The Shape of things to come.

**Yasamuu**

The Shape of things to come

The relentless rain thrashed Yasamuu's face. His attention was undivided. His focus fixed. He scanned the area. If only the comms weren't down, he thought to himself.

Suddenly a bullet came crashing down, narrowly missing his foot.

Yasamuu returned fire instantaneously.

A knife flew towards him with velocity and gashed the top of his arm.

***

    Yasamuu glared out at the desolate landscape in front of him. Much has changed, yet the face of the land remains the same. He wondered if he had changed. He probably had. There's a difference between changing and learning, though. He recalled just a few of the challenges that confronted him over the past few years. They were all difficult for a variety of reasons and yet he had come through them all, he'd learned many lessons. He had a clear head now. He looked up to the warring skies. They reflected the situation at the moment. There is a cocktail of conflict. An incoming call, It was Agent Gray, "Operative, make your way to the Tabor Park Complex. There is a situation we must discuss". Yasamuu responded, "Understood, Sir".

    "Operative, a threat has been detected in one of our strong holds in the Maribeau area", Agent Gray began. "It appears there has been a breach of security over there. Please, make your way there and eliminated the threat". Doesn't sound too difficult, Yasamuu said to himself. "Alright, I'll head right over", he said aloud.
    Yasamuu arrived under a clouded night sky. He noticed the door had been forced open; he drew his pistol as a precaution. "I'm not tracking any active programs in there", his Operator, Oremo, said in his ear, "Check the room on the far left, looks like there's some destroyed programs", he continued, "It's some of ours". Yasamuu surveyed the scene; a bluepill body and a SWAT Security team, all dead. The bluepill must have been an Agent, he thought. He checked over its body and could find no trace of a wound. "Curious", he heard Agent Gray through his earpiece, "That was indeed an Agent of the system. We shall investigate this scene further. Return to the Tabor West compound, Operative. Mission complete".

    Yasamuu enjoyed taking in the view from the waiting room. Waiting was far from drab. The view was breathtaking. The pleasant glow of life from street lamps upon the beautiful backdrop of the now clear sky. The moon was--His train of thought was interrupted by an Agents arrogant footsteps. He spoke, "Make your way to Dannah Heights, Operative. Agent Gray will inform your operator of the mission details".
    Oremo gave Yasamuu the lo-down, "Alright. Agents investigated the base in Maribeau. They analysed some blood they found and have managed to trace the blood to who it came from". Oremo continued, "Akina, is her name. She worked with a group who had been presumed eliminated. They were a renegade group, but they haven't been seen since the Machines dispatched some sentinels to take care of their hovercraft". Apparently they didn't take good enough care, Yasamuu thought to himself. "We've tracked her to this location in Dannah Heights. Your job is to eliminate her, your rifle should receive a round of kill codes any minute now produced by the Agents from that blood sample".
    Yasamuu arrived at the location. It was a warehouse. She must be looking for something, he thought. "She's on floor 5", Oremo said over his earpiece. Yasamuu entered the building, there didn't appear to be any security. Cautiously, he approached the door and turned the knob. Slowly, he opened the door and slipped inside. "Second door on the right", whispered Oremo. Yasamuu approached the door softly. He coiled like a cobra and sprung, kicking down the door and aiming his rifle around the open area in front of him. Nothing. He took sharpe glances around the room, focusing his mind.

He caught a faint change in the wind and ducked.

A knife flew inches over his crouched back.

Yasamuu returned fire with two shots aimed in the direction the knife came from.

He darted behind a nearby pillar.

"Akina, I presume", he said aloud."Yasamuu, how nice to finally meet you", she replied. He tried to snatch a glance at her position but as he looked round the pillar a knife hurtled past, narrowly missing his head. "Careful, you could have my eye out with one of those", he quipped. "You'll be wishing that was the limit of their capabilities when I'm done with you", she retorted. "Such a shame, I was just enjoying getting to know you", there was little else he could do but continue the banter. She had him where she wanted him and he knew it.

He drew his Pistol and fired a few bullets from the safety of his cover.

"Yet you seem so keen on killing me", she said. "I'm not all that impressed, to be honest", Yasamuu replied. Akina began sarcastically, "I might just break down and cr--", but Yasamuu interrupted her with fake snores. "Son of a *CENSORED*", she blasted.

Akina snuck up to the pillar.

Yasamuu holstered his pistol.

Her voice alerted Yasamuu.

"You know, I always wondered how I would fair in Russian Roulette".

She began inching slowly around the pillar.

It was a battle of wits and luck.

Choose the wrong side and the game was over.

She inched to the left as he moved right.

The air was so tense she could have cut it with her knife.

He fired to the right.

She moved right.

He tricked her.

He was waiting.

He fired a single shot through her forehead.

She let out a high pitched shriek.

Her final act of living.

She crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

    "Man, you sounded like you enjoyed that too much", Oremo said in a joking manner. "Well, it beats killing exiles", Yasamuu responded; slightly aggravated. "Check her body for a data CD", Oremo continued, "Once you've done that the head honcho wants you back at Tabor West for a debriefing, give him the CD when you get there".
    Yasamuu approached a heavily guarded room and went through the same brief security checks before he was allowed to enter. "You may proceed", the Agent stated blankly. Yasamuu entered. "Greetings, Operative", Agent Gray uttered his usual welcome. Yasamuu wondered if Gray had ever been stuck on repeat. "You dealt very successfully with that terrorist. You recovered a data cd?", Gray queried. "Yes, sir. I found it on Akina's body", Yasamuu handed over the CD. "Thank you, Operative", he continued, "Your service to the system has been noted. You may return to your hovercraft if you wish".

    Yasamuu lay tired but awake on his bed staring up at the darkness. Things seemed settled and peaceful. He enjoyed the tranquillity, though he wished he could sleep. Oremo came bursting through the door, "Yas, it's Agent Gray. He's got an update on that CD". Yasamuu rubbed his eyes as the light blinded him for a moment. Grumpily, he got to his feet and let out an exasperated sigh, "This better be good". He dragged himself through to the Operators chair and put on the headset. "Hello", he said wearily. "Operative, the data CD revealed that the terrorist group that Akina was a part of is still very much active. Infact, this CD contained details of an invitation from the Merovingian". The Merv? Yasamuu questioned in his head. "Do we have any idea why?", he asked Gray. "Not at this time, Operative. We do, however, need you inside for a briefing, HostileIntention and exsuscito have also been informed and are on their way". I bet they've had some sleep, he thought. "Ok, I'm on my way", Yasamuu said.

***

The relentless rain thrashed Yasamuu's face. His attention was undivided. His focus fixed. The fragility of the situation dictated the tiniest of mishaps could be the end of everything. A car lay stricken in the middle of the road; smoke billowing. Faint flames were flickering under the hood, fighting the incessant rain with futility. Yasamuu threw himself behind it for protection. He could feel the warm blood seeping from the knife wound in his upper arm as he struggled to cling to his rifle. "This is the end for you", Yasamuu heard him bellow, followed by a manic laugh...