Anonymous Dark Britain (A Watch_Dogs Legion crossover)

108. Nigel's Close Shave

After investigating the attempted assassination of Nigel Cass, Anon and Erin are now arriving at the TOAN bombing site. They arrive at the back entrance to it to see candles and pictures there even the Union Jack flag.

Anon: "Bloody hell, these poor Londoners."

Erin: "I can't believe something like this is happening, you?"

Anon: "No. But right now let's focus on finding Radu's corpse."

Then, he informs Bagley to let him know that the 2 of them are at the TOAN site.

Anon: "Bagley, we're here. We're at the TOAN bombing site. Also, I just have a quick question for you, Bagley, are you sure this is where Albion took both the corpse and the truck?"

Bagley: "That's right. But what we don't know is why they brought it here."

Anon: "Right. Erin and I will get it sorted out. Let's go."

Anon and Erin get out of the cab and they head into the TOAN bombing site and there, the 2 see that there's heavy security out there. Then, Anon sighs and realizes what they'll have to do.

Anon: "Shit. Right, Erin, we'll have to go in. There aren't many drones in the area."

Erin: "Damn...right, masks on."

Anon nods and he puts on his neck gaiter over his mouth and nose while Erin puts on her gas mask and the 2 of them hack open a gate in the area and they head inside and they crouch down to remain quiet. So far, no one sees them. Then, Anon sees a burnt truck and he heads over to it to identify it and it happens to be the truck that was used at Finsbury.

Bagley: "This is the truck used in the Finsbury attack. I have a VIN and plate match. The dashcam is a shambles. But the local cameras picked up some audio. Worth a listen."

Anon then plays it to hear audio of Albion officers taking his corpse.

Albion Officer: "Oh Jesus, he's pretty burnt up."

Albion Officer 2: "Happens when your truck explodes."

Albion Officer: "F*ck. I used to see him around R&D. Did you know him?"

Albion Officer 2: "Hell no. But even if I did wouldn't f*cking talk about it. Know what I mean?"

The audio ends and then Bagley speaks up.

Bagley: "I'm detecting several optiks nearby with no life signs connected. That's where we should look for the driver's body."

Anon: "Got it, thanks, Bagley."

Then, he and Erin head over to a small yellow tent in teh area and in there, are boxes, possibly caskets. And there's also a capsule in front. Anon opens it and it's cold inside and there, a burnt, rotting corpse is there and it even smells foul as the corpse begins to slowly decompose.

Anon: "Jesus Christ...I've seen corpses and all that but this? This one doesn't look like our guy and he's bloody disfigured."

Erin: "Christ."

Bagley: "Yes, from the state of decay I'd say this person died... Oh, right around the TOAN bombing. So that's one mystery solved."

Anon: "Shit this guy must've been a victim of the attacks months ago. Christ the smell is ghastly and it's going through my mask, let's go."

Erin: "Agreed! Damn, that's bad."

The 2 get out and they begin to look around. Then, Anon notices another yellow tent. This time the tent is above ground and is on the second floor of the damaged building. Anon climbs up some rubble and makes it up unnoticed which is miraculous. Once he's up there, he heads inside the tent and in there, he sees another capsule. Inside is a corpse that isn't rotting. And doesn't smell bad either.

Anon: "Bagley, I got something here. This corpse has some scorch marks, death is likely recent. This has to be Radu."

Bagley: "There's a lump of damaged metal in his noggin that might once have been an optik."

Anon: "It's nothing you can't handle, right?"

Bagley: "I'm pulling everything down from his cloud storage now. I recommend escaping from the premises."

Anon nods and he gets down from the second floor and back to Erin. Together, the 2 of them head out the same gate undetected.

Anon: "I think I see what's going on here. Albion's dumping corpses to cover their tracks... Jesus,  and I thought Clan Kelley was just as horrible as the Chicago South Club...christ."

Bagley: "If you consider that new bodies are constantly being unearthed from the TOAN wreckage...they can kill anyone they want and get away with it."

Anon: "Christ...let's just go."

Erin: "Yeah."

The 2 leave the TOAN site and they're back on the road. Then, Bagley speaks up about another audio recording he found

Bagley: "I've decrypted an audio file recovered from the attacker's body. Shall I play it?"

Anon: "Go on."

Erin: "Do it, Bags."

Then the audio plays and Radu sounds frantic and scared. He even sounds like he's in tears. As it turns out, the whole audio recording is actually a message to his mother.

Radu: "He's launched them, mum... They're waiting up there, and no one knows. Peoplethink he'll keep them safe, but--...That's not what he wants. He wants control. He's sent them up there to watch us. And worse. He called them justice... 'THEMIS' drones."

After hearing that, Anon's eyes widen and so do Erin's.

Anon: "What?! The THEMIS drone sare in the sky already? I thought Harry & Larry took them out!"

Erin: "Me too, shit!"

The audio keeps playing and he and Erin keep listening.

Radu: "What a cruel joke. The project was dead, but...he has the team re-engineering an upgrade that'll activate a systemic reboot and-- Heh...You always hated it when I used my 'big-up words'...I-- I can't let it happen. And without him, it doesn't. Mum... I'm about to do something-- something awful. Or at least people will say it's awful. If they know what I know, maybe they'd think better of me. Less of a monster. But I'm trying to stop a monster, mum, I am! If you had the chance to stop something terrible from happneing by-- by killing someone. Wouldn't you do it? Something truly horrible?... I'm sorry... I love you."

Then the last things heard is the car crash and people screaming.

Erin: "Bloody hell! with THEMIS now in the air, they're just a few keystrokes and soon bullets will be raining down from above!"

Then, Hamish is back on the line.

Hamish: "Might take months, but Cass could get the project back on its legs... Unless we destroy the drones themselves. Bags-boy. The THEMIS data we wiped at TIDIS. Any chance you remember enough to retro-engineer a more suitable upgrade?"

Bagley: "I'll do you one better. I can code a virus from the data itself."

Anon: "Wha-- are you saying that ever since Harry, his brother, Jimmy and the others were at Tidis and got some data, you had it ever since?! Bagley you're playing with fire!"

Then, Sabine joins in on the call.

Sabine: "I asked him to. No sense in just flushing data. Never know what might come in handy, or what you might learn. So. How do we use it to infect the drones?"

Hamish: "Albion's got a primary communications hub at Tower Bridge. Upload the virus there, fam, and all the drones get a dose."

Anon: "Sounds great, Hamish. Let's save London again! Oh and Erin, get Althea on the line. We'll need her for this."

To be continued...