Paragon

Chapter 23:

Marcus entered the holding cell, followed by Camron. The cell's only occupant was a middle aged man in a gray Daedalus Enterprises uniform.

"You're Dr. Ogata Shinji, aren't you?" Marcus asked, sitting down on the opposite side of the desk.

"I might be." The man replied in perfect English. "Who are you?"

"My name is Marcus Duneer. This is my partner, Camron Malik."

"Come on, man." Camron said.

"Sorry, not Camron, Firesend."

The doctor frowned. "You're Paragons, aren't you?"

"That's right." Marcus said. "Now, tell us about the Skyfall Device."

"I work for Daedalus Enterprises, not Master Kontrol. Why did you capture me?"

"We know that you've been secretly working with Master Kontrol."

"That's a lie." Shinji said. "Tashiro's son Sasaki works with you people, right? Ask him about me."

"We did." Camron replied. "He's the one who sent us after you. Now, come on, don't lie." He held out his hands as his veins began to glow. Flames danced across his palms and Shinji leaned away from him.

"Alright, fine." He said. "I have worked with Master Kontrol in the past."

"In the past? Really?" The fire in his hands flickered higher.

"Okay, I still do. But I don't know anything about the Skyfall Device. As far as I know Cane has stopped work on that project in favor of another one. He calls it Project Lazarus."

"That doesn't sound good." Marcus said. "Would that happen to have anything to do with Lazarus Serum?"

The doctor nodded. "I think so."

Marcus's phone rang and he answered it.

"Listen, Weska, I'm a little busy at the moment." He said. "We're interrogating Dr. Shinji."

"Drop him." Weska replied.

"What do you mean? We've been chasing him all over Tokyo for the last two days, and now you want us to get rid of him?"

"Commander's orders. I'm in the lab right now."

"What? How'd you get in there?"

"Scientist's pet husky opened the gate for me."

Marcus paused. "I'm not even going to ask. We'll be there in half an hour."

"You've got twenty minutes." Weska said. "They're preparing to do some big experiment here in half an hour." She hung up.

"Change of plans." Marcus said. "The Commander said to go backup Weska. Untie him."

"What?" Camron asked in dismay. "But Nikara just told us to get Shinji. Now we're letting him go?"

"I know, but apparently we don't need him anymore."

Camron cut the doctor's bonds, then opened the door. "Get out."

"I don't understand." Shinji replied.

"Run, before we change our minds."

The doctor ran up the stairs of the small bunker. He pushed open the door and went down the alley towards the road. Marcus and Camron followed him out to the main road and got into their black van. Marcus drove through the city towards the lab.

"Lazarus." Camron said. "That's dramatic, don't you think? I mean, whatever they turned Falcom into was scary, but I don't think it really warrants the whole Lazarus title, do you?"