1
STOP
If you've not read these parts first, do so:
- HWKN: Prologue 00- Broken Hopes: https://community.pl...0-broken-hopes/
- HWKN: Laila Journal Entry #128: https://community.pl...rnal-entry-128/
- HWKN: Chapter 01- Snowfall Part 1: https://community.pl...-1/#entry501644
- HWKN: Chapter 01- Snowfall Part 2: https://community.pl...pter-01-part-2/
- HWKN: Laila Journal Entry #129: https://community.pl...29/#entry532160
- HWKN: Chapter 02- Memories Part 1: https://community.pl...-1/#entry542066
HWKN Chapter 02: Memories Part 2
Point in HWKN Timeline: Five standard hours after the events in Memories Part 1
A man floated through the depths of a bizarre, subconscious half-world. He felt as if he’d been here before but wasn’t quite sure. Voices whispered to him, called out for him. They scared him and he didn’t know why. Why am I here_ He struggled to move and felt cumbersome. Various memories he couldn’t recognize flew by. Who am I_ Memories of pain, sadness, and anger overwhelmed him in a tide. He felt swallowed by the vortex of emotions and memories. He wanted to hide. Huh_ Why do I want to hide_ He couldn’t remember. His head hurt every time he tried.
He only knew he felt pulled along, unable to control himself. Where am I going_ The voices told him it was home. Home. What a lovely word. A name and face appeared as he thought the word ‘home’. Laila, I want to see Laila.
The man struggled to remember why he wanted to see this person, but only felt a distant feeling of regret. He didn’t know why he felt such regret. He pushed it out of his mind and tried to think about home. An old man needs his rest, I want to go home. He relaxed, chugging along the distant white world thinking of how wonderful home sounded to him, unknowingly bringing others along with him.
******************************************************************
“Whew, that drive was long… I hope Captain Wayden can fix that big flying tub of his. I just realized how easy it was traveling in the air!” Shae exclaimed as she stepped off the large cargo van. She winced as she felt her legs tingle from falling asleep—again. “Ugh… Military vehicles are never comfortable.” She looked up and tried to ignore the dirty polluted sky around them. Never thought I’d be back here.
Shae noticed various patrons walking around the mostly deserted outskirts of Eugen nervously glancing at the heavily armored cargo van. Thank God we brought something less conspicuous besides the armored van. “Hey Jin! What’s taking so long_ Are you still doing your hair after that nap you had_ I can help.” Shae called back in the cabin of the vehicle with a humorous smile.
Jin plodded down the steps from the back of the van as he stretched and simply grunted. “Yeah sure, I know I have awful bed hair.” He immediately narrowed his eyes, seeing many suspicious looks from the patrons around them. “Hey, what’s with that look the locals are giving us_”
“The slums of Eugen’s outskirts ain’t the nicest place in town. Then again, the inner regions of this place aren’t so hot either. Some incident with armed individuals happened here about a decade ago. Ever since then, no one really trusts anyone with weapons or military gear. In fact, I was living here at the time when it did.” Shae told him while she rolled out the motorcycle from the back of the van. “Oh wow, this thing is heavier than I remember…”
“What happened_” Jin asked, obviously alarmed. “Do you remember what it was_ Was it worse than the Second Outbreak_”
“Whoa! Slow down with the questions! It’s all sort of vague to me actually, all I remember is screaming and lots of gunfire. Maybe some rogue mercs shot a lot people, I dunno.” Shae said, panting faintly while leaning on the large motorbike. Why is he so interested_ It’s kind of odd that he looks upset… “There’s one thing that was clear to me though, Kaori and Malik saved me.”
“Oh… Sorry for asking about something like that.” Jin looked down with genuine embarrassment as he locked the van.
“Ah don’t worry about it! Anyway, we have to head to the inner part of Eugen to pick up those supplies we need for the base. Medens was already complaining about the lack of extra cleaning supplies, medical gear, and spare parts before we left. Let’s not make the geezer wait.” Shae laughed as she hopped on the ‘cycle. “Come on Jin, get on! Or are you nervous to hold on to a lady_”
Jin hesitated and growled as he saw Shae’s shrewd grin. “Oh shush… I’ll get on. What’s up with Chief Medens worrying about medical supplies_ I thought the guy was just a mechanic.” He clipped his harness to the motorcycle and sat behind Shae as she started the engine.
“Everyone has multiple jobs around 167. We don’t have enough personnel thanks to all the skirmishes in Illal. No doubt, it’s the same in other bases around.” Shae yelled over the roaring motorcycle as they accelerated through the dirty cluttered streets. “Though, probably not as peaceful or happy since most bases are near the cities. The corporations love to keep a tight leash on bases close to the cities… Remember the briefing Kaori gave us_”
“Yeah why_” The crowd of people that normally bustled around the heavily polluted city thinned as they drew closer to the core of the slum area. The streets were piled high with junk, which constricted the already meager space, thanks to buildings that seemed to be built on top of each other haphazardly.
“Apparently an IPDF officer told her some of our suppliers got our cargo confiscated for being ‘suspiciously yakuza affiliated’.” As they slowed down near a flickering traffic light down the single claustrophobic street, Shae glanced toward a wall with some cryptic graffiti and tightened her grip. “Ah frack, speak of the devil… Why did it have to be Golden Wind.”
“What do you mean_”
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been around, but it looks like some gangs expanded. What’s worse is that’s the yakuza gang our shady suppliers probably got some of our cargo from.”
“Doesn’t matter, we just need to get that cargo back. Speaking of shady guys…” Jin eyed a few burly men walking toward them as a large van blocked their way. “We’ve got incoming.”
Shae slowly raised her hands off the motorcycle to show she was unarmed. Fuzzy bunny, better not provoke them. She elbowed Jin to follow along and hoped he wouldn’t do anything stupid.
A tall broad-shouldered brute grunted, “You’re in Golden Wind territory, pay the toll and state your business.” A few other Yakuza members slowly surrounded the duo as they cradled various homemade weapons in their arms. “Damn corporation scum don’t make this easy. Better not pull anything funny…”
“We just came here to pick up some food and medical supplies to restock.” Shae told him with a careful smile. She nudged Jin to pay the toll but he didn’t budge.
The brute narrowed his eyes with a growl, “Where’s the scrip_”
“Right here,” Jin stated coldly, pointing his gun toward the man. “Why do we have to pay to some thugs_”
The entire ring of gang members quickly pointed their weapons toward them. No one moved for several seconds. Shae berated herself for not telling Jin to behave.
Aw damn it, Jin! You really need to read the situation here. Shae started to speak but was stopped by Jin’s nudge. She shot off a look toward him begrudgingly.
The brute smirked, “What are you gonna do with that peashooter_ Put the shiny toy away.”
“I won’t pay the damn toll.” Jin snarled.
Wow, he’s like a different person. Shae was confused by Jin’s sudden harshness. He seemed pretty nice back at base, just who is he_ “Jin, just pay the money. We don’t want any-“
“Well, well, well... Look who we have here, I knew that voice sounded familiar! Fate sure does have its humor. Nice to see you again, boy.” A slim, broad shouldered man with an auburn fauxhawk stepped out from the crowd of yakuza.
“Jaggers! What are you doing here_” Jin gripped his gun tighter.
Jaggers laughed, “Fuzzy bunny, what an amateur. That reaction tells me you really are the boy that ambushed my group. That insults me, to think I let my guard down when you were easy pickings. At least act like you didn’t know me. You would have lasted a few seconds longer.” Jaggers hefted a large heavy machine gun while an Scout axe adorned with Skull Dagger colors aimed its Mini Flak at Jin and Shae.
The brute did a double take, “Hey, Mason! What are you doing_” He and the rest of the yakuza ran from the motorcycle and Jaggers. “We’re here to collect money, not corpses! Are you trying to kill us all_”
“Sorry Statler, nothing personal. Get in my way, you all get slaughtered. Your boss didn’t pay me enough and this bodyguard stuff is boring. Besides, I’ve got a family to feed.” Jaggers pointed his chin toward Jin. “This runt has a bounty on his head. Dead or alive and he’s worth a lot.”
Shae’s eyes widened as she heard the word ‘bounty’. Seriously_ Jin has a bounty_ She glanced at Jin and noticed his pistol shaking slightly in his grip. Is he really a rookie_
Statler, on the other hand, was shaking in rage, “Damn it! I hated mercenaries anyway. Kill all of them, men!”
Taking advantage of the panic, Jin switched his TAC Pistol to flashbang mode and shot it at the ground. “Shae! Come on, we got to go! Let’s not get covered in shrapnel”
Shae stepped on the gas petal as the raced away from the blinding light. Adrenaline rushed through her as she felt the wind nip her cheeks, despite the situation they were in earlier, she smiled like a maniac. “Gotta admit, you really are an idiot for starting that little fiasco. You sure are popular… Since when did you get a bounty on your head, rookie_”
Jin sighed as he readjusted his hat and checked the ammo in his pistol. He mused for several seconds and finally said, “To be honest, I haven’t a clue.”
******************************************************************
Ayumu Makoto let out a sigh of relief as he let go of the firing stud on his modified Reaper, Silent Light. Damn, that was a close one. He watched Shae and Jin race away from the disoriented criminals through the narrow streets of Eugen, tracking them through his enhanced HUD. “Tais, continue to monitor all communication lines of IPDF.”
“Continuing surveillance on IPDF, Corporal Makoto.” A cold artificial female voice resounded throughout the interior of Silent Light. “Increased COMM traffic between various stationed IPDF squads and their HQ has been detected in this sector. Additionally, an abnormally large amount of complaints of missing children about IPDF has been logged over the past nine years since the incident. Further research shows similar patterns in different cities around Illal. More information pertaining to the topic: Population in Sector 142 is constituted of low income patrons with an average amount of children per family, according to official records. Chances of child abduction by gangs is low. Most local members of gangs have families of their own and are tight knit. The leaders are only interested in protecting their assets and collecting tolls, according to the recent data I extracted. Conclusion: According to records and data gathered through interviews you gave, IPDF is taking part in illegal abductions. Only IPDF has enough resources to conduct it over a large scale and cover it up. Permission to take Level Two action_”
Ayumu continued to watch the frenzied exchange between a man sporting a fauxhawk and the minor gang officer through his antique digital camera with feigned interest. I wish I could just take pictures of some cute girls or even some fine scenery. Not some gang and two people out to get some cargo, I hate babysitting jobs… Then again, Tais would catch that and make me do it anyway. “Hey Tais, wanna take some time off from this mission for a date_”
“Not recommended, Corporal. I’m a Tactical Artificial Intelligence Systems unit, I have limited personality routines as most of my functions are dedicated to tactical information gathering and insertion.” A pause as the AI searched through its memory banks. “Also, didn’t you make a promise to Staff Sergeant Rivera to look at this_”
Ayumu sighed again as he carefully put the camera into its case. “Pfft. You’re always going on about business.” Rejected again. Tais is probably the closed thing I can get to a date. ‘Limited personality routines’ my arse. You act more human than me. “Also, that’s a no for Level Two actions, we don’t want everyone to know we’re here.” Tais was right, he did agree to help Malik to look for records about the missing children and to watch over Jin and Shae. I have my own reasons though… “Hey Tais_ What does love feel like_”
“In short, data files shows that humans in love typically have an elevated heartbeat. Chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin are produced more in your body to induce that ‘love’ feeling.”
“That soun-“
A proximity alarm rang as he jumped in surprise. I’m losing my touch, I thought I recalibrated all the sensors. He checked the radar. Damn, only three feet away… The sensors are working completely fine too, what the heck_
Tais automatically shifted the external cameras to the figure outside. “It appears he wants to speak with you, should I activate the defenses_”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll meet this weirdo myself. I’ll scare him off, ‘kay_” Ayumu grinned. “We’ll talk about that date later.”
“Still not recommended, Corporal. I’m a Tac-,“ Tais began.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Ayumu told her, waving off the dull mantra. “Still gonna talk about it!” He popped open the pressurized hatch and moved his mask over his face, jumping down toward the man. Ayumu gripped the hilt of the sword on his back.
“Nice mask. It has the look of a vicious demon ready to strike,” The man had a wide tight smile and wild, unpredictable eyes. “Good to see you again Ayumu.”
“Who are you, creep_”
The man’s creepy grin became wider. “Oooh, you don’t remember me_ Then again, you escaped all those years back… I know you have memory issues, you were the first. Before we get into other business, I’m Sage. I’d hate to see you forget the name of the man who kills you.” Sage casually opened his hand as large Giga Structure shards formed in his hands. “Hurry up and die, okay_ Killing you is boring to me, I want to fight a different man.” Sage flung the shards like javelins toward Ayumu and impaled through his chest armor, pinning him to the front of Silent Light. “You got a nice sword too, sucks you aren't going to be able to use it.”
Ayumu grunted in pain as the shards pulsed and shredded his chest. His vision blurred as he gasped for air. He felt his entire rib cage shatter. He coughed up blood as he gripped the front on Silent Light. Nanobots oozed in a yellow glowing liquid from the axe’s cavorite plating; he forced it to flow into his body and repair the gaping wounds with the shards still in his chest. “Damn you, that hurt like hell.”
“Where is Jin Ryu_”
“How the hell would I know_” A pause as he took the shards out and tossed it to the ground and coughed in more pain as his mask dropped to the ground. “Even if I did, why would I tell a scumbag like you_” It felt as if someone was frying his insides and shoving acid down his throat. I hate using these powers…
“Ah well, I’ll look for him myself. What’s with that expression on your face_ You sicken me, not facing what you are. Why aren’t you embracing it_ You’ve obviously been practicing with your powers, focusing Giga Structure fragments together into a sword takes a lot of effort. You’re such a contradiction.” Sage looked at Ayumu with disgust. “You’re a shell that imitates emotions, has no memories, and no will. Expendable in every way and right. Yet you defy using your own power given by Mundus Innova_”
“Hah… I make sure I take pictures and videos of everything. No memories, you say_ Those pictures I take are my memories. I hate these ‘powers’, I’ll use them to kill the fuzzy bunny jerks myself.” Ayumu gave a weary grin as he looked at Sage, staggering back to his feet. “That’s really something coming from a Null. A designation that literally means ‘nothing’. If anything, you’re the bottom of the barrel in Mundus Innova. A group of delusional idiots who forgot their morals and ideals a long time ago. All of them are shells, just like me.” He waved his hand in front of Silent Light’s auxiliary cameras.
Tais opened fire on Sage with both weapons blazing. The rounds kicked up fragments of cheap concrete and dust five meters in the air.
The resulting smoke began to clear gradually after the ring of the final shot, but he wasn’t waiting. Ayumu cleaved through the thick cloud of dust with his Giga Structure blade. “Damn, no one’s there!” Where’d that weirdo go_ Heh, who would have thought there were more people like me_ Ayumu tried to feel angry, but all he could muster was a vague shadow of what it was. The strain that those scientific quacks at Mundus Innova infected me with is a curse. “Guess I gotta put this thing on hold and hunt that fuzzy bunny jerk. I bet he knows what happened to the children. Sorry Malik, but this is too good to pass up on.”
Ayumu leant against Silent’s frame and took a picture of the sun setting over Eugen’s cityscape, bathing the collection of worn buildings in a radiant display of warm golden-orange sunlight. The entire town glowed as if it was made of gold with the thousands of festival lanterns and decorations that lit up like gems. Wow, sometimes this ugly fuzzy bunny city sure looks beautiful… Well, that’s what it would be, according to social standards.
******************************************************************
“Even after the Second Outbreak, Eugen sure is bustling today! Our hearts go out to the fellow patrons who died in that sudden unexplained outbreak of the infamous Hawken virus that happened a few months ago. The Festival of Memories is still going strong! Patrons from all over Illal honor their lost ones and celebrate for the hope that future memories are brighter and happier than ever.” A male reporter exclaimed through the holoscreen. “Back to you, Kerry! Let’s see some live footage!”
Shae briefly watched the live newsreel of happy patrons eating and having a good time. She smiled as she noticed Jin, mesmerized by the screen, soaking up every single detail the reporter mentioned. The elderly merchant came back into the room with a satisfied grin on his face.
“Alright, that’s the last of the cargo loaded into the van.” He said, waving his hands around as if he was pitching off a new deal to customers. “You can expect your payment to be the same as usu-” He stopped as he looked at both Jin and Shae and gave a warm all-knowing smile. “Ah, you know what_ I’ll give a discount, just because it’s during the festival. Fifty percent off the loading fee and the costs sent directly to your base. You and your boyfriend need to take some time off! There are some great things to see.”
Jin and Shae automatically responded, “We aren’t together.” An awkward pause perforated the air as the trio stared at each other in the comfy but cramped lobby filled with cheap furniture.
“Well… Ummm… Enjoy your time at the festival!” The old merchant headed through the backdoor quickly, clearly wanting to avoid any further awkwardness. “Don’t mind me, I’m just an old man rambling on….” He muttered.
“Come on Jin, let’s go to that festival! I know some cool places to check out.” Shae tugged at Jin’s wrist as they headed to the front door.
******************************************************************
The ever present din in Bunker 167 was filled with the cacophony of machines busily working as both military and patron personnel rushed around the underground base, doing their various tasks. Laila Antonov brushed her pocket watch as she stared at the holopicture of her parents in it. She sat with her legs up on the controls of her Beserker, ‘Flying With Style‘. Laila stretched and felt glad it was her break time.
“Maybe I can watch some anime later on…” She’d rather watch something than worry about her parents’ safety. I haven’t heard from them in months… What’s going on_ Laila repositioned herself and sighed as she hugged her legs, clutching the pocket watch. The shine on its cool metal case was already worn as Laila rubbed it for good luck. I miss you Mom and Dad. An alarm broke her from her thoughts. Various pilots scrambled in surprise, hurrying to prepare for battle.
“Hey!” Malik popped in via Style’s hatch and shoved a pilot helmet in Laila’s arms. “Hurry up! Radar pings show a large force of unknowns heading toward the base. We have to buy time so Captain Wayden can launch his ship to help defend. Shae and Jin aren't back yet, we have to count on having two less pilots this time.” When she failed to immediately respond, he prompted, “Come on Laila, let’s go!”
“Sorry! I’ll get ready.” She put on the helmet and took off her axe from standby mode. Laila gripped the controls and suddenly didn't feel well.
*****************************************
HWKN Chapter 02: Memories End
Chapter 03: Shatter Part 1 next
Thanks to Wi2p and Magnolia103 for all the fantabulous edits, thanks to Killer_Origins who told me about GIMP, seriously an awesome alternative to photoshop! Chapter One's artwork is currently in the works! Also, HWKN Chapter 02: Memories Part 1's art is done too, check it out from the link listed above (it's slightly different :3)!
Edited by Hijinks_The_Turtle, August 03 2014 - 01:55 PM.
Great read, Hijinks!
