Talk to Freud 02

      A silent figure looked down upon Adam and Sophie battling against the two halves of Freud. It was filled with more than a little anger at once again seeing the face it hated so much, but which it knew it could not yet destroy.
      …Yet, at any rate. It's time would come, once it no longer had to be protected. It got ready, and prepared to go down to meet them.
     "Aaaand. Un… Deux...Trois!"
     
******

      Adam and Sophie were hiding behind the large pillars of the hallway. Though they were bogged down, they had at least enough ammo and knives to ensure holding off Freud a little while. Unfortunately for them, the red aggressive one had been making it's way ever closer to them, under cover fire from the blue one. They hoped they would be able to hit it with a stray bullet before it blew apart all their hiding places with one of it's projectiles.
      And then… A pure black beam shot out from the sky, and incinerated the red Freud altogether. (and a big segment of the floor and wall around it) It didn't even leave behind dust, or burn marks. Adam and Sophie could almost not believe what they were seeing, it was so sudden. The blue Freud himself came out of hiding to see what had gone on, as it was no less surprised than they were.
      In the center of the room, there floated down something which none of them expected, even given recent events. It looked rather like a cyborg composed of technology even further advanced than what Adam had become used to in recent months. Pieces of machinery which flicked in and out of space as if it was moving in dimensions unseen were surrounding a general human figure which was half machine, and covered in pulsing blue energy lines.
      Freud stepped out.
      "Who are you? What is the meaning of this?"
      It turned to him.
      "Silence, fool."
      It raised an arm, and some of the floating pieces formed in front of it into a cannon shape. The blue Freud desperately raised it's pistols and tried to shoot at it, but the bullets were stopped from hitting it by some unseen force. It pointed forward, and the cannon shot out another black beam at Freud, and the remainder of him disappeared as his other part had.
      "Scum. You deserve no more than oblivion."
      Adam and sophie's heightened danger senses let them realize this was a foe (Could be a friend, but why take that chance?) they were not likely able to defeat. They looked at eachother, and by silent agreement, bolted back toward the door they had come in. Unfortunately for them, it turned back, and pointed it's hand at the end of the hallway, which generated energy lines on it similar to the ones on the cyborg, and collapsed into a pile of rubble.
       Realizing they had no chance of moving it before the machine could be on them, they silently gave up, and slowly sauntered back to it. Hoping that positivity would increase their chances for survival, Sophie started.
      "You… You killed Freud. Are you our ally?"
       In truth, somehow it seemed more cruel for it to have killed Freud than for them to to her. They obviously would have had to kill or at least main Freud for their own survival, but whatever this was apparently was beyond threat from such petty sources. At the same time, Freud still being alive would have made things still harder for them? She wasn't really sure what to think.
       It landed down, and they got a better view of the man that composed it's core. Not really that remarkable. Looked maybe thirty-five or so. The interesting thing about him was that he looked like he was in significantly bad health. As if his body was damaged in some way; possibly through extended use of his machine.
       "I am an ally to all those who live through the strength of reason."
       They realized that that technically wasn't a direct answer, but decided survival would be more likely if they didn't press the issue.
       "Who are you?"
        It looked down.
        "I am Longinus. Bearer of the standard of mankind's freedom."
        They realized they weren't going to get any better of an answer than this.
        "Are you an enemy of Ophiuchus?"
         It looked a bit more talkative, once pressed with something it apparently wanted to bring up.
        "As are we all. That man is dangerous. He plans on selling mankind's future in exchange for survival. After we had already done so much to keep them free."
        "What is he trying to do?"
        "You heard for yourself, didn't you? That scum Freud came with him in hopes of creating another disgusting world based on slavery. What more do you need to know?"
         For the first time, Adam began to question how to proceed. The person he was talking to didn't exactly seem trustworthy, but at the same time what he was saying wasn't exactly wrong, either. Was an enemy of an enemy automatically a friend? Someone like this would certainly be a good ally; but how could he know they weren't just as bad a problem in a different direction? He began to be slightly worried at the realization that this world may have nothing left but different people trying to drag it down different roads of insanity. He wondered whether he even had any real power to change the outcome at all, if such a thing even still mattered.
        "So… are you… are we…"
        It turned angry looking at the sound of the word we. It turned to him.
        "Make no mistake, slave. You're no better than they are."
        It clamped down on the ground and stomped heavily over to him, surrounding him with the outer floating pieces of machinery.
        "You really don't know me, do you? Perhaps not. Your directions are not always straightforward."
        "Wha…"
        "Over these last years, you personally have caused more trouble for me and my plans than anyone else who walks this universe. I would… love to erase you right now, but I'm afraid I cannot do that."
         Adam realized by now that he was not dealing with anything like a potential ally. But hearing that he couldn't be killed emboldened him slightly. Sophie was standing to the side biting her finger, not sure whether she should butt in or not.
        "What do you mean? I've never seen you before. And I've certainly never spent much time doing anything in the last few years. I've been stranded for most of them; apparently on Freud's pet project planet."
        "Is that what you think?"
        "What do you mea…"
         It looked down, realizing that it might be close to saying more than it should at this given time. After all, it could jeopardize it's presence if too much information about it's own past got out. It threw Adam to the ground.
        "I'm sorry. Perhaps I was too abrupt. Farewell then, for now. But… remember my face. And my mechanical sword. We will always be hunting you. And we will always be watching you. Waiting for the day that you no longer need to be protected."
        "And when that day comes… We will kill you. No matter how much protection you think you may have gained over the years."
        It dropped Adam on the floor, and floated back up, it's machines converting back to some form of thing which looked like it was for fast propulsion. It turned to Sophie, who suddenly realized it had only specified it couldn't kill Adam, and she might be about to die. But it only spoke softly.
        "I feel sorry for you. You've felt betrayed once already, but it's only going to happen once more, all over again."
        "What are you even talking abou…"
        It suddenly morphed off. More as if it moved into another dimension than if it flew away. Either way, it had disappeared, and it's presence was no longer felt. After waiting a few moments hesitantly, Adam stood up and cracked his back. Sophie walked over to him, trying to ignore the implications of what she had just heard.
        "Who was that? He appears to have been watching you for some time, even if you never knew about it."
         Adam was clueless.
        "I don't… he claims I've been working against him for a long time. Does this mean… Ophiuchus has been controlling watching over, and manipulating what I've been doing for that long? Since… Since before the accident even?
       "Since… before I was stranded?"
       "For… my entire life?"
        They both looked down, and became quiet. Finding out that there was no point you had not been under scrutiny from multiple extraneous sources tended to put a lot of your less defendable actions in a sharper light. He looked back up.
       "I'm more worried about what Freud said, though. If all that happened where I lived, then what…
       "…"
       "Yeah… We're going to need to be doubly on guard from now on. There's more going on than we're privy to… apparently…"
       "I think we already needed to anyway."
       "Good point."