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Chapter 30
By Agent Havoc
The dreaded feeling of fear took over all of Anika’s body and soul as she realised how close to total annihilation this whole planet was. The last sentence Paula had said kept on echoing in her mind. « And who knows what it may be planning for us… And who knows what It may be planning for us…And who knows what it may be planning for us… ». She didn’t have to be an Ether technician or a biologist from outer space to understand that they were all in deep trouble, and that perhaps there was nothing she could do here to help the world after all.
In her heart, Anika knew that she wasn’t selfish.. She had already sacrificed much to help others. It was a fact that the cops were too scared to capture certain criminals, and that most professional hunters only cashed in on small and easy bounties. She and Darian were always gunning for the really difficult but paying ones. Doing so kept alot of the trash of the streets, and also helped them make a living. And she knew deep in her heart that Darian and her should have been lovers by now, but weren’t because of the kind of life they were leading. 3 years ago, after cashing in a big bounty, Anika and Darian had decided to celebrate at the infamous bar known as « The Pit ». Both of them had a little too much to drink and they winded up … being a little more intimate with each other than usual. They spent that night in each other’s arms and when they both woke up, sober, they ended up admitting their feelings to each other. A perfect harmonious loving relationship as she had ever known was in her life afterwards. Somehow, they both completed each other even more as lovers than simply partners. It was most definitively the best month of her life, and she still looks back at it as a golden age in her existence. However, good things always come to an end. She and Darian were contracted to hunt down a serial killer for another large sum of money, and accepted the contract. They both managed to track the man and had him trapped in his appartment. But as fate would have It, she was stabbed in the back by the killer and the killer managed to escape Darian’s grasp ( Their rival, Phoenix Mark ended up putting a bullet through the killer’s brain a few days later, cashing in onthe bounty). Her then lover managed to sew up her wound on the spot but still lost her to a coma for about three weeks. When Anika woke up, she could see how devastated Darian had been because of that incident. She learned from the doctors at the hospital that Darian hadn’t left her side for a single minute during those three days. Who would’ve thought it possible? Darian Ashley, the genetically perfect assassin, the man without feelings, had fallen in love with her. Seeing how painful that event had been for Darian, they both agreed to stay simply partners and postpone being lovers until they both saved up enough money to settle down. As painful as It was, It was a sacrifice they both agreed to make to be more efficient in this job and any other job they might find. It was weird that they always found jobs that involved risking their lives, but It was a reality that they both had to deal with. Anika was looking forward to the day she could finally settle down with he partner, and pick up what they had left behind for both of their sanity’s sakes. Somehow, she knew that even though they weren’t lovers right now, should Darian be hurt, she would be just as devastated. But Darian was right, should one of them be killed. the mourning wouldn’t be as intense If they weren’t lovers and it would be easier for the other to get on with life.
She looked up and saw the ragtag band of misfits she was with, and forced herself to smile. Talehn, the cute Ether technician who decided to play hero, Cisia, the unconscious Interface who was an easy target for Dalasius for possession, Byrce, the Law enforcement officer, Paula, the biologist from outer space, and those two kids who were away, but Anika ppreferred not to involve them in this story anymore, she had already given Kuri a large sum of money and preferred to keep him away from this buisiness from this moment on. There was no point in risking his life, or his sister’s anymore. And Darian said he was coming over with friends after he grabbed some J-10 with some friends… Who knew what kind of bizarre lifeforms he’d be bringing over to join their merry little band of « unlikely heroes ».
The facts were there, the planet was without any doubt going to eat them up alive to save itself , and this band of heroes wannabe wanted to save the world ? They were all in over their heads she thought as she listened with only one ear to Talehn and Paula making theories on what to do from here on. « All of you, go home, we won’t make a difference here, enjoy yourelves for the rest of your lives till the end of the world. Going against the Ministry, hunters, cops and a dead Ancient Necromancer is one thing, but going against nature is another, we simply don’t stand a chance. », thought Anika sadly. She wanted to shout It but simply couldn’t bring herself too. Of course, she knew that Darian would never stand for that way of thinking, and he would jump into trouble with a cry of defiance if there was even a slight chance of saving the planet. And she’d be damned If she ever let him down…One way or another, they were partners, and they still loved each other, and she’d stand by him until the very last moment…
The current of her thoughts were once more interrupted by the arrival of a young man in a « Speed Demons » jacket in the alley. The boy was covered with blood and fell face first on the pavement as soon as he saw the companions. Anika rushed towards him and drew her gun, ready for trouble. Behind her, Byrce and Paula followed her, while Talehn stayed behind with Cisia. Anika kneeled down next to the boy, turned him around and picked him up, putting his head on her knees. She then dropped her gun to the pavement. She recognised him immediately as the « Speed demon » who was looking for trouble ealier. It saddened her to see what was a few moments ago a ruthless predator of the streets turned into a victim who was looking in the eys of death right now, and who was very affraid. The young blonde hunter could see in his teary eyes that the boy was fighting in vain to live. Anika could feel his blood being spilled all over her legs, the liquid that allowed the human body to survive was flowing away from him.
« Merrit … and..the …others… are in …trouble… » he managed to mutter…
« Don’t say anything, It’s going to be alright. » said Anika, knowing full well that she was lying to him.
There were two bullet wounds in his back, and he had about three more in the stomach. He was losing blood very quickly, faster than most people, probably due to the use of certain drugs that made blood even more liquid than It was already as a side effect.
Anika looked behind her to see Byrce holding Paula in his arms and Paula who was affraid to look at this horrible scene. It was obvious that this kid wasn’t going to survive a few more minutes and it seemed like even Paula’s advanced technology wouldn’t be able to save him.
« Merrit… » said the boy
« Shhh… don’t talk, Merrit is a resourceful old man , » said Anika holding back her tears « He can take care of the others and himself. »
The young woman could hear Paula sobbing behind her.
« GAAAAHHHHH! » cried the dying gangster « I want TO LIVE…WHY? WHY? »
He cried out one last time and pushed away his last breath, eyes still wide open with dried up tears on his cheek, his face locked in a horrible grimace. Anika closed his eyelids and put him back gently on the pavement. She looked at herself and saw that her skirt, arms and hands were soaked with blood as well as a a good part of her jacket and shirt. She picked up her handgun and looked at Byrce straight in the eyes.
« I’m going to check this out! » she said coldly « You guys stay here and wait for Darian to come back here, Talehn knows him so everything will be okay. »
« Wait, said Byrce, you can’t go! »
« Watch me, and don’t any of you folow me, this is personal, an old friend of mine may be in trouble and it’s none of your buisiness. This is my business and I’m taking care of It, alone! If I don’t come back, tell Darian that … Tell him him that… »
Anika paused for a moment. The coldness of her tone scared off all of her companions and none of them said a word.
« Don’t tell him a thing, he knows me well enough to know what i would have told him. » she finished With those words, Anika ran towards the streets of Central District. As soon as she was on the sidewalk, she could see a few people running around frantically, obviously running away from something. When the retreating people saw her, they freaked out even more, crossing the street without looking, running away from her. Of course, she could understand them completely. The sight of a woman soaked in blood holding a handgun can be quite scary.
Seing traces of blood on the ground, she decided to follow them , knowing full well ,that It was the boy’s, those traces would without any doubt lead her to Merrit.
« Be careful Anika! » she heard way behind her. The voice belonged to Talehn.
When Anika arrived on the scene, she saw a man dressed in a classy suit, with lightly tanned skin holding a handgun in one hand. He was tall, large and bald, wearing sunglasses. Around him were the corpses all the « Speed Demons » that she had encountered earlier tonight. And in front of him, kneeling, was Merrit. Merrit was facing away from the man and was obviously awaiting death with dignity. The man had his gun pointed behind Merrit’s head.
Seconds became years as Anika started to aim at the man and squeezed the trigger. She could almost see her bullet approaching the killer as well as his index pulling his trigger slowly. And then it wa done, the bullet hit Merrit in the back of the head killing her old mentor instantly. Flashes of memories appeared in Anika’s mind as she saw Merrit, showing her how to pick locks, and pick pockets. As she saw him bail her out of jail when she was but 14…for the 17th time. As she and Darian went to Merrit’s place for supper, laughing and joking, talking about the good old days. And then years became seconds again as Anika pulled the trigger again, telling herself to mourn for her mentor after this.
The killer was quick, he managed to avoid both of Anika’s shots and shot back at her twice. She manged to roll on the sidewalk., feeling the bullets whistle past her head. As soon as she was done rolling, she aimed again and shot at him, as he dodged again by ducking and jumping forward. The man shot at her again and she jumped to her left, squeezing the trigger again. This gunfight was becoming more and more close quarter she thought. And she was almost out of bullets. There was no spot for her to take cover and change her charger so she had to take this guy out fast. The man let himself fall flat on his stomach, avoiding her bullet and rolled to one side, shooting again. Missing Anika’s head by less than an inch. She stood back up and ran towards him , hoping to be fast enough to kick him before he got back up on his feet. Alas, he, was faster than she thought and was up on his feet with his gun pointed straight at her face. She had her gun pointed at his throat.
« I heard you were good, Anika Jansen, but i have to say, I’m impressed, nobody has ever manged to dodge my shots before. » said the man in a raspy voice.
Anika could see her reflection in his shaded glasses. There were traces of dried up blood on her face. None of It hers.
« I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage here, you know my name and I don’t know yours… » replied the young blonde coolly.
« I am Victor Moriagi, known through the city as « The Cleaner », in the employ of the District's Crime Syndicate. And you are quite a mess may I add… » he answered, smiling.
« You just killed a friend of mine! » she said with rage in her voice « The mess I look like will be nothing compared to what you’ll be looking like in a second. »
Both Anika and the man pulled the trigger.
Click, click…
Both of their guns were empty.
The man looked at his gun for a second, and laughed wildly.
« This is peculiar, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen before. You have amused me so I will let you live for now Miss Jansen. »
Anika swung her left leg at « The Cleaner » but he manged to catch it with his left arm before she could land a hit. He then punched her in the stomach, cutting her breath for a second, and making her fall flat on her back. She as she came back on her knees, clutching her tummy and catching her breath, she awaited death from this man, but it never came.
« As I said before, » he said, sniling, as he opened the door to a very luxurious car, « I’ll let you live because you have amused me. My comrade Shin Tetsuhara has been sent on you and your friends’ tail, just so you know, and If he does get a hold of you, there will be no way you’ll be getting off as easy as you did with me. He has been paid to capture you and he will. I’m not bringing you in because I wasn't paid to bring you in. But if you want to make It easier on yourself, you can tell your boyfrend Ashley that , our employer, Mr. Yodama, would like to have a talk with him and all of your friends. It would save Shin alot of trouble, and It would save you all alot of trouble. »
As The Cleaner closed the door of his car and made his engine roar, Anika, teary eyed, crawled to Merrit’s corpse hugged her old frend.
She then leaned on what was left of her mentor and teacher and cried her heart out, wishing she could at least have said goodbye, as she felt the The Cleaner’s car leave the scene…
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