“Hmm, I’m pleased to see you getting some training in,” Reaching to the source of the ruckus, the Queen Deathbringer remarked. “But your choice of training partners…seems rather cruel.”
Before the blessed hunter’s eyes was a rather theatrical display – decorated with bruises and uniform previously whose white, clean cloth was tainted by gray were seen on the same trio of super soldiers who failed to take out Zack and Rose. The bandaged and stitched up wounds could only insure the physical injuries from their prior mission…these wounds were new.
The only answer to their apparent assault was Mohawk, who stood in their way.
“Hah! That’s kinda mean of you, senior! I’m not training with these lowly scrubs!” Grabbing the collar of one before tossing the soldier aside, Mohawk retorted. “I’m just beating the crap outta them for being so damn useless!”
Hmm…they’re being too hard on their comrades. The Queen Deathbringer pondered as she gazed on the injured soldiers. They don’t even care that there were two casualties too…they’re so much different from my generation of super soldiers.
“How barbaric of you, Mohawk,” Spectating his rampage, Twintails remarked.
“You mind your own damn business!” Sparking ire in him, Mohawk yelled. “Why don’t you go work on your sloppy marksmanship, huh!?”
“S-Sloppy!? My marksmanship isn’t sloppy!” Verbalizing her feeling of offense with a gasp, twintails replied. “You watch your mouth!”
“Yeah, yeah…whatever.”
“Tsk, keep talking smack and you’ll learn how good my aim is,” Twintails threatened. “When there are a few holes in that barbaric head of yours.”
“Oh yeah? Is that a–”
“...Ahem, let’s not start a fight between super soldiers as powerful as yourselves now,” The Queen Deathbringer advised. “And you shouldn’t be so cruel to your comrades when they did return with results.”
“Huh? What results?” Mohawk questioned. “Like, I know you and the previous gen of super soldiers were very familiar with failure, but now you’re saying being useless is good?”
“...We have the location of the Blueblood’s headquarters because of them…that’s what I meant,” The Chief replied with narrowed eyes. Such a disrespectful soldier.
“Oh, I guess that’s something.”
“Using their location, I’ll develop a task force with the sole task of taking down the Blueblood criminal group,” The Queen continued. “I’m thinking of a mixture of a couple dozen super soldiers and regular soldiers for armed support to form that task force.”
“Huh, with that many military personnel, completing that mission is a foregone conclusion, no matter how useless they could be,” Mohawk replied. “But why are you even telling me this?”
“Because, Mohawk, you’ll be the leader of that task force.”
Like a kid seeing their favorite TV show, Mohawk’s expression immediately lit up by her words.
“Hah, finally! Now you’re talking, Chief! I was wondering when I’d get to do something!” Mohawk happily said. “But if I’m gonna participate, then it’d just be overkill.”
“So you say, but our information on their military power is lacking. Though from the informant, there are only a few blessed humans, and several cybernetically enhanced humans,” The Queen explained. “The highest tiers may have been the ones that escaped, but we can never be too sure that there aren’t any surprises.”
“Meh, whatever.”
“Not to mention, there is the S-Class criminal, Zack Isaac.”
“Heh, oh yeah…there is that guy. I can’t wait to meet him, actually,” With a devious smile, Mohawk replied.
“Uh, what about me, Chief?” Twintails questioned. “Is my help not needed on the task force?”
“Pfft, I don’t think the task force needs the help of a sloppy marksman.”
Frustrated at his taunts, Twintails stared daggers at her comrade while gritting her teeth.
“Just like Mohawk, you are a super soldier on the level of a blessed hunter,” The Deathbringer stated. “Your skills are valued even by the president…so you will have a task of your own soon.”
“Heh, alright,” Her expression didn’t match who she responded to, as Twintails plagued Mohawk with a smug look.
“Whatever…let’s get on with the preparations then,” Mohawk remarked.
“Yes…since you’ll be executing the mission tomorrow.”
- * * *
The morning light slowly spilled across the world and greeted the living with a new day. The pale skies were slowly painted by the yellow sunlight, and so was the speed of Xavier’s footsteps as he ventured toward his home.
“Ugh…it hurts so much, but I finally got released from the hospital,” With his hand hovering near the knob of his home’s entrance, Xavier muttered to himself. His right arm was in a cast and he had a neck brace, but at least he was alive. “That damn explosion rattled me, but I can finally return home.”
With this…I can finally put my criminal life behind me. I’ll live a regular, happy life with my family. As the door swung with a soft click, Xavier thought to himself. We’ll move to a different area…away from those Blueblood dogs.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The door never even opened all the way, but Xavier felt the need to cover his mouth and nose. It hit his nostrils – a thick, acrid smell permeating through the air. The smell was terrible, but the sight was far less preferred.
Two bodies, strewn across the foyer. That was what plagued his eyesight. Their limbs twisted, darkly discolored flesh peeling away in gnarled strands and exposing their bones. These corpses were but a shell of their former identity as their features have been half erased…but Xavier could recognize them.
These were the melted corpses of his wife and son. Even the carpet and nearby furniture had been scarred by the acid.
He opened his mouth but words never left – he couldn’t scream…he couldn’t believe his eyes. His eyes simply drifted from the corpses to what was ahead of him.
As if he was the owner of this home, the Blueblood director relaxed on the living room couch with his legs crossed.
“Welcome back, Xavier. I know the smell of acid is quite putrid,” The director casually greeted. “Believe me, it took a few months for me to get used to the smell of corroding bodies under my blessing.”
Xavier’s gaze lingered on the director before returning to his now deceased family. The scene finally had processed in him as he began hyperventilating with panic.
“No…no, no…please,” Feeling weak in the knees, Xavier swayed from side to side before falling to his knees in a loud and heavy thud. “L-Lana…David!”
Hopeless and broken, Xavier crawled to his family on all fours. While muttering their names, he reached out to them with trembling arms. As if the hissing of acid being a warning, but Xavier’s fingers were singed by the bodies spitting corrosive liquid at him.
“Ugh!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you…that acid is far too corrosive for a regular guy like yourself,” The director remarked. “Even a tiny drop could be dangerous…not that you’ll make it out alive anyways.”
Xavier was reduced to nothing more than a sobbing, uncontrollable mess, and the director observed his display in its entirety.
“W-Why…why did…you do this!?” In a tearful rage and a cracking, hoarse voice, Xavier yelled. His only good hand was currently being deprived of its flesh, but Xavier had bigger issues.
“Hmm, I expected more yelling and screaming from you, but I guess this much is fine,” Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his arms, the director remarked. “You shouldn’t be asking why I’m doing this…when you brought this on yourself, young man.”
“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, BASTARD!”
“You plotted with super soldiers to destroy very important people to me, so why wouldn’t I do the same to you?” The director questioned. “I was curious to see how you’d react if the people you love and cared about melted away.”
“Y-You goddamned…monster.”
“Hey, you shouldn’t blame me. You should blame yourself for having a family while you’re in a life of crime,” The director said. “Did you honestly think you wouldn’t have been found? You’re the fool.”
Xavier had nothing more to say…he was too busy breaking down to voice anything further.
“You don’t need to cry any longer,” As the director continued, a jet black, viscous fluid formed in the palm of his right hand and took the form of a ball. “I’ll send you to them as soon as possible.”
“...O-One day…you Blueblood bastards…will get what…you deserve,” His voice was no louder than a mutter, but the director heard Xavier. “Especially you…I hope you…suffer horribly…and lose everything…before you die.”
Xavier’s hopes were met with the silent gaze of the director – one that lingered for far longer than normal.
- * * *
With the swing of the door, the director had departed the home. He had accomplished what he came there for, and Xavier’s corpse had joined his family corroding in the living room.
“What an irritating man,” As he walked out, the director muttered to himself. “Even to his last moments.”
RING, RING!
His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, attracting the director’s attention. Snatching it out his pocket, the director answered.
“Hello–”
BOOM!
A thunderous bang ripped through the phone and pounding at the ears of the director. It was so intense that he recoiled from the noise, pulling the phone away from his ears.
“What the hell was that!?” The director questioned.
“Ugh…boss, it’s terrible. W-We’re…attacked!” The voice on the other end, though wrapped in a crackling static, belonged to Octavius. The static made it hard enough already, but the loud banging of gunfire just added to the difficulty. “They’re…ing everything!”
“Dammit! I can’t make out what you’re saying!”
“There’s an army of super soldiers–”
Click…BEEEPPP
“Hello…hello?! Dammit!” His repeated callouts were only met with the constant, shrieking static. “What the hell is going on in my organization!?”
- * * *
What’s happening in the Blueblood organization? Well, Mohawk would be privy to that information – he was the source of conflict, after all. Before his intervention though, the Bluebloods were committing to their normal operations.
Men moving crates, unloading and packing drugs, and others performing cybernetic enhancements – it was all mundane. Even Zack performed his usual sparring sessions with his friends.
“I’m surprised you’re pushing yourself since you got those stitches and cuts,” As the trio sparred, Rose remarked. “But you never were one to relax, I gathered.”
“Don’t worry about me! I feel fine as shit right now!” With surety in his voice and expression, Zack responded. “Let’s just focus on getting stronger.”
“Are you fine because Octavius gave you some drugs or something?” Rose questioned with narrowed eyes, sparking shock in them both.
“U-Uh, n-no he didn’t.”
“Could you be any more obvious that you’re lying?” Octavius questioned.
Tch, that bastard keeps giving Zack drugs…it’s definitely not healthy, especially in the long term. Rose pondered. I need to find a way for Zack to come off that crap…at least it’s not cocaine or anything too bad.
As caring as her intentions are, Rose will have to push that aside for now. A far bigger threat is looming nearby, in the form of dozens of armored vehicles.
* * *
“Couldn’t we just ride in the vehicle with the regular soldiers?” With the rumbling vehicles trekking down the roadway, dozens of super soldiers had positioned themselves on the roof and sat down.
“Don’t be stupid! It’ll be far easier for us to hop out from the roof than out of the vehicles!” Mohawk, sitting on top of the leading military vehicle, retorted. “You wanna have to worry about the regular soldiers dying because you took a bit longer mobilizing yourself?”
“I-I guess you’re right.”
“To be honest, I don’t think we should have brought regular soldiers with us on this mission,” Another super soldier remarked. “We have no idea how many blessed criminals there are in the Blueblood organization, and you know how bad regular soldiers do against blessed criminals.”
“Yeah, yeah…that’s why they’ll act as support. As long as you guys do your part and pressure the blessed criminals, the useless regular soldiers won’t die,” Mohawk replied. “Plus, they’ve got heavy artillery like high caliber bullets, explosives and ballistic weapons, so they could provide some use as support.”
“Hmm…you remember the last time super soldiers and regular soldiers collaborated,” A third super soldier questioned. “They all got blown to hell and city blocks were levelled.”
“Tsk, don’t compare us…me with the previous super soldier generation. I already took that into account, so I’ll pressure the S-Class criminal Zack Issac,” Mohawk replied with a devious smirk. “If I, the strongest one here, beat the shit out of him as fast as possible, you weaker guys won’t need to worry about him.”
“Sigh…you’re so damn narcissistic, huh?”
“But I’m not wrong though,” Mohawk replied with a smug smirk. “Heh, let’s have fun with this mission, shall we.”