With the throttle pushed all the way forward, Blue rocketed off and away from the verdant planet below his ship, his face dark as he shot towards the stars. Like always, he was still clad in his armor, always needing to feel protected no matter if he was asleep or awake, alone or with others. There didn't seem to be anything out there in the space beyond him, an endless void of black pockmarked by burning clusters of gas. This soothed him.
"I won't go too far," he muttered. "Just do a little patrolling, then…God only knows."
It wasn't too different than before he had reached Earth. Again, Blue was listless, unhappy with where he was. Alone, but with no one to tell about it. Even though Blue knew him as a sadistic dumbass, he felt a pang of nostalgia for the stupid red bastard.
Still, it was for the best his so-called comrades were gone. The two of them had done nothing but annoy him or put his life at risk most of the time, though by now, Blue wasn't sure if his life was worth much. A career as a hitman hadn't done wonders for his self-worth, but like usual, Blue pushed it aside. He didn't need to think about that now, especially since more likely than not, he was going to need to kill again.
Only this time, perhaps it was for a good purpose. Secter, Tatsumaki, and all the others.
I wonder if those two are going to get married within the month, he thought. Good for them.
They were worth the effort, or so he hoped. Even if they weren't, they had spared his life, so he at least owed them that. Granted, it wouldn't be worth much, but it was better than nothing. Barely.
He sped the ship through the Milky Way, the stars flying past like racing fireflies. There was no particular direction in mind, just away. He didn't even have a reliable way of scanning around for foes, so on he went.
For five minutes, Blue's ship darted through the galaxy, occasionally turning and heading off in a different direction before whipping around and speeding somewhere else. Eventually he bolted towards a far corner of the galaxy, leaning back in his chair and sighing as he watched the planets and stars go by.
Something giant and grey came into view. Clustered columns, all strapped together by a floating diamond-shaped piece of metal, large enough to encircle Earth itself. Blue gripped his controlstick and flung it back, coming to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened, and his heart pounded in his chest.
Outpost. A big one.
"You can't be fucking serious…" he muttered. "Already?"
Then again, Silan had reached Earth, but he hadn't built anything this massive. The outpost sat half in space, half engorged into a bright green planet with a swirling atmosphere of rainbow-colored gasses. It was like a tick embedded into the side of an emerald, sucking out all the life juices so it could increase its size. By this point it was as large as a big asteroid, just visible from space from a good distance away.
The diamond piece…that's got to be Supremacy, thought Blue. And it's not far…not far from Earth too.
Blue smiled. He hadn't expected it to be this easy.
If that outpost is full, there's no way I can take it down by myself, he thought. I'll have to do some recon.
Jerking the ship forward, Blue dove under the cover of the unusual gasses covering the planet, squinting his eyes to see through the cloudy mists snaking over his windshields. The gas swirled and churned, like a pea soup washing over his ship. Blue half expected for a storm of yellow bolts to come flying out of the mist and eviscerate the armor on his vehicle, but as he continued, he got nothing.
The mist ended, giving way to a field of verdant green vines, all lined in neat rows over a field which stretched for miles. Upon each thigh-high cluster of vines sprouted tiny purple objects, some kind of fruit or vegetable most likely. In between each row of plants was a dirt path, spotted with dark divots. The footprints of hundreds, maybe even thousands of beings.
Blue felt a rush of ice run down his spine. He pulled the ship up into the fog, just barely able to keep watching the vines below. Hopefully, no one had spotted him yet.
Upon further inspection, Blue spotted creatures moving amongst the vines. Light purple skinned, with knees that bent backwards instead of to the front, they were clad in dark brown suits, not unlike tuxedos but made of some kind of rough fabric like burlap. They had no ties or buttons in the front, just a suit top and a pair of pants made from the same material. Blue could see that some appeared to be male while others female, the females striding through the vines while the males intermingled with them while casting an occasional nervous glance to the clouds. They had dark eyes, like pits of a plum embedded into their humanlike skulls. Most of them were bald, but a few had black hair, either slicked back or done up into braids or ponytails.
Then, the Soulless came. They spread out from the opposite corner of the field, the workers shrinking away from them as they wandered through the plants. A few of them trampled over the fruits below, and each one carried those old familiar glowing weapons, blades and guns and grenades and all. Many of them wore armor, though most of their sets were tattered, blackened, the holes in their sloping protection patched by strips of fabric or even strips of skin. Some of the bits of skin were black in color.
"What the hell…" muttered Blue. "They going to kill them all?"
If so, Blue started to pull the ship further back. There was no need to get involved when the killing started unless he had a good opportunity to strike. And at the moment, while the Soulless group was exposed out in the field, he had no idea where they had come from, or even if they had more.
The Soulless were mainly talking or laughing, largely ignoring the wary aliens that started to work away at picking the fruits from the plants. Some of the Soulless plopped themselves down onto the plants, staring up at the skies above with gleaming yellow eyes.
Blue hurled his ship through the fog, heading towards the direction of where the Soulless came from. Within a second, he spotted what looked like a metal garage, square in shape and complete with a shimmering steel door. Behind it was a small cluster of buildings, the roofs of each one ending in sharp points in classic Soulless brutalist style. The buildings conjoined together to form a complex about the size of an apartment building, and behind that was a series of massive steel columns, all stretching up into the sky. Sure enough, they attached to the outpost way up in the atmosphere.
So it's still being built, most likely, thought Blue. And from the looks of it, either the workers are lazy or they aren't expecting anyone anytime soon. They've built that complex but didn't finish the outpost? Guessing most of them just stick around on the ground but are in no rush to finish that thing up in space.
This was good. If it was just the single complex, then there might not be as many Soulless as Blue thought. Still, there had to be at least thirty in there, perhaps more. Getting rid of them all wouldn't be easy.
I've had worse… thought Blue. Though then again, I've always had backup.
He dipped the ship beneath the endless mist, the bottom of the craft just seeping out from the fog. Down below he only spotted a single Soulless slumped against the front of the garage-entrance to the complex. The Soulless only came up to a third of the garage's height, and he had his eyes closed, taking an afternoon nap in the swirling colors that illuminated the air.
Hmm, thought Blue. Just one sentry? No roof guards?
There was no one else that Blue could see on the buildings, a few lights were on within the complex but other than that, no signs of movement. He didn't even see any aircraft.
This…this could be doable, thought Blue. What worries me most is that complex though, one could easily hide launchers or tanks or even bigger guns in there. Or even the garage…there's probably aircraft in there or something worse.
He swiveled the ship back towards the field, trying to get a good view of the opposite side of the complex. Aside from a couple of dim lights barely visible from some hole-like windows, Blue couldn't see what was going on inside.
I'd have to circle back around for that, he thought. Follow the fog until I can see the opposite side. I could risk getting caught, but it'd be good to scout the whole thing…
Sighing, Blue throttled the ship, seething through the mist and following it around the field. As he made his second pass by the fruits, he took more notes of the people down below. The aliens, farmers or whatever they were, also had hoods on the back of their strange suits, and despite looking uneasy around the Soulless, continued to do their work as if nothing had happened. Some of them even exchanged words with the Soulless, mostly quick sentences that Blue couldn't make out, but one of the Soulless snapped at one of the farmers, forcing her to make a hasty retreat. The Soulless meanwhile mostly kept to themselves, basking in the warm glow of the fog or occasionally snagging some fruits. Some even laid their weapons down on the ground, grinning and talking to each other like people on vacation.
To them, this probably is paradise, thought Blue. I wonder when they got here, a week ago, a day ago, an hour ago? Doesn't really matter, they're Supremacy all the same. I'd recognize that cluster with the diamond around it anywhere, the struggling arms of the Supremacy.
He kept the ship going until he could round the field to approach the complex from the opposite side. Observing the opposite end of the complex, Blue was confused to find nothing of note, no anti-air guns, no defenses of any kind.
They probably don't think they need any… he thought. The strongest beings in the universe have nothing to fear, and while the Supremacy has enemies, none are as large and none have penetrated back into the universe to nearly the same extent. These guys can just kill and occupy to their heart's content.
He pivoted the ship back once more, flying it back towards the field. So far, no one on the ground seemed aware of his presence.
Have to think of a plan, he thought. Let's see…strafing the Soulless below is certainly an option, and if I'm accurate and fast, I can get them all before they reach the complex again. Thing is, that will certainly alert those in the buildings, and who knows what they have in there. Plus, I put those aliens at risk of being hit…though I suppose that's always a risk. The other option is to kill those in the field through stealth and gun down whoever's left, though doing that in a plain field like that would be nigh impossible, plus it leaves me no way into the complex.
Blue sighed and turned his chair around. Right behind his seat was a stash of weapons, his mottled rifle, a few grenades, a knife, and two pistols, one about the size of his palm.
Need a plan, he thought. Strafing is quicker and better for the fifteen or so out in the field, but I dislike the conclusion. Gunning them down myself is more risky, but I could retreat and use my ship to blow the buildings apart without them realizing I have one.
He scratched at the side of his armor as he turned his chair back to face outside. Slowly he crept the ship through the clouds, when he spotted a single Soulless down in the field staring straight at him.
Blue froze. He hadn't expected the Soulless to be able to see him through the fog, much less to even be paying attention to his surroundings. Staring back, he started to lift the vessel higher…
Only for the Soulless to smile and go back to what he was doing, namely, staring out towards the horizon.
He…thinks I'm an ally? thought Blue. Or maybe he just doesn't care?
He paused for a moment before a dry smile spread across his face.
They're as stupid as Monarch, he thought. Should've figured.
This would work to his advantage. Blue was almost tempted to go down there and test just how friendly to him they'd really be, but it would be too easy for it to be a trap. Smirking, Blue watched as some of the fools actually laid down and fell asleep, right on top of the plants or dirt paths. About half of them were either resting or just outright not paying attention. One of them continued snapping at the poor farmers, occasionally stroking the handle of his gun. The farmers gave him a wide berth, spreading out towards the other end of the field. Meanwhile, another one of the Soulless looked like he was trying to get him to stop talking.
So damned lazy too, thought Blue. I've hit the jackpot here! I can take these guys out easy, and they'll never get anywhere near Secter or Tatsumaki or Fubuki!
Their faces flashed through his head again. Koros, Tatsumaki, Secter, Fubuki, Sycamore. All nuisances when he first got to Earth, and in a way still nuisances, but the only people he had left he bothered to protect. He couldn't let these bastards start building a Supremacy base even within a few light years of Earth. It could mean the doom of those he owed his life to.
Alright, he thought. I'll play the waiting game. See how many more fall asleep. Then, I'll use the fog as cover, get as close as I can and sneak out into the field. Slit the throats of each one I can crawl to, pretend to be one of them if I get caught. Then, gun down anyone who's left. The shots will be loud so I'd prefer to avoid it if possible…but, ideally I can take out the stragglers quick, then return to my ship to assault the base. The blasts from my ship can damage the buildings, and probably kill most inside. Then, it's a matter of cleaning up.
He flew to the other end of the field, keeping close to the fog. As he hoped, slowly more of the Soulless went down to take naps or sunbathe, with only three paying any amount of attention. One of them was the screamer from earlier, now quieting down but still casting nasty glances towards the farmers' direction.
He'll need to go quick, thought Blue. He's loud.
Blue swallowed his building nerves and set the ship down onto the ground, a bare patch of black dirt still encompassed by swirling fog. He could just make out the field beyond, verdant green clumps of vines and all.
He turned around out of his chair and snatched up his rifle, slinging it over his back. Both pistols, knife, and grenades were to go with him as well. Taking a deep breath, Blue headed over to the door on his ship and pressed his hand against the wall.
Grenades as a last resort, he thought. This…this is what I'm good at. What I've done for so many years. Only…this time it's for a better cause.
He smiled before looking up at the shadowy roof of his ship.
Alethea, he thought. You wouldn't look down on me for this, would you?
It was hard to say. If she did, he'd never be able to ask her, since even after his likely soon to be death, he wasn't going to go to the same place she had.
He pushed the door open and gasped as the first rush of air blew into his face. It was hot, almost scalding if it weren't for his extraordinarily tough skin, and humid to boot. The mist had a faintly sweet smell to it, like old strawberries. Blue raised an eyeline at the strange atmosphere and continued on foot, eventually going to his knees and then his stomach once he reached the edge of the fog.
Blue crawled through the dirt, with it crumbling away from him like pieces from a scone as he crept towards the vines. They were tall enough to hide his presence, and he could faintly hear the sounds of snoring Soulless in the distance.
On and on he went, for what felt like hours. The farmers weren't to be an issue, as the screamer had pushed them all to the far side of the field. Somewhere away to his left was the garage and the complex, a problem for later.
I counted fourteen, he thought. With eleven sleeping or not paying attention. Only three on any kind of guard, and they're closer to the farmers, all talking to the screamer.
He spotted the first one. Dozing off with his eyes closed, a lump of black skin at his thigh. Blue narrowed his eyes and crept closer.
The vines rustled at his approach, so Blue had to squeeze between them at a snail's pace. As he approached the first Soulless, he withdrew his knife.
So long asshole, thought Blue.
He pulled the knife through the dirt, sticking the handle towards the earth. As he turned it on, it hissed to life, the sound muffled by plunging through the soil. Then, he pulled it out towards the Soulless's throat, and stabbed it right down between the bastard's eyes. The sleeper never even startled.
On to the next, then the next. Blue managed to stab four right in the skull without being noticed, keeping his blade quiet and his jabs strong. It was all too easy.
Things got a bit more complicated as Blue moved along, with the sleepers having more distance between them. A couple slept right next to one another, almost to the point of cuddling. They were simple to take out.
Up to six now. Blue almost couldn't believe how easy things were, but up ahead was the real problem. The other sleepers and sunbathers were closer to the awake ones, clustered in a circle formation around the Soulless who chatted away. Blue kept creeping through the vines, occasionally looking up at the greenish sky. Somehow, the fog looked darker than before, like a storm was gathering amongst the mist.
Moving on, Blue managed to sneak up on and stab two more sleepers, followed by another. However, unlike the others, this one twitched after being killed, sending a small spurt of blood into the air. Blue almost swore under his breath and laid his hands over the Soulless's wound, praying that no one had seen it. All that he heard was more soft breathing of the slumberers and a few harsh voices not far away. Not a hint of confusion or fear to be detected from them.
Two sleepers, three awake, thought Blue. But these sleepers are further ahead, beyond the talkers.
This was the tricky part. Blue had to figure out how to kill the talkers, preferably without waking the sleepers. They all had guns, so things could get messy quick.
He crept through more vines, coming to within a few feet of one of the talkers. Then, one of them shouted aloud:
"Oi! Merakas!" said one of the talkers. "Wake up, we gotta ask you about the stash!"
Blue froze. Who?
"Merakas!" said the talker. "God fucking dammit, he's a heavy sleeper."
"Heh," said another talker. "Maybe he's already passed out from drinking!"
"He was supposed to tell us where he kept that stuff first!" said the other. "Today is a special day, we were all gonna celebrate!"
"Well go wake him up!" said the second talker. "Where the hell is he?"
"He's-" said the first talker. He stood up and began to survey the surrounding area. "Wait a minute, what the-"
Blue shot up from the vines, hand cannon drawn. For a moment the talker froze, terror seeping into his eyes.
"Wait-" said the talker as his two comrades also rose.
Blue fired a burst through the talker's head, then turned to the second one. He barely had time to grab his pistol before Blue put him down as well. The third, the screamer, turned tail and ran towards the two others who had been dozing in the field, both of whom were stirring from the loud cracks the hand cannon had made.
Blue pulled the trigger and blasted through the screamer's throat, who grasped at the now gaping hole in his neck. Blood seeping through his wound and out through his mouth, the screamer tumbled to the ground as his friends started to get up, both startled.
Pointing his gun at one of the Soulless, Blue pressed the trigger and blew his brains out. The other managed to get up in time to actually start to point his pistol at Blue, but it was not near fast enough. Blue ended him as well with a single shot to the upper chest, and then a headshot.
Not…not bad, thought Blue. To think, fifteen of these bastards didn't give me half the trouble Sycamore did. Of course, Monarch was there to add on to it too…
Blue turned to spot the farmers all staring at him from a distance. They were a captive audience, terrified and rooted to their spots. Blue's eyes gleamed at them from within his dark and foreboding helmet.
Turning back, Blue saw two more Soulless at the front of the garage, both shouting as one of them slammed his hand on the side of the building. An opening appeared right next to the giant metal door, allowing for the one closest to head inside. The other tried to follow him in, stumbling over a clod of dirt as he ran.
Blue unslung his rifle and held it up to his eyes. He held his breath, letting calm wash over his body. He had almost won, there was no reason to be afraid. Today, he had done the right thing.
The Soulless darted into the darkness of the garage, but Blue could just barely make out from his position that the enemy was heading down a corridor. Nowhere to turn.
Blue squeezed the trigger. A single bolt of energy streaked across the field, right into the opening, and down the hall. First there was a moment of silence and then…a single thud, quiet in the distance.
Bullseye, thought Blue. But the other…the other got away, I need to get him before he raises any alarms!
Dashing across the field, Blue was faintly aware of all the farmers watching him. Their expressions were engorged with fear, confusion, nausea. Blue found it odd – wouldn't these farmers be happy? That a savior had come down to rid them of Supremacist tyranny? How many of them had been killed by these Supremacists, or taken away forever? Perhaps they had only just got here, but even then, surely they must've killed at least a few.
He made it to the corridor and ran inside, heading down a hall of darkness until it came to a dead end. The walls were dull grey, and to his right he spotted another entrance, one which led right out into the garage itself. He slunk against the wall as he heard two voices from just beyond.
"Akazo, Akazo!" shouted a Soulless. "There's a man…no, a monster, he killed everyone in the field! Must've gotten fifteen…no, maybe sixteen people! I don't know how he did it, he must've slunk around and got them while they were sleeping!"
"Oh?" came another voice, smooth like poured syrup. "How interesting…"
"We don't have time!" said the other. "He's probably coming this way, I don't think even you can handle him!"
"Well now I'm just plain intrigued," said Akazo. "Let's see if he comes on in, shall we?"
"Akazo! We have to get out of here!"
"Don't touch me. You'll make me lose my focus."
"Akazo!"
Blue turned around the corner, rifle drawn. To his surprise, there was not a vehicle to be found in the garage, merely a large empty room complete with an oversized door. In the middle of the room stood two Soulless, one unremarkable and cowering, grabbing his compatriot's arm in a desperate attempt to pull him towards a doorway at the back of the garage.
The other was spindly, spider-like in build. He had a slight grin on his face, and a bemused swirl in his eye, as if spotting a puppy approaching him with a ball to be thrown and retrieved. He held a spear in one hand, long enough to reach half the height of a Soulless, and with a finely pointed tip on each end. At his leg was a strange series of canisters, covered by a reddish-brown fabric and metal cylinders. In fact, all of Akazo seemed to be bathed in a reddish glow, his skin not unlike that of someone else Blue knew not too long ago. But unlike that moron, Akazo had a cool intelligence behind his eyes, like he had already calculated Blue's strength and fighting style before he had even entered the room. This one was dangerous.
"There you are," said Akazo. He thrust one leg out, as if to try and pose for his new opponent. "You were causing a bit of a ruckus out there!"
Blue said nothing, instead raising his rifle to take aim at the bastard's head.
"He's aiming Akazo, he's really good, we have to run!" said the other Soulless. "He got my buddy in the hall, he's got to be a sniper-"
"I'm giving you one more warning," said Akazo, still grinning even as his words seeped with unyielding threat. "Let go of my arm. You're ruining this."
"Akazo…" said the Soulless. "Are you…are you crazy? Are you really-"
Akazo thrust his arm out, striking the Soulless right through the face. To Blue's shock, Akazo forced his fist out through the Soulless's skull and right out the other end spraying yellow blood all over the walls and floor. The Soulless slumped over his arm, and Akazo shook his head as he lowered his hand, letting the corpse fall to the ground below.
A single strike, thought Blue. That's…that's insane.
"You look surprised, stranger," said Akazo. "Mind if I ask your name?"
Blue swallowed. Something had built itself into his throat, a stinging ball of emotion which he hated to feel.
"Guess not," said Akazo. He gave a friendly little shrug, as if he were only engaging in a fun debate with an old friend. "Well, if you won't talk…"
Akazo brought his spear up to his side, pointing it right at Blue. He hovered his other hand near his canisters.
"Then let's get right to the fun part," said Akazo.
"You're already dead," said Blue. "No where to run, and I've got a damned sniper trained on you."
"Oh?" asked Akazo. "I had hardly noticed."
So he's stupid too, thought Blue. Maybe I misjudged him?
Blue started to press the trigger, before his body shivered. Everything, even the room itself, felt like it had been bathed in ice, and the source of the coldness came straight from Akazo's menacing stare.
Why…thought Blue. Why am I hesitating? I have the upper hand, and I just killed fifteen of his comrades. Why the hell…am I afraid?
He shook his head, struggling to clear the nerves which struck through his brain. Was he afraid of dying, or afraid of failing Secter and the others? Would it even matter?
Enough, thought Blue. He's just standing there, he's literally letting me take the shot. I'll kill him just like the others.
Blue fired, watching the yellow bolt stream out from his rifle. It screeched right towards Akazo.
And it's over, thought Blue.
Akazo whipped over to the left. The beam passed right by his head before slamming into the wall behind him.
Blue's heart froze. He gasped, fear running rampant through his mind. How the hell?!
"A fine shot," said Akazo as he darted off to the side. "But really, you can do better, can't you?"
"Ah-" began Blue.
Akazo rushed at Blue, moving as a red blur through the room. Blue turned to point his rifle at him, leveling it with his hip. His hands shook.
Too fast! thought Blue as Akazo's grin was less than a foot from his face. Have to block!
Blue jerked his rifle upwards, just in time for Akazo's spear to rip straight through it. Akazo punctured the body of the rifle, Blue's makeshift shield stopping the spear an inch from his eye. Blue let out a tiny gasp, and Akazo was damned pleased to hear it.
"So much for that eh?" asked Akazo. He ripped himself backwards, and with it, Blue's rifle. Blue stumbled forwards as Akazo stood triumphant a few feet away. He held both spear and rifle.
Chuckling, Akazo grabbed one end of the rifle and pulled it off his spear, the weapon crackling and sputtering its final breaths. He tossed it to the other end of the room, the gun sparking as it crashed into the wall at breakneck speed.
"Please don't disappoint me," said Akazo. "It's been far too long since I've had some fun."
"Who…who the hell are you?" asked Blue.
"Did you not hear?" asked Akazo. "You know my name, and you're in my room. I thought you would've figured out the situation by now."
"Your…room?"
"My little arena, just for me…" said Akazo, beaming. He gestured all around his prized little slice of heaven. "Ah, but it's a bit small, don't you think? Perhaps I can get some of the stragglers to work on that once they come to their senses."
"Sure, you do that…" muttered Blue. He thumbed the pin to one of his grenades, keeping it behind his back as Akazo spoke.
"Well, enough chitchat," said Akazo. "We're here for entertainment, aren't we?"
Blue started to grab the grenade, a bead of sweat falling down his face.
"Then entertain me!" said Akazo.
Blue's eyes widened. His heart slammed in his chest. Was he just too unnerved by this guy?
He reared back and flung his grenade at Akazo while dashing towards the exit, backstepping as quick as he could while Akazo let his arms fall to his sides.
The grenade struck Akazo in the chest, bouncing harmlessly off his lightly armored crimson vest as the timer reached a second to zero.
"Really?" asked Akazo. "So…boring."
He whipped his free hand, and from out of one of the canisters appeared a dart, crackling with yellow energy like lightning bolts. The dart was the length of a football and half a foot thick, and it hovered in the air to Akazo's waving hand.
Chuckling, Akazo leapt back and clung onto the wall, crunching the metal between his clawed toes. He flung his hand forwards and the dart impaled the grenade all the while flying straight at Blue.
You can't be fucking serious! thought Blue as he raised his arms to protect himself.
The grenade went off, bathing him in a yellow light as searing heat overcame his body. Blue was forced back into the wall, slamming into the metal. He fell to his knees, his head tingling and vision going blurry. Blue wanted to vomit, pain flaring all along his chest, legs and arms. Looking down, he could see chunks of his armor were blackened and crumbling from the explosion, only for bright yellow blood to come pouring through.
"Agh…" said Blue. He groaned as he tried to stand up, the strength barely coming to him.
"They never really expect that one," said Akazo. He snickered and waved his hand, watching as his dart lifted from the floor and sped right back into his canister.
The dart…is intact? thought Blue. And it looks like there's three…three canisters…
"Now it's my turn," said Akazo.
He rushed at Blue, right as Blue fumbled to grab his hand cannon from his side. Blue's movements were pathetic compared to Akazo's now, the latter a rushing red fireball while Blue was a bloody sloth. Akazo thrust his spear right into Blue's hand, shattering the gun and Blue's arm along with it as the point traveled right up and out Blue's arm. Blue screamed in pain and tried to punch Akazo in the back of the neck, but Akazo struck him between the legs with his knee first. Blue doubled over, specks of white flashing in his vision.
"Oh…" said Akazo. "Feeling low already?"
"Fuck…off…" said Blue.
"Disappointing."
Blue started to sink to his knees as Akazo ripped his spear out from his arm, leaving it dangling and gushing blood. He wanted to give up, to not bother with this ridiculous self-made mission of his to kill all the Supremacists. Coughing, Blue shivered again, the ice returning to bathe him in a skin-crawling feeling. He looked up just in time for Akazo to punch him in the chest.
The impact was so hard that Blue's armor caved in and he was shoved into the wall, leaving an indentation wide enough for his body to fit into. Blue coughed up blood, splattering it onto the floor and onto Akazo's feet.
"Absolutely delicious," said Akazo. "But come on, not even a single hit? I can't remember the last time I took a hit…"
This man is absolutely insane, thought Blue. He fights…with no regard to anything. Taunting me. Mocking me. Is all he wants…really just a good fight?
He could see their faces again. The grim, yet deep-down kind-hearted frown of Koros. The fearsome and determined look of Tatsumaki. The soft, yet fiery look of Fubuki. That insane look of Secter and Sycamore as they fought to the death. They'd all do better than he was doing here.
Fuck…fuck this, thought Blue. I'm not out yet.
"You already look down," said Akazo. He sighed. "A real shame. Guess I'll just have to keep waiting."
Akazo strode towards a broken and bloodied Blue. Blue laid his hand to his side, slipping something within his fingers.
"So long," said Akazo. His voice oozed sheer disappointment.
He reared back and sent his spear flying towards Blue's neck, just as Blue raised his hand up and opened his fingers. Sitting in his palm was a tiny pistol, and with a twitch, Blue poked a finger into the trigger.
Akazo's eyes widened in surprise and he jerked out of the way, lowering his spear into Blue's shoulder instead of his neck. Blue pulled the trigger, a tiny beam bursting forth from the pistol and out through Akazo's side.
Blue grunted in pain and strained his neck as the spear entered through his shoulder and into the wall behind him. Akazo kicked the tiny gun out of his hand, sending it flying away.
"Ohhhhhhh," said Akazo. He glanced down at the little wound in his skin, not much more than a tiny hole pulsating blood, but that was more than enough.
Akazo felt like exploding. Joy flushed down his body, and he let out a tiny yell, more ecstatic than he had been in two years. Nothing could truly compare to finally meeting an opponent that could harm you, one that didn't just try to gun you down from a distance.
Meanwhile, Blue grabbed the spear with his non-broken arm, heaving as he tried to pull it from his body. Soon, he'd lose consciousness if he didn't get medical attention.
Fuck, he thought. Fuck, fuck, come on you idiot, get the damned spear out! If you die here, this monster will find Fubuki and the rest for sure!
"So…satisfying…" said Akazo. "What a neat little weapon! A shame you had to rely on a gun of all things to hurt me, but I suppose that's better than nothing." He glanced down to see Blue trying to take the spear out. "Oh no, we'll continue this when you're feeling better. And perhaps without guns next time…oh, I'm so damned excited!"
"Don't you…" said Blue. "Dare kill me…"
"You weren't fighting like your life was on the line a while ago. But just look at you now! Did you remember something important to you? Something worth fighting for?"
Blue turned stiff, one hand still on the spear.
"I thought so," said Akazo. A nasty grin spread on his face. "I like it when you fight harder."
Blue wanted to vomit again.
"But it'll have to wait until next time," said Akazo. "Good night, and sleep tight! We'll meet again for a good fight!"
Akazo reached down and ripped the spear out again, letting Blue reel over his legs. As he retched, pathetic and defeated, Akazo slammed the side of the spear over Blue's back, knocking him down onto the floor over his knees. Blue coughed up more blood, his vision fading.
"No…" muttered Blue. "Don't…"
"Get some rest," said Akazo. He smiled sweetly, talking to his child down below. "I'll see you in the morning."
Akazo slammed his spear over Blue's head one last time, letting Blue drift into unconsciousness. As Blue's world finally started to melt away, he felt Akazo take his helmet off, the back of it crumpled like a soda can under the weight of a truck's tire.
"A neat helmet," said Akazo. "I think I'll keep it."
Blue sputtered out a curse before slumping to the ground at his side.
. . .
He woke up in a cell, his body immediately rocked with pain. Blue gasped, straining against the wall behind him. The stretching only added to the suffering, and Blue curled up, groaning. It wasn't as if he hadn't felt this much pain before, but God damn was he getting a bit tired of it.
Outside from the steel bars and the humming energy, Blue heard footsteps. They were like sandals slapping against hardwood, light and unlike the scraping sounds a bare Soulless foot or boot would make. Blue leaned forward, his heart starting to thump again.
Looking down, he noticed there wasn't a single article of clothing on his body save for a few bandages where he had been stabbed or burnt. He grimaced, shivering as he wondered what the hell they had done to him while he was out.
The slapping drew closer. Blue startled. He hated just how off-guard he had felt as of late.
Into his vision came a child, one of the aliens from the fields before. She had scruffy black hair, unkempt and short. Like the other farmers she wore a strange burlap suit, only this one was baggy around her torso and feet. She skipped along, humming to herself before stopping right in front of Blue's cell. She paid no mind to the energy next to her, instead only sniffling before skipping right down along the hall across from his cell.
"What…" said Blue. "Hey!"
The kid either didn't hear him or didn't care, as she kept humming and skipping down the hall, her voice growing fainter. Blue stood up, gritting his teeth against the pain. He grabbed the bandages over his still broken arm, gasping. Stumbling towards the bars, he slammed face first into the energy, trying to get a view of where the kid was going. He could barely make her out down a large and cavernous hallway, the child having stopped to catch her breath.
"You!" said Blue. "Don't you know it's dangerous in here? Where the hell did you come from?"
"Oh relax for a second, will you?" came a voice from the other side of the hall. It was cheery, happy, with a tinge of playfulness to it.
Blue turned to see another farmer, this one a female, and tall to boot. She was almost his height, and she was clad in another burlap suit, only this one was torn around her waist, showing off a sliver of lavender skin at her midriff. She had no hair, pointed ears, and dark eyes like the rest. Unlike the rest she smiled at Blue, and opened her mouth to reveal small, sharp, white teeth.
"Hey!" said the woman. "What are you doing in there?"
"Ah…" said Blue. "You…"
"I…" said the woman. "Am absolutely stunning?"
"I was going to say confusing," said Blue. "Why the hell are you in here? And why is she in here, that kid?! Don't you know the kind of fucking monsters that lurk in here-"
"Whoa, whoa whoa!" said the woman. She held her hands out, as if to try and stop Blue's speech with her palms alone. "Not in front of her!"
"Wha…" said Blue.
"Charel!" said the woman. "Take a rest sweetie, you're getting tired again!"
"Ok!" shouted the child from down the hall. She slumped against the wall, sniffling and rubbing her eyes.
"Poor thing," said the woman, frowning. "She's coming down with something, really needs to get home soon…"
"You," said Blue. He took a step away from the bars so he could point at the woman with his free hand. "Explain to me why you're in here, and where I am."
The woman opened her mouth as if to explain before slamming it shut. Instead of talking, she eyed Blue up and down, devouring his appearance with her eyes. She scanned his legs, chest, arms…before settling her gaze right between his legs.
"Huh," she said.
Blue felt a fire burn into his chest. He started to pull his lip back in a snarl.
"What the hell are you looking at?!" he asked. "My questions, dammit!"
The woman cocked her head, not taking her eyes off the target.
Blue's cheeks were burning now, his face flushed with yellow. He yelled to try and hide the rising tide of embarrassment.
"Would you focus on something else?!" asked Blue.
"Sorry," said the woman, still staring at his crotch. "You're just interesting to look at!"
"What?"
"Well, I've seen others of your kind before. The fire's cool, and you've got some really neat eyes…but I've never seen one of you naked before."
She glanced up, catching a glimpse of Blue's flushing face. It took her less than a second to realize what was going on.
The biggest, most stupid of grins spread across her face. It only made Blue tremble with anger.
"Ohhhhhh you're embarrassed!" said the woman. "I've heard about this! I think I read about it back in Merrakai City's library, and I want to say some of the species I've met do it too! It's uh…what's it called…"
"Enough!" said Blue. "That's not important!"
"Blushing!" said the woman. "You're blushing!" She chuckled. "Ahh, score one for me! I did get that right, right?"
Blue could tell there was no reasoning with this woman. He groaned before taking a step back, slumping against the wall behind him.
"Yes," he said. "I'm embarrassed. Now can you please-"
"Wait, don't sit down!" said the woman. "I haven't finished looking."
"You've already seen all of me!" said Blue. "Now just answer my questions, the both of you could be in danger-"
"I haven't seen behind you."
"You…you don't need to see that."
"Why not? Does it embarrass you?"
"Sure. Now can you-"
"Oh questions questions it's all you care about," said the woman. She leaned forward, her eyes lustrous like chunks of obsidian in the sun. "I've barely gotten to talk to any of you guys save for Mr. Lanks back there, and I'm dying from curiosity."
"I could say the same. And…Lanks?"
"Tell you what," said the woman. "You answer some of my questions, and I'll answer some of yours. Deal?"
"Fine," muttered Blue, his voice heavy with malice. "What do you want to know?"
"Well first," said the woman. "Your name?"
"Blue."
"Your real name?"
"That's what people call me, so yes."
"Huh. Strange name."
"And yours?"
"Misha!"
"Misha…" said Blue. "That's…a nice name."
"Why thank you!" said Misha. She beamed.
Blue could feel himself blushing again. This woman was weird.
"Right, now-" he began.
"No no, my turn," said Misha. She turned to check on Charel, who was dozing against the wall not too far from her. Satisfied, she glanced back at Blue. "Can you turn around?"
"No."
"Ah come on, it's not that embarrassing! Though…I didn't think your kind didn't have…" She glanced back at Charel again before turning back to Blue. In a whisper, she continued: "Reproductive organs."
"It's a choice," said Blue. "I…haven't needed it in years."
"Wow, really?" asked Misha. "Why did you stop needing them?"
"You're pushing too far," said Blue. His anger was overflowing now, his one free hand clenched to the point of pain. "My turn."
"Ok, ok."
"Where am I?"
"Some kind of building complex," said Misha. "Home to the Soulless!"
"Supremacists," said Blue. "You shouldn't be in here."
"Why?"
"Why?!" asked Blue. "Are you…are you insane?! Supremacists kill people, they hate non-Soulless, that's what they do! Are you even aware of all the horrible shit they could do to you, that they probably plan to do to you right now?!"
"…no?" asked Misha. Her expression was clouded with concern, utter shock flashing in her eyes.
"No? What do you mean, no?!"
"All the ones I've met, save for a couple, are pretty nice! They just showed up one day, started building next to one of our picking spots, which admittedly was a bit rude, but otherwise they mostly just chatted or slept! And I met Mr. Lanks, and he's pretty cool!"
"Save for a couple…"
"Eh, a couple of them are jerks, but they're mostly kept in line by the others. I think when the government gets here, the talks will go over just fine!"
"Talks?"
"Oh sure, any time a new species shows up here, the government always comes to talk to them first. They just haven't gotten around because well…this spot's a bit remote, and there aren't that many of you so…though they might be concerned about that big building."
"But none of them…" said Blue. Despair started to set into his chest, a sinking ship which torpedoed right into his heart. "None of them hurt any of you? Kidnapped you? Killed anyone?"
"Not as far as I know, why?" asked Misha. "I mean, I heard some people say that you had some people yell at them, and some of you trample some vines, but it's not so big a deal, we've seen much worse!"
They…they didn't go on a killing spree? thought Blue. Did I…did I kill those people for nothing?
He sunk to his knees, staring at the floor. His work came to haunt him again, the mounds of bodies him and Monarch and Verdus had piled up. All stacked up into mountains, the corpses created by his own hands…and one by one, they opened their eyes to stare at him, dull yellow spots in mounds of stinking flesh. Who was good amongst the piles, and who was bad? Were any of them? Did it matter anymore?
"Hey, hey!" said Misha. "Don't look so glum…" She eyed him over again, setting her eyes on the bandages this time. "Wait…are those healing supplies? I think I saw some of those on another one of you guys, are you hurt?!"
"Yes…" muttered Blue. "Just…leave this place, Misha, and leave me here. Please take…take the kid with you."
"No way," said Misha. "If you're hurt, I'll help you out!"
"You're…totally innocent. And foolish."
"Foolish?" asked Misha. She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm not the one sitting in a jail cell! Why are you in there anyways?"
"I'm their enemy," said Blue. His eyes were pallid, not a hint of life in his voice. "I thought I would be doing good."
"Doing…good?"
"For the others…"
"You…don't make a lot of sense to me, but wow you're interesting to talk to," said Misha. "Most of the others, save for Mr. Lanks, don't even give me the time of day! Most of them just sleep!"
"Lanks…"
"Oh, I can get him, he should be around. He probably knows why you're in here, maybe he can even get you out!"
"I…"
"Ah, don't be so sad, we'll figure this out, together!"
Blue looked up, utterly shocked by her words. Misha just smiled at him, that same ridiculous smile. For the briefest of moments, Blue felt relief flow into his chest.
"You…shouldn't be involved…"
"Ah it's alright, I still have a few hours before I have to get Charel back to her mom."
"You're not the mother?"
"Oh no, noooooo," said Misha. She chuckled. "I uh…I'm not really ready for something like that yet, that's more my sister's speed. And uh…she's younger than me actually, likes to tease me about it."
"I would've figured you the younger," said Blue.
Misha stomped her foot on the ground.
"Everyone always says that!" she said. "Then they act all surprised when I tell them I'm almost thirty-one! Of course, they say I have the body for my age, and apparently that's all that matters to them! Bunch of slimebags, and they wonder why I'm not dating."
Blue was feeling uncomfortable again.
"You're…not all that different from…some other races I know," said Blue.
"Oh I've met all kinds!" said Misha. "Our planet is a pretty big trading hub, a big ol hodgepodge of cultures! And I love it!"
"I figured."
More footsteps. These were more familiar to Blue.
"Misha," said Blue, straightening up. "I think you need to go."
"Why?" asked Misha.
"One of them is coming, you need to go!"
Misha turned, and for a moment, Blue spotted fear in her eyes. That fear soon melted into pleasant surprise and Misha stretched her arms out.
"Lanks!" she said.
Into Blue's view, and to his absolute horror, came Akazo, still grinning like the fight was ongoing even now. Blue glared at him, fury and terror all spilling out into his brain from his chest like a volcano of emotion.
"Why hello there Misha," said Akazo, his voice now soft and smooth compared to the high-pitched excitement it had gotten back when he was spearing Blue to death. "Wandering, I see?"
"Yeah just showing Charel around," said Misha. "Heard some noises out front a while back though, what was that about?"
"Something you'd best off avoid," said Akazo. He kept his gaze trained solely on Blue, who stood stiff as a statue, his eyes wide. "Use the back entrance to go home."
"Ok…" said Misha, narrowing her eyes.
"I know how you are, and don't get curious," said Akazo. "You wouldn't like Charel's reaction."
"Huh…" said Misha. She was looking afraid again.
"You…" said Blue. "Misha, you need to get away from him, this guy is a monster…"
"I'm insulted," said Akazo. "You know my name, and yet you introduce me as that? Tsk tsk."
"Lanks, why is Mr. Blue all hurt and caged up?" asked Misha.
"He's, as you would call him, a hooligan," said Akazo.
"Oh, like a criminal?"
"Precisely," said Akazo. "Quite the naughty criminal, if I do say so myself."
"Oh no…" said Misha. She gave Blue a playful look, but Blue could tell that some of the excitement she had for getting to know him better was gone. It was replaced with caution, fear, something that Blue figured was probably for the best.
"I…" said Blue. "I had reasons for this, I'm not like you, Akazo, I saw what you did back in the hangar."
"Funny, everyone seems to be blaming you for that," said Akazo. "Not that it'd matter."
"I…am just getting confused here," said Misha. "Care to explain guys?"
"No," said Akazo and Blue at the same time, Blue more forceful while Akazo was nonchalant. Blue grit his teeth at Akazo, who just grinned wider.
"It's quite a long story," said Akazo. "And you must be tired. Poor Charel looks a tad sick, she must get some rest! Tell you what, instead of leaving out the back, why don't you stay in one of the rooms up in the complex, I'm sure there's some meds lying around, so long as you stay away from the injections."
"That doesn't sound too bad," said Misha, giving Charel a worried look. The kid had just started to awaken to the sound of Akazo's voice, and she turned with eyes wide to see him.
"Lanky!" she shouted.
Akazo let out a tiny chuckle as Charel got up and ran towards him, nearly colliding with his leg. Misha gasped for a second before returning back to a calm as Charel hugged Akazo's leg.
Akazo kept his gaze focused on Blue, his grin still wide.
"Ah still so much energy," said Akazo. "Maybe she'll be fine after all."
"Oh she'll be alright," said Misha. "But you're right, she needs rest, come on Charel!"
"No!" said Charel, wrapping herself like a monkey over Akazo's leg.
"Charel, you're getting the sniffles, you need some sleep…"
"No!" said Charel.
"Here," said Akazo. He lifted a hand and one of his darts floated out from his canisters.
"No!" shouted Blue, lurching towards the bars.
Akazo sent the dart hovering down the hall, smiling as Charel let go of his leg and started to follow it, wide-eyed. The moment she got away from Akazo, Misha swooped down and picked her up, slinging her over her shoulder. Charel was shocked, before grumbling and pouting in defeat, having been tricked again.
"Ah, gets her every time," said Misha. "Thanks Lanks, I owe you one."
"My pleasure," said Akazo, not looking at her.
He returned the dart to his canister, letting Misha and Charel walk past him. They headed down the hall, Misha scrunching her face in confusion as she tried to remember the layout of the place.
"First door on your right, head up the stairs," said Akazo, as if somehow able to see her confusion despite his staredown with Blue. "Any room is yours."
Misha glanced back and gave Akazo a sweet smile before turning and heading back.
"Come on sweetie," said Misha to Charel. "Let's take a quick nap before heading home, alright?"
"Ok…" pouted Charel.
They vanished behind an entranceway, leaving the two Soulless behind.
"Why…" said Blue. "How…"
"Why what?" asked Akazo, his grin spreading wider. "How what?"
"What the hell are you planning with them?! Why the hell are you talking to them?!"
"They don't annoy me," said Akazo. "And I mean, I must have someone to talk to. Otherwise, you can go a little mad in here!" He laughed, the sound if a wolf could laugh if its voice were covered in honey.
"But you…you're Supremacy," said Blue. "This makes no sense…"
Akazo's eyes glazed over and he yawned at the moment Blue mentioned the word "Supremacy." Tilting his head back, he finally broke eye contact with Blue.
"Where…where am I?" asked Blue. "What's going on?"
"You caused a stir," said Akazo. "Clearly."
"And you let…you let her wander around…"
"Why not?"
"I…"
"You don't understand," said Akazo. He snapped his head back into attention like a marionette doll, making Blue shudder. "But that's ok."
Blue draped his free arm over his torso, as if to protect himself from Akazo's gaze. He felt like Akazo was staring through him, like a predator waiting for an old human to die so he could peck at his bones.
"You don't really need to understand," said Akazo. "You just need to get better, so we can fight again. And then, you'll probably die. But on the bright side, you'll give me a second of entertainment!"
Blue slouched back, unable to handle everything that was happening.
"Sadly," said Akazo. "I could only use what I scrounged up. The bulk of the medical supplies are, understandably, going to the two you did a number on."
"The…two?"
"Yes I forget their names. One liked to shout a lot, the other didn't quite make it to the hangar yet somehow he hangs on. Personally I would prefer to take some of those injections for your use, but I think you'll manage even if you recover a bit…slower." He snarled his last word, annoyed at the world for slowing down his entertainment.
"They…they lived?"
"Well, one did. And I'm sure he'll have some choice words for you when he wakes up. Oh…if he's able to speak that is. And the other…well he clings on to life like a hopeless dream, it's not as if he achieved much as he lived anyways."
"There's…so much I don't understand."
"I know…" said Akazo. "What are you, just a hitman? We found your ship out there, with some…interesting little weapons and memorabilia."
"How…how long was I out?"
"Only a few hours. Impressive, I thought you'd be out for a day."
Blue slumped back against the wall. He had nothing in his ship that would tie him to Earth, but there were a few photos of old times…
"I want those photos back," said Blue. "You can keep everything else, but those photos…they're all I have."
"Then beat me in a fight," said Akazo. He smiled slyly. "When you're better, of course. Can't have it be a total stomp like last time!"
"Why the fuck do you care so much about that?!"
Akazo's expression melted into shock, abject disgust.
"What kind of question even is that?" asked Akazo. "Why do you kill with no feeling or remorse? Why did you attack our outpost, no questions asked?" He went back to smiling again, and leaned in close to the bars as if to whisper a secret. "It is one of those questions that does not need an answer, my friend. The truth of it lies in the person who believes in it."
"That…makes no sense."
"You believe, so you do. That is all there is to it. It is what's familiar, comfortable, perhaps even pleasing. So you do it, for it's…what you're accustomed to. Why bother questioning it?"
Blue shivered. The ice had returned, spreading all over the room. No one else, not even Verdus, had managed to make him this uncomfortable.
"You seem to be coming to a truth," said Akazo. "Good. No more questions, only rest and relaxation."
"And if the others try to kill me while I'm in here? I'm assuming you have more."
"That's why I'll be your jailer. And believe me…no one will touch you while I'm here."
Blue swallowed a burning mass of bile.
"And Misha?" he asked. "What will happen to her?"
"Funny little girl she is," said Akazo. "And as I imagine, nothing. She'll go home, on her merry little way. And you'll never meet again."
"That…that's fine."
"Hmm," said Akazo, almost humming his words. "Funny thing, isn't it? She knows our language, and is so familiar with all the concepts we consider regular. The universe is such a vast and interesting little place, I wonder if there's more out there for me to find…"
"As if you care…"
"Well, more to fight!" said Akazo. "I've got many plans to explore once I'm through with you and this little outpost stint."
Blue felt the bile rising up in his throat again. Things were only getting more and more complicated.