The forecast over Sanctuary had predicted soft winds and light cloud cover. It was wrong, again. A sheet of puffy black clouds blanketed the sky, hiding the warmth of the sun and providing something a little more wet to accompany the thousands of commuting people going about their daily lives.

Mayundar hated crowds. But sometimes he had to escape the tower where he acted as a glorified errand boy. He wasn't bitter, but some days he found himself second-guessing his choice to follow a life of peace. He'd been created for other reasons, however, those had nearly cost him his life. He'd been reborn for greater purpose, he just hadn't figured out what that purpose was exactly.

A chilling breeze wafted through the open section of the building where the trams docked to pick up and drop off passengers, and May welcomed its cool presence as it relieved the radiating heat of the stagnant cluster of bodies around him. Others shivered, hunkering down with their arms wrapped around them, gripping at the flimsy attire they'd mistakenly worn on this badly forecasted day. It didn't affect him in the same way, simply because he was not like them. He attempted to be, but he would always be something else entirely.

The MET tram lights peaked around the tunnel's edge, followed by the silver sheen of the tram itself. It hung from its magnetic support line, swaying to the side from the wind and the inertia of the turn. There were several major trams that ran on a daily basis but this one was a city favorite. The MET had many names but most called it The Green Ferry due to the route it took through the Everwood gardens. The only downside to taking the MET at this time of day was the claustrophobia set on by the stampede of commuters trying to return home. After the mechanical failure of the Crenitz tram, this was now the only one that ran from Middtown to Tosdale: the largest residential sector in Sanctuary.

Allowing the wave of commuters to gently push him forward, Mayundar boarded the hollowed out shell without much trouble. A small conductor box stood near the front of the cabin and he recognized Bellri sitting inside. The man appeared unusually haggard, but it could've been his old age finally catching up to him. May considered making his way to the front to speak with him but figured it best to leave the man be.

There was a spot for handicapped individuals near the exit doors, however, May refused to take it, allowing a pregnant woman to sit. He stood amongst the sweaty, coughing, jittery citizens just like any normal person would, trying not to rely so much on his cane. Once the tram was near to capacity, the doors closed and the tram began to move.

It glided out of the tower's center and down between the buildings with a swift grace, the magnetic line allowing it to reach unprecedented, frictionless speeds. The rain had begun to fall at a constant rate, long streams hurrying down the sides of the glass like they had somewhere to be.

May took this particular ride on exceptionally stressful days. Which seemed to be occurring at a higher frequency as of late. Missions demanded more of the DEITY's and the various enemy factions grew stronger each passing day. War loomed on the horizon, he knew. Real war. He could see it in Unity's eyes when she would stare off into nothing, pondering Syntech's future. Their  future.

As the city streets blurred by several hundred feet below, his mind wandered back to the meeting he'd just witnessed. Unity, the CFO of Syntech and whom he'd been assigned to as an advisor, had tasked Shan Li with what could only be described as a suicide mission. He'd tried to fight it, to explain to Unity the potential risks that could come of it, but he knew his place in the pecking order. He'd had no say in the matter regardless. If Unity wanted something done, it was done.

Shan had seemed skeptical, too. He could tell by the way she'd postured herself and held that grim expression the entire briefing. It screamed of contempt for those in power, ordering around soldiers like inanimate pieces on a game board. He wanted to believe that he understood her pain better than anyone. That he understood her better than anyone.

The mission had called for a stealth infiltration of MALMAL territory on the edge of the Blackout Zone. Unity's sources had remained undisclosed, but she seemed to trust in their reliability. An isolated compound in the desert holding enhanced technology being used to create a bio-weapon capable of mass destruction. To May, the tip seemed too convenient to be true. But if he was wrong they were under considerable threat from MALMAL. And recent rumors of a mad scientist named The Doctor had grown increasingly disturbing.

May felt reassured in knowing that Shan was an extremely capable DEITY. If all went as planned she'd be in and out before MALMAL could lift a defiant finger. And even if they did, the elite soldiers accompanying her would provide sufficient support. He looked out to the trees rising from the Everwood and calm washed over him.

Nothing will go wrong. She'll be back in no time, he thought.

***

Tssk.

Shan Li gritted her teeth as Elektrisitet's neurons pulsed through her like thousands of alternating heartbeats. The excess power was tough to control, but Shan's years of experience allowed her to maintain the electrical surge itching to rip her body apart.

With one hand on ATLAS, Shan compelled the electrical charge to transfer from her body to the weapon. It snapped and cracked with sharp sounds of escaping energy, the bright blue tendrils licking the rooftop in unpredictable motions. The roof glowed from the radiant display, most likely making her visible to the approaching Lumineers. Not that she cared any longer.

Let them see me, Shan thought. Let them know a DEITY has come to their pathetic part of the world.

Shan stepped back and launched the hammer upward. It streaked across the black sky, resembling a compact ball of lightning. The soldiers below looked up at the sound of sparking electricity. They yelled and tried to look away but it was too late. A few of them nearly toppled over as the sudden light exposure interfered with their night vision, blinding them.

The hammer thudded into the sand amidst the fumbling MALMAL soldiers. It continued to dispel long branches of electricity, attempting to connect with any nearby conductors. Shan dropped from the roof to land in a crouch behind the two soldiers who had been speaking to one another. Distracted, they frantically aimed their rifles at the fallen decoy, desperate to see who, or what, had engaged them.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Shan hooked the closest soldier around the neck and unsheathed the Golok sword at the soldier's waist. She squeezed the hilt in order to trigger the mechanism within the blade, causing it to ignite and glow. The soft hum of the internal combustion engine could be heard over the crackling of electricity, its reflection a bright orange in the mirrored armor of the soldier's face mask.

"Resist and you die," she said, tightening her hold. The nearest soldier, still blinded by the hammer, twisted at the commotion. She yelled in a foreign tongue, before rotating her rifle in their direction. Shan Li remained composed. A figure of strength and intimidation.

Adjusting her head closer to the captured soldier's helmet, she spoke into his earpiece. "Tell your friend to lower the weapon, or you'll die right here and now."

Speaking in his native language, he stuttered out several words before Shan jerked him back. "English only. I know you're required to learn it. From now on, if you speak, I have to know each and every word that comes out of your mouth. Got it?" The soldier nodded slowly, his metal helmet clinking against his shoulder pieces.

"Say it," she yelled.

"I will only speak English from this time forward," the MALMAL soldier said. His accent was heavy but Shan could still understand him. The blue flashes of her decoy began to fade, the nanomites disengaging from the infused weapon. The remaining soldiers would regain their composure soon. She nudged her hostage once more.

"Lower your weapon, Ratna," he said. The female soldier thought for a second, maybe considering her friend's life, before lowering the rifle. Shan could hear the three other soldiers scrambling and shouting, but she kept her eyes trained on the one named Ratna.

"Smart decision," Shan said. "Now, we don't have much time. That gang of killers is nearly on top of us. You can either choose to face them alone or drop our differences in order to survive. What's it going to be?"

Ratna and the soldier at Shan's mercy stared at one another for a long moment. They both nodded, seemingly coming to a decision. "We don't have any want to die today, DEITY. Tell us what you'd have us do," Ratna said, her accent thick.

Gunfire exploded to the right, where the other soldiers still stood guard. They must have engaged the Lumineers, which meant time was running out. Shan released her hostage, keeping the glowing Golok trained on them in case they became brave.

"What's in the building?" Shan asked. "What are you guarding?"

They looked at each other once more, just long enough for each to blink in confusion. The soldier on the left spoke first as he cracked his neck. "They never told us what we were guarding. Just that you would come–"

Ratna cut in, "And that we'd need to kill you."

"You mean that Syntech would come?" Shan asked, confused.

"No," the man on the left said, his face still hidden behind his helmet. "That you, DEITY Shan Li, would come here."

A hundred questions ran through her mind. They knew she was coming? So she was right about the Darkpathe. MALMAL had been tipped off, but why?

"Look, DEITY, we've no time. What is your plan?" Ratna asked.

Shan looks around for the first time since dropping from the rooftop. Where was Rew? Had he abandoned her? Was he a part of this somehow? No, she couldn't think like that. She had to clear her mind of the corrosive thoughts of betrayal.

"Again, what's in the building? Anything we can use against the Lumineers?" Shan asked.

"We were told not to enter under any circumstances," the one on the left said. "It's rigged with–"

A low growl erupted from behind Shan. She turned to discover low-dimmed lights pouring from the shanty garage attached to the far side of the concrete building. The engine of the open-roofed vehicle revved once more before trudging out of its parked place in the sand. The driver swerved in her direction, pulling up next to her. It was Rew.

"So, I thought you might need a lift. There's a rough patch headed this way. Wouldn't want you to get caught out in the rain," he said with a smirk.

"Hey, that's our rover!" came a shout from one of the other soldiers. They each turned, aiming their weapons at the vehicle: now their only hope of survival, and it was being stolen right from under their noses.

Shan spotted ATLAS lodged in the sand halfway between them and the approaching soldiers. She smacked a hand on the center of her chest armor. The button there gave way, triggering a magnetic pulse that linked her armor with ATLAS. The weapon quivered for a brief moment before freeing itself and rocketing toward her. She spun and swiped ATLAS from the air just as the first volley of rounds shrieked past, then jumped in the doorless passenger seat.

"Hurry, Bondan, get in," Ratna exclaimed as she climbed into the back of the rover. "It's either them or us. We've been wanting this for some time now." Bondan hesitated, then listened, hopping into the back with her.

"I never did like those guys, anyway," he said.

"Get us out of here, Rew," Shan yelled. She looked over at the panicked soldiers charging toward them with guns raised. A wall of white light growing brighter behind them as they ran.

The vehicle jerked forward as Rew slammed his foot on the gas. Sand flew out behind them in giant arcs like black liquid erupting from the Earth. The wheels were specially designed for this type of terrain so it didn't take long for them to find traction. They drifted around the edge of the building, leaving the other three MALMAL soldiers to their fate. Shan wanted to feel bad for them, but didn't waste her energy. There was no more room in her heart for nameless casualties.

"So, where am I going?" Rew asked, yelling over the air rushing past them.

"Anywhere but here," Bondan said from the back.

Rew looked back at the fully-armored soldier. "Who're they?" he asked, looking at Shan.

"For now... allies," Shan said. "It seems they saved us from certain death."

"It's not over yet, DEITY," Ratna exclaimed from the back. Shan twisted in her seat to see what the soldier meant. The Lumineer's rovers swarmed around it like moths to a flame. However, a large portion of their number continued past the building in an attempt to chase them down. And they were gaining fast.

"Are their vehicles supercharged or something?" Rew asked, looking back frantically.

"Something like that," Shan said. "Look, they aren't trained soldiers. We have that advantage. However, they know these lands better than anyone. Escaping won't be easy. We will most likely have to fight."

"Hey, DEITY, can I have my sword back?" Bondan asked. He was sitting directly behind Shan's seat.

She'd forgotten about the weapon still gripped in her right hand, but she was not finished with it yet. She looked back at him, making sure to display the scarred side of her face as she did so. After a moment, he leaned back into his seat. "Never mind, you keep it."

A yellow light suddenly warmed each of their backs. Shan had seen the explosion as it happened. The giant ball of flame rose into the blackened sky, the red-orange fire highlighting the clouds above. A shockwave met the vehicle a moment later, causing Rew to swerve.

"Shit– What was that?" Rew said.

"Ah, that was trap set for you... if you'd gone in building," Ratna said, her voice dripping with enthusiasm. Shan could almost see the smile behind her metal faceplate.

Rew looked at Shan again in surprise. "Like I said, rookie, they saved us," she said in response.

What was really going on with this mission? Had Syntech sent her to her death? Shan was determined to find out the truth. But there was a more immediate threat approaching. And their shouts could now be heard over the roaring engines of their brightly-decorated rovers.

"Many of their friends and family probably just died in that explosion," Shan Li said. "They will not let us get away alive, now. Prepare yourselves."