Why me? The young teenager addled his way to the tavern, reluctant to follow through with his mission. This sort of thing is beneath me. I shouldn't have to run errands just because I wanted a different master. Just days earlier, the boy was spoken to by none other than the pope, Shaina.
"We cannot tolerate this audacity, Jun. You were supposed to be on Death Queen Island. Anyone else would be killed for defiance, but you managed to survive against the black saints. Normally I would outright execute you and the black saints for their failure. However, I was instructed above to permit you a second chance. Athena believes that because you bothered to return to Sanctuary, albeit in stupidity, you are not a lost cause." Even though her face hid behind the mask, Jun preferred this to the direct scorn of her eyes.
"But-"
"Silence!" The power was unlike anything he felt. At first it was sheer awe, but pain sobered his senses. Was that an attack from the pope? "You should be grateful I am even speaking to you, let alone giving you a second chance. Few trainees are honored with the audience of the pope, do not take it for granted. You are not without burden of guilt, so you have to redeem yourself."
"What do you want me to do, your holiness?"
"You are not the first to defy the order of Sanctuary. I am ashamed to say this, but there have been deserters that not only betrayed Athena, but steal her gift of the cosmo for selfish reasons in the world. One such felon is a man by the name of Rhodes. Many years ago he abandoned his training not long before the test for a silver cloth. Had he been loyal, he may have won the cloth, but his evil still keeps him as an unrepentant bully. He has not lost his talent with cosmo. We know his location and activity, but we could never spare a saint to take care of him. Seeing as how you contend at the level of a bronze saint, you have the means to enact our justice. Since you have no cloth, you are still disposable. Disobey your orders, and Sanctuary will have enough motive to send a saint to eliminate two deserters in one stroke." She stepped over to the balcony, and faced the great span of scenery. "You are tangled with Sanctuary, Athena, and our wars. Do not ever think you are free." She was finished, and a saint had arrived to escort the boy out of the temple.
They were on the steps to Aquarius already. "You're really lucky, kid."
"Why? I'm not free."
"You're alive. That's all that matters."
Jun blurted his retort. "I never asked to be alive. There's no freedom in that."
"That attitude won't work for you, you know." Jun couldn't bring himself to respond, so he just scowled the whole way to the entrance of Sanctuary.
Even though he replayed the scene in his head countless times, he could not get over his second thoughts. Maybe he had been out of line. Why was he afraid of a seek-and-destroy mission? Even on Death Queen Island he wanted serious action. Perhaps it was the casual "silver" that Shaina slipped into her briefing. Jun was on the path to a bronze cloth, but he was assigned to that path. To be a student for a silver cloth was an entirely different level. Jun knew what he was capable of, especially the fact he escaped black saints. No, he did not defeat a black saint, and surely would have lost had he committed to a true, 1-on-1 battle. His wits and his cowardice kept him alive. This Rhodes was someone stronger than a black saint, since he was meant to reach silver sainthood. The problem with this case was that Jun had no escape. He had to kill or be killed.
Rhodes hid himself all the way in america, in a suburb outside New York City. Sanctuary had ways of sending someone to any place in the world. Usually it consisted of making the traveler a stowaway. Jun had a timetable of a week to accomplish the task. If he failed to kill Rhodes or return to his ship back to Athens, he would be branded just like Rhodes. Pope Shaina, like all popes, would know his actions.
Jun entered the tavern. As if this country wasn't strange enough, this den of bikers, thugs, truckers, and outlaws was even more alien to him. The large, hairy men just glanced at him and went about their business. Rhodes was definitely here, but which man was he? There just wasn't enough control nor emission of cosmo to determine the target. He reached the bar, and perhaps he looked inquisitively enough that the bartender paid him attention.
"What do you want kid? This ain't no school."
"I'm looking for Rhodes."
The bartender stopped wiping the glass, as if startled. "What do you have to do with Rhodes? He's got no kids to be minding." He glanced to the wall at the adjacent side. A man had just exited the bathroom. "That's him over there. Don't tell him I said anything." He hastily went about his work.
Jun spotted the man. He blended in with the bikers well, a bearded tough-looking man whose presence spoke more than his mouth. He was starting a game of pool when Jun approached. "Are you Rhodes?" This got his attention.
"The only people that know that name are in this building, and I never seen your snot-nose before. What bitch put you up to this to get money out of me?"
This was the critical moment. Jun stared at fate. Whatever response he could give would sentence him to doom. "You're wanted dead for deserting." The surrounding gang overheard and laughed.
Rhodes of course didn't take it seriously. Was he really someone who had anything to do with Sanctuary? He seemed so mundane, with no hint of cosmo. "Deserting what? 'Nam?"
"No, Sanctuary." The last syllable just left his mouth when the pool cue sped right at his eye. Even his hand could not stop it, and the bloody tip almost reached his pupil after it skewered his hand. Something told him that the cue tip would only progress, and his body instinctively jerked aside. His other palm broke through the stick already when he ascertained that not only did Rhodes continue his aggression, he did so with a sizeable cosmo.
He backhanded the boy into the table, and delivered a concentrated attack. Jun rolled away in the nick of time, as the blow easily shattered the table. Most of the patrons lacked the guts to spectate, and fled outside. Jun nervously skidded backwards on the floor to avoid the outlaw's stomps. He was nearly upon Jun when the kid defiantly kicked up at the man's jaw. It was a mistake, and Rhodes capitalized by grabbing the ankle and flinging him into a wall. Wood panel splintered from the impact, and Jun fell down rather dazed. There was no doubt about it, he was in way over his head. The cosmo that so deceptively hid before was now vibrant and every bit as much as Jun feared. He almost scrambled, but his hand was too weak from the injury. He suddenly felt weightless. Rhodes held him up by the neck, the grip already strangling him. Jun kicked his enemy, but there was no effect. Rhodes responded with a punch to the face. It was unlike anything Jun ever felt before. He lost sense of reality, and for a moment had no concept of existing. The exploded cosmo of that punch was genuine.
Shadows and shapes gathered, and the sense of moisture covered his painful face. He rubbed, finding more blood. Pavement? The blow sent him outside into the parking lot! A figure left the hole in the tavern, no doubt Rhodes finishing what he started. Again the hand strangled his small neck. Again Rhodes cocked a fist. The voice of Shaina echoed in Jun's mind. This man really had trained with cosmo. It seemed so big before, certainly nowhere as large as Shaina, but it was still the biggest with the intent to kill Jun. However, now Jun noticed something else. It was regular. There was a pattern to it, and Rhodes made no hesitation to display his cosmo. The pattern tied right into that punch, and he felt all that energy wind itself for the offense. The man dedicated his cosmo to a single blow, and having it land was its only use. If it missed, that was it, Rhodes lost his attack. The fist moved slower this time, because Jun ascertained the cosmo he was dealing with.
Ground. He felt ground, unlike before. Jun saw the punch arrive, but he single-mindedly thought about that punch missing its mark. His own cosmo operated, and seemed to have a mind of its own. The next thing Jun knew, he was hunched over, and Rhodes had fallen behind him.
What just happened? My cosmo... burst? He turned to find Rhodes already recovered. This happened with Black Lupus. His attack somehow missed, but I was safe. That time I just ran away, but I can't do that this time. I have to fight him. I have to kill him. But that burst, I need it to happen again. I need to figure out what went on. Rhodes charged, and like before, Jun saw how he prepared his punch. Just a one-trick pony... a saint is supposed to learn the technique of his constellation. This guy just stopped in the middle of that training, and has been stuck there all these years! I can use this! The punch came at an even slower speed, and Jun could finally what was to be done. He parried the attack with his own cosmo, and thwarted Rhodes completely away. I can defend, but I need to take him down! Again Rhodes charged, and it seemed even slower. Again, Jun parried the blow. In the midst of the parry, Rhodes tried something else, and his shin dug into the boy's side. No! It's a distraction, it doesn't have anywhere near the power as his punch! Jun stopped his developed reaction to the punch, and instead took offense against the leg. The chop, with a burning cosmo, mashing into the bone and flesh. The leg distorted to disturbing shapes, and Jun took the initiative to follow the attack. He kicked at Rhodes, but it was a strike that only rode on the momentum of the first. No, I can't seem to keep burning my cosmo!
Rhodes had fallen away, but did his best to recover. It was impossible to stand, because all the bone had shattered to splinters, rendering him permanently crippled. Of course he had been yelling, but his anger would not diminish with his cosmo. He took to his remaining three, and braced himself. Jun wondered what he planned, but it was too late. Rhodes heaved his entire body high in the air in order to execute an attack. Jun tried to run, but somehow Rhodes altered his flight path.
I can't run! He'll survive his fall with ease! I have to attack him! The incoming kick made its way to the boy, but Jun had spontaneously burned his cosmo in desperation. His fist met the boot, and the eerie sound of smashing bone accompanied the destruction of the outlaw's other leg. Rhodes crashed, unable to move from the shock. Jun continued his momentum and dove right on top of Rhodes. At first the burning cosmo carried with his flurry of punches to the face, but it diminished over time. Eventually Jun was simply beating a broken skull in further, the man already dead. Gasping for breath, Jun ran out of the rush that propelled him to victory. He staggered to his feet, unaware of the crowd that watched in awe. Pain overwhelmed him, as his arm had been broken from challenging that kick. Clutching his broken arm, he slowly made his way back to where he came from.
