| L's point of view, 4 years ago: 2282 |
The girl gets up from the table in the Cyber Cafe and begins packing up her belongings. Laying on a skyscraper three miles away, I zoom in on her with my sniper rifle. My mask's facial recognition highlights her figure in red and text glows above her head reading her name: Raven Voltcon. Her dark hair brushes across her cheeks as she climbs onto her bike, skidding over her red lips. She's beautiful, I'll admit it.
It's too bad. I wouldn't be killing her if Colton, my superior and the leader of Central Phantom Divison, didn't want me to teach her father a lesson. Adam Voltcon is an annoyingly persistent Watchman. He's been hot on our tail ever since we shot up the South Haven Capital Headquarters. Our act seemed to strike a nerve with him of all people and he's been keeping tabs on us ever since.
He stormed three of our hideouts, stealing confidential information about our plans and arresting Phantom members with valuable technical assets. Furthermore, he even stopped our bomb attempt in Ivory Harbor. They were little setbacks to us, more like bug bites than bullet wounds. We have more numbers than he'll ever know thanks to social media and the power of mob mentality. The people know that we're on their side.
How dare he stand up for Haven. The blood on my hands is nothing compared to the blood on Haven's. They killed hundreds of innocent people. We're killing the guilty thousands. After I kill his daughter, he'll know his place and step down unless he wants t lose his wife next.
I pick up my telescreen and connect the cameras around me to all media networks. Using my anonymous accounts, I set the recordings to live stream. Sure, the video will be taken down quickly, but it won't disappear from the internet. People will share it with their friends, and they will share it with their friends, and so on. Soon my act will be known over all of Haven. Another Phantom demonstration in the spotlight. Haven will be put in their rightful place. That's what they get for tampering with the chip and trying to make us their slaves.
Once I set up the video, I pick up my sniper rifle. Just as I anticipated, the girl is now leaving the building at 4:00 pm. It's time.
I turn off the lock on my gun and its hilt glows red. Tilting my head, I take one last look at her. She smiles walking out the doors, making me wonder what she's looking forward to. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter now. Her life is going to get short and there's nothing she can do about it. I smile letting out a slow breath and my finger curls around the trigger.
"Goodbye, Raven."
Something slams into the side of my barrel, throwing my shot off by a mile. I turn sharply and freeze seeing a foot two inches from my face.
"You missed," A man growls.
He kicks my mask and his foot lands between my eyes, smashing hard into my nose. My face throbs and blood trickles down my nose. How did my mask not pick him up? He should have shown up in my back camera unless he's got a hacker looping the surveillance. It doesn't matter, I tell myself. I'll get rid of him and finish the job. I always carry through on a hit.
I roll and push myself onto a knee, pointing my rifle at the shadow standing above me. The man's dry voice is filled with amusement.
"Hope I didn't break your face."
I narrow my eyes trying to see through the blurry waves. My vision adjusts and I immediately recognize silver hair and sky-blue eyes.
"Frockin' Adam Volt!" I smile savagely behind my mask, "I'm going to splatter Raven's blood in front of you."
His gun barrel clicks against my helmet and my mouth parts seeing a double of him beside me. The body in front of me shimmers and I scoff realizing he tricked me with a simple 3D hologram. A stupid move but a genius move.
"With a mouth that big," He mutters, "Your brain must be pretty small."
Hearing him chuckle, something inside me burns. Twisting around, I punch him hard in the face. His head snaps back slightly but he takes hold of my arm. Proving himself to have ridiculous strength, he throws me over his head like I'm a twig and rips the gun from my hands. He's got to have artificial limbs-there's no way he's doing that without mechanical arms.
I slam into the wall of the skyscraper and Adam throws a fist into my gut. Electric currents flow from his arms and into my body, burning my insides. He does have upgrades
I've been trained to endure torture, this is nothing compared to what I've been through in Phantom. I've been strapped into a chair and beaten for hours upon end by my co-leaders and subordinates, all under Colton's direction, and I've done the same to them, though not to the extent Colton is capable of. Though my teammates mirror his tactics, I find myself unable to meet his cruelty on them.
It's different having a superior beat you, one who you are aiming to please by only following their orders. I feel more deserving of the pain as a leader, especially since my teammates get tortured after a mission failed under my direction. A mission failure means they either get punished by Colton or I get punished by them and Colton, and I'm always willing to take the fall. It's what Phantom calls a Swap Sacrifice, the leader's burden and honor. The leader takes the heavier blow for the team because Phantom holds them to a higher standard.
Colton tortures in unspeakable ways, verbally and physically, always after a mission failed or even well done. I've been dragged out of bed by him multiple times and slammed into a chair in a basement, hearing nothing but his twisted laughter as he told me it was 'play time'.
His torture sessions were emotionally shocking and brutal. A long, long nightmare. I can't put my team through that if I can help it, and I never will.
When I first got initiated, I hated Phantom's leadership tactics but stuck with them, holding onto the hope of avenging my parents' abduction and deaths in Project Beta. But despite the coldness in it all, the tactics turned out to harden my drive to stop Haven, along with other captains who Phantom who performed the Swap Sacrifice.
My team was strongly tied to me and we all shared a common purpose. I realized how much stronger I was because of itthe cruel tactics. I was physically unstoppable and emotionally calloused. I eventually stopped hating Colton and even admired his determination to see Haven fall, though I shudder at the sight of the smile in the dark.
"Smile and bleed," Was his motto, "Don't fear Haven, fear what will happen if you fail."
He was right. Failure was to be feared more than pain and cruelty, along with the thought of never being loved. It was meant for the good of us and the people of Haven. We're prepared to die before giving away our plans, even if it means never being loved by the people we're trying to save.
The electrical currents hurt but it's small in comparison to the scars I bear for my parents and Haven's victims. I straighten picking myself up, pushing through the pain of the electric shock. Venom leaks into each word I growl at Adam.
"What do you take me for? A frockin' pinata? Hit me harder, you crockin mother frock!"
I jump off the wall and throw my body, flipping for momentum to kick his head. I'm sure he has no time to respond but he catches my foot at the last second.
"So fast!" He exclaims, whipping me against the concrete floor.
Every nerve in my body sparks, but I throw my leg out and kick him in the stomach, jumping back onto my feet.
I draw my pulse gun from my harness but he drops low before I can aim, kicking my legs out from underneath me. I catch myself with one hand and spring off the ground, ramming my feet into his stomach.
He doubles over laughing, "You're so fast. It's hilarious. I've never seen anything like it."
Why the frock is he laughing in the middle of a fight? I smash my knee into his face and feel a shock travel up my leg when I hit what feels like a rock.
There's an electrifying shock in my ribs as he punches me in the side with the. I slam into the wall, wincing from the painful currents as I pick myself up.
"Not another move!" He orders.
When I turn to him, the end of his gun glows white. I curse under my breath but decide I'll look for an opening while he speaks.
I raise my hands, "What do you want?"
"So pushy to get the point," He remarks, "How about we introduce ourselves?"
"I would rather die," I seethe, "Then tell you who I am."
He raises his eyebrows, "Well, aren't you bashful. Fine...I'll do your introduction for you."
His smile transforms into a smirk.
"Logan Greyson. Eighteen, male. Second generation Phantom member. Son of Alita and Apollo Greyson, first-generation Phantom members. You're a hacker hitman and your next target is Raven, my daughter."
Frock. He got my info from the headquarters he stormed. What else does he know?
"I don't know what you're talking about," I play dumb, "But you have no proof for those claims."
He wags his gun, "Ah, but I do."
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a hologram and throws it into the air. A green, 3D video plays in front of me. There's a young man standing in my bedroom, pulling a mask over his head. I grind my teeth watching my face come into the light.
I checked my bedroom twice a day for plants. How did those hidden cameras get past me?
It only gets worse. He pulls camera footage of me on our hit missions, meetings with other Phantom members, and even files of my blood relatives to prove my lineage. If Haven's officials got a hold of this info, Phantom would be doomed. All our plans would be useless. Garbage.
I glare at him, "You try to stop us and you may as well be letting Haven go up in flames."
Adam's face turns to stone.
"If no one stops you, there will be no Haven to save. You'll have burned it to the ground."
"You're wrong," I fume, "People are dying because Haven remains in control of the chip. Who's going to stop them, you?"
"That's what you think you're doing? Saving us from Haven?"
I push myself off the wall and walk over to him.
"You have no idea what Haven has done, what they are doing now," I tell him, "And if you did, you wouldn't be holding that gun up to me."
"Right now," He mutters, "You kids are the biggest threat."
"Threat?" I exclaim, "We're the ones trying to save Haven from the chip!"
"No!" He roars tapping the gun's barrel against my chest, "You're the ones causing the most chaos. Open your eyes! Do you really think Phantom is trying to bring peace? Your kill count is greater than Project Beta, a hundredfold. Do you realize that? Five minutes ago you were about to shoot a girl you didn't even know!"
I step closer to him, making the gun press deeper into my chest. The words roll smoothly off my tongue.
"The suffering of the minority is a small price to pay to save the majority."
His eyes soften suddenly, making my stomach turn, "You've been brainwashed, (Bleep)."
"Brainwashed?" I snarl, "My thoughts and actions are my own. We're doing what the original Phantom wanted. Haven is going to take responsibility for their actions, and when they do, everyone will know the truth about them."
"This isn't what we wanted."
"'We'?"
"I was part of the original Phantom!" He points at himself, "I was one of the few that survived. What you kids are creating, none of us wanted! We were trying to protect people, but you're all destroying what we created by killing the innocent!"
If he expects me to believe that crap, he must really be an idiot. If he was an original Phantom member, how would he be standing in front of me alive? Haven would have killed him by now.
I laugh, "You? An original Phantom member?"
"I don't expect you to believe me," He explains calmly, "But if you don't drop out of this terrorism game you and your friends created, know that I'm not going to stand by and watch."
"To other people, we may look like terrorists," I admit, "But they don't know that we're trying to save them from the chips. Maybe now they aren't grateful, but one day, they will be."
Adam's face darkens, "What if I told you Phantom wasn't just planning to cut the chips off from Haven's control?"
What is he talking about? Questions whisper to me in the back of my mind, but I push them away.
"No," I refuse, "They would have told me."
He reaches into his pocket, pulling out another hologram. My heart sinks as the red video unfolds. There's a room with a group of masked individuals sitting around a table. I recognize the masks, head leaders of Phantom. Colton is among them, along with the notorious Eastern Division leader, Mad Alice with her Cheshire cat mask. She's notorious for her "Nightmare" hack, a chip malfunction that can leave users in a horrid dream world. She and Colton are a horrific and toxic pair rumored to be in a relationship.
"How many hackers will we need for the eastern region?"
My eyes widen seeing the blue frowning mask. Agnus, the head of Phantom! He's quite possibly the most dangerous person I know. This isn't any normal meeting.
"Ten thousand," Mad Alice replies cooly, sending Colton into a giggly fit.
"I'll gather my followers," Agnus turns to the rest of them, "Things are starting to set in motion. When the chips are in our hands, Haven will regret everything its done."
The last five words hit me like a ton of bricks.
"We will be in control."
The red hologram fades.
It can't be real. Phantom wanting to take control of the chips? We wanted to stop Haven from controlling them, not transfer the power to ourselves. Adam had to have edited this video somehow. He's probably just trying to get me to admit where the hideouts are.
"It's a lie!" I snap, "It's a fake. Phantom isn't seeking control of the chips. We're stopping Haven's control of them."
He lowers his gun, looking at me with sympathy. It only fuels my anger. My hands tremble listening to him.
"You can't afford to be wrong," Adam mutters, "Everything you were told would be a lie. The closest people in your life were manipulating you."
"Shut up!" I yell, clenching my fists, "I'm done listening to you! All you want to do is to stop us!"
He shakes his head, "No, I agree with you that Haven is in the wrong. I agree that they need to be stopped but this is not the way. Killing people isn't going to stop Haven from hacking the chips, and taking control of the chips isn't going to bring peace."
I don't want what he's saying to be true, but somehow those videos fill in all the empty holes in Phantom's reasoning to me. It explains all the questions that were left unanswered in my mind:
What will happen after we stop Haven's control of the chips? Who are these people you're assigning me to kill? What did they really do wrong?
Everything I've done for them and went through...I thought I was all in the name of saving Haven from the chips. I thought my leaders were seeking to liberate Haven, not enslave them again.
Maybe he is telling the truth, but maybe he isn't.
"How do I know you aren't lying?" I mutter.
Adam tilts his head, "Have you ever asked that question to your superiors?"
I tighten my fists staring at the ground. Of course not, there would be dire consequences if I did. My brain becomes foggy as his words sink in. The truth is, I don't know if Phantom was telling us the truth about their motives. The slightest disagreement would end in my punishment.
"No," I whisper.
His sky-blue eyes blaze against the setting sun and his voice thunders as he continues.
"Exactly! That's because they didn't want you to! I'm asking you now to seek the truth, not trust me blindly. Look inside of you, Logan..."
Tears sting my eyes and I suck in a shaky breath.
"Do you trust Phantom?"
It's such a simple way of looking at it. Why did it take me a year to realize...I am afraid of Phantom. I don't trust them. I never trusted any of them. I kept working for them all this time, hoping that it would rid me of the pain and anger over my loss but they've done nothing for me, nothing except rid me of any hope and goodness in the world.
"You have the choice to free yourself from their control," Adam continues, "You have the chance to be someone different. It's not too late to change. I'm making a team, Logan. I need skilled hackers like you, fighters like you. We're not like Phantom. We'll protect people the right way, with love and justice. You can trust us."
I lift my hands to my mask and pull it over my head. As it dangles in my hand, breathing becomes easier and the sunset becomes brighter. Adam smiles greatly and his smile overpowers the sun in its splendor.
I just tried to kill this man's daughter. How is he capable of this act of mercy, of offering me a smile, of offering me another chance? He should be pounding me right now.
"Handsome one you are," He says with a chuckle.
It's weird, I think to myself, how he isn't cold or intimidating. He doesn't make me fearful or uneasy. I feel safe standing in his presence, protected and sought after as if I'm his own child. My eyes widen when he raises his hand to me in offering and I shock myself realizing I trust this man more than the people I've lived among for a year.
"What do you say? You wanna join Firewall?"
"Firewall...?"
A firewall protects people from those seeking to take advantage of them. It blocks out attempts to control and exploit. The corner of my mouth tugs upward and I feel myself wearing a strange, new expression as I take his hand.