Thur hadn’t expected things to progress like this.

  ?

  He ran along the top of a train. It seemed incredibly easy in the movies he had watched, yet every step was a dangerous struggle. The moving surface below him, bucking in every direction as the train flew across its less than smooth track, the force of the air they collided into created a constant backpush. Calling what he was doing running was a bit of an exaggeration; he supposed it was more of an awkward shuffle an older man would do, too proud to stop walking even as it was apparent they needed to. Done at a speed that eclipsed the speed of the train, but an old man shuffle all the same.

  ?

  Thur had decided shortly after disposing of Bob to head directly for the asylum. It was apparent that Susan had been captured and, therefore, unable to save her new hangaround, K. This meant that doing so would be his first objective. Not because Susan had told him, of course, as a policy he tried not to listen to her too often. But because George had basically assured her she wouldn’t be harmed. K, on the other hand, seemed like she was in more immediate danger.

  ?

  He had two pursuers, both of them identical to the creep he had just killed a mere hour ago. The two seemed not to struggle nearly as much as he as they followed him. Somehow, being physically strong enough to merely stroll along the roof calmly despite the constant force pushing against them. Thur was sure it made for a comedic sight; Thur crawling ahead at a turtle’s pace, pursued by two businessmen casually catching up with a relaxed pace. It would be less funny he imagined when they caught him.

  ?

  Thur’s plan had been simple; he’d rush straight to the asylum and shut it down himself. It would be dangerous, maybe even impossible, if what he expected was within. But he owed it to Susan, after all she had done for him; his life was something he’d easily risk if she needed it. It’d help if the woman hadn’t managed to get nabbed. Though The Company certainly had the power and influence. But what was the point of being the smartest human in the world if you could still be caught? Had George done it himself?

  ?

  Of course, no plan ever went so well. The very second he had left the amusement park, he had been pursued by a legion of drones armed with small-caliber rounds. They had pursued him with such vigor that he had nearly been killed several times. Thur had at first settled for attempting to destroy the drones with a litany of his throwing knives. But they quickly adapted and switched to attacking him from high above, where even he couldn’t quite reach. The turrets forced him back into the park eventually, and it wasn’t until he backtracked and found his forty-four that he had made any true progress. With it, he had managed to shoot his way free, only to watch in dismay as more drones came. The Company had already tried quality and was now attempting the quantity angle. Eventually, though, Thor had lost them, and as he got closer to a city, they had no choice but to let him through or risk exposure to the public.

  ?

  The very fact that the drones were trying to kill him was alarming. It proved what he had expected. The Company, despite trying to capture him for years, had changed its behavior. That they didn’t need him anymore. His recent investigation had been the straw that broke the camel's back it seemed.

  ?

  When he had made it into the city proper, Thur debated taking another vehicle, but upon seeing a railroad, made a brilliant deduction: using the train for undocumented travel seemed wise. There was no risk of it being tracked like a car, and was certain to be unexpected. He easily broke into a compartment, resealed it, and waited for the train to depart. As soon as it began to move, Thur watched in shock as two Bob’s opened the door and climbed in to join him.

  ?

  Fighting in that situation had been more than difficult. In the small space, and with no knowledge of the outside world. The fight between the three of them was odd. Thur couldn’t risk using his secret weapon or gun, and the Bobs couldn’t use their absurd strength nearly as effectively. However, down to his knife and skills, Thur had quickly been overwhelmed by the two. Who, oddly enough, seemed much more skilled than the previous Bob.

  ?

  They actually dodged and counterattacked now, the only real change of note. But with this dramatic shift in practice, they went from lumbering powerhouses, to dangerous killers. The initial clashes went in his favor. He skillfully evaded and snapped off attacks at the two. However they simply wouldn’t stay down, his strength and blade unable to reach their core. Thur’s superior speed and skill allowed him to last a whil. As the combat went on, however, the two of them shrugged off his blows and cornered him slowly, beginning to overwhelm him with strikes, intent on beating him unconscious or dead. It had nearly worked—until Thur’s temper flared, granting him more strength. He broke free from their grasp, opened the compartment, and climbed out onto the roof of the train. The Bobs followed him shortly after.

  ?

  Their strange chase had continued like that for a while now, the train carrying them through the starry night sky and through the thick woods of West Virginia. Having left the city behind, they were now heading roughly in the direction of the asylum, through the thick, hilly wilderness around them.

  ?

  “You guys are way too pushy!” Thur roared at the top of his lungs. The howling wind swallowed most of the sound. But just like his hearing, Bob’s senses in that regard were overtuned.

  ?

  “We are not. We are simply determined, a very human feeling.” Bob answered back.

  ?

  “George offered us Employee of the Month if we capture you.” The other agreed.

  ?

  Thur took the moment for what it was, while they spoke, the two of them slowed down. As Thur crawled forward slowly so as not to alert them, he looked ahead. There was a sign, too high to be a risk to them now, but it gave him an idea all the same.

  ?

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  "So which of you two will be employee of the month? You know they only give to a single employee every month?" Thur asked desperately. He was stalling, making up nonsense to keep them from thinking. The idea that such a desperate manipulation would work was stupid. Who the hell cared about the employee of the month?!

  ?

  However, to his shock, the two Bob’s paused their stroll. Seeming genuinely perplexed by his question, they glanced at each other, back to him, then back at each other.

  ?

  “Agent Scorpio makes a good point…” One Bob said with a hum. “Which Bob will be rewarded?”

  ?

  “If one Bob is, are all Bob’s not?” The other asked.

  ?

  “We are all Bob… but not all the same…” The first one said with a slow nod. “I should be the beloved Bob.”

  “Well, hold on now, I’d like to be the beloved Bob!”

  ?

  “I will capture the Thur!”

  ?

  “Bob will!”

  ?

  “I’m Bob!”

  ?

  Thur didn’t bother watching the comedy act. He listened intently to see if they would realize, but his obvious bait had at least momentarily pitted them against each other. While they argued he measured his plan, the sign he had spotted flew by above him, and the moment it did, Thur leapt upwards with all his strength.

  ?

  The power of his legs carried him up the sign’s height, while the gust of wind sent him flying into it. Prepared for it, Thur punched the sign with all his might. His flight and the blow forced the sign off its frame, sending it hurtling through the air and toward the Bobs. So immersed in their argument, both politely arguing why they were superior to one another, they didn’t see it till it clipped one Bob, sending him hurtling off the train and leaving a single Bob left.

  ?

  Thur barely landed on the train, but the impact made him bounce and roll off it. Barely able to pull a knife, Thur thrust it into the train's metal, screeching as it barely punched through, giving Thur a handhold to stay on the train. He struggled to hold on as the wind battered him against the compartment, but his struggle ended early. Thur blinked as a hand wrapped around his own, lifting him up and freeing his blade with ease.

  ?

  Thur stared, dumbfounded, as Bob held him up with one arm, above his own head.. “Thanks?” he managed.

  ?

  “No need! George warned we’d need the body afterwards!” Bob said cheerily, as if promising to kill him and take off with his body was a normal thing to say. “So please die quickly!”

  Thur would bite back some sort of sarcastic reply, but Bob suddenly punched him in the gut. The blow drove the wind from Thur, and stunning him, allowing Bob to chuck him bodily away from him and safely onto the roof. Thur rolled from the impact, nearly falling off the train again. Only for Bob to appear above him, cruelly punting him further down the train, and walking after him.

  ?

  This time, however, Thur recovered in time, rolling to his feet. Instinctively, he threw a blind uppercut, smiling as Bob appeared into it, the blow snapping his head back and making the strange being stumble. Thur followed it up with a powerful kick to the body, attempting to knock Bob off the train. But the man caught the blow with one arm with ease, the other raising in an attempt to break his leg with a strike. But Thur was quicker, flicking his knife and impaling it into the forehead of Bob. Following that up with a straight kick, driving his knife straight through Bob’s head.

  ?

  It bought Thur a moment, Bob stumbling back as the silvery liquid he was made of began to morph his body, enveloping Bob’s head to heal it. Thur used the moment to draw another knife from his coat, spinning it in his hand as he bent his knees, aimed his blade at Bob, and raised his non-blade hand defensively.

  ?

  “It’s a classic brawl then, finally a one on one.” Thur said to Bob with a smirk. “Let’s see if you do any better than last time.”

  ?

  “Bob should thank you,” Bob said with a proud nod of his head. “You’ve made Bob learn, not only for combat situations, but also on how to ensure Bob is the best he can be. Now he’ll be guaranteed the Employee of the Month Award!”

  ?

  “You're happy I took out your friend?” Thur asked, confused. Something about these Bob creations was downright strange. It seemed slightly obtuse and strange, like it lacked a human personality and was just learning how it all worked. Perhaps The Company had learned since Thur. And created an Agent that would never betray them.

  ?

  “Yes! With your advice, I realized that Bob and I are not all created equal! Otherwise, why the need for an award? No among us Bobs are those more Bob than others. And I am the best Bob, which will be proven when George gives this Bob the award.” Bob explained proudly.

  ?

  “That requires you to catch me first,” Thur said dangerously as he prepared to charge. But paused as another sight of inspiration hit him. The train was crossing a small bridge over a creek, and Thur paused his charge as he eyed the water below the bridge.

  ?

  Bob, apparently taking that as a challenge, charged forward at a greater speed than before, quickly closing the gap between them. Thur met his charge with his own much slower one, but as Bob neared, sidestepped around him, crouching low as Bob stumbled by and diving into the man once he did with a lunge using the full power of his legs.

  ?

  Thur had done it perfectly. He knocked Bob off his feet, and both flew from the train and bridge, falling toward the water below—just as Thur planned. A fact: Thur had learned long ago about water. When you hit it at high speed, the surface of it might as well be concrete.

  The impact was tremendous, Bob coughing up silvery liquid as they hit the water. It took every ounce of willpower Thur had to fight through the pain; instead, as they sank towards the bottom of the creek, he aimed his secret weapon at Bob. His hand unhinged, revealing the barrel again. And even underwater, Thur’s arm began to glow blue, steam billowing and surrounding them both as he powered up his attack. Bob seemed to frown, realizing his intent. But it was too late.

  ?

  There was a flash of blue, both from his arm cannon and the ionization of the water. Where they were, there were no flames, merely a series of gas bubbles under water, tearing Bob apart, and sending Thur flying upwards. Thur breached the surface, the power of the explosion carrying him high in the air, the flight carrying him to the shore, and him hitting it with a pained groan.

  ?

  Thur watched the water, waiting for Bob to emerge, but nothing appeared. The rippling, bubbling surface churned, but remained empty. He doubted his arm cannon had obliterated Bob. Without the power of the raw heat it normally had, it simply couldn’t. And the Bob from before had, for all intents and purposes, survived the blast. But there was no overly polite Bob to see. The blast had torn the thing apart; had the flowing creek kept him from reassembling?

  ?

  Thur couldn’t be sure, but was certain he needed to move. He crawled to his feet, sore and tired. Even a man like him couldn’t go forever. He needed to rest and recoup, but there was no certainty; even with Bob gone, he was still being pursued.

  ?

  He scanned the thick grass surrounding the edge of the creek. Before Thur blinked as he noticed a less-than-appealing, but perhaps perfect place to hideout, maybe even a way to travel undetected. Because before him was an outfall. The large black pipe is releasing a small trickle of water. It hadn’t rained for a few days and wasn’t due to, explaining why it wasn’t overflowing with water. Meaning he could likely go inside it, and if he was lucky enough for it to be connected to the main grid, allow Thur a way to travel that even The Company wouldn’t catch onto right away.

  ?

  The sewers weren’t ideal for a break or a trip to possible death. But Thur had no choice but to press on…