Breachers

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Sushi Thumbs Up

Day 111

Marcus barely got a foot out of his apartment before Felix grabbed him by the neck, half-dragging him into the hallway. His friend shoved his phone into one hand, a wallet into the other, then patted him down like he was making sure Marcus wasn't forgetting a limb.

"You're useless, you know that?" Felix grumbled, steering him toward the stairs. "Absolutely useless."

Marcus yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as they descended. "Good morning to you too."

Felix scoffed. "I've been calling you for thirty minutes, dumbass."

The stairs creaked under their weight as they made their way down. Felix kept talking, alternating between scolding and listing out the plans for the day while Marcus tuned half of it out. By the time they reached the bottom, Felix gave him a firm shove toward the door.

They stepped into the bar, where Sam stood behind the counter, wiping it down with a cloth. The old bartender barely glanced up as they passed. "Try not to die," he muttered, still scrubbing.

"You too, old man," Felix called back.

Felix opened the door, and they stepped out of the Old Alley and onto the street. Morning traffic hummed in the distance, and the air carried the usual mix of city staleness and the lingering scent of whatever fried food stand had been set up nearby. Marcus barely had time to take it in before Felix nudged him toward the food truck.

More like kicked him.

Marcus stumbled forward as Felix threw open the passenger door. "Get in."

"Jesus, I'm going, I'm going." Marcus climbed in, rubbing his side.

Felix slid behind the wheel and started the engine, pulling into traffic with the kind of confidence that made Marcus briefly consider whether wearing one seatbelt was enough.

"We've got three today," Felix said, eyes on the road. "Two dark blue, one red."

That woke Marcus up a little. He sat up straighter, interest piqued.

"Red means more powerful Breachers or just more of them in general. Either way, it's more credits for us," Felix continued. Marcus muttered something about not needing a lecture on Breachers, considering he was one.

Marcus let out another yawn, then slouched in his seat, arms crossed. He was half a second from dozing off when Felix jammed a finger into his mouth. He jerked upright with a muffled gag as Felix twisted the finger before jamming it into his ear.

"Dude!" Marcus nearly choked, swatting him away.

Felix cackled, eyes still on the road. "Man up. I'm paying you to work, not to nap."

The drive didn't take long. Soon, a dark blue Sphere appeared in the distance, its unnatural energy pulsing faintly against the cityscape.

They pulled up to the security gate. Felix rolled down the window, flashed their IDs, and the guard waved them through.

Felix parked the food truck in the lot and killed the engine. He hopped out, already moving toward the back.

Marcus followed a few seconds later, still yawning as he got out and shut the door behind him. He rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, then stretched his legs before making his way over to where Felix had already started hauling out the foldable tables.

"Alright, let's do this," Marcus said, grabbing all three tables with his left hand before holding out his right.

Felix paused just long enough to glance at Marcus, then knocked his fist against his friend's in a quick, double tap. "Yeah, yeah, get to work," he muttered, shaking his head as he turned to the fridge. He grabbed a canned caffeine drink and tossed it over.

Marcus caught it one-handed, popped the tab, and took a sip—all while still holding the tables.

Felix just stared at him for a second before shaking his head and muttering, "Mongrel Breacher bastard," though a smile tugged at his lips.

- - -

The sun hung low in the sky as they drove away from their last Sphere, the warm glow stretching their shadows across the dashboard. Both were exhausted, nursing their drinks in silence. Felix kept one hand on the wheel while Marcus occasionally held the drink for him—which, judging by the state of Felix's shirt, had been a terrible idea. Tiny spills dotted the fabric, some still wet enough to glisten under the fading sunlight.

Felix sighed, brushing a few stray drops away. "So, any plans for tonight?"

"Sleep."

Felix shot him a glance. "Dude, are you eighty or something?"

Marcus just wiggled further into his seat, letting his body sink deeper into the cushion.

"You slept for thirteen years," Felix said, shaking his head. "How are you still tired?"

"It's a gift," Marcus said with a grin before his phone buzzed. With a sigh, he pulled it out, glancing at the screen.

┏ ┓

"Received the shipment of parts.

Should have another drone ready in two days.

Got introduced to Cypher. It creeps me out.

Follows my every move. Make it stop or I'll stop it myself."

-Pete

┗ ┛

Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. 'Good to hear that Cypher is taking its new role seriously.' He could picture the old man grumbling under his breath, turning a wrench while Cypher stood motionless behind him, silently observing every move, or just demanding every bit of information the man's brain contained. 'Still, with six Orbs, Cypher, Bastion, and Specter can remain active constantly. And with the batches of batteries I've bought recently, plus Pete finishing up another robot…'

His grin widened, a jolt of satisfaction running through him. 'That's three named robots and three drones active for at least several hours. And just in time, seeing as I'm only two Stat upgrades shy of reaching my sister's rank.'

He was already thinking about where to go next when Felix suddenly snatched the phone out of his hand.

"What's with that stupid grin? Did Danger-Muffin text you?" Felix asked, awkwardly steering with his knee as he glanced at the screen. "Wait, that's not Lynx."

Marcus was on him in an instant. His fingers locked around the phone like a vise, yanking it back before Felix could read any further.

"What was that?" Felix asked.

"Nothing."

Felix let out an exaggerated hum, shaking his head. "Something about parts… drone… and who the hell is Cypher?"

Marcus shoved the phone back into his pocket. "Just forget about it. It's Breacher stuff."

Felix stared at him for a second, opening his mouth to press further, but he stopped when he noticed Marcus's jaw tighten.

"Fine. But I'm your best friend. You shouldn't be keeping secrets from me."

"Yes, Mom."

An empty can bounced off Marcus's head with a dull thud. Felix grinned afterwards.

"Hey, what the hell?"

"I slipped. Bad arm and stuff. But seriously, you're not in trouble, are you?" Felix asked, his voice turning serious.

Marcus shook his head. "No, I'm not. It's… well, it's complicated. Just some project I'm working on. Remember my 3D printer episodes? It's… similar to that. I'll explain everything later, alright?"

"Fine, keep your secrets," Felix muttered, crossing his arms.

They sat in silence for a while, the hum of the road filling the space between them. As they neared New Haven, Marcus spotted a dark blue Sphere near an industrial site. He glanced at it through the window, recognizing the location immediately. He and Felix had been here a few times on the job, and Specter had checked it out as well. It was close, but the layout made sneaking in and out a pain, and security was tighter than most places.

A handful of trucks and cars sat in the parking lot. Felix suddenly tensed beside him when he noticed it.

"Wait, I know that truck. That's Anton's Sushi Palace." His voice turned venomous. "Why is he still there? He should be at another Sphere by now."

Marcus frowned. "Dude, are you actually tracking him?"

"First off, yes. I'll have you know that Felix Pol takes personal vendettas very seriously. Blood feud level kind of serious," Felix said, thumbing his chest. "And secondly, that fucker stole another Sphere from me today. I had a fourth lined up. That bastard swooped in and took it. So yeah, he shouldn't be here."

Marcus chuckled. He didn't know why, but seeing his friend riled up and ready to kick ass was always entertaining. "So, what do you want to do about it?"

Felix didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes flicked toward the parking lot, gears turning in his head. Then, without warning, he yanked the wheel.

The truck lurched, swerving hard right onto an offramp.

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Marcus grabbed the overhead handle. "Dude, what the fuck?"

"Relax, I just want to talk to the guy," Felix reassured him, though the words didn't sound remotely convincing.

"Just talk?"

"Yeah, talk," Felix said, far too casually. "Maybe slash his tires. But we'll talk first."

Marcus stared at his friend, unease twisting in his gut. Felix had that look—the one that meant trouble was coming, whether he liked it or not.

As they drove closer to the Sphere, Felix spoke up, completely shifting gears. "Anyway, what's the update with Miss Muffin?"

Marcus exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment. "Well, you made me give her my number. That pretty much covers it."

"And?"

"What do you mean and? She's got my number and my muffin," Marcus said as he watched the checkpoint come closer.

"Well, did she respond or something? It's been three days."

"She didn't," Marcus said as he shifted his attention to the right, watching the buildings pass by. "She just sent a thumbs-up picture."

Felix slammed on the brakes.

The sudden stop sent Marcus lurching forward, only barely saved by his seatbelt. Several loud bangs followed from the back as various kitchen tools clattered against the cupboards, a metal tray hitting the floor with a sharp clang.

Felix turned, staring at him as if he had just confessed to murder. Then, without warning, he swatted Marcus's chest a few times. "You dumb son of a bitch. Now you tell me? When did she send you that?"

Marcus winced, shoving his friend's hand away. "Like a few hours after I gave her the muffin."

"Please tell me you responded to it."

Marcus hesitated before slowly shaking his head. "It was just a thumbs-up icon."

Felix groaned like a dying man. "Dude! That thumbs-up was her giving you her number. And you didn't think this was worth telling me?"

He started driving again, shaking his head in a way that radiated disappointment. "Alright. Three days isn't that bad. We can fix this. We can just brush it off as playing hard to get. But you'll need to make a good impression next."

As they neared the checkpoint, Felix pitched ideas, rattling off half-baked plans about sending an over-the-top text, staging a 'casual' run-in, or even just showing up with another muffin and hoping for the best.

Marcus barely listened. His gaze had locked onto something ahead.

"That's weird," Felix muttered.

"It is," Marcus said, eyes narrowing.

The checkpoint was empty. No guards. No staff. Just an abandoned booth and an eerie silence hanging over the lot.

"Maybe there's a commotion at the Sphere itself?" Felix suggested. "Some monster slipped out that they had to deal with? Or someone was injured inside?"

"Could be," Marcus said, though something about it felt off and most guards didn't dare step a foot inside a Sphere.

Felix eased the truck past the checkpoint, both of them scanning the area. No signs of combat—no scorch marks, no bullet casings, no bodies. Not a single person in sight.

"It's like they all left or something," Felix muttered, gripping the wheel a little tighter.

They pulled into the parking lot, the truck rolling to a slow stop. Neither of them moved, both just staring out the window. The whole area sat in complete stillness. No workers. No guards. Not even a stray animal rummaging through the trash.

Felix drummed his fingers against the wheel, glancing around. "What the hell is going on?"

Marcus didn't have an answer. He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaning back to open a drawer under the counter. His hand closed around the handle of a sharp kitchen knife, the weight of it familiar. Just in case.

"Stay here," he told Felix.

His friend didn't argue, just nodded, eyes scanning the lot with newfound wariness.

Marcus stepped out, boots crunching against the pavement. The air felt thick, the silence dragging on too long. He walked a slow circle around the lot, taking everything in. A few garbage bins had been knocked over, their contents scattered across the pavement. He moved past them, stopping in front of Anton's truck.

Nothing. No movement, no sound—just stillness.

The exterior looked normal, but something nagged at him. He stepped closer, gripping the edge of the window as he peered inside. The interior was a mess—napkins, food containers, and plastic cups strewn across the floor. It looked like someone had tripped and taken half the kitchen with them.

"This isn't right," Marcus muttered.

He stepped back, turning on his heel. Felix was still in the truck, watching him through the windshield. Marcus tapped on the window. "Call it in."

Felix nodded, pulling out his phone. His face tightened with concern, but he did as his friend asked.

Marcus, meanwhile, made his way toward the security station at the entrance of the Sphere itself. The small booth sat at the far end of the lot, surrounded by thick chain-link fences. As he approached it, he found it empty as well.

For a brief moment, he considered calling in his robots. He could sweep the Sphere as soon as Felix was safe. But he pushed the thought down. 'Too soon, idiot. We've got more important things to focus on right now.'

He slowed as he neared the Sphere itself, scanning the area. No signs of a struggle. No signs of anything, really. Just an empty location.

He was about to turn back when a scent caught his attention.

Faint but distinct.

"Blood?" he muttered under his breath.

He inhaled again. No visible stains, no obvious signs of injury, but the metallic tang hung in the air, barely noticeable, but there. His enhanced Perception made it impossible to ignore the more he focused on it.

His gaze shifted to the dirt near the checkpoint. Something felt off. Even if people had left in a hurry, there should have been signs—footprints, tire marks, something. But there weren't any save for his own. It was too smooth.

Frowning, he crouched, brushing a hand across the top layer of soil. His fingers skimmed something solid, half-buried beneath the dirt.

'A bullet casing?'

Marcus pried the casing loose, rolling it between his fingers before dropping it. But then his jaw tightened as he ran his hand through the dirt again, sifting through the loose soil. Another casing. Then another. His fingers kept brushing against metal, over and over.

'There was a firefight here,' he thought, catching the scent of blood more clearly—just before he heard movement.

His head snapped to the side, eyes locking onto the barrier.

Two hooded figures passed through it, their forms barely visible against the shimmer of the distorted field. They moved strangely—bent forward, limbs held at odd angles.

Marcus froze. His grip on the knife tightened as the figures froze, their hooded faces locked onto him. A thick, uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Neither moved.

Then one of them reached up and yanked its hood back a bit, revealing something wrong underneath.

Its skin was a mottled mix of gray and deep purple, stretched too tight over its elongated skull. Black, soulless pits sat where eyes should have been. A mouth filled with jagged, irregular teeth, dripping with saliva.

It let out a deep, guttural snarl—then lunged.

'Shit!'

Marcus barely had time to react before it was on him. A clawed hand slashed through the air, inches from tearing his throat out. He ducked, twisting his body just in time. The force of its swing ruffled his hair.

His instincts took over, and he countered with a quick stab to its ribs. The knife bit in, but not deep. The creature barely reacted, only hissing before swiping again. He jumped back, but not fast enough—a sharp sting burned across his forearm as its claws nicked him.

The damn thing was fast.

Marcus pivoted, keeping light on his feet, dodging another set of rapid swings. His knife found its mark again, stabbing into its shoulder, but the creature barely seemed to notice. It moved with jerky, unnatural speed, its head twitching slightly before it lashed out again.

Another near miss, another shallow cut on his side.

He gritted his teeth. 'A clean stab to the throat could put it down, but I'd need an opening.'

He feinted left, drew its attention—then lunged forward for the kill, but the strike never landed.

He noticed a blur of movement as the second figure tore its robe off mid-leap, revealing its monstrous form.

Scales covered its elongated body, its skin a sickly shade of greenish-gray. Worse, it had four arms, each ending in razor-sharp claws. But the thing that made Marcus' stomach drop was the pulsating blue glow embedded in the back of its head.

'Why the hell is there an Orb inside that bastard?'

His mind barely had time to process it as the creature rushed in, fast. He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the second creature's sweeping attack.

Now both of them were in front of him, hunched low, growling, claws flexing. He could hear them communicate to one another in hisses and growls, preparing to attack. Then, both creatures' heads snapped to the side at the same time when the low rumble of an engine roared through the lot.

Marcus turned just in time to see Felix's truck speeding straight toward them.

One of the monsters tensed, muscles bunching to leap out of the way—but Marcus didn't give it the chance.

'Gale-blast.'

A sharp gust of wind blasted from his palm, slamming into the creature's chest and knocking it backward—just in time for the truck to hit them with full force, plowing forward until it slammed into the barrier.

Metal crunched. Bone shattered. The creatures slammed against the immovable barrier with sickening cracks as Felix's truck crushed them between metal and the shimmering energy wall.

The hood of the truck had crumpled inward, the front bumper twisted beyond recognition. Smoke hissed from the exposed engine, steam rising as fluids leaked onto the pavement.

Marcus exhaled, his pulse slowing as he made his way to the driver's side. Felix sat frozen behind the wheel, pale as a ghost, his foot still pressed against the gas pedal. The truck's wheels spun uselessly, fighting against the crushed remains in front of them.

Marcus pulled the door open, grabbing his friend's arm. "Dude, are you okay?"

His friend nodded, but his eyes were wide, unfocused. His fingers still dug into the steering wheel, knuckles white.

Marcus carefully eased Felix's foot off the gas. "You did great."

Felix didn't respond, just stared at the mess in front of them and the barrier of the Sphere itself.

Marcus gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. "Try and back up, alright?"

Felix gave a shaky nod, then fumbled with the gear shift. His hands trembled, missing the slot twice before finally managing to put it in reverse. The truck groaned as it lurched backward, sputtering with every inch.

"I… I killed it…" Felix whispered, his voice barely audible. He put the truck in park with a shaky hand. "Them… the monsters."

Marcus smiled, his expression steady and reassuring, keeping his grip on his friend's shoulder. "You did great. You could be a proper Breacher."

Felix swallowed hard. He still looked shaken, but some of the tension in his shoulders eased.

Marcus stayed with him, giving him a moment to process. "Remember back in the bar? You told me you froze up. But this time, you didn't. Felix, you had my back, big time."

His friend let out a slow, shaky breath, nodding again.

"I'm going to check if they're really dead, alright?" Marcus gave Felix's shoulder one last squeeze before stepping out of the truck.

As Marcus rounded the truck, the scent of blood hit him, thick and coppery. The front was a mess—bits of monster clung to the hood, dripping onto the dirt. A smear of blackened ichor streaked across the energy barrier, the remains of whatever was left slowly sliding down.

Marcus turned toward the first creature—the one that had the Orb. Its ruined form was barely recognizable, limbs crushed at unnatural angles. He crouched, reaching toward what had once been its head, fingers brushing against the pulsing glow buried in its remains.

With a firm pull, he yanked the Orb free.

'Light blue.'

The color was unmistakable. But he didn't need to rely on sight—he felt it. The energy it gave off hummed in his palm, faint but steady.

He glanced back at the corpse, eyes narrowing. The shredded remains of its robe still clung to its broken form.

These things weren't just random monsters. They were pretending to be human.

'Did these things kill the guards here?'

Marcus frowned, shifting his grip on the glowing blue Orb. 'Normally, monsters burn through their mana reserves until they die outside of a Sphere. At least, the ones with Glass in their heads. But these? An actual Orb inside a monster? Would it even run out of mana?' he thought, unease settling in his gut.

"They are strangely humanoid in shape," he muttered, studying the twisted form more closely. His eyes flicked to the second creature. He grabbed it by its ruined shoulder and rolled it over, only to spot an Orb in its head as well.

"What the hell?" Marcus drove his knife into the ground for a second, freeing up his hands before gripping the second Orb and yanking it free. He stared at the two glowing light blue spheres resting in his palms, his mind racing.

'This isn't normal.'

He'd never heard of a monster with a proper Orb inside of it, let alone two. The implications churned in his gut. 'What to do with these?'

His gaze shifted to the truck, to Felix—still shaken, still pale—and back to the Orbs. These were way too valuable to just hand over to the authorities. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he had already crossed that line the second he installed one of them in his robots—let alone six.

He slid both Orbs into his pockets before grabbing his knife. He glanced at his friend, seeing the man still shaken up. "I'm gonna check the back for damage, alright?"

Felix weakly nodded, still gripping the wheel like a lifeline.

Marcus rounded the truck and pulled open the back. He climbed in and dug through the overhead cupboards, pushing past supplies until his fingers closed around a black garbage bag. He yanked it free, then hopped back onto the pavement.

Unrolling the bag, he stuffed the Orbs inside before twisting the top and tying it off tight. Pulling out his phone, he snapped a picture, then gripped the bag by the knot.

He took a deep breath, wound up, and hurled it.

The bag sailed through the air, clearing the parking lot in seconds before landing with a faint thud on the rooftop of a nearby building.

'That should work.'

He lifted his phone again, snapped a photo of the building, this time pointing at the roof. With quick thumbs, he sent the image to his robots, along with a brief summary of what happened and exactly what was in the bag, asking them to fetch it at night if it was safe to do so.

"Marcus!"

Felix's voice was sharp. Panicked.

Marcus's head snapped up. He shoved his phone away and scrambled into the back of the truck, moving to the front. "What's going on—"

He stopped talking when he noticed dozens of figures passing through the barrier, grotesque frames strangely humanoid in shape. They stalked forward, moving in eerie synchronization.

Marcus reached over and slammed the gear into reverse.

"Move!"

Felix didn't hesitate. He stomped on the gas while screaming.

The ruined truck hissed in protest, lurching backward as fast as its battered state allowed. Metal groaned while it spat out more smoke. The wheels kicked up dirt as the truck skidded backward. Then Felix yanked the wheel, spinning the vehicle hard to the left before slamming it into drive.

The truck roared forward, rattling, sputtering, every part of it straining as Felix gunned it toward the exit.

Marcus leaned out the window, eyes locked on the creatures.

The moment the truck turned, the monsters tore through the barrier. Torn clothes whipping in the wind, bodies twisting unnaturally as they scattered across the parking lot—except for four, which locked onto the truck and gave chase.

"Drive, drive, drive!!" Marcus shouted.

The truck jolted over a speed bump, and Marcus braced himself against the doorframe. The truck was falling apart by the second, but they couldn't stop.

If they did, they were dead.