Vindicator wrenched my arm backward. "I'm not going to let you interfere with my mission anymore, Chase. I don't want to do this, but you're forcing my hand."
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I bludgeoned his chest with my free hand, but he did not budge. "Let go of me, asshole!"
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With one swift motion, he tore off my cybernetic arm and tossed it aside. He delivered a devastating uppercut and I tumbled to the ground. "Get in my way again, and I'll rip your leg off next time," he growled.
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I was so dazed, that I barely registered what he'd done. At that moment, I only cared about Atlas. "Marisa! I need you to hack into Bionic Corp's security cameras. I need to see what happened to Atlas."
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"What about the Annihilation Code?" She asked.
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"That doesn't matter now, show me the footage!"
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"Coursework would want you to give up the code to save him. He'd want you to stay and avenge him. Destroy the Annihilation Code and weaken Bionic Corp. That's what he'd want." Mason said.
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"Well, I guess he's going to have to find it in his heart to forgive me someday."
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Marisa leaned back in her chair and let out an exhausted sigh. "I found the footage."
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I clasped her on the shoulder. "Thank you."
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We watched in horror as Atlas and Katrina got into a cutthroat brawl that ended with Atlas taking a bullet to the abdomen and both of them free-falling from the second-story window.
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I dug my fingernails into the leather chair and tried to keep my composure. It took every ounce of my control to stop myself from running out there and killing Oblivion myself. Instead, I turned to Marisa. "Can you show us the outdoor cameras?"
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She nodded and switched our view to the street behind the facility. We witnessed Atlas and Katrina topple to the ground. Atlas landed on his feet and took a fighting stance. He was still going to try to fight even after being shot. He's a warrior at heart. He'll fight to the very end. I hope someday he won't have to fight anymore. Today isn't that day. Before Atlas had the chance to strike, he passed out on the asphalt road. Katrina dragged his body off camera.
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"Where is she taking him?" I shouted.
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Marisa flipped through all the local security cameras until she spotted Katrina. She yanked Atlas toward the edge of Ikigai II. He tried to struggle free from her grasp, but he was weak. He couldn't overpower her. She hoisted him upward and tossed him into the sea.
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"Atlas!" I screamed as I watched him fall. I walked towards the door, ready to dive off the island after him.
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"Don't bother," Vindicator said. "There's no way he survived a fall like that after being shot."
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"No! I can still feel him." It was true. Our cerebral link was still active. His presence was faint, but I knew, with more certainty than I knew my own name, that Atlas was still alive. "He's alive, I know it!"
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"Go," Marisa said. "Save him."
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"But I promised him I'd take care of you."
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She waved me away. "Go! I can handle myself!"
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I had no idea if that was true, but I opted to go anyway. Atlas is the one who needs my help the most.
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Mason watched me leave with an indifferent look on his face. He didn't seem concerned with whether we lived or died, as long as he got what he wanted. You know what? If he wants the Annihilation Code so badly, he can have it! I know Vindicator would never use the code to harm another cyborg. That's not who he is. He wants to protect cyborgs, in his own slightly berserk way.
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I raced down the hallway and up the stairs so fast I nearly planted face-first onto the staircase. That didn't deter me from my mission. I dashed through the spa lobby, where the receptionist was still unconscious. Damn, I hope he's okay. Maybe Atlas went a little overboard with the strangulation. I flung open the doors and sprinted down the road. The street was empty apart from a row of dumpsters, storing waste to be disposed of once the island reached land.
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I clutched onto the railing and leaned over the island's edge. I frantically scanned the waves below for any sign of Atlas. I searched left and right for any sign of him. Just when I was starting to lose hope, I caught a glimpse of Atlas's fiery red jacket in the near distance. There he is!
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I took a deep breath and prepared to dive into the icy depths. Then I remembered I don't know how to swim with only one arm, and I don't know how long I can stay afloat while carrying Atlas. I ransacked the trash for anything that could be used as a flotation device. Come on! Come on! Come on! There has to be something useful in here! Then I caught sight of an old cedar door leaning against one of the dumpsters. That will have to do. I hoisted the door with my one remaining arm and hauled it towards the ocean. When I reached the edge, I closed my eyes and took a leap of faith into the icy depths.
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