"Boss, we found him. Yes, he's alive," said the soldier, the owner of the boot, beside the body of James Ashlem, who wasn't unconscious.
The same soldier seemed to be the leader. Around them, the advanced technology of the year 2060 was on display, with ships flying back and forth and cars doing the same.
The structure where the soldiers were was filled with technological details that would fascinate anyone. The equipment the soldiers wore was also highly advanced. It looked like armor, ready for any kind of war, with laser weapons as well.
"Who are you?" said the Hunter.
"End of the conversation, Hunter," the soldier said, lifting Ashlem's body with one hand. In that moment, James saw that many soldiers were there.
"Did you really need all these soldiers just for me?" Ashlem said, coughing afterward, struggling for breath.
"We know who we’re dealing with. One of your abilities is unpredictability."
"I see you've learned a lot about me, that makes me proud."
Suddenly, gunfire from a machine gun rang out. The soldiers began to return fire, but they didn’t know where the shots were coming from, as it seemed like a hail of bullets was coming from all directions. The soldier protected the Hunter while his comrades tried to locate the enemy and eliminate them.
The soldiers spread out in formation, their armor gleaming under the lights of the drones hovering overhead. The sound of gunfire echoed, ricocheting off the metal and polished surfaces of the complex. Each one was alert, with sensors in their helmets scanning all directions for the attacker.
"Report!" the leader shouted while holding Ashlem firmly. "I want the enemy neutralized NOW!"
But before the order could be carried out, chaos erupted.
Tony Doughton appeared suddenly. He moved with a precision that defied logic. He seemed to float between the soldiers, as if anticipating each of their moves. His tactical suit, a technological masterpiece, absorbed the gunfire while he struck with an energy blade that cut through armor like paper. He had a laser sword and also a weapon of the same type.
"You brought the war to the wrong man," Tony murmured, his voice firm.
With a quick movement, he disarmed two soldiers simultaneously, swinging his blade in a perfect arc that sparked in the air. Their armor fell with a heavy thud as Tony moved forward, unstoppable.
The soldiers tried to retaliate, but each attempt was thwarted by Tony’s speed. He dove between the metal columns, using them as cover while firing back with weapons he had collected from the fallen enemies.
"He’s using our own technology against us!" shouted a soldier before being knocked down with a kick.
The leader realized the danger.
"Form a barrier! Protect the perimeter!"
But it was too late. Tony was already inside the circle, and chaos had taken over. He used an electromagnetic pulse grenade to temporarily disable the nearest armor. The soldiers fell to the ground, their systems compromised.
"Tony..." Ashlem said, remembering his great pupil...
...
Ashlem and the man on the bike were face to face, now only 59 centimeters apart. The wind started to blow, and Agness, with her right hand, subtly raised her sword toward the speed man. In a quick movement, he dodged the attack and said:
"I thought you were a hunter," and quickly grabbed her neck from behind, smelling her pleasant perfume, "but I see you’re just a simple witch."
"Clearly, you’re still skilled," Ashlem said to the speed man.
Still caught in the man's grip, Agness asked:
"Do you two know each other?"
"He was one of my best students at the beginning of the Intactos Academy Hunters," Ashlem said, pride evident in his voice.
Immediately, the speed man let go of her neck and introduced himself:
"Tony Michael Doughton," he offered his hand.
With eyes filled with both desire to attack and a certain admiration, Agness extended her hand, shaking it and then saying her name:
"Agness Goly Milzy."
Ashlem was standing with his arms crossed, observing the two.
"Glad you two already know each other, I think the introductions are over, and now we need to address a series of things related to the Intactos," Ashlem said, stroking his chin with his left hand.
"Let’s get to it then," Agness said, shrinking her sword and placing it in her back pocket.
A very loud explosion was heard from a very short distance, it seemed something huge was about to fall.
"Unfortunately, we’ll have to leave right now," Ashlem said, pointing to a building, with his chin, that was heading toward them.
"Get on, let’s go!" Tony said, heading to his bike.
...
"... be careful... he has something..." Ashlem, still restrained, tried to speak.
Before he could finish, the leader threw him aside like a sack of sand. The battlefield narrowed down to just two men, Tony Doughton and the leader of the soldiers. The fight was inevitable.
"Finally, you show your face," Tony said, wiping the sweat from his face. "Let’s settle this man to man."
The leader removed his helmet, revealing a face marked by scars. His armor glowed with a reddish hue as he activated the close combat mode. The two stared at each other, like beasts about to attack. Then, they charged.
The first blow came from the leader, a punch that Tony barely dodged, feeling the impact destroy the wall behind him. Tony countered with a series of kicks and punches, but the leader was faster than he seemed, blocking most of the blows with his advanced armor.
The confrontation was fierce. Each impact reverberated through the complex. Tony used all the techniques he had learned from his master, combining hamfoys with the technological advantages of his suit. But the leader was equally formidable, his responses brutal and precise. The fight lasted minutes that felt like hours.
Finally, Tony found an opening. He used the energy blade in a horizontal strike, aiming for the most vulnerable point of the leader's armor. The blade cut, exposing circuits and flesh, but before he could finish, the leader hit him with a punch that sent him crashing into a wall.
Tony fell to the ground, exhausted, gasping for breath.
The leader, now limping and bleeding, walked toward him with a smile.
"You fought well, Doughton... but this ends here."
Before he could make the final move, Tony used the last bit of energy he had to activate a small explosive charge attached to the leader’s armor.
"This is for Ashlem," he murmured.
The explosion was enough to bring the leader down, his body hitting the ground, motionless.
Tony, staggering, approached Ashlem, who was unconscious but alive. He carried him away from the battlefield, while the lights of the drones flickered in the distance.
They made it to an abandoned cabin. Now safe, Ashlem and Tony were able to have a moment to breathe and rest after the ordeal they had just experienced.
"Tony Doughton, you showed up at a crucial moment," Ashlem said, wincing from pain in his shoulder, which was stronger than the other pains in his body.
The Hunter’s reaction made it clear he hadn’t expected to see Tony exactly there, in that prison, which he still didn’t understand what it meant. Perhaps now was the time to gather the answers he needed.
"Maybe it was a big coincidence because I was about to die where I was locked up."
"And how did you get out?"
"Luck. An explosion in one of the buildings coincided with a short circuit that also destroyed the small room where I was being tortured by Singla. Well, I guess you know Singla, right?"
"I see you’re talking about the time I also got out of that damn room after beating Nero. And yes, I know Singla, a peculiar woman."
"Wait, you managed to beat Nero?" Tony asked, his eyes wide, incredulous.
"Yes, Tony. Yes."
"You’re still strong even with the years..."
"Age is just a number," Ashlem said and winced again in pain.
"Well..." Tony saw Ashlem’s shoulder bleeding. "Let me take care of this."
Tony found a folder with various materials, most useless for his needs, and little food, which was something they would need soon.
"I’m having memory lapses. Are you?" Ashlem asked.
"Well, fortunately, they’ve decreased a lot, but I’ve had many lapses," Tony replied, paying attention to the Hunter’s wound.
"Work of that damn Nero, for sure," Ashlem said. "But I try to remember, because I don’t recall details that erased my memory."
"Wait," Tony said.
Tony froze for a moment, holding the bloodied gauze in his hand. The weight of Ashlem’s words seemed meaningful, revealing memories that had been buried, perhaps intentionally. He finally got up and started walking around the cabin, restless.
"Green liquid... mixed with whiskey..." he murmured to himself. "This makes sense. I remember once, after one of the battles against the Unimpires, Irrugay brought a flask with that mixture. He said it was to 'celebrate the victory.'"
Ashlem nodded, his expression closed.
"He was always clever. Gained everyone’s trust while scheming betrayal. I remember him in the last academy training, trying to get close to Jack. He always wanted to be like him, but Jack was... pure. A natural hunter. And now... Jack is missing."
Tony turned quickly, the name Jack seemed to shout something inside him.
"Jack. The best among us." He paused, trying to collect his thoughts. "And I remember something else, Ashlem. Irrugay didn’t just betray us, he handed over the INTACTOS plans to Nero. He knew you were the key. That’s why Nero is so obsessed with you."
Ashlem clenched his fists and the sound of his bones cracked.
"Irrugay didn’t just betray INTACTOS, he destroyed lives. My work, my beliefs, the hunters I trusted... All of that was thrown into Nero’s hands. But now I understand. He doesn’t just want power. He wants control. Control over our memories, our actions. Nero wants to turn us into weapons."
Tony stopped walking, staring at Ashlem.