[Wake up.]

Isaac’s head rang as his alarm went off. He didn’t want to get up, it was too early. That, and he felt hung over.

“Too early.” He groaned, “My head...ugh...”

Rolling over with an outstretched arm, he searched for his LINK, hoping to turn off the alarm. His hand found a cold metal bar, something that shouldn’t have been near his bed, and he opened his eyes to find out what it was. His vision took a moment to adjust. He was on the ground, and the alarm wasn’t an alarm clock. It was a siren, accompanied by a bright, flashing red warning light. The siren’s drone was deep and long, and it agitated Isaac’s throbbing head. The metal bar Isaac held in his hand was the leg of a chair. Using the chair to pull himself up, Isaac realized his body was sore and exhausted, unwilling to move as he wanted.

The boy held his hand to his head, trying to think through the pain. Where am I?

[We’ve been attacked.]

Isaac stood warily, using the chair for support. The chair was one of many, lined up before a lavishly polished wooden table, but knocked over on their sides. Directly on the other side of the table, Isaac could see a wall of glass. Walking slowly, trying to keep his balance, he went around the side of the long table and towards the glass. It was hard to hear much with the siren blaring, but each time it died down, he thought he could make out a faint chattering noise. A quick glance around the room provided no explanation.

As he got closer to the glass, he could hear the shrieking of heavy winds. Pressing his fingertips against the glass, leaning close to the windows, he found he could see through them. Windows. Windows near the top of a tall building, and far below, in the plaza, a broken statue and fountain. InCorp. Outside, it was twilight, and the sun was nearly gone. It would be night soon. One of the panes of glass was shattered, shards littering the carpet. That was why the wind was so loud. But still no explanation for the chattering noise.

How’d I get here? Isaac wondered, memories swirling in a void, just outside of his grasp. Thinking was still hard, in between the throbbing in his head.

[You don’t remember?]

Isaac stumbled away from the window, leaning on the table. I don’t. Why am I so exhausted?

[While you were unconscious, I had to protect you.]

And that exhausts me?

[If I use your energy, it does. Hurry, we need to get moving.]

Where? Isaac asked, looking behind him. The alarm light lit the dark hallway every few seconds. The building was a war zone. Shattered glass, broken machines, chairs and tables overturned. He heard the chattering noise again.

[We have to get out of this building.]

Its not safe here? Isaac tried to take his weight off the table, and he wobbled. Finding his balance, he stood now of his own volition. The room seemed safe enough, there was nothing immediately dangerous. The broken glass was a concern, but it was broken in, not out. Something entered through it, not the other way around.

[No, it isn’t. If you’re not willing to fight, then we need to get somewhere safe.]

Alright, then we need to go down. I take it the elevators aren’t moving. Isaac mused as he stumbled into the hallway. The automatic door behind him didn’t close on its own. All of the doors in the hallway, which would normally be closed, stood open. The building must have an evacuation protocol. Most of the doors led to offices, but Isaac didn’t see anyone inside of them. He crept down the hall, wincing each time the red alarm flashed bright light in his eyes. It was hard enough just dragging his body along, his legs felt like they would give out any moment now.

“Hello?” He called out as he went, not expecting a response. Everyone else had already evacuated, it would seem.

[Be quiet. You don’t want to draw attention to yourself.]

As expected, no one answered the call. There was a turn at the end of the hallway, leading to the elevator lobby and stairway access. They were high up, and Isaac wasn’t looking forward to walking down all the stairs to the ground floor, but it beat staying. Making slow progress, Isaac rounded the corner and saw the doors leading to the stairwell. They were open, waiting for him, welcoming. Passing through them, into the stairwell, Isaac was reminded of the Registry tower. Looking between the stairs, you could see all the way to the top, or to the bottom. Except he couldn’t see all the way down. Something was obscuring his vision. It was dark, so he didn’t expect to see the ground unimpeded, but there was something solid there.

It was too far away, and too dimly lit, to be able to be able to see anything helpful. Isaac started the slog down the stairs. As he walked, he realized he hadn’t tried to seek outside help. His LINK was securely attached to his wrist. Slipping it off, he switched it on and went to place a call. Except he couldn’t. The screen flickered and flashed, and the input was not responsive. With a hefty sigh, he replaced it to his wrist.

Maybe it broke in all the commotion. He thought, a faint shudder in his voice. He swallowed and took a deep breath.

Signs on the wall indicated that he was on the 40th floor, executive offices. What had he been doing there? Using the guardrail for support, he took each step carefully, afraid that he might fall if he stopped paying attention. It was a long way down.

The journey down the stairs took longer than Isaac wanted, but it didn’t take all the way down before he knew it had been pointless. When he finally reached the obstruction, he bent down and rapped on it with his knuckles. A blast door had closed the stairwell off horizontally, blocking any travel up or down the building.

What the...?  The metal gave a solid response, it was a thick blockade.

[We won’t be going this way.]

Can’t we...burn it down...or something?

[If you feel like you’ve got the energy to pull off something like that. You can barely walk, and you want to set a blaze hot enough to melt metal?]

Isaac sighed, kicking his heel on the floor. The door made the floor he was on, the 25th, according to a nearby sign, essentially ground floor. What other way out?

[Climb down the elevator shaft, climb down the outside of the building...]

“What sort of security is this, anyway?” Isaac asked, arms crossed. “Did everyone else make it out already?”

[I doubt it. If this barrier is a security measure, then I think it would have been closed when the alarm started going off. The alarm started going off when the Thrall broke through the window.]

“The Thrall broke through the window?” Isaac thought back to the meeting room. The glass had been broken inward, it made sense that a Thrall had broken in. A blurry image of the creature smashing into the building clicked in his head. He thought hard around the image, holding on to it, despite his headache. The monster had been large, and as it crashed through the glass, Isaac ducked under the table. As he ducked, the rest of the people in the meeting dove for safety as well. Three others.

 “There was Harland Sharp. He’s on the board of directors.” He said, speaking aloud to break the chilly silence.

[I know, because you know. You like Sharp, he’s the face of the company. Charming, smooth, attractive.]

“Hush, I’m trying to remember what happened.” Isaac continued to focus on his memory. “Harland was across from me. Next to me was,” He closed his eyes, going back to the meeting room. He turned to his right, saw a face in his mind’s eye. “Roy!” If the others from the meeting hadn’t made it out, that meant they were still in danger.

[Roy is your mother’s husband. You disrespect him by not calling him father.]

“I don’t like ‘Dad’. Bad memories.” Isaac said. The old familiar pain twisted his gut as he pushed down his unpleasant memories. “So I didn’t want to call Roy that, when he came around. Anyway, that doesn’t matter right now.” He glanced up, back towards the 40th floor. “If he didn’t make it out, I have to find him.”

[You’re going to have enough trouble getting yourself out of here.]

“As if I hadn’t figured that out.” The boy spat back, kicking the blast door beneath his feet. “But if Sharp and Roy are still in the building, I won’t leave without them.”

[How do you intend to find them?]

“I don’t know. I don’t even know him I’m going to get out of the building. I guess I’m going to improvise.” Isaac looked around. The stairwell was a dead end, and the elevators were surely not operational. Anyone who tried to walk down to the ground floor would have ended up on the 25th, where he was. It was as good a place to look as any.

Startling Isaac, a voice echoed through the stairwell. “Gathered data indicates that Harland Sharp is inside the lockdown zone.”

The boy nearly jumped, looking around. He checked up the stairs, but didn’t see anyone else around. The voice continued, it was distinctly female and had a metallic edge. “The lockdown zone consists of the 25th floor to the rooftop.”

“Who’s there?” Isaac called out.

“This is the automated emergency response intelligence.” The voice replied, monotone and cool.

“You’re an artificial intelligence?”

“That is an accurate description.”

"And you control the building.” Isaac looked around as he spoke, not sure where to address.

“Also accurate, in the event of an emergency. It is more accurate to say that I follow a specific set of protocols in response to emergency situations.”

“Can you open the door?” The boy inquired, “Please?”

“I am unable to release lockdown while a hostile element remains within the building.”

“A hostile element. The Thrall.”

“As long as the hostile element remains, the lockdown can not be released.”

[Looks like you’re going to have to fight.]

Or find another way out. There’s windows, so it’s not like we’re completely trapped.

[Eventually, you’ll find yourself in a situation where there is no other way.]

“So if the Thrall is killed, you can open the doors.” Isaac asked for clarification.

“If the hostile element is removed, the lockdown will be lifted, and the automated emergency response will return to standby mode.”

[So what’s it going to be? Find daddy or fight the Thrall?]

I think you know my answer to that already. Isaac started for the door leading to the 25th floor offices. “Besides, you heard the woman. If the Thrall is removed, the lockdown is lifted. I don’t have to kill it. All I have to do is kick it out a window. That’s hardly what I’d call fighting.”

[It might prove to be more difficult than that.]

Oh yeah, and why might that-- Isaac’s thought was cut off as he heard the distinctive sound of gun shots reporting from somewhere on the 25th floor. His exhaustion forgotten, he felt his usual urge to run towards trouble, even when he knew he wouldn’t be any help. Forcing his legs to work at his pace, he jogged down the hallway, trying to listen for where the bullets were being fired.

The sounds echoed, desperate to keep Isaac from locating their source. Each hallway seemed to bring the gunshots from both directions, and Isaac found himself guessing more often than not. He called out, hoping the owner of the gun would respond and make it easier to find them. He didn’t get a response, so he kept looking. Glancing in offices, around corners, he searched as frantically as his tired body would allow. It wasn’t long before the gunshots stopped ringing out, and his hope of location the source started to fade.

The building didn’t become completely silent. As his ears stopped ringing from the noise of the gun, Isaac was able to pick up on another sound. The same unnatural chattering he had heard on the 40th floor. It was warped, like it was being heard through a narrow tube, and it reminded him of the rattling of a snake. The volume was faint, but seemed to be coming from a nearby bathroom. Isaac tiptoed towards the bathroom door. It was the men’s room, familiar territory. Familiar until there’s a Thrall inside that might be a rattlesnake.

As he sneaked forward, he noticed that his hands felt ineffably empty. In most situations like this, in movies, the character would have a weapon in their hand. Even if they weren’t a warrior, they’d find a pipe or a lamp or a stapler. Anything to make them feel like they could fight if they had to. Isaac had magic, that was true, but it wasn’t tangible. It didn’t fill him with confidence the way a real weapon would have. When he wielded the spear against the Thrall that had killed Jin, he had felt, for a brief moment, powerful. He longed now for the spear, though he couldn’t recall what had become of it after the fight.

Nearby him was a potted plant, just outside the entrance to the bathroom. He spent several thoughts on the possibilities of turning a potted plant into a weapon, but came up empty. Glancing around, he searched for a weapon close by, trying to keep composure even as the chattering noise gnawed at him. There was nothing that seemed useful, but perhaps it was simply a failure of imagination. Trying to move quietly and avoid alerting the Thrall to his presence, but still quickly enough to save whoever was firing the gun if they needed help, Isaac crept up to the bathroom door and pressed his back to the wall just outside.

Now Isaac could hear the Thrall was moving around inside the bathroom, though pinpointing its location was difficult thanks to the room’s acoustics. It would have been better if Isaac knew for sure there was someone trapped inside, and that he wasn’t simply accosting a Thrall for the sake of it. Certainty that it was for someone else made the act of heroically leaping to the rescue seem sensible. If no one was in the bathroom, or if they were already dead, then it was pointless.

Fire, I can light the damn thing on fire.

[I could light it on fire. You could light it candles for a romantic dinner.]

Same thing. You are me, remember? Isaac thought snidely, looking at his hands. He had produced fire from them before. Not in a tense situation though; he hadn’t even practiced using magic in private. It had been a busy few days, but it dawned on Isaac now that he had magic. Something that he should have been playing with, if only for personal entertainment. Thinking about the fire before had frightened him, when it should have excited him.

[I own you. Learn the difference runt.]

With a determined shout, he wheeled around the corner and held his hands out, ready to scorch whatever was unfortunate enough to get in the way. As he tried to enter, the Thrall was on its way out. The monster jumped, a blur of shadow that smashed heavily into his chest. Forced him back, onto the floor of the hallway. The warped rattling was unbearably loud as the creature landed atop him. Frantically, Isaac tried to grab it as if it were a dog, pathetic sparks of fire popping and crackling in his palms, but not enough to do anything worthwhile. He caught a glimpse of luminescent green as they struggled.

The familiar report of a gunshot rang out, and the Thrall was forced off of his chest. It bounced against the wall, landed with a thud. It clambered to its feet and chattered loudly, filling the hallway with an otherworldly noise. Isaac sat up, saw the gunman in the bathroom doorway. They took aim again, Isaac ducked to the side. The Thrall jumped again. Another gunshot, driving the creature back against the wall. None of the bullets were doing any lasting damage, only slowing the monster down.

Why isn’t it working? Isaac asked, in regards to the lack of fire in his hands.

[You’re weak and empty. I used your magic to protect you earlier.]

So I can’t make fire at all?

[Not as inexperienced as you are.]

Then why did you tell me to fight! Isaac shouted inwardly, crawling on the floor towards the man with the gun. Each time the Thrall regained its composure, he would fire another shot, buying them more time.

[You have to learn sooner or later. Besides, if you die, I start fresh tomorrow.]

What a comforting thought.

“I’m almost out of bullets.” The gunner said, with a husky but certainly female voice. Isaac realized that the gunman was actually a woman. She reached her free hand down to help Isaac up.

Isaac took it, and was grateful for the help. As exhausted as he was, even standing up would have been a chore.

[Calm yourself.]

Kind of difficult, Isaac thought as he was pulled to his feet.

[Do it anyway.]

Turning to face the advancing Thrall, Isaac took a deep breath and held it, trying his best to steady himself. The gun clicked, and the chamber locked. The monster stood up again. It jumped. The boy raised his hands. He willed the fire to come to him. The pathetic sparks from before caught in the air as if it was a flammable gas, swirling into a ball of fire that fit comfortably in Isaac’s palm. The ball shot forward, crashing into the Thrall head on. The small monster’s barrier shattered, raining slowly to the ground like crystal dust. The scorching fireball continued past, engulfing the black creature entirely. It’s unnatural chattering noise filled the hallway, until it stopped, and the fire died down, leaving behind an ashen silhouette of the Thrall.

“That was a lot easier than I was expecting.” Isaac said, looking to his palm with a raised brow.

“I must’ve weakened it while I was shooting it.” The gunner said, watching as the ashes fell to a pile on the floor.

“So, is that it?” The boy asked, looking around. “Was that the Thrall?”

[I can’t believe you just asked that.]

It’s a legitimate question.

The gunner didn’t respond, instead she kept focused, on the lookout for more enemies.

Isaac recognized the woman with the gun, but they’d never spoken before. “You’re Alissa Avery, right?”

The gun clicked as she placed it into her shoulder holster. Her armor was high tech, as good as money could buy. Manufactured, of course, by InCorp. Circuitry ran along the armor in a chaotic pattern, giving off a bright luminescence in the darkness. Though they worked at the same company, Alissa’s line of work afforded her much nicer equipment than Isaac’s bargain bin delivery uniform.

“You got it. So what are you doing out here, kid?” She asked, crossing his arms on her chest.

“I heard gunshots.” He said, gesturing to Alissa’s holstered weapon. “So I came to help.”

“I can’t complain, I was cornered there for a second.” Alissa said with a shrug. “You’re a rare sight,” She pointed out, noticing Isaac’s blue brand. “A Collar that works for InCorp.”

Isaac chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I was in a meeting about a sponsor when we were attacked.” He surprised himself as he spoke, he hadn’t even realized he remembered that much. But it was true. He had been at the meeting with Harland and Roy, talking about the conditions to keep his job. He wished he could remember if it had been going well.

“InCorp doesn’t like to share. But I’m glad you showed up, fighting a Thrall with a gun isn’t a fun game.”

[Someone glad to see you? This is new.]

“You’re part of the security team, right? You don’t happen to know a way out of the building, do you?” Isaac asked, hoping she knew of a secret back door.

“We shouldn’t talk here. Follow me.” Alissa said, gesturing towards Isaac as she started to walk away.

He stared after her for a second. Where could she be going?

[Don’t you like following people without clear motivations?]

Good point, Isaac agreed, following after Alissa. He still wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, and the security officer would definitely know more than he did.

“I know every way in and out of this building.” Alissa whispered to Isaac as she led him around a corner. “But this lockdown that’s been initiated, I’m not familiar with it. I mean, I knew we had lockdown protocols, but I didn’t know they were run by an AI.”

“You didn’t know about it? Isn’t that your job?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She rolled her eyes, “Technically, yes. But this AI isn’t mentioned anywhere in the current security logs. I think it’s a secret on purpose. Like it’s only supposed to activate during the worst kind of emergency.”

“So what’s its purpose, if that's the case?” Isaac wondered, looking around as if the walls could hear him speak.

“You got me.” She said with a shrug. “But the AI insists that we can’t leave the building until the Thrall is dealt with.”

“For the protection of the executives. The AI knew that Harland was inside the lockdown, so it’s keeping tabs on him, at least. If the AI wants to protect the highest ranking executives, it makes sense that they would at least know it existed.”

“That makes sense.” Alissa stopped suddenly, hand in the air to halt Isaac, other hand on her gun. Isaac stopped and waited. He didn’t hear anything, and apparently neither did she. When she started walking again, he started following again. “So what?”

“If Sharp knows about the AI, maybe he knows a way to turn it off, or at least a way out of the building.”

[Too bad we have no idea where he is.]

“That is a good point. But if the AI is a secret, what makes you think Sharp will tell us just because we say please?”

“If his life is on the line, he might be willing to talk.” The boy shrugged, it was as good an idea as he could come up with.

“Alright, then it’s too bad we don’t know where he ended up.” Alissa sighed.

“That AI told us that he is somewhere in the lockdown. So that’s between the 25th and 40th floors. That reminds me, where is everyone? 15 floors is a lot of room for a lot of employees.”

“That’s where we’re going. We’re almost there.” Alissa eventually stopped in front of a large doorway that was blocked entirely by stacked tables, chairs, whatever was around. At the bottom of the blockade, a metal plate blocked a narrow tunnel. The security officer kicked the metal a few times, and Isaac could hear people scurrying around on the other side. There was a short argument about whether or not they should open it, but it was mostly one sided. Before long, the metal plate slid to the side, opening the way.

Alissa pointed at the hole and waited for Isaac to move. He dropped onto his hands and knees and started crawling through.

[Now that’s a position you do well in.]

On the far side of the tunnel was the cafeteria. It was a large room, normally full of tables and chairs, though they were all currently occupied blocking the doorway. The room was full of InCorp employees, and a few civilians, all sitting around in various states of worry. As Isaac emerged through the hole, he found several guns trained on him, all by lower ranking security personnel.

“Whoa, hey, don’t shoot. I’m one of you.” He said, holding his hands in the air. They gestured with their guns for him to move out of the way, and when he did, Alissa entered behind him. They kept their guns ready until Alissa was inside the room, and the blockade was closed again.

As Isaac stood up and took a look around the room, futilely searching for Harland Sharp, Alissa instead went straight for her superior officer. It was another of the security officers that Isaac recognized, but wasn’t personally familiar with. The head of InCorp security, everyone called him Mr. Parker, or ‘Sir’, so Isaac didn’t know his first name. He wanted to eavesdrop, listen to what Alissa and Parker were talking about, but before he could, he was grabbed from behind.

“Isaac!” His shoulder was grabbed, and he turned to see who it was. “Isaac, I’m glad you’re okay. When the Thrall attacked, everything went crazy. I wasn’t sure where you’d ended up.”

It was Roy. Mother’s husband, technically step-father. “Roy, you left me on the floor of the board room. What did you think was going to happen to me?” The man was tall and thin, similar to Isaac, but had dark black hair that couldn’t occur naturally in Isaac’s bloodline. The dark black hair that Roy had was the same as Riley’s, indicating a foreign bloodline, but Roy was otherwise native. The dark hair had entered his genes at some point far in the past. He had a kind face, not the sort of look you’d expect to see in a high standing InCorp employee, and he was averagely attractive. All in all, he was nothing special, but he made Mom happy.

“I didn’t know you were stuck there. If I had, you know I wouldn’t have just left you there.” Roy said, showing the hurt he felt plainly on his face.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t have. Anyway, I guess I’m glad you got away safely.” Isaac brushed Roy’s hand off of his shoulder.

Roy sighed. “Yeah, Harland and I were together, but he disappeared. I still don’t know what happened to him.”

[Probably some secret executive panic room.]

“That’s not good. Have you all talked to the AI running the show?” Isaac asked, looking around.

“Mr. Parker did, he’s being pretty controlling, taking charge of everything. Why, what did it say?” Roy wondered, giving Parker a distrusting glance.

“No one can leave the building as long as both Sharp and the Thrall are inside. I killed one in the hallway, but it didn’t seem to help.” Isaac walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, the weight of his exhaustion returning to him.

“You killed one?” Roy asked, taking a seat next to him. “One down...” He grabbed a bottle of water off of the table and forced it into Isaac’s hands.

“How many are there?” Isaac asked, relatively sure he could kill a couple more. He didn’t complain about the water, instead he drank as much as he could.

[I fended off a couple dozen.]

“Hundreds, if everyone here is to be believed. I don’t know where they all came from. How they got past security in the first place.” Roy threw his hands in the air.

“At least one came crashing straight into our meeting, right?”

“Yeah, it came out of nowhere, crashed through the window. But the building has barriers, security, all sorts of protection to keep that from happening.”

“So, what, that was all turned off for some reason?” Isaac watched Alissa and Parker talking on the far side of the room. “And we have an AI running suicidal lockdown protocols. We can’t get Sharp out until Sharp is out of the building.”

[Kicking Sharp out of a window seems like an obvious solution.]

“And until we find Sharp, no one can get in or out.” Roy leaned on the table behind him. “This is a fine mess.”

Isaac turned around and rested his head on the table with a heavy sigh. Roy patted his back. “Are you okay, though, Isaac? We haven’t had much of a chance to talk about it yet...”

“I’m fine.” Isaac said curtly, hoping to end the conversation there.

“Because I said I’d sponsor you for a reason. I want to be there for you.”

Roy agreed to be his sponsor? That part of his memory was still a bit blurry. “How thoughtful of you. I don’t need anyone to be there for me, Roy. I got by just fine on my own before.”

[What definition are you using for fine?]

“Isaac, just because your father treated you badly doesn’t mean I’m the same way.” Roy said, noticeably annoyed now.

Isaac sat up, turning on Roy. “My father beat me and my sisters until we couldn’t move, and those were his good days. I know you’re not like him. What I don’t need is a replacement for him. I don’t mind if you are married to Mom, but don’t act like you’re my father. You’re just...Roy.”

“You don’t have anyone in your life, Isaac. You spend most days alone, you just get out for work. Everyone needs someone to stand by them. Especially someone like you.” He swallowed, speaking the following as if it were taboo. “Collars.”

“I need you as my sponsor so I can keep my job, not to hold my hand.” Isaac said, wincing at the way Roy spoke the word, ‘Collars’.

“Isaac...”

“Not right now, Roy. Please.” Isaac pleaded, and when Roy took a deep breath and nodded, the boy returned his head to the table.

From the table, Isaac could watch Alissa and Parker talking. They were arguing, it looked like. He was so tired, his eyes were heavy. It would be a struggle to stand up again, much less find and rescue Sharp. But at least Roy was safe. That was a small comfort, and in that comfort, Isaac found sleep.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept. As he sat up, he groaned in pain at how sore his body was. Looking around, he saw that a lot of the InCorp employees were asleep as well. If he had slept for long enough, it wouldn’t be long until the Registry sent in Collars to help, or at least that is what he believed. Roy was still next to him, also asleep on the table.

[Good, you’re done being lazy.]

Give me a break, you’re the one who used all my energy. What do you want?

[Many things. But right now you need to find Harland Sharp and get out of the building.]

I don’t even know where to start looking.

[So look everywhere.]

“Good plan.” Isaac rolled his eyes, stretching his arms high in the air. Glancing around, he saw Alissa sitting across from Parker, though they weren’t talking anymore. This was their job, not his. He wanted to sit and wait to be rescued.

[But you know that might not happen.]

How could it not?

[You can’t leave everything up to others. If there is something you want, you have to just do it.]

He did want to sit and wait to be rescued, but he couldn’t. Pushing himself begrudgingly to his feet, he walked over and took a seat next to Alissa. Both of the security officers turned to him. “Can we help you?” They both asked.

“What’s the plan?” He asked, as if he were a part of the security team.

Parker scowled. “The plan for you is to go sit quietly in the corner.”

Isaac looked around. “Oh, I’m sorry. You haven’t noticed yet, I’m the only Collar here.”

[You called yourself a Collar.]

Don’t get used to it, I’m just being a smart-ass.

“What you are is a child.” Parker spat, crossing his arms. “So go try not to get killed.”

“You’re more likely to die here than I am.” Isaac said, keeping his gaze fixed stoically on Parker. The Walkers had a good poker face, if nothing else.

“If a Collar is offering their help, I say we take it.” Alissa said, and Parker turned to her with a look on his face that conveyed disgust. “It’d be suicide to turn him down.”

“If we wait here, an army of Collars is sure to come to the rescue.” Parker replied.

“Maybe. We didn’t know about this AI before. Maybe the Collars wont be able to get in, just like we can’t get out.” Alissa glanced at Isaac, and Isaac thought it felt nice to have an ally.

“And if Harland Sharp is still alive, he might not be for long. I want everyone to get out of here alive, not just us.” Isaac added.

Parker stared at the two, incredulously. “So what then? What do you propose we do?”

“We go out there, and we find Harland Sharp. And then we ask him about the AI, and how to turn it off, so everyone can get out of the building.”

The head of security stared at him as if he was insane, but to Isaac, it seemed like the only thing to do now.

“There is no way we’re going to be able to kill all of those Thralls. So if Harland knows another way out, and he dies before he tells us...” Alissa said, stoking the fire that Isaac was trying to light.

“Then maybe we’re stuck in here until those monsters get to us.” Isaac finished off Alissa’s thought.

“Fine, if you want to go get yourselves killed, be my guest. If you find Sharp, bring him back here. If not, I’ll assume you’re dead.”

“Yes, sir.” Alissa said. She stood and grabbed some ammo from a stockpile of supplies in the corner. Then she tossed Isaac a spare handgun. It was heavy, and felt awkward in his hands, but he thought it would be a comfort to have anyway. Even if they were up against monsters that thought bullets were BBs. “Shall we?” She asked, giving him a cocksure grin.

[You know that down this path lies fighting?]

Yeah, we’ll burn that bridge when we come to it. Isaac nodded. “Lets go.”

Slipping out through the tunnel they crawled in through, Isaac felt isolated as the passage closed behind them. He also felt a pang of guilt for leaving without saying anything to Roy. The man tried his best to be there for Isaac and his siblings since their father died. Some of them took to him better than others. Isaac fell in the middle, not hating him the way Rufus did, but not treating him as a parent, like Sera.

Alissa took the lead, but Isaac realized he wasn’t sure where they were going. “Where should we start looking?”

“Where else? Sharp’s office.” She said, heading for the stairwell.

[What are the chances he’s sipping scotch?]

Isaac nodded, it made sense. As they walked, they kept fairly quiet. They didn’t have much to talk about, and talking made noise that might mask the telltale chattering of the Thralls. Still, from time to time, Isaac was sure he heard the chittering noise closing in on them, but when he turned to look, nothing was there.

Then they heard the noise in front of them. Alissa pressed her back against the wall, peeking around the corner. She nodded at Isaac, and he took a place next to her.

“Same as before.” She said, and she drew her gun.

Same as before. Isaac thought, looking down at his hands.

[Same as before.]

Alissa bolted, moving all the way to the far wall. She fired down the hallway. Isaac spun around the corner, scanning quickly for the Thrall. It was standing in the middle of the corridor, until it got blasted by a bullet. It bounced back against the floor. Standing up, it screeched and charged. Isaac held up his hands, willing fire to spark. Fire sizzled in his palm, swirling with the air to form a sphere. Sleeping had restored some of his energy, and he felt proud of the fact that he could create fire with relative ease, compared to before. He hurled the fireball, it exploded on the Thrall. The green barrier flicked, but didn’t break. Another bullet, the monster was knocked back again.

[Another fireball, bigger this time.]

“Again!” Alissa ordered, keeping her gun ready.

Isaac rolled his eyes, not even entirely sure how to make a bigger fireball. He tried the same as before, but thought of a larger flame. For a second, he thought he felt Tyloki’s paw on the back of his hand. The fireball didn’t flicker to life, it erupted into his hands. The Thrall was already leaping again. It crashed into Isaac’s hands, he grabbed it. Instead of falling backwards, he felt Alissa behind him, holding him up. The Thrall gnashed its glowing fangs in his face as he kept the flame ablaze in his palms, not letting go. The barrier glowed, and then shattered. Isaac held his ground as the fire burned the Thrall’s flesh, causing its oily shadow to harden into ash. Then Isaac was holding a statue, which he dropped on the ground, letting it break into a pathetic pile on the floor.

Alissa clapped his back. “Good job. But don’t get cocky, that was one. There’s still a lot more.”

Isaac kicked at the ashen pile.

[These ones are weaker, because they’re so small.]

Did you do that? Isaac asked, about the fireball.

[I can help, if I choose to. Just another way of showing that I’m in charge.]

“Well, thanks.” Isaac said, glancing at Alissa, but talking to both.

Alissa walked slowly towards the entrance to the stairs. She kept her eyes peeled for more Thralls. Chattering. Like a warped rattlesnake. A lot of chattering, like a lot of snakes. “Do you hear that?” Isaac asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Yes. Yes I do.” Alissa said, looking around.

Isaac took a step back and glanced back down the hallway from which they had come. It was swarming with luminescent green fangs amidst a sea of blackened flesh.

[Now you’re wishing you knew how to fight.]

Not right now, Tyloki. Now is not the time. Isaac swallowed hard, staring at the tide of approaching creatures for only a second. “Run.” He sprinted forward, past Alissa into the stairwell.

Alissa didn’t ask questions, she followed without hesitation. The creatures let out an otherworldly wail as they surged down the hallway. They must have heard the commotion of the fight and come to check it out. Now that they had a target in mind, they were moving with a singular purpose. Isaac hit the stairs and climbed them two at a time until he remembered how exhausted he was. Alissa quickly overtook him as his legs refused to work.

“Where is Sharp’s office?!” Isaac called after her, wondering how high they would have to go. But he knew the answer already.

“40th floor, where else?” She called down, already almost an entire flight above him.

On the 25th floor, the creatures tumbled through the door and started to flow up the stairs like a river of darkness.

“Damn it!” Isaac cursed as he forced himself up the stairs.

[You really can’t blame anyone else.]

I could blame you. Using the handrail to steady himself, the boy scurried up the stairs. Alissa was getting too far ahead. He heard gunshots, and figured she must be trying to buy him time by shooting at the mass of creatures. It wouldn’t do much good, there were too many. Isaac had the gun in the waistband of his uniform, but it would be even less helpful than Alissa’s. So he kept his legs moving, he kept climbing.

[I’ll keep your gratitude in mind the next time I’m saving your life.]

The creatures were agile, able to climb the stairs faster than Isaac, and they moved in unison, ensuring they didn’t slow each other down. They seemed unfazed by Alissa’s shooting.

[Try a bit of fire.]

Isaac listened, and he started hurling small fireballs behind him. They bounced down the stairs, landing on top of the swarm of Thralls, stunning them. Each fireball that hit them slowed them down for just a second. He didn’t dare throw too many, he felt himself weakening with each toss. But they were helping. Eventually, he found Alissa waiting by the door to the 40th floor. At least she hadn’t left him.

Then he noticed that the reason she had waited might not have been for him. Instead, it was because she couldn’t go any further. The door to the 40th floor had been shut.

“What the hell?” Isaac shouted, slamming his palm against the door.

“Harland Sharp has been located on the 40th floor. The hostile element is approaching, security protocols require the floor be sealed off.” The AI chimed in, voice echoing in the stairwell, similar to the warped chattering of the Thralls.

“What about us?” Alissa asked, glancing down at the rapidly climbing monsters.

“You are not considered primary personnel. Your safety is not dictated by emergency protocols.”

“If we don’t die, I quit!” Isaac kicked the door, but only hurt his own foot.

Alissa took a more effective action. Stepping up to the security console to the side of the door, she started typing frantically.

“What are you doing?” Isaac asked, looking at her.

“I’m the Vice Head of Security. I think I can hack into my own building.” She sneered, waving a hand to shush Isaac. “You need to hold them off.”

“How?” Isaac asked, but Alissa just swatted a hand at him again. She needed to concentrate.

“You are not primary personnel. Please cease your actions. They are endangering primary personnel.” The AI commanded, but Alissa ignored it.

Got any ideas? Isaac asked. He wasn’t strong enough to do anything more than toss small fireballs.

[Fire isn’t all you can do.]

“Yeah, what good is a shield going to do me?” Isaac bent over the railing, the Thralls were only a few floors away. He winced at the horrible noise they were making.

[You can do more than just shield yourself.]

Looking at the door that blocked their way, Isaac had an idea. He balled his hand into a fist, and placed it in his palm. Pressing his hands against he chest, he focused on the floor directly below them. Blue lights shined and flashed, swirling in the air, coalescing into a Lightglass barrier. It filled the stairwell, just like the security doors. When the tide of Thralls reached it, they smashed against it like a tsunami. Several of them fell off the stairs, plummeting to the floors below. Others stumbled back, down the stairs, into their constituents. As the front of the pack fell back, the ones behind moved forward, a relentless torrent against the shield. Isaac thought he could feel them, their aggression not against the barrier but directly inside of him.

Alissa was still typing, her fingers a blur against the Lightglass monitor. She bit her tongue as she worked. Isaac hoped she got it soon. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out. Each group of Thralls that attacked the barriers made him feel like he was going to fall down.

“Get ready to move!” Alissa shouted, still working.

Isaac backed up slowly, towards the door. He tried to keep the barrier up, but he knew he only had a few seconds left. He felt the shattering inside, like a piece of him had broken, as the barrier was sundered, raining crystal dust on the monsters below. The boy shouted, though it wasn’t exactly pain he felt. The door slid open. The tide of monsters reached the plateau of the 40th floor. Alissa shoved Isaac through the doorway, and he fell back. She jumped through, landing next to him, as the door slammed shut again.

“I could only get control of the door for a few seconds.” She explained, catching her breath as she stood up.

Isaac remained on the floor, breathing heavily. The door shuddered as the monsters slammed against it from the stairwell.

“Those doors are tough, they probably wont get through any time soon.” Alissa said, grabbing Isaac’s hand, pulling him forcibly into a sitting position.

[That was exciting.]

Exciting? We nearly died.

[That’s when what you do matters the most.]

I don’t know about that. Isaac thought, but he let the issue go. They were on the 40th floor now, but they still hadn’t found Sharp. He needed Alissa’s help to stand, and his legs hardly had feeling in them anymore. The security officer hugged her gun now, not returning it to it’s holster.

“That was...fun.” She said, glaring at the door behind them.

[What about that wasn’t enjoyable?]

Any of it? Isaac asked, looking around, wondering where Sharp’s office was. “Which way?”

Alissa waved for him to follow, and started down the hallway. Isaac recognized it as the same one he had been in early in the day. As they turned down the corner and found the board room where he had awoken, he could see by the moonlight that it was nighttime now. They passed by the meeting room, and Isaac stopped Alissa for a moment. He went in and juked around the table, carefully approaching the windows. Far below, in Fountain Plaza, Isaac could see flashing lights, emergency vehicles, and people scurrying around like ants. The building entrance appeared to be cordoned off by a Lightglass tape.

“I wonder how long it will be before they find a way in.” Isaac wondered, shivering at the chill created by the heavy winds.

“If the building is locked down, they probably wont force it open until they know its safe. When they decide to do that, it’ll take hours to cut through the security doors. They could fly a VTOL up to rescue us, but they don’t know where everyone is. Without knowing where to go, or what exactly caused the lockdown, they’re going to be slow to act. We might not have enough time to wait for them.” Alissa said, pressing her gloved hand against the glass.

Isaac looked over at her, wondering suddenly what her story was. “Why do you work for InCorp?”

“They pay the best.” She said, staring at the stars in the sky longingly.

“But why do you work in security?” He continued, looking at the same stars as her.

“Because it pays the best.” She said, looking to Isaac with a crooked smile. “Ask me that again someday, and when I figure out the answer, I’ll let you know.”

“Alright.” He pressed his hand to the cool glass in the same way. He wanted nothing more than to crawl under the table and sleep. To wait for someone else to do it. But here was something only he could do, he couldn’t wait for someone else to do it. If he wanted to save anyone at all, he had to keep going. And he had to save them, because...he still wasn’t sure where his need came from. He just knew it drove him forward, forced him to act. He knew the day was coming soon when he wouldn’t be able to ignore it anymore.

“Lets get moving.” Alissa said, stepping back from the window. “We might not have much time.”

The hallway was conspicuously quiet as they traveled to Sharp’s office. The building was a mess, it was going to cost a fortune to replace all of the computers and furniture that had been destroyed. Isaac grinned, secure in the knowledge that his small piece of the InCorp fortune was safe from that responsibility.

Harland Sharp’s office had a large reception room, with a waiting area and a desk for his secretary. The entire waiting room could be seen from the hallway, as the wall as made of glass. And here, it was easy to see why the floor had been so quiet. Every Thrall on the floor appeared to have amassed outside of Sharp’s office, and they were taking turns throwing themselves against the door.

“They can’t break through, right?” Isaac whispered as they observed from a safe distance.

“The door looks like they’ve been beating on it for awhile now.” She was right, the metal door seemed to have been severely dented, and was in danger of breaking free from it’s frame. They didn’t have much time left.

“Do you think he’s in there?”

“If they want in that badly, someone or something is in there.” Alissa said, pointing her gun at the monsters.

“Hold on, we can’t fight all of them.” Isaac said, placing his hand on top of her gun.

“Do you have any better ideas?” She asked, apparently annoyed that he touched her gun.

Isaac stared at the waiting room. It was glass all the way to the outside. The windows in the waiting room were the same as those in the meeting room. Thick glass panels.

All I have to do is kick it out a window...

“Yeah, I have an idea. When I say go, shoot out all the windows.” Isaac commanded confidently.

The same as before, Isaac balled his hand into a fist and placed it in his other hand, against his chest.

[This should be interesting.]

Blue lights flashed, and just inside the waiting room, a vertical wall of Lightglass formed. Isaac took a step forward, and as he did, the shield shifted forward. Another step, and the shield moved further. The Thralls took notice. They turned their attention to Isaac and Alissa. Together, they started to slam against the barrier, but as Isaac stepped slowly forward, they were pushed back. He moved his hands in front of him, palms open. They pressed against the waiting room window. The Thralls were being pressed against the exterior windows, wailing and thrashing wildly.

“Now!” Isaac shouted, and Alissa pulled the trigger. Once for each pane of glass. The bullets easily pierced the interior windows. They passed unimpeded through the Lightglass, and finally shattered the exterior windows. Isaac stumbled forward, throwing the Thralls out of the building with his barrier. They wailed as they fell, their cries filling the city with a noise Isaac was sure he wouldn’t forget for some time to come.

“That was awesome.” Alissa said as she jogged over to Isaac, who was just regaining his balance.

Before Isaac could answer her, the door to Sharp’s office opened. The inside of the office was dimly lit, but Isaac could clearly see someone was sitting in the chair behind the desk. They were holding a rocks glass, shimmering with an amber liquid.

[He is sipping scotch.]

The office was decorated eclectically, with various styles of design, both local and foreign, given equal prominence. Isaac and Alissa stepped up to the door and entered together. The desk was single board, carved all together from a single tree. The occupant had his feet propped up on it, despite its apparent cost. His shoes glinted brightly in their polish. The room was surreal, in the midst of such chaos, it had remained untouched. Isaac stepped inside.

Harland Sharp was slick, he kept calm in the face of whatever was before him. That was the reason he was the face of InCorp. He had the ability to never become flustered, to never trip up, even when he was being attacked by the media or a disgruntled customer. Similarly, he showed almost no notice of the Thrall siege on the building. He sipped his scotch. He had meticulously styled hair, spiked instead of parted. Instead of wearing a suit, he was wearing more casual clothes, something Isaac thought he might wear on a day off. Harland Sharp was an easy guy to like, because he didn’t take himself or anything too seriously.

Now, Sharp put his feet on the floor and leaned forward, placing his glass on the desk. “That was cool.” He said with a friendly grin, not just with his lips but also with his eyes. “That was very cool.”

Isaac was stunned, though he wasn’t quite sure why. He had expected to run in and save a flustered executive who was afraid for his life. Instead, they found Sharp waiting patiently for rescue. Isaac shook his head, there were things they needed to do. He had questions to ask. And they still needed to get out of the building. The night loomed outside, and Isaac wasn’t sure how much longer it would last, but he felt sure the day had yet to show all it’s cards.