Though the civilians enjoyed a break on the surface, the actions of certain criminals never stopped – they were humans with their own desires after all.
One criminal with a particularly overwhelming desire had no intention of stopping. Buried beneath the town, in a makeshift ring amid a poorly lit concrete room thanks to overhanging bulbs with exposed wires, Charles stood.
Judging by the bloodstains all around the room and well…the bodies littered in the ring, Charles had made himself rather busy. Despite the large, sleeveless cargo hoodie obscuring his facial features, his head which held low told a rather clear story.
“Sigh, none of these guys were strong enough either. These underground fighting clubs…aren’t like how they were before,” Surveying his mangled opponents, Charles muttered to himself. “There’s a limit to how much I hold back for a fight to not be entertaining…man. I just want to feel the same rush I felt against the blessed slaughterer…the reason I even became stronger.”
I think I heard that Lilith is training to get stronger so she may be fun to fight…wait no, there’s no way I can wait when there’s no telling when she’ll be fun. Completely losing his interest, Charles pondered as he slowly trekked out the ring. What if I just storm the Whitehouse…will I get a good fight then?
With the rhythmic clapping of his footsteps echoing upward the concrete steps leading to the exit, Charles left the bloodied room.
“Hmph, I guess I should pay a visit to Lilith since the NPC should be there,” Charles decided with a sigh. “Maybe have a rematch with him…that should be exciting actually!”
Just as effortless and casual he departed the underground ring did the hooded Charles blend in with the daily ongoing civilians as he walked by. Well his presence would go unnoticed by civilians, but no one’s invisible after all.
“That’s the bastard, isn’t he? I’m pretty sure that is,” Stalking Charles from over a block away in a parked sedan was a super soldier. He propped his elbow on the open window as he spoke into a smartphone. “He just left the illegal fighting ring underground…what should I do?”
“What the hell do you mean with that question? You want to confront the guy that killed the damn blessed slaughterer?” Barking on the other side of the phone was the voice of an irritated Mohawk. “Unless you want to be turned to friggin 'paste by that criminal, continue watching him…he’ll definitely lead us to some valuable information if you wait and watch like a damn good boy!”
“...Alright,” The super soldier replied in a low tone before the call was cut off. “Jeez, you didn’t need to be so aggressive.”
Well, he’s right though…there’s no way I’m putting myself in such danger by fighting that monster.
- * * *
Hanging up from the other side was an irritated Mohawk who had the company of Twintails and the Queen Deathbringer with him. Amid a large field and with their snow white uniforms being reduced to a dirtied, tattered mess, the trio had been roughhousing.
“I’m guessing they located the battle-crazed killer?” The Queen Deathbringer questioned after Mohawk hung up. “Your call did make it pretty obvious.”
“Uh huh…it makes you wonder where the president even knew where he was…I guess she really is that great. But the bastard called me at the worst time. I was really warming up in our fight,” As he held his forehead and shook his head, Mohawk responded. “And then he asked what he was supposed to do…like he wanted to piss me off.”
“You could have just ignored the call…I bet you were starting to feel pressured hence why you called time-out to answer,” With folded arms and an audible scoff, Twintails chimed in.
“Shut up, cornball! You’re really good at saying annoying shit, you know!” Mohawk yelled as Twintails snickered. “Sigh, if I didn’t answer, don’t you think the moron would probably try to fight Charles?”
“Good excuse, but common sense should tell him that only us are capable of fighting that–”
“No, the one who’ll take down that criminal will be me,” Interjecting Twintails’s statement was a cold and serious Deathbringer. “That bastard is too much to put even you two in that risk.”
Her sudden declaration was met by the look of confusion and concern on the faces of the younger blessed hunters.
“...Well, that didn’t turn out so well the last time–Ow!” Mohawk’s mocking whisper was met with a sharp strike to the back of his head by Twintails.
“Tsk, he’s just worried about you…in his own weird…narcissistic way,” Twintails said as she violently grabbed Mohawk’s collar.
“Heh, it’s fine…I know having that confidence sounds rather stupid considering my past failures…but I know it’ll be different,” The Queen Deathbringer stated. “You guys just focus on eliminating the other S-Class criminals.”
“...I hope the confidence won’t get you screwed,” As Twintails held his uniform, Mohawk said. “Like it…urgh…like it…did me. Damn, that’s hard to freaking admit.”
“Oh? Someone’s growing,"said Twintails.
- * * *
After returning to consciousness from the coma Mohawk so graciously forced him into, and gaining wind of the destruction the super soldier caused to the Bluebloods, Zack had approached his limit once again.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
What better way for him to deal with the mental burden he endured than to drown it with drug use? This dangerous habit once again forced itself on him as he strolled by himself, snorting a snow white substance in his hand as he walked.
“It’s all my fault…Ada definitely attacked them cause she must have found out about my whereabouts,” The visibly dejected Zack muttered. “No matter where I hide, that woman keeps popping up…”
Is it so hard to just ask her to screw off! Hasn't she had enough after hurting us, killing Jack, turning Nathan into a vegetable and humiliating me!? Zack questioned as he stuck his face into his powder filled arm. Damn, I can’t even think straight…ever since I woke up it feels like I’m slowly splitting!
“Tsk, this clearly isn’t enough cocaine…” Zack concluded. “This shit isn’t hitting the same!”
“If you want more, you’re going to have to earn it,” The irritated Zack heard the words of the director, who sat by a bench with Octavius as Zack was walking past. “Since our organization has been destroyed for the most part, we don’t have access to large amounts of drugs.”
“...Sigh, I know,” Zack replied as he ceased his stride. “But it’s like I’m craving more.”
“Heh, you sure you’re not addicted?” Octavius teased. “This is the second time you’ve dropped everything you're doing at the house to snort cocaine since you woke up.”
“Tsk, I wasn’t like this before I woke up…I mean, I used drugs but I didn’t feel like this.”
“It’s likely because of the extra super soldier serum we pumped into you. Receiving another dosage must have caused a chemical imbalance in your head,” The director replied. “Tell me, Zack. Do you feel angry and miserable?”
“...I’ve always been angry, which is why I take the things Octavius gives me…it helps me feel free,” Zack replied. “But the amount I took usually just isn’t enough anymore.”
“Don’t worry yourself, Zack. You’ll get all the drugs you need. I don’t mind you being angry…it helps actually,” The director replied. “You tend to be very explosive when you’re angry…which will surely benefit me as long as you keep to my side. As long as you’re useful, I’ll ensure Octavius gives you all the drugs you need.”
“...Okay.”
Zack’s oddly melancholic expression garnered a less than neutral expression on Octavius’s face.
Hmm, when’s pops going to stop with this whole farce…Zack is already on our side. Octavius internally questioned. Doing this to Zack really does leave a bad taste in my mouth…I’m glad Rose hasn’t found out about this.
“With the destruction of my organization, you guys are even more integral. Rebuilding is going to happen,” The director said. “But since we have even the eyes of the president on us, it’ll be hard. I wonder what the best way to start rebuilding would be…hmm.”
- * * *
A competent soldier is one meant to execute the orders of their superiors without room for question, no matter the danger level of said order. Of course, judgement, reasoning and strategy will shape the path a soldier takes to perform these missions, but they must be executed nonetheless.
It is a soldier’s job to keep the from society after all - their own wellbeing wasn’t the priority, and right now, there was nothing more dangerous than the S-Class convicts.
Heeding the orders of his superior, the super soldier carefully observed the movements of the battle-crazed killer. The hooded criminal traversed through the city, going from avenue to avenue as if he was walking a lot out of exercise.
Quickly grasping the limitations of his sedan, the super soldier had ditched his vehicle to follow the criminal on foot. Ensuring he was always a few buildings behind Charles, the super soldier did his best to mask his presence.
“Sigh, I’m glad he didn’t just run off at those impossible speeds, but we’ve been walking for a long ass time,” The super soldier muttered to himself as he watched Charles from the safety of an alleyway. “Who knew using the battle-crazed killer as bait would take so long.”
Still, it beats actually confronting that guy. The super soldier thought as he hopped up, quickly scaling the building’s frame. They’re going to have to get someone like Amber Hoss to take that guy down…or maybe the president has a plan for him.
It took no difficulty for the soldier to get to the roof of the building. Not only could he keep his presence undetected, the super soldier had a bird’s eye-view on the criminal. This would have been perfect for the soldier…if Charles was still visible.
“Huh? Where did he go?” Scanning the area left and right, the super soldier questioned with visible confusion dripping from his face. “There’s no way he could have gotten far in such a short time–”
“Yo…” That was all the super soldier needed to hear to fully grasp the tragedy of his current situation. There was no longer any confusion anymore, as his body became rigid and stunned in response to that deep, menacing voice behind him, before slowly breaking out into sweat.
“H-Huh?” Quickly being reduced to a drenched, sweaty mess, shaking uncontrollably like he just exited a freezer, the super soldier muttered. His worst fears came true as he slowly turned to face the muscular man, without the hood over his head, towering over him with a menacing, teeth-showing grin – Charles Warner.
“SHIT–Guh!” The super soldier finally voiced his fright but had no further chances of doing anything as Charles wrapped his fingers around his forehead like a vice grip.
“Heh! I knew my instincts were telling me someone was following me! But judging by the fear on your face, it doesn’t seem like you’re here to give me a good fight,” Charles replied as he held the smaller man in the air above the edge as if he was a misbehaving child. “If you don’t have a good reason for following me and you don’t want to try and fight me, then I’ll just smash your head into the concrete!”
“D-Don’t! I-I’ll tell you everything, just don’t do that!” The super soldier yelled as he frantically struggled from his grasp, to no avail. “The president learned about your whereabouts and wanted me to follow you!”
“Oh?”
“She believed you knew the whereabouts of the other criminals, so it would have made our jobs easier if we just followed you!” The super soldier continued. “I told you all I know, so let me go already!”
“Hmm, Ada wanted to know where the others hid, huh?” Charles questioned as he rubbed his chin with his free arm. The last time Ada came up with a methodical plan, we went into an all-out war against the super soldiers…heh.
“Well, turn that frown upside down, you get to live after all!” Charles delightedly stated as he tossed the super soldier onto the roof. “In fact, you can follow me too!”
“Ugh…huh?” Holding his forehead in pain, the super soldier questioned.
“I don’t know what Ada’s planning but if she wants to know where we all are, she’s probably trying to eliminate us all,” Charles assumed as an ear to ear grin quickly plastered itself on his face. “Do you know how fun that could possibly be!?”
“...That’s why you’re letting me live?” The super soldier questioned with a mixture of fear and disgust on his face. “...You monster.”
“...Haha, our president truly is the best!” Charles said. “If there was another election and she was running again, I’d definitely vote for her!”