Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 4: Worlds Apart

Jason peered over the ledge of the rooftop he was hiding on. The streets were filled with drones and forces all wearing drab gray matching uniforms. It had been a month since his encounter with Voidfoot, and a month since Beth and Pam had been scattered into dimensional dust. Goth was still down in Hell and he’d been on the run. Eva and her damned council had quickly mobilized their forces for a hostile takeover of the city shortly after Voidfoot made her presence known to the rest of the city. The day that she’d destroyed the apartments had been the start of their new era. It was sickening, but Jason was trapped fighting alone. Kait, Sally, Sam, and Zoey had all been taken by the Brunswicks and their twisted allies, and the city was being carved up to be divided day after day.

While Jason hadn’t been able to deliver a significant blow to their forces, it didn’t mean he hadn’t been fighting back. “Stop, thief, and get on your knees,” the automated voice of one of the drones said from behind him.

“Fuck, don’t you assholes ever take a break?” Jason asked, turning around and drawing a pistol, “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that much.”

The drone’s casing opened to reveal a submachine gun coming out of the bottom. Jason frowned and took a step back. These bastards had been on his case since he’d broken into one of the watchtowers that had appeared overnight. He wasn’t going to go down without a fight, though. The drone responded to his lack of compliance by opening fire with the submachine gun. A steady stream of bullets spewed from its small barrel, and Jason took off in a sprint across the building. These things were annoying, relentless, and all over the damn city. People got tired, but machines just kept on going. It didn’t matter how many he shot down, how many he outran, they just kept coming. He’d learned after the first day these things had appeared that fighting them was a pointless waste of ammo unless it was absolutely necessary. It was better to run and save his bullets for someone he could actually hurt.

Jason glanced over his shoulder as the bullets cut through the concrete along the roof. The drone was already giving chase, and there was never just one of these damned things. He fell back and slid across the rooftop to take cover behind the stairwell. Jason checked the magazine in his pistol to make sure it was full. Sixteen rounds of armor piercing bullets, but he was running low. Without Jake and the others, he'd been scavenging wherever he could, but supplies were becoming harder to come by. Anything worthwhile had either been confiscated and locked up or had already been raided. He could fight, but running was the smarter play. 

Jason shook his head and ran towards the edge of the building. Another one of the drones was rising from the alleyway to flank him. He'd have to be careful and smart if he was going to survive this, but he had the beginnings of a plan forming. It was risky, and more than a little absurd, but if it worked he could kill two birds with one stone. He leapt over the ledge and flipped around as he got close to the drone. He pulled his knife out and drove it through the aluminum shell of the large drone. These things were big, thankfully, and that meant he had room to hang on without falling. The added leverage of his blade in the hull wouldn't hurt, though. He'd have to be quick if his plan stood even a remote chance.

Jason quickly took aim and fired a shot at the drone that had first appeared. The camera lense shattered before the drone whirred and buzzed as it crashed to the ground. That was one, but there were sure to be more coming soon. He took a deep breath and searched for the compartment in the drone he was on. It took off and tried to shake him off, but he held on tight. The sound of more of those damned jets getting closer reached him, and he doubled his efforts to open and modify the one he was on. He glanced down as he found the panel to open, but two more appeared when he looked back. He growled as he fired two more shots into them to take them out of the sky. He was really beginning to hate robots and technology. His bullets did the trick and brought down the two before they could open fire, but the one he was on was still trying to toss him overboard.

Frustrated and desperate, Jason thrust his fist into the panel and grabbed a handful of wires. This wasn't his area of expertise, but he'd dealt with enough of these things to know the layout of the circuitry. Doing it one handed, though, that was something he'd neglected to consider. The drone shook and flew higher into the air in response to his unwanted tinkering. Jason groaned as he held on and tried to find the recall switch. If he was right, and he knew it was a long shot, this might grant him access to one of the facilities Eva had been using. The steel drone continued to rise into the air, and just as things began to get frigid, Jason found the switch. He flipped it and held on tight, unsure what was going to happen next. When the drone stopped without warning, he held his breath.

They were in the clouds now, but the drone simply hovered in the air. Jason waited in hopes that his plan had worked. To his relief, the machine began a slow and steady descent. Jason exhaled slowly and tried to press himself against the frame. It was doubtful that the other patrols would take notice, but his luck had been shit since Voidfoot sent his allies hurtling across dimensions. The ride through the city was by far one of the most tense he could remember to date. As they passed the patrols and flocks, he thought for sure he'd be spotted and put in danger. Thankfully, the machine did just what he'd hoped. They approached a steel shutter that opened for the machine to fly in. One of the many storage facilities for the rising Brunswick empire.

Jason looked around and spotted a catwalk below him and the machine. He pulled his blade out and dropped down onto it. That damned thing was going in for maintenance, and he didn't want to know who or what was responsible for that. He had a hunch, but he hoped he was wrong. Sighing to himself, Jason tucked himself into the shadows of the warehouse and pulled a cylinder from his coat. It was a jammer that he'd swiped from Jake back at the Birdcage, along with a handful of other items, but it was his last one. Whatever was in this place had to be worth it, or at least he hoped it was. He pressed the button on top of the device and waited for the cameras to shut down. With them out of the way, Jason was free to explore without fear of discovery.

They were building something in these facilities, and it wasn't just drones and patrol bots. He'd seen trucks heading in and out of these places over the last week. The workers looked to be mostly human, but he had seen signs of infection from Courtney. The cases weren't anywhere near as extreme as what had swept the city months ago, but the darkened veins and ghostly pale skin were clear indicators that something was amiss. However, they seemed somewhat more docile and cooperative rather than the rabid beasts he expected. They worked diligently carrying crates and canisters from the trucks to the interior. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. This was Jason's chance to uncover exactly what they were doing.

The jammer signal would hold for maybe half an hour, but that was assuming the disruption wasn't detected. Waiting around wasn't a luxury he had right now. With that in mind, Jason looked for a spot to vault over the railing and scale down to the warehouse floor. Crates were stacked up high, and it didn't take long for him to find a spot to climb down. The place was surprisingly empty except for the various containers and automated security. It didn't sit well with him, but if his hunch was correct, the Brunswicks were relying on one person for their surveillance. As much as he hoped he was wrong, his gut told him he wasn't.

Despite the lack of camera, Jason clung to the shadows around him as he skulked through the warehouse floor. While he hadn't seen anyone yet, that didn't mean he was completely alone. The others were counting on him, and he couldn't let himself get captured because he was careless. He made his way through a maze of racks and crates towards the center of the warehouse. His only stop was to examine one of the canisters resting in the racks. The chemical compound was a mystery to him, but he recognized the zip code on the shipping label was from Ravenfalls. It was a shock considering he was sure the labs were dismantled after Abigail and her follies. Then again, Amelia Ritters was in Eva's pocket. Why wouldn't that sleazy sadist let her benefactor run amuck in her psychotic playground? What was this stuff, though?

Jason left the racks and looked for a shipping manifesto. If he could find that, then maybe he could deduce what was coming out of Ravenfalls. There was a connection beyond just Ritters and her greed here; one that surpassed the old labs too. What was he missing? There had to be something here that could give him an answer. Jason shook his head as he made his way deeper into the compound. He stopped and ducked behind cover when he heard voices up ahead. An amber light was cutting through the darkness, and he could see silhouettes being cast around the corner.

“How much longer until she's ready?” a man asked.

“The process takes time, as I've said,” a woman replied, “What we're doing here is no small feat. You've asked me to replicate an accident with modified results. I can't guarantee anything, and rushing it will only cause an inevitable failure.”

“Need I remind you that we are on a schedule, doctor?” the man asked, “Your paycheck should be the least of your worries.”

“This isn't about pay,” the woman said, “This is about advancing our species as a whole. I understand the schedule better than you think, and our benefactors don't want a broken product. This is the baseline for a new beginning, and I intend to deliver the best as I always have.”

“So what do you expect me to tell them then?” the man asked, “There's a delay because your doctor is a perfectionist. How do you think this will go over with them?”

“Tell them to speak with me themselves,” the woman answered, “I don't expect someone like you to be able to convey the facts appropriately. I can speak for myself, and my goal is to deliver results that will meet their expectations.”

“Tch, it's your funeral, doctor,” the man scoffed, “If you want to tell them that you're at a loss, then far be it from me to stop you.”

“A crossroad is not a loss,” the woman countered, “What happens next will determine the fate of our success, and it will shape the new world that awaits us. Only a fool would discard these efforts. Our benefactors are many things, but they are no fools. Three days, a week at the max, and I should have her ready for deployment. Once that's done, there will be nothing to stop them from achieving their greatest desires. Should they have any questions, they are more than welcome to speak with me.”

“Insane woman,” the man scoffed as he turned to leave, “We don't have time for you to play your silly games.”

“We don't have time for failures and corrections either,” the woman said, “The ratios must be perfect for this to work. The files provided were limited at best, but it was enough of a foundation for me to build upon. Return to your department and leave me be. I don't have any more time to waste listening to you babble. We still need the control module as a failsafe, and you've neglected to mention your progress in that regard. I can only assume that your team is struggling with proper implementation and that you're here looking for a scapegoat for more time. I am one woman, whereas you are a man with a full team at his disposal. You're worried about appearances, but how does it look when I'm outperforming you? I suggest you run along and figure out what the delays are before pointing fingers at me.”

“Don't try to spin this around on me,” the man said, “What do you know about my work?”

“I know you're not where you've been assigned, and I know you're wasting my time,” the woman said, her heels clicking as she walked, “Be gone, little man, or stay and keep your mouth shut. I have important work to do, and you're beginning to impede my process.”

“How dare you,” the man growled, “Fine, take all the time you want, doctor. I won't sit here and be spoken to like some dog.”

“Then leave or stop acting like one,” the woman snapped.

“Insufferable woman,” the man grumbled as he stormed off.

Jason tucked himself behind a crate as a man in a suit stormed past him. What was going on? Were these people building something, someone, to further the Brunswicks’ plans? He didn't like it, but it would explain the large crates and canisters being stored here. He waited until the man was gone before making his next move. Jason climbed up one of the racks to the second level. It was mostly empty, but it gave him more of a vantage point. He snuck through the rack with ease to get a closer look at what might be happening here. What he saw made him freeze in shock. 

Down below was a stasis tank with a large woman inside of it. She was bulky and strong, and the tank had a number of different tubes running to it. Various canisters were hooked to the tubes and hoses. The amber light was coming from the tank and the equipment surrounding it. A lone woman in a lab coat with dark hair in a bun stood in front of a console. She typed away as the lights began to shift from yellow to green. A hissing noise could be heard from one of the tanks as something filled the chamber holding the woman. After a moment, the woman inside the tank woke up screaming. Her fist pounded against the glass, and her scream slowly shifted to a guttural roar of unbridled rage. A buzzing noise followed shortly by a flash of electricity in the tank silenced her, but Jason didn't miss the crack that formed on the tank. There was only one woman that he'd ever seen with this level of power: Havoc.

“Hmm, I'll have to reinforce the glass again,” the woman sighed, walking over to the tank, “I know it hurts, sweet girl, but birth is always painful. You will become the reaper for our new world.”

Jason didn't like the looks of this, but there was nothing he could do right now. If that woman in there had even a fraction of Havoc's strength, then shutting down the console meant risking unleashing a monster. She might turn on the Brunswicks, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn't come after them too. A woman that powerful would be a threat to the entire city regardless of allegiances. It wasn't what he'd hoped to figure out coming here, but it was something to keep in mind. Another horrible creation from the depths of madness was being built in secret. It shouldn't have surprised him by this point, but he hadn't been expecting to find this.

Jason dropped down from the racks to try to make his way out and around the doctor's workshop. This was worse than he could have imagined, but he still had a job to do and supplies to grab. Like it or not, he had to put whatever chaos was in that tank behind him for now. For once, Jason actually found himself actually wishing for Jake or Goth to lend a hand in this mess. With Beth and Pam gone, things were going to shit quicker than he could have ever imagined. The last remaining members of his team were either being held by a sociopathic doctor, and the other half were serving as toys to a wanna-be queenpin. Once upon a time, he'd have preferred to go it alone, but now wasn't the time. Two heroes trapped in another dimension, one dead and burning in Hell, and a wildcard wandering the underworld looking for the dead one. How had things gone this far sideways this fast?

Jason moved as quickly and quietly as he could away from the mad scientist working on her pet project. Chemistry supplies and shipping manifestos weren't going to help him win this war. No, he needed weapons, tech, and whatever the hell else he could get his hands on. This place might have been sparsely populated, but those machines had weapons and supplies he could use. Plus, the Brunswicks likely had some of their more unique and mystical relics stashed somewhere around here. He knew he couldn't use them, but it would be one less tool for those psychotic freaks to use. What he wouldn't give to have Pam back to make sense of the junk stored here.

Fifteen minutes passed before he finally found something worthwhile. On the opposite side of the warehouse was what he assumed was some sort of production line. Various crates of ammunition, parts, weapon mods, and other items he could salvage. He scooped up everything he could carry and dumped what he could into his pockets. A bag would have been nice, but it was a luxury he wasn't afforded today. Besides, he was running out of time before the jammer signal shorted out. Jason didn't even bother checking everything he was grabbing. If it looked useful he took it. Time was running out, and he needed to make himself scarce. 

Suddenly, the lights flashed around him. Blinding fluorescents blanketed the area and surrounded Jason. “Looks like we've got a rat,” a bored, yet annoyed voice came from up above, “You're starting to piss me off, little man.”

He knew that voice, and it confirmed all of his suspicions. Jason grit his teeth and stood up, “Isley, you're really working with them after everything they've done?”

“Don't you dare use my name,” Ingrid growled over the intercom, “You don't know a thing about me, and you're stealing private property. Hands up, put the shit back, and get on your knees.”

“Yeah, I think I'll pass on that,” Jason scoffed, drawing his pistols as drones rose up, “So, what's your handle, kid?”

“Not that it matters to you, but call me Evil Eye,” Ingrid replied, “Last chance, Graves, drop your weapons.”

“Fuck off,” Jason replied, taking aim at the nearest drone and looking for the quickest way out, “You know what they did to Beth, right? It's because of them that she's gone.”

“Don't talk about her!” Ingrid snapped, “She's alive, and I'll have her before this is all said and done. You're in the way, though, and I'll be damned if I let you stand between me and the woman I love!”

“Crazy bitch,” Jason muttered as he took off in a sprint while shooting blindly at the drones.

Part of him wanted to double back and take out the mad scientist and her project, but he couldn't risk jeopardizing the surviving members of his team. He couldn’t help them if he was lying face down in his own blood. His bullets dug into the drones and dropped the two that he hit, but he was trapped in a damn foundry full of the bastards. He ran as fast as he could and rounded a corner hoping to find an exit. He could hear more of them springing to life and buzzing behind him. They’d be all over him in a matter of minutes if he didn’t do something fast, and he didn’t have enough ammunition to take them all down.

Thinking quickly, Jason dove between the lower racks and looked for something he could use. If he didn’t have enough ammo, then he’d have to improvise. The drones kept up their chase, unimpeded by the minor obstacles. They opened fire with their machine guns behind him. Their steady stream of bullets barely missed him. Jason looked around as he continued sprinting. Several of the canisters were stashed in a nearby rack. He fired a single bullet into them without knowing what they’d do, but hoping they’d have the desired effect. They exploded the second his bullet broke through the casing and collapsed the rack.

“What the fuck is going on?!” the doctor from earlier screamed, “Evil Eye, report!”

“Rat problem, doctor, or were you not listening?” Ingrid replied, “Stay where you are, and keep working unless I say otherwise.”

Jason shook his head as he took advantage of the small distraction he’d created. The explosion had taken out more than a few of the drones, but there were still more on their way. At least now he knew there was a way to smash some of these things and bring down the warehouse. If only he had more time. Jason made a note of it as he rounded another corner. He could see a window up above. That would work well enough for an escape route. He skidded to a stop and tried to aim at the window with his grappling gun. One of the drones slammed into him before he could get his shot. Jason went flying into a crate that smashed into pieces around him. He recovered and rolled just in time to avoid another series of gunshots. His hand landed on a stone cube.

“What the fuck?” Jason whispered as he held up the stone with several carvings on it.

He was about to toss it when it started to glow. A strange purple light flashed around it, and Jason frowned as he stared at it. For a second, he forgot about the security drones chasing after him. A brilliant flash of light shot out in a beam as twenty drones surrounded him. They caught fire and shattered as the beam cut through them one by one. An image of Pam, blurry and distant, facing down against a woman in a strange mask in the streets. What was going on? Just as quick as it came, the image disappeared. Jason shook off his stupor and got back to his feet. He took lightning fast aim at the window and fired it to pull himself out of the madhouse. 

“You can’t run, rat!” Ingrid shouted over the intercom.

Jason ignored her outraged threat as he was pulled toward the window and broke through it. He was falling before he could stop himself, but he took aim and another shot without hesitating. He was cutting through the air and flying through the city. Back on the run again, Jason was rushing to find someplace safe that he could lay low. There were no safehouses anymore, and Alexis was practically a ghost. There was no one left for him to turn to, but he’d made due well enough until now.

The drones were still chasing after him, but he knew enough of their blindspots to lose them in the open. Jason took as many twists and turns as he could to throw them off his trail. He landed on a rooftop and sprinted towards the roof entrance. Throwing his shoulder into the door, he threw it open and slammed it shut behind him. Jason rushed down the stairs of the apartments without looking back. It was one of the more deserted buildings by the look of things, but that would work to his advantage. With any luck, he'd find an empty apartment to lay low in for a little while. The Brunswicks had control of most of the street level cameras, but they hadn't taken the more local networks just yet. Of course, with Ingrid back in their pocket, it was only a matter of time before they did. 

He raced down three flights of stairs before throwing open the door to one of the halls. It was empty and barren. Whether it was because people were scared, or had been turned into mindless zombies, he wasn't sure. That wasn't his problem, not today anyway. It was a symptom of the larger problem from the Brunswicks and their insanity, and one that would be dealt with once he figured out how to cut their cancer from the city. Hoping for the best, Jason threw his shoulder into one of the doors to force it open. The lock broke, but thankfully the apartment looked vacant. That was at least one good thing that happened to him today. He could lay low here for a while and wait out the patrols. His next moves would have to be planned carefully, but he wasn't a stranger to careful preparation.

The apartment was bare outside of a set of blinds that hung on the windows, a dirty old couch, and a bed without sheets in the adjacent room. He'd survived off of less in the past. He could wait it out here for a day or two if needed. It would give him time to plan and survey the ground forces as well. More importantly, he could have a closer look at the cube he'd taken from the warehouse. He didn't have a clue what it was outside of a pretty rock, but he swore that it was Pam he'd seen in the brief image. The damn thing had to be magical to do that plus destroy the bots it had. Now if only he could figure out how to work it. Not for the first time since being left alone, he found himself wishing that either Pam or Goth were around. It still felt strange to think about how he needed Goth's help, but he'd take anything at this point. 

Jason put his back against the wall and sank down to the floor. He pulled the little cube out of his pocket and looked it over. Different runes that he didn't recognize were carved on it, and there were engravings on the sides as well. It didn't react to his touch this time, so he wasn't sure how to activate it. He looked it up and down, but it just seemed like a fancy rock to him. He'd seen the runes before, some of them at least, but the combination of them was a mystery. Without knowing the purpose and full details of them, it would be impossible for him to guess what it was supposed to do. The thing was powerful, he knew that, and it was one less thing for Eva and her twisted sister to use against him. Of course, with a monster being hatched in a lab that might not have made much of a difference. 

“What the hell am I gonna do?” he sighed to himself, setting the cube down, “I've got no idea where any of you dumbasses are outside of Goth and Jake. Are you alive, dead, or something in between? Whatever you three are doing, hurry it the fuck up. For once, I need all the help I can get. Jesus, I'm actually talking to myself now. I'm fucking losing it over here.”

Jason chuckled to himself as he got back to his feet. Sadly, he wasn't wrong about needing help. The forces working against them were too big to handle on his own. He'd take Alexis in a heartbeat if she somehow showed up at his door. She was absolutely batshit crazy, but she was a genius and a perfect distraction. He could use a chaotic distraction right about now. A little mayhem would go a long way, and he'd thought for sure that Alexis and her psychotic sidekick would have reared their heads by now. Neither of them were ones for order and structure, but they'd yet to make a move. A part of him wondered if they were still alive, but Footgirl wasn't one to go down without a fight. If Alexis had been killed, there'd have been a hell of a lot more noise in the streets.

He grabbed the cube and walked to the bedroom. The bed didn't have sheets, but he could have cared less as he sat the relic down and began emptying his pockets. He could sleep later, but right now he needed to see what all he'd grabbed to work with. It wouldn't be a ton, but something was better than nothing. He emptied his pockets before removing his pistols. Jason ejected the magazines to reload them, and placed his guns on the bed. They'd need to be cleaned again, and maybe he could use some of the mods he'd picked up for them. Magic might not have been his specialty, but he knew his way around firearms and improvising. A lot of the items he'd found would work better on his rifle, but that was halfway across the city. No matter, he could still sort through everything and take an inventory.

Jason sat down and began disassembling his pistols. His thoughts turned to Kait as he fished out his cleaning kit. Thinking of what his friend might be enduring was heart wrenching. Out of everyone, she was the one he cared for the most. Maybe she'd moved on with her little playmate and sidekick, and that was fine by him, but he still cared about her. He wasn't the type to have a relationship, not anymore anyways, but he could still be there for someone. Whatever it was between the two of them, he missed her. It was something he only ever admitted to himself when he was alone, but it was a truth all the same. He worried about her, and he often thought about their time together back when they were waging war against Goth.

“I'll find you,” he said to himself, “With or without backup, I'll find you and get you away from those freaks. I promise you, Kait, I won't forget about you…”