Chapter 35
Veil of the Mercenary
"Winter." I spoke quietly as she turned around with a small smile on her face, her hair blocking her other eye as she knew what I was about to say.
"You've accepted the deal then?" She asked me as I sighed in frustration.
"Where is she? I'll take care of her." I said as she shook her head before picking a pistol off the counter and placing it into my hand. "Winter, what are you doing?" I demanded as she took a few paces back.
"Shoot me." She said plainly.
"Wait why?!" I asked.
"Shoot me." She said before pulling a pistol and aiming it straight at me. "Or I will do so myself." She finished her ultimatium before pulling the hammer back.
"Winter, what the hell are you doing?" I asked aiming the gun at her, hesitant to pull the trigger.
"1."
"Winter! Stop this!"
"2."
"Don't make me do this Winter."
"3." She said before she pulled the trigger as I dove to the side before recovering quickly and firing 3 rounds at the huntress as the bullets just bounced off her like nothing. I stood up in anger, throwing the gun to the side in protest.
"Mind explaining what the fuck that was?!" I yelled. She smiled putting her pistol on the table calmly as if nothing had ever happened.
"I wanted to see how you would react under sudden and intense pressure. In this case, shooting someone who you don't deem your enemy. Which that would be me, and it doesn't impress me. Although, your sheer intensity I could see in your eyes. A bloodlust that can't be sated, is that what I saw? Or was it your inner deep dark desires rising up from within your souls?" She said in a poetic manner.
"I only shot you because of my will to survive." I stated.
"You are a liar." She responded, flicking a stray hair out her face.
"What?"
"You don't do this to survive Kyran. Otherwise you wouldn't of taken up that mask. No, you didn't kill Edana Cymbil for your own survival. You didn't kill a band of bounty hunters for survival. You did not kill a dozen of my father's men for your survival. No, you did it because the fact that you can kill with no moral restraint. That you can take justice as you see fit. Not without an order or the law constraining you. You do this because you have an insatiable bloodlust. And it will never die no matter how much you try to deny it." She explained as it all became clear. Not that she was doing this to make me mad. It was the truth.
"And what am I to do when all this over? TELL ME WINTER!" I screamed, demanding a logical answer. Yet I didn't see one. Not at all.
"That is for you to decide Black Lightning. But enough of my silly riddles. If you wish to kill Ms. Belladonna, she will be in a White Fang convoy heading to a specific railway point that crosses through Forever Fall Forest. They mean to strike at my father. You will kill her and bring me back the pendant she wears on her neck. That will be the proof I so desire. Now go Kyran, time is wasting." She said as I went back into the room as I saw that she did manage to recover my Katana. Yet sadly my Gunblade was not among my gear. It was shattered from that Knight, whoever he was. He nearly killed me and didn't hesitate while doing so.
"Destroyer of Worlds? No, I challenge it. I'm not a killer. I only want this nightmare to end. And it is with my freedom and the death of many more." I said to myself, confident in my own broken truth. I tied the belt holding my sword to its side and threw on my coat and mask before proceeding to the door before Winter turned the corner.
"Kyran." She spoke in a quiet tone.
"What do you need?" I questioned.
"Do me a favor, when you see Weiss, tell her sister misses her. She'll know what it means. And good luck Kyran. Return to me when you are finished." She concluded leaving me once more alone. I exited the summer home to a quiet opening leading to an active forest. A slight breeze blew through my hair as I took in the great expanse. With a small sigh, I began my trek into the forest.
Elsewhere
"Mr. Lightning, years ago you met me. We were enemies on the field of battle. I lost everything to you. My home, my career, my wife. And yet, you hid it to me. You lied to me. And when I found out you were the one that caused all this pain. All this suffering. I decided enough was enough from your damn heroics." I said to myself sliding the Katana back it's sheath before examing the interior of the monocular over the woodland expanse before seeing a few birds fly off into the distance. I let a small smile.
"Found you bastard." I stated before grabbing a mask and sliding it over my face with it only revealing the slits in my eyes. Chuckling softly.
"Kyran Rhodes, you killed my wife, you killed Serine over a fucking order. I know that truth. And before I kill you and give you the most excruciating death. I will take that power of your's. And I will bring her back from the dead. This I swear to you kid.