Fade (Walker #74033 fanfiction) Book 1

Chapter 11

It felt like years had gone by since Jevden first visited the Registration desk on his first day in the Compound. He'd been so preoccupied with activities day after day that he never found a reason to return. Now, though, he found himself walking down that same stark white hallway displaying the black "Walker's Join" text that had looked so welcoming to any newcomer. Except, he didn't feel all that welcomed by them anymore. Flashes of the video still played in the back of his mind, driving more questions than answers into his thoughts. Jevden was desperate for answers at this point, and he didn't care on how he was able to obtain them.

Two security guards were standing a little way down, conversing quietly with each other. One of them had their diecast clipped to their belt, where it hung in easy reach. Jevden eyed it unemotionally, feeling his heart pounding as he hoped they wouldn't see him do what he was thinking of. As subtle as possible, he reached out, and swiped it off the Walker's belt, concealing it from their view as he passed them. They never even noticed. Jevden suddenly felt terrified of his motives, but he didn't want to stop now. There was no turning back.

The room was almost empty, save for a few Walkers still typing on their computers. Walker #2 looked like he was ready to leave, cleaning up at his desk. He lowered his mask and spit a piece of gum into the trash, then looked up.

"Jevden," he said, a slight element of confusion in his voice. "We're closed for the day. What do you need?"

Jevden's eyebrow twitched. "You were lying. The day I became a Walker. You know why I was already registered."

#2 closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then opened them. "You're mistaken. The system had probably glitched out. I was doing a lot of work before Margrethe brought you to me. It could've been overloaded."

"No," Jevden replied quietly. "I've been inside the Leader's Section of the Archives. All their ID's appear in blue. Strangely enough, mine was among that group."

#2 went still. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk and crossed his arms. "How did you get in there?"

"And in my catalog was a video file," Jevden continued, as if #2 never spoke. His voice was starting to shake. "You were talking to me. You addressed me as a Leader."

#2's gaze was intense, never wavering away from him. Jevden stared back, not backing down. One of his hands disappeared under the desk. "Jevden..."

Jevden felt his instincts shoot like lightning. He brought his hand up in a flash and the drone he was holding, that he'd stolen, activated rising up in front of him. Four small guns of different varieties popped out from the top of the drone and instantly aimed at the closest target. #2 acted almost a second after he did and stood up, pulling out a drone of his own, guns pointed at Jevden. The Walkers in the vicinity backed away with gasps and shouts of surprise. Jevden paid no attention to them, his full focus on #2. #2 glared at him, daring him to make the first move.

"Who am I?" Jevden cried out, anger boiling in his stomach.

"You don't want to do this," #2's voice was steely, cold as iron.

"Tell me!" Jevden took a step forward, but before he could anything else, #2 jammed a button on the desk he'd never noticed before.

 "Level 4! I need Security up here now!"

The drone Jevden had been controlling flew back, and he wiped around, seeing the guard he'd taken it from retrieve it. Instantly the two guards started firing at him as more began to flood the hall. Jevden dodged to the right as quickly as he could, attempting to reach for his Explorer drone, but one shot hit him square in the chest. He fell to the ground, relieved that it hadn't killed him, but shocked that he couldn't move. He struggled for a second before a dull pain spread out across his head, and he felt dazed, unable to think clearly. There was yelling around the room with the blinding blue light of the drones surrounding him. He was barely able to hear someone shout, "Bring him down to Interrogation!" as two of the Security guards lifted him up. A moment later another voice cried out, one more familiar. One he hadn't heard in so long.