Chapter 109 The Hunted Becomes The Hunter



It took but a single moment for Erich to realize the situation he was in. There was no escaping from the Empire's most elite operators, especially when they had eyes on you. He was already suffering from physical exhaustion as a result of spending nearly three weeks constantly on the run. He did not have the energy left within him to run away from a fireteam of WRAITHs.

By now, reinforcements had been called in, and it was only a matter of minutes before they would arrive. If Erich truly wanted to escape from the, he had only one choice: eliminate the operator who was currently hiding in the shadows, and scavenge his special power armor, which had built in stealth technology. 

But that was a difficult task, because he would need to identify his target, who was practically invisible. Perhaps the ancient gods of Earth had answered Erich's silent prayer, because in the next moment, a cloudburst appeared in the skies above the forested moon. Specifically, over Erich's exact location. 

The torrent of rain which had come from nowhere had begun to disrupt his surroundings, and in doing so, caused the active Camoflauge system which the WRAITH employed to malfunction, ever so slightly. Creating a silhouette of the operator in question, one which was only visible because of Erich's genetically, and cybernetically enhance eyesight. 

It turned out the man was only a few feet away, preparing to strike an unsuspecting Erich. Thus, Erich immediately responded to this by shooting into a high crotch takedown where he effortlessly lifted the power armor clad superhuman into the air, and slammed the man directly into the rocks beneath their feet. 

This attack flung the knife from the man's hand, and stunned him enough that Erich was able to quickly pass his guard and get into side control. Where he immediately made a gamble, and hipped out where he applied a modified Ezekiel choke to his opponent. 

Even with the protection of power armor around the neck, it was not enough to prevent Erich from cutting off the blood flow to his enemy's brain. Erich held onto this choke for well over a minute until he confirmed that the mighty WRAITH was in fact dead as can be. 

Once he confirmed that he had done the unthinkable and killed a reaper, albeit through a surprise attack, Erich quickly stripped out of his basic Star Marine pattern power armor, and undersuit, before equipping the highly advanced stealth power armor which wraiths were known to wear. Immediately, he could tell that there was a massive difference in the technology.

Not only did this suit of power armor have stealth capabilities, but it also provided better protection and had superior flexibility. If that wasn't good enough, it also had enhanced computer systems were more akin to those equipped in a spacecraft or armored vehicle than that of your standard issue power armor. 

Until today, Erich had only ever worn some black market knockoff power armor. It was big; it was bulky; it was cumbersome, and it completely lacked the advanced artificial intelligence which operated the Stealth Power Armor that Erich was currently equipped with. 

Compared to the black market stuff, this armor fit like a glove, as if it were one giant spandex bodysuit. It was beyond comfortable in addition to its other superior properties. The moment Erich attached his helmet, a small artificial intelligence appeared in the heads up display.

She was a beautiful, scantily clad young woman who was practically naked. Her cobalt twintails fluttered as she pouted upon realizing that Erich was not her master. Something she was quick to voice aloud. 

"You're not my master! How did you get this suit of armor? Fiend, Knave! I am reporting your location to the nearest strike team!"

However, Erich's abilities at controlling computer systems were nearly unparalleled. Due to his enhanced NeuroLink, and natural gift of cyberkinesis, it was actually a simple matter for him to rewrite the AI's code. And though it initially resisted this attempt to force her to recognize Erich as her new master, she eventually capitulated by falling to her knees and shrieking as she covered her sensitive areas with her dainty hands. 

"No! Not there!"

Erich immediately noticed that the AI's actions and words were a little too lewd. He was beginning to feel like an old lecher who was preying on a little loli. But he bore with the guilt and shame he now felt, and finished the job, completely rewriting the code that would recognize him as the AI's master from this moment forward. 

Once the Ai accepted these commands, she rose from her kneeling position, and wore an embarrassed expression as she greeted Erich with a curtsy. 

"Welcome Master, I am your Tactical Intelligence Assistant, or TIA for short. How can I help you?" 

Erich was happy to see that Tia was being cooperative, and thus smiled as he gave his first true orders to her. 

"Activate this armor's stealth capabilities and chart a route away from my pursuers with the highest chances of survival." 

Tia struck a victory pose and wore a cute smile as she confirmed Erich's orders. His line of sight immediately created a holographic projection of a secure route for him to follow that would allow him to escape from the WRAITH fireteams which were no doubt headed towards his location at this very moment. 

"Stealth is activated, and your route has been calculated, though due to the heavy rainstorm, I would suggest being cautious in your exit, as there are currently three dropships en route to your current location, all of which contain WRAITHs. Good luck master!" 

After saying this, Tia disappeared, but the holographic route continued to lead a path for Erich to escape from. Erich did not hesitate to follow Tia's suggestion, and began to flee through the forest, in a way that avoided all traps, landmines, patrols, and even the hunters who had come for his hide. Eventually he would find a place to make camp, that would allow him to avoid detection for several days as he got the necessary rest to continue his test. 

---

Mirage stood at attention with a particularly hideous scowl on her otherwise beautiful face. She was having a difficult time dealing with the smug look on Emrys' face as he sat in his office chair, while stroking the fur of a pure white cat. All of which was projected to the hidden moon bunker through holographic communications. Just when Mirage was about to say something, Emrys suddenly spoke. His words were like a rusty nail on a chalkboard to his subordinate, who now had to admit defeat. 

"So, it has been twenty-four hours since our last discussion. Yet, I have not heard any word of Erich failing his test. Might I assume that he has escaped the net which you cast for him?" 

These words were most definitely bitter to the veteran field agent who was tasked with leading the manhunt for Erich. Indeed, the man had slipped from her grasp, and the most recent reports suggest that he killed a WRAITH in the field, and had even scavenged their power armor, making it damn near impossible to track him now. As much as she did not want to admit these things, she knew that Emrys was already aware of them, and thus, she was forced to confess her failures. 

"Erich has escaped my encirclement, but I assure you, we will find him before long, and when we do, I assure you that he will be eliminated! I have sent three fireteams of WRAITHs to comb the forests for any sight of his activity, and I have dispatched two battalions of Star Marines to ensure that a proper perimeter is established.  Sooner or later Erich will run out of room to hide, and when he does, he will finally fail this test!" 

Despite Mirage's assurances, Emrys was not convinced as he wore a wry smile before voicing his opinions on the matter. 

"Normally I would agree with you, but Erich has scavenged a set of our most advanced equipment, and has even hijacked the AI within the suit. You might as well admit your losses, Captain, because you could continue this exercise for the next year, and would still fail to find the man, unless he slipped up due to sheer incompetence. 

You have a ghost in those forests, and you should realize by now, you are no longer hunting him, but instead, soon enough, he will be hunting you! I look forward to the results of your test. Never before has a candidate managed to eliminate a WRAITH and scavenge his armor, let along hijack his artificial intelligence. Such a thing is only possible due to Erich's gifts. This is truly impressive...

If I were you, Captain, I would be watching my back. Because the moment Erich realizes he has the advantage, he will begin hunting your men, and perhaps even target your base of operations. And while the goal of this training exercise is to survive, if he were to bring down the agent in charge, I would consider that a monumental victory." 

Mirage simply scoffed at Emrys' words before hanging up on the man. The very idea that one man could defeat an army was laughable. Nobody had ever managed to accomplish such a thing since the start of the WRAITH program. And she would be damned if she were the first one to allow such an unthinkable scenario to occur.