The Stigma (by Koltin Scott)

Chap. X

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"Go, bid the soldiers shoot."

–Shakespeare, Hamlet, iv, 2

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The Baron

        At that moment one of my elites barged into the library, flanked by two other aides; all in hazmats due to the radiation from the home. We all rose and by the looks on their faces it was serious. The elite COMMANDED me (no-one commands me unless it's serious),

        "Suit up, everyone."

        Aw, gawd...
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        We, suited for war, flanked behind them to meet the glare of my own floodlights. My men in hazmats were running around like chickens with their heads cut off to defensive positions, but four of them were dragging a boy to me; sloshing around in the mud and rain. I commanded,

        "Everyone go to your corners," pointing in stride, "AllFall, take a sniper and hit the roof. Do whatever we say."

        They went on about their thing and it was me, Alien, and AoDD going towards the boy. I gripped the runt by the collar as Alien scanned him and AoDD listened for any lies. I was just the guy who asks questions with my special voice,

        "Who are you?"

        He grunted but said, "I am the son of a clandestine revolutionary," all of us rose a brow in disbelief, "I'm-I'm a cybercriminal."

         I glanced at AoDD and he said nothing but then Alien's tablet dang,

         "Mr. Runt John Allison, well met."

         "I have found-" he tried to counter but I cut him off,

         "Why are you here John?"

         My emotionless mask and creepy voice did the trick,

         He was surprisingly calm in my hand, "The Dragoons have slipped nanotechnology into the poorer districts' water towers, the group and I are probably infected."

         "What kind of nanotechnology?"

Alien interjected.

         "Nanites, mind-control, you and I know that the changes take longer in children than adults-"

          "How," I cut off again, "do we know that you aren't being controlled?"

          Alien reassured me, "He wouldn't be able to speak clearly otherwise, Baron."

          "Baron," the boy said with hopeless tears hiding behind his eyes, trying to get out, "my father is infected."

          I tried to think rationally, but it didn't work. The look in the boy's face reminded me of Dan. Begging me to make my life count...

          "Take him to be treated for radiation," I ordered, "Alien find a way to-"

          Then part of AoDD's head came off as he rolled through us. That's not good; especially since AoDD is practically bulletproof. Alien dove for cover and I was next to take a shell to the head; sending me flying and rolling backwards.

          Everyone scattered around for cover. Then Waya came to me making a electro-magnetic force-field and AllFall landed next to me. The eight-inch 50. Cal bullet was centimeters (but felt like millimeters) away from my face; crunched up half its size. AllFall, from cover, grappled me and began pulling me inside.