Chapter Thirteen
Masquerading as an Innocent
Everett, Seattle
July 13, 2059
8:32 pm
Imira stood quietly in front of the old alter. The dust on its surface clouded its intricate decorations in the fine wood. The dirt and cobwebs also hid decades of nicks and scratches. The alter was probably over sixty years old. It showed every bit of that age. Its surface was rough to the touch. Imira ran her finger along the top, tracing a clear line from the dust.
Footsteps came behind her. She knew who it was without looking.
"Well?" He asked expectantly.
Imira replied. "There is no sign of him anywhere in the sprawl. But not to worry. I have faith in Sand. She will find him."
"The ork?" Barnabas growled at the word.
"That traitorous tusker has also gone into hiding. He was only using us."
"I believe it was you that said the ork's loyalty was measured in nuyen." Barnabas cooed. "The gutterpunks?"
"They have ran off, but I know the neighborhood where they often stay. The girl, Nails, is has very loose lips. She talks about a lot of things. One of these days she should learn to stay quiet."
"You're daughter, Alona?"
Imira let small sigh. "I have taken care of her. I gave her a dose of MAO. It will blur her memory of the past few days. I've also used a small spell to instigate a false memory. She will be as naive as ever."
"Are you sure about that? She doubtlessly knows what you are now."
Imira shook her head. "No she doesn't! I was very thorough with Alona. She will not remember anything. So long as no one attempt to revive the memories. I doubt she has the willpower to see through the mask even if it came to that."
Barnabas muttered something under his breath. He walked with purpose now. His movements and body language suggested he was upset. "The Order is not pleased."
"The Order doesn't have to know about this."
"The Order already knows." Barnabas retorted.
"You what?!" Imira shot Barnabas a look of pure contempt. "I did not give you permission to tell them anything."
"The Order doesn't trust you as much as you think they might. They sent me here to keep an eye on you, Imira, not to just to be you're loyal subject. They are most unhappy with this turn of events. Before you left California you told them that you were going to recruit Michael Curo. He is magically gifted with the power of a adept. Not like you who's magic has been magnified by transformation. Darvish let you go because he wanted Michael. Darvish has been most tolerant of you considering that history points to you as the original reason for Darvish losing Michael six years ago."
"That was before I became part of the Order." Imira hissed.
"It matters not. You are deviating from the plan you outlined to the council. You are stretching Darvish's patience. Must I remind you that Darvish is you're only supporter among the council? You have angered him with this recent turn of events."
"It's not my fault that things have not gone exactly the way I had hoped."
"On the contrary, it is." Barnabas slowly circled her. "I know exactly what you told Darvish. I have been making reports to him on you're progress and I've seen the different choices you have made. You said you could get Michael Curo to willingly join us. You said you needed you're daughter's presence to convince him. You were playing on his history by forcing him to make a choice between the life he is living here in Seattle and a chance to regain the life he had in California. You were given money to support you're venture. You were also given an ample amount of time to accomplish you're goal."
"I know what I told him, Barnabas."
"Yet you spent over a year with you're daughter. During that time you spent a vast amount of resources."
"I hate to earn her trust again. Without the trust the future would be useless."
"Nevertheless, you were lax in you're use of time."
Imira didn't say anything. She let Barnabas continue without interruption.
"When you finally presented Michael with the choice he turned you down. Then out of a twist of fate, he escaped along with that mercenary ork. You also succeeded in frightening off our hired help."
"Things will turn out like I said they would."
"I'm having my doubts, Imira." Barnabas said. "So it Darvish. He grows impatient. He wants results. Otherwise he will take you're daughter as payment." Barnabas grinned. "She is an elf, Imira. Not a product of cosmetic surgery like you. She won't become a vampire like you. She'll be like me. Cold, indifferent. Her transformation won't be easy. I can assure you. Darvish will use to in anyway he sees fit. You will have no say in it as you will have a debt to balance with the Order."
Imira eyed him coldly. "Are you threatening me, Barnabas?"
"I'm saying that you're time is running out. Soon Darvish will remove you're authority here, leaving me in charge. I can promise Darvish results in whatever he wishes to do with the players that have gathered in Seattle."
Imira glanced at the floor. She didn't want to look at the creature standing next to her. His vile, empty eyes bore into her. His gaze felt like ice against her cold skin. "I still have time, Barnabas. I am still in control."
Barnabas forced a small grin. "For the moment."
The Barrens
Redmond, Seattle
8:50 pm
Nightsky walked down the crime filled streets of the barrens without a thought of fear in his mind. He carried himself with confidence. It wasn't because he was completely sure of himself. It was to let the predators that hid in the shadows know that he knew what he was doing. If those predators sensed weakness they would jump him. On the other hand they would leave him alone if he looked too much for them to handle. Nightsky knew how the game worked. It just had to appear that he had an edge over everyone else. Rumor would do the rest. It didn't matter if he really had an edge or not.
This part of the Barrens was still a bustle of activity. There was electricity in the air and a sense of urgency filling the streets. Only two days ago Flight 1118 out of Tokyo crashed only a few miles from here. Nightsky remembered it, but it seemed like it had been a lot longer since the crash. Part of wondered if he should ask the rest of the team for help in his current situation. If Lenny were here he would know what to do. That guy could think or talk his way out of anything. The idea of calling in help was attractive, but the more Nightsky thought about it the more he didn't like it. He didn't want the others to know what he had gone through. It might make them look at him in a different light. It would erode the uneasy trust the group had which kept them together on a run. If Nightsky was smart about things he could keep this quiet from them.
A crumbling building loomed quietly in the street lights. This place use to be a small storefront. It had long since closed down. Local gangers setup shop after the owners left. The ancient, steel door had fresh dents in it. It looked like a troll had spent an evening kicking it. The metal was scarred and bruised from the powerful impacts. Nightsky ran his fingers over the dents. The surface was rough to the touch. Small bumps and ridges trapped the street grime. It did not hide the black heart that had been painted onto the door's surface.
A piece of metal covering a small peephole swung open from the inside. Nightsky could feel eyes on him. They didn't feel welcoming for some reason.
"Go away." The voice, one that Nightsky did not recognize, growled from the other side.
Nightsky tilted his head questionably. He shucked his glove off and held his palm up to the peephole, revealing the small tattoo of a black heart on his palm.
"Go away." The voice repeated.
"Open the door." Nightsky demanded. "I don't have time for this."
"Jackal says no one in."
"Jackal knows me, halfscan. Tell him its Nightsky. Now open the fragging door before you piss him off."
There was some shuffling on the other side. The cover on the peephole closed again. Nightsky stood quietly. There were voices coming from the other side of the door. Though there were too hushed to make out what was being said. The peephole opened again, then closed just as quickly. A series of locks was undone. The door creaked loudly as it swung open.
"Nightsky where in the name of the great burning afterlife have you been?" Jackal roared. Something in the ork's voice suggested that he wasn't being playful. When Jackal grabbed Nightsky's collar and yanked him inside there was definitely no kidding about it.
"Careful, Jackal!" Nightsky tore himself from the ork's grip. "I've been pushed around enough these past few days that I'm surprised every bone in my body hasn't been cracked yet."
"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up 'case this isn't a friendly time 'round here."
"So I've seen. Look, I'm looking for Sand."
"Oh, big fragging surprise there, drek for brains. So are we."
Nightsky really wasn't that surprised. "I thought as much. Mind filling me in."
"Nah, wouldn't mind at all." There was a strong taste of sarcasm in his voice. "Few days ago big player breezed through here and busted the place up real good. Messed up a few of the chummers pretty good. Took Sand with him. The fragger was looking for you."
"Did you tell him anything?"
"What the frag am I going to tell him? I don't know where you go now. All you do is hang with you're new chummers I see you running 'round the sprawl with. Only thing I got is you're bloody pager number."
"Was the guy an elf? Tall, kinda skinny. Pale looking."
Jackal grunted. "Something like that. Odd looking. Strong as hell. Can't figure that out."
"To save some time, Jackal, I'll tell ya' the guy found me." Nightsky admitted. "Now I'm trying to find him. I think Sand might know where he is. Have you seen her?"
"No we haven't fragging seen her! That's what I've been trying to tell you. The elf took her with him. Elf said that she would do till he found you."
"When was this?"
"Few days ago. The night the suborbital crashed." Jackal looked at him suspiciously. "Didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"
"I-" Nightsky hesitated. "I was around. I didn't have anything to do with the thing crashing, no."
"Yeah, well, that crash is another thing that's thrown the Barrens for a loop lately."
"Look, I need to find Sand."
"Good for you! Because its mostly you're fault that she's missing. That elf was looking for you and took her just to take your place. What do you care? You haven't really been paying attention to us lowly gangers lately. We too low end for you now?"
"It's not like that, Jackal. I've got biz. Now do you know where Sand has been?"
"What are you deaf? Sand? It's all you're fault."
Nightsky flinched, closed his eyes, then roared at Jackal. "LISTEN! I don't fragging need this right now! Sand is not who she was and you don't know what the frag you're talking about because you don't have all the information about what's going down and who's involved! You're only looking at it from your side and your side doesn't know everything therefore you are in no position to post blame on anyone!"
Jackal looked like he was about to say something, but didn't get a chance. The other Blackhearts were dumbfounded. They had never seen anything stand up to Jackal and question his actins.
"The whole story is that I've got some problems from my past chasing up my ass! I've got people I thought died six years ago coming back and knocking on my door! I've got freaky, cold blooded people with fangs talking to me like I was their long lost son! I've had a guilt trip the likes of which you'll never understand. In the past forty-eight hours I've run though and inferno for frag's sakes and spent most of yesterday chained to a wall and forced to watch all the frag-ups I've made over my life. So I'm REALLY not in the mood for any of you're drek, Jackal! Get the whole story before you lay anything on me! Then I'll deal with it and set things right. Now answer my question, do you know where Sand has been hanging out outside the gang?"
Jackal chewed his lip, pondering. Perhaps for the first time he noticed that Nightsky was different. Stronger more focused perhaps. Did running the shadows do this? It was odd to look at Nightsky know and see the changes he had gone through. Jackal remembered when he first ran across him. The Nightsky standing in front of him seemed like a completely different person than the boy he pulled out of a dumpster. Now Nightsky was three times faster than Jackal could ever hope to be. In addition Nightsky was better with a knife, quicker with a gun, and more plotting that Jackal ever was. He was smarter and better. The way Nightsky talked and saw things was nothing like he was before he started shadowrunning. Still, Nightsky had a level head on his shoulders. He wanted to set things right.
"Well, I personally wouldn't know. I never took time to get to know Sand." Jackal said quietly. "You should ask Seoul. She knows her better than I do."
Nightsky frowned. "Where is she?"
Jackal motioned with his. "Below. The elf busted her up a little while he was looking for you. Mira thinks her leg is broken."
Nightsky didn't want to hear that. The idea that his presence had caused so much suffering was unnerving. He was prepared to accept the consequences on himself, but he didn't want it bothering other people. He much rather have everything focused on him. That way he'd have every reason to take care of things himself. No one to get in the way. No one to bother him.
No one else to know.
Nightsky shoved himself by the other gangers. Not bothering to excuse himself or warn them. He wasn't in the mood. Rage, like a dark monster resting in the back of his mind, growled in the darkness. It wanted out to reek havoc, but Nightsky held it back. Back where it belonged.
The basement was filled with a few other Blackhearts. Nightsky ignored them for the most part. He didn't look at anyone directly. Instead walking wordlessly towards the back of the basement where Seoul and Mira were. Seoul was on a mattress. She was sitting up, talking to Mira who was standing nearby. Her leg was set in a primitive splint. Nightsky doubted that it gave her any comfort. If her leg was broken the pain she must be feeling is immense. Of course, the half empty bottle of vodka next to her might help.
"Hey you two." Nightsky said as he approached.
Mira seemed a little shocked to see him. Seoul looked like she didn't even notice. Nightsky smothered a smirk. So that's where the vodka had gone.
"Nightsky!" Seoul blurted. "I haven't seen you in weeks! Hello! How are you? I'm fine. I had a little trouble a few days ago, but I'm okay now. I fell. Actually, I was pushed, but I ended up falling because I was pushed so I can't really tell the difference. Either way I fell. That's why I'm down here." She laughed. "I've fallen and I can't get up."
Nightsky mumbled something to entertain her, then focused on Mira. "Would you excuse us for a sec?" He asked the ork.
Mira didn't seem to want to leave for a moment. Then she caught a nod in the distance form Jackal. She stepped away, leaving the two alone.
"Hey, Nightsky, have a seat." She patted the mattress. "It's kind of hard to see you up there. You want a drink?"
"No." Nightsky crouched. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Sand has been hanging around besides here. The two of you were close."
"Close? Sort of. She kind of reminded me of me a couple years ago. Sand use to rent a room at the old motel on Gilbert Street every so often. It wasn't much, but she said she liked the clean sheets and room service."
Nightsky made a note of that.
"Do you want me to let you in on a secret, Nightsky?"
"Sure."
Seoul leaned forward. Close enough that her words wouldn't travel to anyone's ears except his. "You're scary."
Nightsky seemed taken back. "What's that suppose to mean."
Seoul shrugged. "You just are."
"What makes you think that?"
Seoul stared at the ground for a few minutes, collecting her thoughts. "Remember 'round the turn of the year when me an Tiny got in trouble and Jackal sent you to find us."
The memory was only vaguely clutching on to him, but Nightsky nodded anyway.
"You were always scary after that."
"I don't understand."
Seoul laughed a little. "Think back about it. You'll see what I mean."
Think back? Was it really that long ago? Tiny and Seoul had disappeared north of Touristville. Jackal had said to find out what happened..............
.............it took the better part of thirty minutes to reach Touristville. Nightsky quietly amused himself with thoughts about the more blighted areas of the Barrens. It was hard to imagine how Tiny and Seoul could get lost in this. Most of the area was deserted except for a handful of squatters. Tiny's 2043 Wrangler was sitting on the side of the street like it had been forgotten. Nightsky was a little surprised, but didn't think much of it. He parked his bike next to it.
The Wrangler was still in one piece. A mess of wires stretched beneath the steering column. Handy work from Tiny's hot wire job.
"Tiny, your brain is only half the size of your brawn. It's a wonder your jeep hasn't been stolen." Nightsky thumbed the seats idly. "Unless you were close enough by to keep an eye on it." He looked around the surrounding buildings.
The storefront next to the Wrangler was completely collapsed. Sunlight blazed through the crumbling windows. Across the street an old warehouse looms depressingly. A Weapons World Depot sign hangs faded and broken on the front door. However, a symbol is painted in fresh paint over the top. A techno style claw carving deep grooves in the surface of the moon. The claw is black while the moon is pale white. The symbol isn't familiar to Nightsky. As such he doesn't pay much attention to it. The fact that it's in fresh paint draws his attention. Curiosity gets the batter of him.
Nightsky had to claim a stack of crates to reach a window. A peek in the window above the door frame brings in a sight out of someone's worst nightmares. Tiny is strong up from the ceiling by a thick metal chain which wraps tightly around his obviously broken neck. Blood oozes from his half open mouth. A pool of thick, red crimson grows beneath the corpse. The body rotting in the morning sun is enough to make the air thick and rancid. Seoul would probably be better off dead. She's stripped naked and tied down spread eagle, slightly suspended above the ground. Seoul looks to have been whipped due to the several lash marks across her skin. The metal chains holding her down dig into her flesh. Her blood mixes with the sweat and urine on the floor.
There are four men inside. All dressed in varieties of black leathers and chains. One, with a shotgun across his lap, appears to be boss of this rabble. Two others sit at a crumbling table with a deck of cards. Another is walking toward the front door. A menacing Ruger Warhawk is stuffed in his belt. The massive revolver looks like it could blast through the warehouse walls. Tiny's huge knife hangs loosely from his belt by a strip of synthleather.
In the back of Nightsky's mind rage builds up. It screams to be let out. To wreck its glee on those whom has awakened it. Nightsky frowns, shoving his thoughts aside. Revenge is one thing. Being stupid is something else. Four heavily armed people versus one are horrible odds. Quietly, Nightsky retracted himself on top of the crates as the man approached the main door.
The man wasn't paying much attention. He seemed more interested in fetching a cigarette from a crumpled pack. The apparent leader yells at him as he opens the door.
"Hey, Jones. Make sure none of this bitch's friends are showing up. We want to surprise them when they do.
Jones nodded absent mindedly. "Got it Blade." He adds before shutting the door.
Jones finds the street deserted and quiet. Perhaps it is a bit unusual, but it is still early in the morning. Most people in this area are active at night. Idly, Jones lights his cigarette, letting the scent of nicotine and tar fill his lungs.
The needle tip of the Sai burst through his throat. Twisting the blade filled his windpipe with blood. Jones tried to yell, but managed only a gargled cough. His eyes went wide as he attempted to reach his gun. He would never make it. A hand wrapped around his chin. The blade twisted again before slashing a vertical line. The move snapped his neck. He fell quietly as his assassin slowly let the body drop.
"How's that for a surprise?" Nightsky glared, yanking his Sai from the corpse. He cleaned the blade on the body. A glance through the cracked door showed that the others hadn't noticed what had happened. All for the better.
The odds are still three to one. Bad odds.
Nightsky searched the body. He shoved the Warkhawk into his coat's oversized pocket. Searching through his pockets reveals a flash grenade.
Nightsky cracks the door slightly with the grenade in hand. The leader, Blade, still sat on a crate a few meters from the other two. His bulky jacket had metal studs punctured into the shoulder. The shotgun across his lap looks menacing with its glazed barrel. The other two play cards on a small table. Both of them ignore the muffled screams from Seoul through her gag. An older model Uzi III and what looks like a Predator II set on the tabletop. Heavy hardware for a bunch of gangers.
Nightsky takes the safety off his Manhunter. A standup fight would be one-sided. However, if he could tip the scales in his favor he might have a chance. Surprise could work to his advantage. If it failed, he could pull back and try to lead them away from the warehouse. That would give him enough time to return and free Seoul then get the hell out of here. Nightsky smiled quietly to himself as he thumbed the flash grenade. He had a Plan A and a Plan B. Somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped he wouldn't need a Plan C.
Nightsky pushed the door open while yanking the pin from the grenade. He hurled it at Blade, the one with the shotgun. The grenade landed right at his feet. Blade, and the other two to some extent, looked in the grenade's direction as it bounced across the floor. Nightsky shut his eyes.
The flash grenade went off in a blinding light of igniting magnesium. Not wasting any time, Nightsky braced himself against the door for cover and raised his Manhunter. The pistol's laser sight light up on Blade twenty meters away.
The bullet smashes into his shoulder. The impact sends Blade tumbling over the crate he was sitting on. The gunshot yanks the other two into action. One grabs the Predator off the tabletop and dives behind the crate he was using for a seat. The other flips the table over. The Uzi in his hand starts barking fire. Three-round bursts stamper across the doorframe above Nightsky's head. Splinters rain down on him. The window next to the door explodes in shards.
"Shit!" Nightsky curses.
Blade picks himself off the floor, yelling something incomprehensible before triggering his shotgun.
The slug slams against the warehouse's wall mere meters from the door. The booms echo through the building as the heavy chunks of metal slam against the ancient steel. One slug hits the door, blowing clear through the material like it was plastic. A smoking hole rests only a finger's length from Nightsky's arm. 10mm rounds from the Predator fly off in erratic directions.
Nightsky scoots away form the door and uses the heavier doorframe for cover just as a 10mm round punches through it again. Nightsky doesn't stop firing. A bullet punches through Blade's armor jacket, taking s sizable chunk out of his arm. Blade screams before dropping face first to the unforgiving concrete. Blood starts pumping from his wounds.
Another round sails past his head before Blade manages to get the attention of his comrades. "Damnit! Grunge, Havock! Take that fuck out! Now!"
Nightsky's eyes flash as he switches aim. The barrel tracks to the overturned table as voices shout back at Blade. The laser sight lights up a ruby red dot just as Grunge pops up. Nightsky squeezes the trigger. The 10mm bullet enters above Grunge's left eye, exiting out the back of his head. Most of his drug-fried bain goes with it, plastering the back wall in a thick, gooey substance.
"That looked like it hurt, fragger!" Nightsky retorted.
Grunge's Uzi started going off wildly as his dying body reflexively pulled the trigger. Rounds pasted themselves against the floor and rebounding to the ceiling. The body fell with the gun still going off, blowing holes through the overturned table.
Havock, the one with the Predator who couldn't hit a tank, screamed as Grunge collapsed. "Blade! I wanna go home! Let's run! I want out!"
"Stay put you stupid drekhead." Blade snapped. "Hey! You!" He yelled at Nightsky. "What do you want?"
What did he want? Nightsky was an a loss for an answer. He wasn't doing this because he wanted to. Was he just doing what he had been told to by Jackal? A glance at Tiny's dead body hanging from the ceiling was enough to reassure he was doing the right thing.
"Your head." Nightsky muttered before centering the barrel on Havock's position. "Hey, Havock! Look up!"
Amazingly he did.
"Shouldn't have looked up."
The bullet breaks the sound barrier just as easiler as it breaks through Havock's vest and exploding out the back with a wet thwack. A look of shock crosses Havock's face. The feeling drains away from his limbs. He falls back, gasping for breath.
"You asshole!" Blade screams.
In the unnatural silence a dreaded ping echos through the warehouse as Blade lets a small pin hit the ground. Nightsky immediately recognizes the sound. He curses aloud and ducks behind the wall, knowing full well that if the grenade got too close he'd never reach safe distance. Blade attempts to hurl the grenade, but his wounds are too great. The ball of death hits an overturned crate and bounces mere meters away from the crippled Havock. The boy's eyes shoot wide open a the grenade slowly spends. It goes off with enough force and shrapnel to coat one wall with gore. The blast splatters Havock's remains far enough to give Seoul a sickening coat of blood and chunks of tissue.
Nightsky suppresses an urge to grimace at the mess. He raises his pistol at Blade. "Okay, fragger, you're the only one left. Get you're hands up and I might let you crawl away from here. Do it now!"
Blade throws a shotgun and pistol out and begins crawling forward.
"Come on, man." He pleads. "Just let me go."
"Get your hands away from you're body and keep them there or I'll ventilate you're head!" Nightsky held the pistol on him.
Blade manages to hold his hands up, but his wounds sap his strength to stand.
"On you're knees, hand's above you're head, cross your feet now!" Nightsky ordered, darting towards Blade. Nightsky made sure he complied even through he could see that the guy was seriously injured and barely able to stay up.
Nightsky covers the remaining distance in a frenzy as he looks all around the warehouse incase he missed someone. With no one in sight, he walks around behind Blade. The barrel of the Manhunter never wavers away from him.
"Seoul, can you hear me?" Nightsky calls. Seoul responds in a muffled cry. The gag keeps her quiet. Nightsky pulls the Warhawk from Jones. Fortunately Seoul is close enough that blasting her chains is an option. Nightsky empties the Warhawk's cylinder to free her.
Free, Seoul cleans off the blood that covers her. She grabs her clothes which have been thrown in a pile next to the overturned table. Before she can say anything Nightsky cuts her off.
"Wait outside."
"What?" She mouths.
"I said wait outside. I'll be there in a second."
Seoul complies. Nightsky waits until she has left before he presses the steel barrel against the back of Blade's skull.
:"Okay, fragger, you're going to answer some questions. Got it?"
"Don't kill me man! Don't kill me!"
"Quiet and answer!" Nightsky snapped. The old, dark monster in the back of his mind ate at his will. Rage built up in his hand, urging him to pull the trigger. Nightsky held it back. "What the frag are you guys doing here?"
Blade whimpered. The monster liked it.
"Answer me damnit!" Nightsky pressed the barrel hard enough to break skin. "Answer me or join your chummers in hell!"
"Look, we were just following orders." Blade said. "Look, you said you'd let me go if I gave up."
"Who's orders!"
"Stiv! He's the one in charge!"
Who? The name didn't ring any bells with Nightsky. It was no one in the Barrens. That much was for sure. The information got filed away. Maybe Jackal would know what to do with it.
"Now you'll let me go? You said you would. You said you would!"
"Shut-up!" Nightsky shook his head violently. "Is that all you can do? You did this just to follow orders? You dumb fuck!"
"Please, man, don't kill me. I surrendered."
"You're no better than a fucking animal! You're like a fucking ghoul feeding off people!"
Nightsky repeated the word in his mind. Ghoul. The infected. The monster of rage and hate rose up with a toothy smile. The rage flowed like water. Heat like a furnace built up. It wanted release.
"Oh, god, please don't kill me! Please, god!"
"I said shut-up! When I want your opinion I'll blow it out of your skull!"
The monster grinned and sent rage to fill his veins. So close now to release. To feel the coldness of steel and the power of dominance. To feel revenge. To be satisfied.
No! Not this one. He didn't know what he was doing. Not his fault! Nightsky pushed the monster back. It howled at the oppression and scolded at the weak words. The barrel started to shake, hesitate to fire. Somewhere in the back of Nightsky's mind the idea of right and wrong starts to peak out. A bit of light in the dark rage.
"I'm just an innocent!"
The light winks out, replaced by the dark rage. The monster smiles. It feels the rage come in force. It feels controlled, but the control is wanted. The monster laughs for it no longer needs to push for its goal. The goal is here.
Nightsky's eyes narrow. "No one's innocent."
The trigger pulls. The bullet breaks the sound barrier. An empty casing ejects form the chamber. Blade's head explodes. Blood splatters on Nightsky's face and feet. The casing bounces off the floor while smoke sheds from the barrel.
"You're not innocent." Nightsky sighs. "Neither am I."
The monster smiles...............
...................that what makes me scary? Nightsky shakes his thoughts back to the present. Seoul is staring at him with thoughtful eyes. She wonders if Nightsky sees what she's trying to say.
Did he? That incident wasn't the first time he killed someone. The first time was at the Seattle Hilton, but that was largely in self defense. Blade was different. It felt different. It was cold.
Nightsky abruptly stood. "I have to go, Seoul. I'll let you know what I here of Sand."
"Nightsky?" Seoul reached. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to see if I'm still the same."
Like this chapter? Then go on to the NEXT CHAPTER. Had enough of this story? Try going back to the Fiction Index and find something else. Thoughts, rants, comments? Email me and tell what you thought about it.