1 Chapter 1: Awakening

There are a multitude of things that can drive a man insane. Pressure from family, friends, and associates. Pain from failure and loss of a loved one. Life in general, just being a bitch.

Captain Reager Takahashi could only guess that the latter was the cause for his friend, Dr.Alex Martens, to spiral into insanity. He'd exclusively heard that his friend had killed multiple scientists that worked under him, and maimed several mages in his escape.

Reager knew that his best friend was unhinged after his son's death but couldn't believe how mad he'd become. For Dr.Marten to not come to Reager even after all they had been through during the siege of Cardamis made Reager feel disheartened and sort of responsible for not noticing and not being there for the friend he considered to be a brother.

As he was lost in deep thought a man in a blue uniform enters the bridge through the door behind Reager, and he looked back to see him standing in an upright stance and giving a salute.

"Corporal Dance with a priority message, sir." The young man says with plenty of vigor and happiness to be within the presence of his hero. Many aboard The Ezio knew about Reager's most profound moment, being the savior of Cardamis, a city besieged by monsters.

It was what made Reager the captain he is today. But what many people didn't know was that he wouldn't have saved the city without the help of his friend, Dr.Martens.

"What do you have to report, Corporal?" Reager said using the authoritative voice he'd often used when speaking to those under his command.

The Corporal looked at Reager with a stern look and said, "There is news from the capital, sir. Report from the Capital says that Captain Candice Manne might have a lead for you concerning the location of Dr.Martens, and they want to form a joint search and kill mission with us, sir."

Reager knew that Manne was a new and eager Captain looking to prove herself despite being inexperienced and not ready to hunt someone as cunning and genius as Martens. But he needed all the help he could, especially since it's been 5 years going on 6 since he began his hunt for his best friend.

"Radio and inform them that their request is accepted. We'll be there in about 3 days." Reager said, looking toward his crew on the bridge.

They all knew what to do, especially since they'd been on this airship for the past 5 years and could tell when their captain was in a rushed and agitated mood.

Reager had raised up and started heading to the exit of the Ezio's command center, when he heard his personal tablet's usual notification chime. It was his daughter who was the pride and joy of his life that over these past few years, he'd barely had the time to spend time with.

Reager raised a small gray earpiece to the side of his face and proceeded to his quarters.

......

A bright blinding light blinded Malik as he opened his eyes. He wanted to cover his eyes but couldn't even move to his displeasure. After less than a second or two, his vision adjust to the point where he could tell that the light was coming from circler observation lamp and above it a crude concrete ceiling that looked as if it was made in a rush.

Malik didn't know what was going on nor did he know where he was. An even bigger question shocked him than the fact that he didn't know his current situation or his location.

'Who am I' thought Malik as he stared up at the lamp.

The only thing he knew was that his name was Malik or at least that's what he believed. The constant thought of who he is weighed heavily on his mind until he could hear a door slide open to the right of him.

The sound of squeaky wheels could be heard followed by the sound of someone walking with heels. They approach Malik at a slow but moderate pace that began to intimidate him as he didn't know who was approaching or what was going to happen.

Was the person in heels going to use whatever was on the squeaky wheels to hurt him or worse? Malik was truly frightened until he heard as they got closer a hissing noise than a gasp and a painful exhale.

At this point Malik could tell the squeaky noise was a wheelchair with someone who was having trouble breathing in it being pushed by someone. It still didn't bring ease to Malik who was still scared as he couldn't move nor speak.

All of a sudden a switch is flipped next to him and whatever he was on began to rotate him forward till he was facing a wall with several monitors and that displayed graphs too far for him to read. Before he knew the couple who were beside him were now in front of him staring at him with mixed expressions on their faces.

There was a brown-skinned elderly man in the wheelchair with a robe and small dark green tank on the back of his chair sat before him with an expression of both satisfaction and joy with a tense sadness that could only be noticed if one had looked steadily at his eyes. The other one was a woman who had white metallic skin with armor over her chest that looked like a thick sports bra and armor over her lower half that looked like lightly padded pants with a skirt that only covered the back and sides of her legs. She looked at Malik with a bland and expressionless face that oddly complimented her emerald eyes that seemed to glow.

"I know that 'gasps for air' your awake Malik. Don't worry you'll be able to 'gasps for air' speak and move soon. You might not 'gasp for air' remember me but you will in do time 'gasps for air'.

The old man's gasps for air makes Malik feel uncomfortably saddened with his fear slightly decreased with the old man's appearance. Malik didn't know why he felt saddened but it felt natural.

All of sudden the old man raises his hand and says, "02 will begin 'gasps for air' giving you access to your 'gasps for air' motor and speech functions. Until then let me inform you of a couple of things before it's too late."

As the old man raised his hands the metallic woman heads to the monitors in front of Malik and raises her hands. Her hands glow and small semi-circles with small words and numbers begin rotating in front of her hands. Then the monitors begin changing rapidly and with 45 seconds she turns around and says, " It's done Dr.Martens he should be capable of speech and movement now."

As she says this she walks back toward Dr.Martens and moves him back a few inches.

Malik listening looks down at his metallic toes and sees that he's standing on a metal step and attempts to step off but with little to no understanding of how his body works he falls but catches himself with his metallic hands.

Now on his knees, he looks at his black metallic thighs and hands and more questions come to his mind but before he could think Dr.Martens interrupts and says, "Congratulations 'gasps for air' you have taken 'gasps for air' your first steps 'gasps for air' or should I say your first 'gasps for air' fall. Many are to come 'gasps for air' but remember to all ways ' gasps for air' rise back up."

Dr.Martens says this with a smile while holding his oxygen mask and then a more serious but pained expression grows unto his face and he says, " You are..." He hesitates for a second before gasping for air and says, "... An android my 'gasps for air' son made before he was assassinated."

Although Malik didn't know many things he still knew what an assassination was and looking at the doctor he could only guess that the old man got caught in this assassination attempt somehow as well.

"I brought you online 'gasps for air' with what little I could 'gasps for air' understand of your body and system core," says Dr.Marten and he continues, "Around the world I am 'gasps for air' known as a genius in the field of science but 'gasps for air' for me to barely understand the work 'gasps for air' of my son speaks highly of how 'gasps for air' god-like he was when it came to science. 'Gasps for air' He was even god-like in the study of magic which 'gasps for air' made him a hostage of sorts 'gasps for air' for the people who threatened me."

The serious expression of the old man turned to one of pain and dark sadness. Dr.Martens voice rose as he continued.

"He was my 'gasps for air' one and only baby boy. My baby boy had to 'gasps for air' live a life thinking his father didn't love him for reasons 'gasps for air' he didn't understand. He used his 19 hard years of life 'gasps for air' to try and earn my cursed love and affection a father should give 'gasps for air' to their child without strings 'gasps for air' attached. He worked for love he 'gasps for air' already had but couldn't see."

02 places her hands on Dr.Martens shoulder and leans in and says, "Calm yourself, doctor it's not good for your health to continue this session."

"I promise you revenge 'gasps for air'. They will pay. THEY WILL PAY FOR WHAT THEY DID TO YOU."

The old man jumps back in his chair struggling to breathe after his outburst. 02 turns the valve on his tank and begins to push him out of the room. Before she leaves she says with a panicked look thrown on her face, "I told you, you weren't ready for this. Malik stay here, for now, I'll be back for you later to brief you on certain things that will help you adapt to your body and the world but till then. Stay HERE."

Frightened at what just happened Malik till on his knees looked on as 02 shut the sliding door behind her and he was left all alone to process everything up till now. Why did the old man say what they did to me? Why promise me revenge? If I'm his son's creation then shouldn't he be getting revenge for his son instead?

Out all the questions racing through Malik's head at the moment one made him stop mid-thought. Am I his son but how if I'm an android.