Chapter 16 Abaddon's Revenge
The unusual turn of events had necessitated a need to do something they had been passively ignoring for the past month; addressing the strange character that was James Klein.
Staying with the advice they had received, the girls decided to go out, get Monika's car, and go to a restaurant so they could chat over a meal.
"So, James was acting very strange today and yesterday, does anyone have any idea why?" Monika asked while sitting with her friends, who had been silently eating.
"He's always been strange Monika, but today…was really something else." Natsuki commented.
"Come on guys, he's not that strange, most of the time." Sayori defended.
"I have to say, I think it has been very strange that he has never been aware of certain concepts or ideas. Even very basic ones that everyone should be aware of, such as poems or clapping." Yuri added her input.
"Okay, I'll admit I did teach him a lot of things he should have known, but please, we shouldn't make assumptions about him like that. We don't know what his life was like growing up." Sayori pleaded.
"…" Monika sighed loudly for a moment. "He told me something, right after we'd gotten rid of those other boys from the club…" She paused uncomfortably, giving everyone a moment to remember that night. "…He told me, in fewer words, that he had hurt Riku, and that he regularly hurt other people."
"B-But…didn't Riku almost die that weekend?" Natsuki nervously noted.
"…Maybe he deserved that." Sayori grimly spat, bowing her head and hiding her eyes.
"I…won't deny that you're probably right about that, but it wasn't that James admitted to doing it that scared me, it was how casual he was about it." Monika nervously clasped her hands. "He said it with more annoyance than anything."
"I don't know, maybe…he was just trying to show off? I know he doesn't normally do that kind of thing, but you can't believe that the same gentle James who looks out for us, and who has been a really good friend to us…goes out to willingly hurt people, can you?" Sayori sadly pleaded.
"Sometimes he goes out really late." Natsuki spoke up calmly but quietly. "He says he's going to 'work' but it's always on random days, and he always brings big long cases with him, before coming home in the morning."
"Mmm? How do you know what he does at night?" Yuri questioned curiously.
"Aha…um…that's because I kind of…live…with him?" Natsuki embarrassingly explained, fidgeting in her seat.
"You…live with him? The only boy in the club, our age, who we have all asked out at some point or another?" Monika questioned incredulously.
"I…I couldn't stay at home anymore, and James allowed me to stay at his place with a few conditions after I insisted."
"What kind of conditions?" Monika requested.
"Ah, mostly to just stay out of his room, not to ask questions about his job. I actually don't see him very often. I kind of think he…adjusts his schedule to avoid me. Not to be mean! Just that he values his privacy very much." Natsuki explained.
"Well, in any case, you've been inside his house. Does he have any interesting things or items or…anything illegal?" Monika pushed for information.
"Hmm…not really. When I moved in, he didn't even have any furniture or appliances. When I complained, he gave me a blank check to order them for myself. I…may have bought a lot of manga as well, hehe." Natsuki nervously chuckled. "He still sleeps on a cot and besides a plain dresser and desk the only other things he has is a lot of big, heavy looking boxes."
"Does he have any personal items? Objects of importance?" Monika kept asking.
"Well, he does have a couple of pictures of people he worked with and of his stepparents…oh! That's right! He has a flag!"
"A flag?" Sayori turned surprised.
"What kind of flag?" Yuri leaned forward to listen.
"It's an um…well it's a big, black flag hanging on his wall vertically. Running down the middle in big white English letters is the word ORCA, with four stars set on the bottom in a staggered pattern."
"Mmm." Yuri hummed thoughtfully and coldly. "Black flags are often the symbols of terrorist and revolutionaries."
"…" An uncomfortable silence descended on the group.
"You…you don't really think he's some kind of terrorist, do you?" Sayori sadly questioned.
"I don't know. He said his homeland was a place filled with fighting, it wouldn't be surprising…" Monika reasoned.
"He said other things as well. He said that his stepfather taught him how to fight. That his stepfather was killed by the man he went to work for, and that it was a fair fight, so he didn't mind too much." Natsuki added.
"Oh…that's…odd." Sayori reluctantly relented.
"So, all we know is that he probably hurts people and may or may not have been involved with a terrorist organization? We have more questions than answers." Monika summarized with slight disappointment.
"Yes, and that doesn't even provide any information on who this 'Strayed' is. Is he James or some other person close to him?" Yuri questioned out loud.
"Strayed is definitely not James." Natsuki announced confidently.
"You were saying you were having dreams about James and this 'Strayed.' What happened in those dreams?" Monika asked her.
"Well, in the first dream, I was in an underground city. It was cold, dirty, and…death was everywhere."
"What do you mean?" Sayori curiously requested, leaning in to listen better.
"I saw people jump to their deaths. Cops or guards shooting people for thievery and making jokes about it. Some kind of mecha-blood-sport that crowds cheered for. I saw James, and even you Sayori, for just a few seconds, just faces in the crowd. I was really scared and sick by what I saw, so I tried to hide when…he…or it, found me."
"By 'it', do you mean Strayed?" Monika asked.
"Yeah. I think it could choose how it wanted to appear. Sometimes it wore a hood and cloak, other times it wore a trench coat, but it was always too dark to see, like staring into a black hole. It didn't have a face, but I could feel the expressions it was trying to imply."
"That's…really specific, even as vague as it sounds." Monika commented. "What did it want?"
"In that first dream it wanted to know why I was there. I told it I was lost and just sort of appeared there. Afterwards, I think we became friends. Strayed was always there in other dreams."
"What happened in those other dreams?" Yuri leaned in further, interested as well.
"The next dream I remember Strayed said was a forgotten memory. What was important with that dream was three people. An old lady, a very young James, and another little boy. We followed them to an alley where some thug with a gun was waiting and tried to rob them. And then…" Natsuki paused reluctantly.
"W-What happened? Did the old lady get hurt?" Sayori asked worriedly. She grabbed Natsuki's hand to comfort her.
"Only a little. She got shot in the cheek. But she didn't care, because she broke the thug's arm, then his neck. The scary thing was that she seemed so...excited, to be killing him." Natsuki hesitantly told her friends.
"…Holy shit." Monika muttered.
"Strayed said the old lady was his grandmother, that her name was 'Last Raven.' He was so happy to see her, so proud of her."
"That sounds like some kind of title, 'Last Raven...'" Yuri rolled the name off her tongue curiously.
"In another dream, I saw young James and his stepmother, a really pretty blonde woman named Fiona. They were skygazing before Strayed came in and showed me several things."
"What did he show you?" Sayori looked on inquisitively.
"He showed me Mars, but it was really pretty. It had oceans and vast green forests. He showed me the moon, but it was covered in massive cities. He showed me the sky blotted out with hundreds if not thousands of satellites that he called 'a wall.' Then he showed me the Earth, and…" Natsuki hesitated, looking sad.
"What's wrong? What did you see?" Sayori scooted closer, rubbing her back.
"The Earth was dead. Just a grey, brown ball of dust and ash. Strayed seemed to imply that he, or at least something like him, was responsible for it."
"…" Monika sighed loudly. "Did you have any other dreams?"
"I had two more. One earlier this week and one last night. In the first, James was arguing with his boss, a man named Thermidor, about something that happened. Thermidor seemed to be proud that James killed two people and James was sad that he couldn't save someone."
"…" Monika gulped fearfully. "Then what happened?"
"…" Natsuki paused for a moment. "James threatened his boss to get rid of something and then…mmm." She paused again, purposely hesitating. "James had a girlfriend."
"…" There was another long pause where no one spoke.
"…Really?" Monika broke the tension. "Out of everything you have said I have to doubt that last statement."
"It's true though! They were being really chummy and close, and James seemed really content to be with her."
"Did you learn anything about her?" Sayori asked, still reeling in surprise.
"Not really. I tried to ask Strayed about it, but he deflected the question either saying he wouldn't tell me or that it wasn't his place to say."
"Hmm." Yuri hummed curiously. "What happened in the last dream?"
"Last night was really scary." Natsuki paused for a short moment. "It definitely wasn't a memory like the other dreams might have been. In that dream we were all there except for James. But something was really wrong with us, even my copy was messed up. I…I really don't want to say what I saw, but I was really scared." Natsuki scooted closer to Sayori, cuddling her for comfort. "Eventually, everyone attacked Strayed and he was saved by his grandmother. He said she was supposed to be dead, while she took care of him and praised him. They spoke for a bit and she called him 'Strayed Klein' before she disappeared. Then Strayed said it would be time for us to meet for real."
"And then we got those notes today signed by 'Strayed'." Monika shook her head. "It seems really too crazy, but I somehow think what you saw was real." She was then partially distracted by a television playing in the restaurant.
Town of Hideo Abandoned. 287 Missing.
The screen showed helicopter footage of a small, isolated town only a few dozen miles from the outskirts of Tokyo. The governor of the region was giving a statement over the strange depopulation and disappearance of an entire town. Monika also noted the text crawl at the bottom of the screen.
American Prisoner Escapes North Korea, Disappears Afterward
"I think…" Natsuki spoke up again, bringing back Monika's attention. "I think…that I've met Strayed before, in a different nightmare. Back when James joined the club, and when I…err…asked him out, I had a nightmare about a place where nothing except screaming and darkness existed. There was a creature, more of an entity really, that found me and tore something out of me." Natsuki shivered as she relayed this information.
"What did it look like?" Monika asked quietly.
"It was big and dark. Most of it seemed to exist in contradiction; cold and hot, calm and rage. It had a snout with over a hundred red eyes, and these huge, bladed claws that it hurt me with." Natsuki reluctantly relayed. "It felt so real."
"D-Don't worry Natsuki, nothing like that really exists." Sayori tried to assure her, for herself as well.
"I've seen it." Monika announced coldly. "I had a very similar dream, seen those eyes, felt those claws. Sometimes I can still feel it near, a threat in a whisper."
"Yesterday, after you guys left the room, I had a similar dream as well." Yuri shyly announced. "I cried out for help and that thing came to me, taking something from me in a brutal manner."
"…" Sayori forced herself to breath softly. She uttered uncertainly, head bowed sadly, "Sometimes I see those claws. Feel them on my shoulder, in my chest. I thought I was going crazy, that I was seeing something that couldn't be there, even when it felt so real."
"Shit." Monika bared her teeth. "How are we all having the same dream? Seeing the same creature?"
"Do you think, it could be James? I was with him before I had my dream." Yuri suggested.
"Hey you are right, Natsuki and I were with him when we saw that thing!" Monika realized.
"He…he was in my house that morning. He looked sad for a moment, and was really nice, like, more than usual." Sayori announced in realization.
"So…what does that mean? If that is Strayed, what did it do to us? What is it? Who is…what is James?" Monika asked out loud.
"ACK! *cough*" Natsuki cried out, clutching her chest.
"Natsuki! What's wrong?" Sayori worriedly exclaimed.
"Kuu…" Natsuki tiredly gasped. "That…that felt like I was hit in the chest twice." She clenched her teeth.
"…" Shit. Monika silently thought, hands fearfully and tightly clutching her skirt under the table.
"C-Can I get you anything?" Yuri offered uncertainly.
"No? No, I don't think so. Sometimes I get really random pain, but it shouldn't be a-AHHHH!" Natsuki reared back, seizing with her arms wide and low.
"N-Natsuki! Please! Something's wrong! Please tell me!" Sayori shouted worriedly, grabbing her friend from behind to steady them.
"M-M-M-MY-B-B-BACK!" Natsuki managed to stutter out.
"H-Hey! It's going to be alright!" Yuri had gotten up from her seat, holding onto her shortest friend supportingly.
"…" Monika breathed heavily, cursing herself. She'd known what was going to happen, but hadn't said anything, hadn't done anything. She'd let it happen, and that was almost as bad as what she'd done before. "We need to go." She announced with resigned confidence.
"Okay-okay-okay." Yuri nervously brushed her hair back. "Sayori, help me get her to the car please."
"Yeah, yeah okay." Sayori helped Natsuki up, taking one arm while Yuri took the other, helping to drag/walk the shorter girl along while Monika held the door. She ignored the scene they were making and rushed to get her little car ready for them. With Monika in the driver's seat, Yuri and Sayori sandwiching Natsuki in the backseat to hold her hands and support her the best they could.
"Hey Nat, are you feeling any better? Can we get you anything?" Sayori soothingly inquired,
"I, don't, know, I don't know, I-don't-know." Natsuki's breathing was erratic and fearful. "It's, never, hurt this much, not since-" She seized and shuttered, rocking back and forth quickly. She reached up and clutched her head. "NNNNNNNNN!" She grunted loudly.
"Monika get us to a hospital!" Sayori demanded.
"I-I-" Monika hesitated, having never expected things to go so poorly.
"I would really suggest we get going now!" Yuri agreed uncharacteristically loudly.
"I-we-can't." Monika reluctantly informed them.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Natsuki's left hand, that Sayori was holding, suddenly went simultaneously limp and erratic while she cried in agony, thick streaks of tears running down her face.
"MONIKA GET US TO A DAMN HOSPITAL!" Sayori shouted angrily.
"I CAN'T!" Monika shouted back, her voice breaking. Her head bowed shamefully as her face burned hot. "The note said this would happen. It said not to go to the hospital. That we need to go to your house. That's what Strayed told me to do." She shamefully explained.
For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was Natsuki's heavy and pained breathing.
"If…Strayed…told…you…then…do…it…" Natsuki managed to whimper.
Monika looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Yuri's confused and tearful face, her own red and teary eyes, and a look from Sayori she'd never seen before, but was long overdue for. Tear streaked bloodshot blue eyes regarding her with resentment. There was however a reluctant agreement between the three of them, allowing Monika to start driving.
She hadn't gotten more than a mile before Natsuki suddenly lurched sideways so hard she nearly knocked out Yuri's teeth, before she went limp in their arms.
"N-Natsuki! Natsuki wake up! Wake-MMM!" "A-AH!" Sayori and Yuri suddenly cringed painfully at the death grip their hands were held in. Natsuki's breathing returned, deep and forced, but something else unusual for her. Primal. Hateful.
Deadly.
Ten Minutes Before
The site of the mission was another warehouse on the other side of the city. It was fairly active, with an influx of Russian and Chinese guards who were, of course, law-abiding visitors and definitely not foreign soldiers of any kind, because that would have been suspicious.
For it's plan, Strayed needed to get to the building's roof unnoticed. Hiding in shadows and moving when attention was elsewhere, it reached the outer wall of the target warehouse. Taking the High Frequency knives, it scaled the building, alternating their extreme cutting mode in order to silently ascend to the roof.
Once there, it stayed low, dispatching three guards with precise and deadly knife thrusts to their necks. Descending to the upper floors, it took the explosives from a bag it had been carrying and began affixing them to the top of support columns across 80% of the warehouse as quickly and quietly as possible, leaving one end of the building unrigged. With that done, it stealthily descended to the ground floor, preparing to not only implement this plan, but the second battle as well.
That's it, I quit.
Wait…what? James questioned suddenly, having control where he did not before.
I got you this far, finish the job on your own.
The-fuck do you mean! Combat is your job!
I'm tired. Deal with it. Clock is ticking.
Well…Fuck you! James reluctantly shouldered his rifle, a FN FAL with heavy drum magazine. It's twin he slung on his back, seeing as he did not possess the same aptitude for duel-wielding weapons as Strayed did.
The plan was quite simple, start a shootout, make the guards outside come in, and then drop a building on their heads. At least, that was the plan Strayed had laid out. The fact that it had just passed on responsibility onto him was already cause for alarm.
Still, he had a job to do, and he would attempt to complete it to the best of his abilities. Rounding the first corner in a hallway, he came face to face with two incredibly surprised guards, dropping the first one easily with a burst to the face. Quickly, his aim shifted to the second, where he hesitated.
He did not choose to hesitate. This was not much different to countless jobs he'd done before. As well, he was quite content to kill his enemies, no matter who they might be. Rather, the hesitation seemed to be in his nerves, as the signal to pull the trigger didn't quite make it down to his fingers.
This hesitation gave the guard, armed with a shotgun, time to fire twice into his chest before he managed to get his fingers to respond and drop the enemy.
"Ack. Fuck." James coughed lightly. That hurt more than it should have.
/PAIN TOLERANCE LIMITER: OFFLINE
The fuck is that about? He thought in annoyance. Strayed? Strayed!
…
Fuck it… James sighed, checking his chest armor to find it was still mostly intact. Satisfied and in a hurry now, he went to the side, kicking down a door to an office. The two men getting their guns ready just in time to be shot dead. Taking a second to check the corners of the room, noting that it was clear.
Across the hallway he kicked down the second door in the short hallway, finding another man and immediately shooting him dead. Stupidly, his feet moved on their own, causing him to enter the room without checking the corners this time. He really wanted to turn, but didn't, and was thus rewarded as he felt two AK-47s being emptied into his back.
Oww. Annoyed, he finally acted under his control, turning around and killing the two confused enemies behind him. He winced at the feeling of metal partially penetrating his skin. Not a serious injury, but he was certain his back armor was now ruined.
How had that happened? He always knew to check his doors and corners when clearing a room. That…that wasn't him acting stupidly, was it?
The room clear, he checked the next two rooms without incident, only killing one guard. The hallway under control and the base likely alerted to his presence, he made his way into the warehouse proper, finding ten men gathered to his immediate front. He would have been more confident had Strayed been in control, but it should still be an easy enough time.
Confident in their own numbers, the guards tried to order him to stop, but that was stupid as it just marked the speaker as the first to die. His next move would have been to move quickly, never stopping and to kill with every burst, except, his feet were not moving.
Oh…fuck me. James grimaced as the nine remaining guards then all fired at him in return, quickly reducing his chest armor to shreds and causing no small amount of discomfort to him. His right arm kept on target, killing three men in the same amount of time. His left arm raised protectively over his head and eyes, as he felt several rounds bounce off of his skull and damage his skin.
He killed a fourth man, much to the shock of his enemies.
"What the fuck! How is he still standing!"
"Shoot! Shoot him again!"
Still rooted in place, he survived a second barrage when a uniquely painful experience entered his left arm following the report of a large weapon.
/WARNING: MASSIVE PENETRATING TRAUMA
/LEFT FINGERS [3-4-5] DISABLED
/COMBAT EFFICIENCY REDUCED/CURRENTLY 55% AND FALLING
OWWWW! James held back a scream at the feeling of an armor-piercing round exploding and penetrating his arm. He could feel a slug of Tungsten buried in his muscles, cutting off his control of his left middle finger and the two fingers after. At that angle, with that kind of ammunition, it might have killed him if not for his arm. Finally, in control of his feet, he stumbled back to a windowed office, directly behind him. He noticed the state of his rifle for a moment, seeing that multiple rounds had destroyed it. Dropping that, he pulled out a Glock pistol with his good hand, turning his back on his enemies he smashed open the door with his left arm, which was bleeding profusely, and collapsed inside, keeping his front to the door as he scooted over, placing himself with his back to the wall under the window.
Briefly, he thought someone was in the room with him, and he had raised his gun to shoot them, only to stop when he realized it was Strayed, materialized from his imagination.
"What the…fuck Strayed? Did you lock up my legs? Get me in this…shit?" He winced though every word, his pain-blocking augment turned off for some reason.
…Of course. Strayed remarked flippantly. I had to get you to listen, had to weaken you and force, by way of your wounds, even an ounce of power over you.
"What the fuck! You're a part of me! You'll die too!"
It was a necessary risk, seeing at how you allowed our mind to be corrupted by outside forces.
"Well! You let them in!"
I did, and that was my mistake. You on the other hand did not immediately try and reset us to be able to purge that contamination. Why is that?
"Ah, It's just that…" James came up short, realizing even he didn't know why. Or, thought he didn't.
That's right. I was confused as well, wondering what reasoning you would have to not immediately bring us back to full combat efficiency, to allow yourself to be overwhelmed with feelings and urges not your own. It took me awhile, and then I remembered, the last conscious decision you made, before we were transported to this ancient time.
"The last…you mean…Judith?"
"Hey! I can hear him talking, he's still alive!" A guard shouted from just outside.
You damn fool. You damn, damn fool. Don't you remember our creed? That we should live and face death? Without pause, without mercy, and most certainly without remorse?
"It's…I…"
I know what it is. You hold regret for that last act. You have feelings you cannot name. You want to be a real boy again, to feel how you felt before the world broke you. The safety in a trusted embrace.
His right arm shot up, instantly dropping two enemies with his handgun just as they entered the room. At least Strayed had taken back that control for the moment.
But you cauterized that in order to survive, you don't want that back again. Stomp out those last embers and you'll be free of it. Strayed hissed, demanding and tempting.
"I…don't know…I…" James hesitated, much to Strayed's annoyance.
If you can't make that decision, then I'll leave you to your fate.
"Wait…leave?" James looked up in surprise.
Yes, you see, of the many mistakes we have made together, this one presents an opportunity, for my survival. Mid-sentence, Strayed had changed their face. Whereas before it had been appearing as a twisted mirror of James, it now appeared as a twisted mirror of a familiar face with a shorter posture.
"No…You! You wouldn't!" James cried out in honest surprise.
I'll do anything to survive. To fight again. The question is…why won't you?
"…" James sighed. Strayed was right. It was foolish and wrong for a Lynx to be brought as low as he had by their own emotions. Lynx were not creatures who wallowed in regret. Lynx were hunters, killers, weapons of war fighting without end, living with only one purpose.
Against the voices of those he called friends, warmed with a conviction he once tore a world apart with, he made his choice.
/INITIATING COGNITIVE RESET
/SYSTEM SHUTDOWN IMMINENT
/. . .
Before his eyes shut, he idly noted a grenade tumble and roll to the middle of the room.
/. . .
/. . .
/. . .
/RESET COMPLETE
/SYSTEMS ONLINE
/PRIMARY CONTROL: ONLINE
/SECONDARY CONTROL: OFFLINE
/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 30%
/WARNING: MAJOR EXTERNAL DAMAGE
/TIME TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE: 2 HOURS
A guard entered the room, seeing a small crater in the concrete, the bodies of two dead comrades, and the slumped body of the trench-coated man who had attacked them, a small puddle of dark blood pooling under them. Seeing as they had survived so many bullets so far, he raised his rifle and put two rounds into the side of their head, causing the body to jerk and slump sideways. When the body did not move for several seconds, he turned confidently, to tell the other men now in the warehouse.
"He is dead." The news was met with sighs of relief and cheers.
/PRIMARY CONTROL OVERRIDE
/COMBAT EFFICIENCY OVERCLOCKED
/ALL SAFETIES AND RESTRICTIONS CANCELLED
/UNIT WILL NOT CEASE UNTIL ALL ENEMIES ARE ELIMINATED
A fist burst through the guard's chest, while another hand stole his gun from behind. Even as he fell and died, the remaining nineteen guards of this base witnessed a nightmare, bloodied and shot to bits, still standing, with hateful orange eyes laid bare and unblinking.
"Strayed, finishing the mission." The bloodied nightmare spoke once, before it moved inhumanly fast. The closet enemy ten feet away didn't even get their gun up before it had swatted his head free of his body.
"H-HOLY SHIT!"
"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!"
The nightmare rushed the next closest enemy, emptying it's weapon into the chest of it's next target while charging undeterred. Snatching another fallen rifle, Strayed kept running, moving low and quickly though the warehouse, using cover to get closer to it's enemies. Another two men fell into it's sights, being quickly gunned down just as they realized it could see them.
"SOMEBODY SHOOT HIM!"
The next target a few feet away wielded an RPK machine gun. Dropping it's own gun, Strayed was instantly upon them, stealing their gun with their arm still attached and thrusting it back through their chest, turning the improvised shielded weapon on another two unfortunate enough to be in it's sights.
The head of the improvised shield exploded, to which Strayed dodged predictively. Dropping the man, it leveled it's hateful gaze on the sniper up above who twice now had nearly killed it. Spotting the nearest support column, it rushed with all haste, bursting through an unfortunate guard and tearing him to ribbons.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
Gripping the column as tightly as was possible with only seven working fingers, Strayed leaped ten feet at a time until they were level with the sniper, now only a hundred feet away. With another running leap towards the sniper, who had stood in surprise when Strayed ascended the column, was tackled out of his hiding spot and back to the floor below. On the way down, Strayed sunk it's teeth deep into his throat, tearing it out and spitting it away. Humans tasted terrible.
Stealing the fifty caliber rifle the sniper had, Strayed stood up even while falling and managed to get a center mass shot in a stray guard, blowing his chest out of his back.
"IT'S A MONSTER!"
The poor sod who said that was instantly targeted, receiving two oversized shells through the chest and head. Another guard who was attempting to line up a shot received the same fate.
"WE CAN'T KILL IT!"
The seven remaining guards attempted to fall back, taking shots when they thought they might hit their hunter, while trying to shuffle away quickly. One guard, armed with an M60 machine gun, had set his weapon down, about to fire at it. Strayed fired the sniper rifle while running, nearly spitting the guard in half.
Another guard attempted to get a shot from a catwalk above, the shot to his chest threw him over the railing. Of the five remaining guards running from it, one of them stumbled, allowing Strayed to quickly catch up. Thrusting the gun into his screaming mouth, the merciless Lynx hoisted him into the air from the end of the rifle, the shot spraying the ceiling wide and red.
"JUST RUN! RUN! R-" The screaming man was silenced as Strayed caught him, impaling his chest with the large rifle, dropping both. Picking up the unused M60, Strayed quickly caught two more enemies, using half a belt for each and leaving a wide and slick mess. The last man, who was actually closer to Strayed, slipped and fell as he ran through the mess, losing his weapon and smacking his head into a wall so close to freedom.
When the man turned, he caught sight of the beast that had pursued him, standing above him hatefully and patiently, it's bullet ridden clothes, slick with blood, both it's own and not. Unnatural eyes held his gaze, eyes lacking even the slightest vestige of humanity.
"What the fuck are you?!" He screamed at the demon. Strayed flayed the fingers on it's right hand, like claws.
"…" Not in the mood, it simply tore the man limb from limb, then in half, then in half again.
/WARNING: OVERCLOCKED LIMIT EXCEEDED
/RESUMING NORMAL OPERATIONS
/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 9%
Collapsing to all fours, Strayed coughed up dangerous amounts of blood.
/RECALCULATING. . .
/TIME TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE: 58 MINUTES
Slowly stumbling forward, it held it's left arm towards it's stomach, stemming the bleeding as well as it could.
Exiting the warehouse, it hobbled towards where it knew it's vehicle was parked.
"Hey you! Stop right there!"
Turning instantly with it's handgun raised, Strayed dropped two more guards as they came at it from behind. The gun clicked empty and was re-holstered. Finally, at the truck they had arrived in, it removed the large piece of Tungsten from it's arm and bandaged itself as well as it could.
/RECALCULATING. . .
/TIME TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE: 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES
With nothing more to do, Strayed detonated the explosives in the building remotely, then went to complete one more mission.
One Hour Later
Natsuki had at last calmed down and had not had any more pained outbursts. Still, she was in an inexplicable and uncomfortable state, sweating and breathing as if in pain. Her friends had not gotten much more than a few shakes or nods from her. Sayori was still set on taking her to a hospital but was reluctantly convinced after reading the note Monika had received.
Two of them were in Sayori's bedroom, doing their best to keep her comfortable. A soft knock at the door alerted them as Yuri cautiously entered.
"You guys need to see this." Yuri gestured behind her as she went back down the stairs. Monika made to leave followed shortly by Sayori as she whispered something to Natsuki.
Downstairs, Yuri had the television on, the only light source in the dark room as night had already fallen.
Warehouse Explosion, Dozens Reported Dead.
On the screen was a crumbled and burning building, surrounded by first responders. The police appeared to be readying a statement.
"Yuri, why did you call us down for this?" Monika quietly asked.
"It…it just seems too coincidental. Too many things happening in so short a time." Yuri answered thoughtfully.
They were interrupted as Natsuki came down the stairs slowly and painfully, Sayori instantly rushing to her side to help her down.
"Natsuki! You need to be careful! Why did you come down?" Sayori worriedly addressed her.
"He's…here…we need to…go…" Natsuki whispered out.
"He's…?" Monika turned to look out the window, seeing a car parked next door. "Oh, Yuri, you were supposed to be looking out for James!"
"I-I'm sorry. I've been a little on edge today." Yuri shyly answered.
"It's okay. Now let's go get some answers from him." Monika announced.
Walking up to his unassuming home, the act of opening his door with Natsuki's key was uneventful. That changed when the door opened. Dark, red blood smeared across the floor, staining and pooling every few feet, like a dying animal dragging itself along. It followed a path down the barren and sparse living room and up the stairs.
"Oh god…" Monika whispered. They all paused, stopped outside, eyeing the horrific sight warily and cautiously.
"We…need…to…hurry…" Natsuki encouraged them, eyes still winced shut in pain.
"…" Monika shared a look between Yuri and Sayori. All of their eyes wide, fearful, a taste and weight of fear they did not know before while dragging their feet through the sludge like blood. Each step forward taking every ounce of their convictions, their breath short and heavy, afraid to make a sound.
It would have taken them hours to cross the distance and up the stairs, such was the fear in their hearts. As such, it was Natsuki's pained yet determined pace that set their advance, up the stairs and following the blood to the turn it took into a bathroom.
There wasn't much of a mystery what they might find there, yet it was still shocking to see. Slumped down on the far wall was James, head bowed, and eyes closed, his corpse cooling and bleeding. The thick, dark blood slowly widening around him. Grievous wounds to his head, arm, and chest spilling slowly.
"JAMES NO!" Sayori shouted, rushing past Monika to kneel by his side. "James please don't be dead! Wake up! Wake up!" Sayori cried out as she cradled his head to her chest, indifferent to the blood she was staining herself with.
Monika turned to see Yuri still holding Natsuki, a deathly pale and fearful look to her. Monika herself was at a loss, unable to fully comprehend the sight before her. Taken in by Sayori's quiet sobbing as she cried freely over her best friend's corpse.
"Rather bold of you to presume my death."
"J-James! You're alive! Oh-oh thank goodness." Sayori sobbed happily, still hanging on dearly to the bleeding boy. Monika and Yuri each let out a held breath. "James, what happened?" Sayori questioned.
"I was shot."
"You were shot? It will be okay James, we'll-" Sayori began to plan and comfort him.
"My name is not James."
"It's…" Sayori paused, seeing his cold, tired, heavy eyes looking cruelly and indifferently at the floor. "You're not…James?"
"No."
"You were…shot?"
"This is going to be very tedious if you remain this dim."
Cautiously, Monika approached slowly, pulling Sayori effortlessly away and back a foot. "You're…you're…"
"My name is Strayed. As you might have found out by now, I am not…entirely human." It's eyes raised, meeting theirs emotionlessly.
"Who…What are you?" Monika asked fearfully.
"What I am is…hard to explain. I am a Lynx, a kind of super-soldier."
"Super-soldier…?" Yuri muttered in bewilderment.
"Was James even real? Or was he just a front for you?" Monika accused.
"Yes, and Yes. Again, it would take time to explain, time I do not have." As it said this, Strayed lifted a set of pliers that were in it's right hand, raised them to it's forehead, and pulled a bloodied and flattened bullet out of a hole, dropping it on the floor. "Now, I need-"
"What's happening to Natsuki?" Monika asked sternly.
"…" Strayed paused at being interrupted. "She's feeling the pain this body is experiencing."
"Why would you do that to her?" Monika accused.
"It was not something I wanted or planned to do to her, it is however a product of my mistakes."
"You…" It was then that Monika noticed a handgun on the counter. Reluctantly picking up the weapon, she held it down but in it's general direction.
"…?" Curiously, Strayed watched her.
"You…are going to tell us everything." Monika demanded as forcefully as she could.
"M-Monika?" Sayori fearfully asked.
"Oh? As I said before, I do not have much time-"
"That's not good enough!" Monika shouted. "You've been in our heads! You've killed people! We deserve some answers! Or…Or-"
"Or what Monika? Are you going to shoot me? That didn't work so well for the last thirty-five who tried." Strayed stood up, a threatening visage of blood and calm. "You can't kill me like that, here." It grabbed both of her wrists, forcing them together. "Both hands on the weapon…" Helping her aim the weapon towards it's eye so that it was looking down the barrel, it continued. "…Aim here, at my eye. My skull is thin enough here that you have a reasonable chance to actually kill me."
"M-M-Monika…" Sayori quietly cried, fearful and scared.
"…" Monika shook fearfully, not expecting to be aided by her victim. On one hand, she wanted to pull away, she didn't want to shoot James. On the other, James wasn't here, it wasn't even a human anymore, instead a creature of violence and blood.
"Go ahead Monika. If I'm a threat to you and your friends as you say, then do your duty and cut me down. That is the duty to which you've been entrusted. So, fulfill it. Stop me, kill me if you will."
"…" Monika hesitated. Forced to hold the gun to her once-friend's head, she didn't know if she could. She didn't know if she could trust Strayed. What if it was tricking her? What if by pulling the trigger, she failed to kill Strayed and it killed all of her friends? What if she was overreacting, and Strayed wasn't the monster she thought it was?
"What are you waiting for? Permission? Confirmation? The threat lies before you, and you have the weapon. Do it. Do. It. DO IT. DO IT!" Strayed shouted, raising it's hands high above her.
Then she remembered. Those eyes that had seen through her. Those claws that had been inside her. Both baring down on her in the real world, Monika kept both eyes open.
*click*
The heavy and hollow sound silenced all. The air shifted as Monika, Sayori, and Yuri flinched at the sound and gasped. Most terrifying however, was the wide, honest smile plastered on Strayed's cold and barely human lips.
Horrifying fear at what she'd just done resonated through her. Letting the empty gun fall from her hands, she tried to step back, away from Strayed. She wasn't allowed to escape though as Strayed placed both hands on her face, pulling her head close and sweetly as it rested it's forehead against hers, staining her face with it's thick blood.
"I'm so proud of you Monika! To stand against your enemy, to pull the trigger, to keep both eyes open! You are truly a worthy and honorable leader…CKK!" Strayed's praise of her ended suddenly, as it let go and fell to it's knees, then to all fours. Simultaneously, Natsuki, who had been eerily silent the whole time, also fell to her knees. "However, as I was saying before, I do not have much time left. This body will probably be dead in about eighteen minutes without assistance from you and yours. For obvious reasons, I cannot go to the hospital. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I will need your help."
"…" Recovering slowly from what just happened and noticing Natsuki on the floor with Sayori and Yuri trying to help her, Monika made a decision. "You said before you would tell us everything. I want to know, everything. I want to know what you've done, I want to know where you come from, and I want to know what the fuck you are!" Her voice raised in intensity and anger.
"Agreed."
"One more thing!" Monika demanded. "You need to help Natsuki first."
"By helping me Natsuki will-"
"No!" Monika shouted. "You help her first or I won't raise a finger to help you!"
"…" Strayed slumped back against the wall, rolling it's eyes tiredly. "Very well. However, you might not like how I end up…helping her." With that, it shut it's eyes, relaxed, and slowed it's breathing to a steady and quiet pace. Natsuki stopped shaking, steadied her breathing, and stood up.
"Natsuki, are you feeling better?" Sayori asked dearly.
"Are you alright now Natsuki?" Monika calmed down at seeing her friend stand up.
"That depends." Natsuki uttered with far too much confidence and calmness. Her eyes opened to reveal dull, emotionless, focused pink eyes. "Do you intend to uphold your end of our deal?"
Author's Note: Well, it's finally happened now, the girls have officaly met Strayed. What will they learn? Stay tuned for more! Also, since the last chapter I did post the cover art, which I really appreciate the effort and detail the artist put into it.
Another detail is that I borrowed several more lines from "The Expance". They were some of the best moments and was glad I could work them into the story in a beliveable way.
To bao47801: I am glad you enjoy looking for detail in each chapter. I hope you will be entertained for the twist that I have planned!
To kukuhimanpr: Wow, you certainly have a lot to say. Thank you for pointing out that one spelling error and for your sudden interest in my work.
Thanks to Cyba-Fyba for the incredible cover art. Check out their other works or support them on sites such as Reddit, Deviant Art, and Twitter.