallout Project tech? "Fuck it, I'll do it. I have a bone to pick with Morgan anyways." 

     "Excellent. Now, Eva and I will do our best to train you in using your augmentations. You might have combat experience, but the augmentations aren't just weapons. They're you now, connected to your muscles and nervous system," James said as he opened the door. "Is there anywhere that isn't here that we could hide and train?"

     "Yeah. I have a warehouse in the city where I operate out of," I said as James gathered his stuff. "We could go there."

     "Excellent, excellent. I'm going to gather some things from the other room. You and Eva stay here for a moment." James walked out of the room, leaving me and Eva alone. I looked at her and opened my mouth, but she stopped me.

     "Don't think I have to like you. I'll assist my father as he gets you prepped to fight Veronnus Corps. and their little lapdog Morgan. But after it's all done, I plan to never have contact with you." She walked to the door, then stopped and looked at me. "And for God's sake, put on a shirt." She walked out of the room and waited in the hallway, and I looked at my self in the mirror. My shoulders were still flesh, but the flesh stopped right at beginning of the biceps. Everything was all metal after that, and I sighed. I already missed the feeling of my actual fingertips against my skin, but I would have to get used to the metallic limbs attached to my shoulders. I grabbed my shirt and robes, pulling them over my body.