The Phoenix Fallacy Book I: Janus Read Online Free

“You shoul’ show some respect.”
    Janus gave him a pitying look and then turned with a smile to Clara.  “Have a good day,” he waved cheerily.
    “You not hear me, mudfish?”  The first guard grunted at Janus.
    Clara froze in the doorway when she had heard Janus’ reply.  She did not wave back, but instead gave him an angry gaze and mouthed NO. As the two guards advanced on him, her look became desperate.
    Janus sighed, and glanced at the first guard, who was in the process of clumsily trying to shove him.  The blow from the armored soldier surely would have sent him flying, but the guard was simply moving too slowly.  They always moved too slowly.  Janus took a step back, easily dodging the simple attack.
    “You little—” the guard spluttered as he stumbled forward.  Janus smirked as the guard flung a loose fist towards him, and danced away.  The first guard howled with rage, but the other two laughed, “G ettin’ beat by some kid, Hammer?”
    Clara rushed towards the fight, but was grabbed by a third trooper, “Janus!”
    Janus bit his lip guiltily.  As Hammer turned to face him, and Janus raised his hands in truce, “Listen – we both know you could take my head off with a punch, so why don’t we call it quits for today?”
    “Yeah, Hammer, quit while you’re only slightly behind,” one of the other guards called.
    “Shut it, McKnight,” Hammer replied.  “You think I’m going to let this kid make a fool of me?”  Hammer grabbed his rifle, “Let’s see how well you run from a bolt.”
    Janus felt his whole body tense as the barrel of the Zeus swung towards him.
    McKnight grabbed the barrel, “Might not want to do that.”
    “Don’t tell me you’re soft on this mudfish.”
    “No, but one of the Overlords might be.  There’s a request for him,” he motioned his helmet to the console behind him.
    “What?”  Clara exclaimed. 
    “Supposed to send him up with the woman.  Come here, kid.”  McKnight gestured with his free hand to Janus, who eyed him suspiciously.  Clara held her breath.
    McKnight laughed, “I was rootin’ for ya’, remember?  Besides, orders is orders.  We can’t let you outta sight now.”  Janus didn’t move.
    McKnight grabbed Clara roughly.  She gasped in pain. “I mean it, kid.”
    Janus scowled, but walked confidently towards the guard.  “That’s it.  Go on.  Straight up to Overlord Middleton.”  McKnight nodded at Clara, “I presume you know to head there straightaway.”
    Clara nodded numbly. 
    “Good.  Let them through.” 
    The other guards stepped aside.  Janus could feel Hammer’s burning eyes through the opaque visor, and he smiled at the angry guard as he passed.
     

Chapter 2: The Silver-Haired Man

     
    After an interminably tense few moments, the pair passed the checkpoint and entered the obsidian structure.  Janus could feel Clara’s anxiety as her eyes jumped back to him every few moments.
    Janus let his eyes wander over the station.  The interior r eflected the twisted outside, except the walls gave off a darker, redder glow.  A Security Officer, in a standard black and purple Cerberus uniform, worked the control room in the center of the station, overseeing his task through a heavy red window.  The sigil of the Three-Headed Dog of Cerberus was engraved into the walls.  Ten heavily armored doors in the roof designated where each of the individual lifts would descend, riding magnetic tracks along the walls of the station.
    Only two of the seven lift stations across Cerberus served the slums, and only one lift within each of those stations ever came down this far.  There wasn’t much need for more.  Most of the traffic hovered between the factory and security levels, transporting vehicles, equipment, and supplies.  Two lift platforms were devoted specifically to the Security forces; another two to the constant supply of workers to and from the factories.  A smaller, enclosed lift that was devoted to the