I had always thought I was just a bit tough, that most physical pain just washed off of me. I had gone through training, top of the top. I never broke down, was never too tired to go. I always gave one hundred and ten.

Of course, then things became chaotic. Wars have to be fought by the best. I was put into a situation where I was dropped in to recover a critical bit of intel, that would leave a huge amount of the military vulnerable. They would be scrambling to fix the hole, but it could take weeks. We had days.

My operation was definitely on the black books.

I never thought that the same time that I recovered the data. I'd be looking out a window to see devastation. The city was being bombarded.

"Fuck me-"

Ten stories of building. Tumbling away like shattered glass. Fire. Metal. Cement.

I never expected to see anything ever again.

'USER CATEGORY TWO DANGER'

...

'ADMINISTERING SHOCK'

I screamed my body was left twitching. I looked around and I was sitting in a pile of rubble. My clothing was mostly ruined, but I was...fine. I glanced around wondering what had happened. What was that sound I had heard just before I lost consciousness?

I checked my pockets and found that the USB was still intact, the container was completely undamaged. Shaking my head, I tried to reach my evac but all my gear was completely fried. With the city in ruins it was doubtful that I would find an easy way to communicate. Luckily I knew how far the nearest base was.

It was quite far but all I need was a working vehicle and I could get there in a couple days. Even as ruined as it was, that was possible. Of course I had to deal with something new. The local militia had surrounded the city and put check points up. If I had thought about it I would have changed my appearance more, while I wasn't in military gear they had apparently made me off of some security networks that had survived.

They were on a shoot first questions later mentality.

'USER CATEGORY FIVE DANGER'

The first shot hit dead in my chest. I had a moment of panic, but then immediately wondered if they had a misfire. Didn't matter. I gunned it through the checkpoint.

"What the fuck is going on?"

I was definitely going to be chased down, and the beat half dead car I had wasn't going to out run them.

"What do I do now?"

'USER ADVISE - PULL OVER AT DEFENSIVE LOCATION. APPREHEND WEAPON. DEAL WITH ENEMY FORCES. COMMENDEER ENEMY TRANSPORT.'

"What the hell is that?"

'USER RESPONSE - I AM THE AUTONOMUS NANOMUSCULAR PROTOTYPE THAT YOU HAD ACTIVATED JUST BEFORE YOU WERE KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS.'

"I did?"

There was no response to that, but following it's tactical advise, I was able to make it back to base. With a frown, I had to deal with a lot of questions. The problem is...

I had the information. It wasn't some nanomachine. No matter who I spoke with no one understood what I was talking about. I had to talk to a therapist who told me that it was a rationalization. My mind made it up, to rationalize how I survived.

I didn't argue, if I did they would force me out.

As I was leaving, I was stopped again. I didn't recognize the man wearing thick dark aviator glasses, but I recognized his rank and stepped aside with him.

"Well son, I don't know how to say this other than, you're out."

"What!"

"Well, we can't have an X-Factor in the military."

"X-Factor?"

"The nanomachines. They aren't how do I say this...let's just say they are an anomaly, and thus you are an anomaly. Following the Concords of the Shadow we can't have you in the conventional military."

I paused. There was a lot in that sentence.

"Don't worry son. You aren't done protecting this fine nation. You are just moving to the real black ops."

I froze when he removed his sunglasses revealing inhuman-looking, cat-like eyes.

"Welcome to the End Game son. We are the last line. The first line. The only line between us and things you've never imagined. From today on, you are one of us."

He handed me my orders, and I felt a bit reassured. I was always a bit different, but today I was ready. The world was even wider and for once I really didn't know what tomorrow would hold.