I can’t take this guy, he’s too damn strong for me. My only hope in getting out of here alive is in my outdated, possibly broken security system. Gotta make it to the activate switch before Drake comes in here and finds me, a goddamn sitting duck. Alright. Now or never.

I rush out of the bathroom and into the bedroom of the apartment. Drake’s infrared laser focuses on my chest the second I step into the room, cutting through the smoke and ash. I’m not going to make it. I hear Drake’s footsteps from the other side of the room, running towards me, I’m not going to make it, I

The switch is right in front of me, just reach out and

just need one more second but

touch

he’s

the

right

switch

here

I hit the switch a millisecond before Drake smashes into my side and I go barreling into the wall, plaster flying in all directions. But nothing happens. No security system, no countermeasures. Goddamn it. I think I’m fucked.

Drake steps forward and reaches a hand out toward my head. This is it. I’m dead. Then he stops. Suddenly his body arches backwards, writhing in pain, bolts of electricity zigzagging out of his metal parts in all directions. Guess the security system worked after all.

I wish I could take time to savor the moment, but I realize that this won’t hold him long, if at all, so I jump to my feet and sprint down the hall past him. The electrogun is still working, hanging from a hole in the ceiling, pumping Drake full of millions of volts of electricity. Good thing the security system still had it. Unfortunately, it’s not meant to last for more than a couple seconds without overheating, so I breath a small sigh of relief when I make it to the stairs and Drake still hasn’t caught up with me. Gotta get out of here.

As I run out to the alley below my apartment, I see Drake leap out of the fiery hole in the building that used to be my apartment. Damn. Guess he got away, the bastard. At least he’s gone though. Still, better play this quiet, lay low for a little bit. No need to go around making a scene that’ll bring the psycho cyborg killer right back to me. That was a close enough call as is.

I lean against a wall in the alley and catch my breath. Not sure I’ve ever had as close a call as that before. My heart’s beating like a tribal drum. Someone wants me dead. Real bad. All my intuition from years of practice in this business points one place; CyberCorp. Something’s going on that goes right up to the top. Of everything.

Something moves in the alley behind me