There was a calm beauty to the city that never sleeps. How the streets never knew rest as cars drove on its roads, how the land below would never truly be covered in darkness, and how the tall skyscrapers would always kiss the heavens above. It could never be silent, nor did Irene believe the city ever was, ever since it was founded.

  But behind the strange smell and polluted air was an ugly side to it. According to a few smart folk, they said that what made a society virtuous was how it handled its most vulnerable. The United States wasn’t unique in how it handled the homeless and disadvantaged. Most of the world would rather ignore or kill those whom society looked down upon or wanted as an example to think that their lives were better in comparison.

  However, the United States of America was the wealthiest nation in the world. Yet they don’t give a damn about the poor or the marginalised. Though he preferred the States over Russia any day of the week. In more ways than one, the land of the free had a lot of similarities with the authoritarian state of the Soviet Union. It was ironic for the Armourer of Democracy to have a lot in common with the USSR in how they would be apathetic to the suffering of their working poor and the undesirable.

  Yet all of that would build up and spill over; pain is the apparatus that couldn’t be maintained forever. In the end, it won’t last long. Many were ignorant of the plight of their fellow man in their home country and equally unaware of how they were to fall into poverty. Irene didn’t know if it would happen, but he had a feeling a global crisis would sweep across the United States. It didn’t need to be something big, just a pandemic or a recession. Something that would force the majority to deal with the looming threat of homelessness. When everything the United States of America built would cease to matter, its empire would collapse. Not when the entire country barely held itself together with the string of ignorance and the toxic tape of imperialism would withstand that inevitable fall.

  It made him wonder. If the Order were the defenders of humanity, why would they ignore the struggles of the average person? The age of horrors has come to an end, the Order Horrifica is slowly being disbanded, important equipment and resources were being transferred, and staff were being moved to other Orders. They could put that resource to use in helping the world in different ways than just being its guardian in the shadows.

  He understood that the Order had a policy of no interaction with wider humanity. But at the same time, he understood why people would leave the Order to help the general population. Irene wondered if he should do the same after the Order Horrfica would be disbanded. The Hell Blasters would continue to exist, but most likely under the watchful eye of the Order Militant. However, Irene never saw himself as a soldier, a killer, but not someone to take up a uniform.

  And after taking a deep breath of his lit cigar, he noticed Howard casually walking up to him with a wide grin. ‘Well, it seems like you had some fun.’

  Howard gave Irene a nod before reaching for his pocket to pull out a small plastic box.

  ‘Is that the earpiece?’ Irene asked, putting out his cigar in frustration as he emotionally got himself ready to talk with his teammates. ‘I bet you are having a fucking blast, aren’t you?’

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  ‘Chicken burger.’ Howard replied, saying the only two words he could say coherently. But despite its oddity, Irene understood what he said. He found it amusing that Irene had to put on the SCL earpiece. A device Irene hated to put in his ear, as it always caused him great discomfort.

  ‘Of course you are, asshole.’ Irene mumbled before putting in the earpiece. ‘Check-check. Raven speaking.’

  ‘Irene, do you know where the target is located?’ Crystal responded, getting down to business, besides following protocol. Though he couldn’t blame her, the mission is behind schedule.

  ‘Yes, I drove her to her home, and I am standing in the parking lot in front of the apartment.’

  ‘You what!?’ Crystal screamed, causing Irene to wince and wish he didn’t have to talk to her. ‘She could’ve noticed you staying in the parking lot. Our cover is possibly blown already because of your incompetence.’

  ‘We are fine!’ Irene responded before gesturing to Howard to follow him to the boot of the car. ‘The target doesn’t suspect a thing, and we will achieve our goal. Howard and I will find her, get inside, figure out why she is here, and deal with the demon as expected from the Order.’

  He heard an audible sigh from the other end, hearing her frustration. ‘Just stay safe, we don’t know what you are dealing with.’

  Irene chuckled as he opened the boot to grab his revolver. An Order-made weapon known as the SH-7, or most commonly known as the Sledgehammer. A seven-shot revolver with a magical silencer. Great for concealment and silent take downs, while the ammo was specially designed to kill creatures such as the demon he was hunting.

  ‘I’ll be fine, I have Howard with me.’ He responded before taking the earpiece out. ‘Okay, buddy. The plan should be simple enough as it is. We just walk in, pretend we are here to meet up with a friend of ours. Her place shouldn’t be too hard to find.’

  Howard grunted and pointed at the Uber sign at the back of Irene’s car.

  ‘What about it?’

  Frustrated, he walked over to the car and tapped the sign again before pointing to Irene. Indicating that he should continue pretending to be an Uber driver as they walk inside. A decent piece of cover, and a plausible explanation as to why they were there.

  ‘Alright, I’ll give you that.’ Irene shrugged before closing the boot of his car. ‘I’ll pretend that she has left something in the car and we are going to return it to her. Well, I would, you just stick to the shadows and sneak past them.’

  ‘Chicken burger.’ Howard enthusiastically replied.

  ‘Sure, buddy. Let’s get this over and done with.’