Chapter 2
The next few days were torture for M-21. The position of bait was not very popular in the Union, but mostly infected people took over this job. Infected invoke in the fewest people something like pity because they hardly possessed properties that were once human. Union's politics had proclaimed Noblesse as evil creatures since long ago, so the infected persons who were reduced to be like Noblesse were to be felt sorry for, nothing more.
Modified human beings on the other hand, should in the sense of the Union, be grateful for what they had done with them. Finally, they were given the power to defeat the oppressors of mankind... M-21 spat blood on the floor contemptuously. Whoever was an experimental material had to accept his destiny, as if there was great meaning in the fact that one had been robbed of his whole life to provide data material.
In truth, the Union eliminated the category of human waste to which M-21 belonged as quickly as possible. M-21 was the living testimony of the Union's greed, and his sight aroused an almost unpleasant feeling within others. M-21 reminded them of how quickly one can become useless for Union.
So same was the case with Shark. M-21 licked his bloody lips as he looked up at the thin blue man who was sitting in a chair in front of him and looking eagerly at him, waiting for the scum to recover enough to continue his game. Hammer sat in a corner, chewing and cheering at his comrade. This had already been going on for days, without an order it was impossible for M-21 to leave the camp of the DA-5.
Krantz did not care enough for him, he didn't feel compelled to stop Shark as long as M-21 was able to turn his patrol. In addition, the leader of the DA-5 had left the base a few days ago, taking Tao with him. For Shark, this meant pure boredom and M-21 was probably a welcome change to relieve some stress. Takeo stopped Shark time and again, but the sniper was not always there.
M-21 laid his head back, feeling his own blood flowing down his throat. He suppressed reflexive choking as his stomach turned around, too well he knew this feeling.
"What's the matter, uh?" Shark whipped back and forth with his chair, the ugly trademark grin on his face. "Are you getting tired?"
M-21 blew his lips and showed Shark his bloody teeth. The Union as the Savior of Humanity? He almost laughed. The Noblesse boy he hid a few days ago had shown M-21 more human features than the Union ever did. The look in his eyes as he had tried to protect his sister ... This was the same look M-24 had given him the last time he saw him.
"Your sight hinders my regeneration," he groaned at Shark, "I'm sorry, but can you pull a paper bag over your head?"
Shark's grin distorted into an even uglier mask of rage. The agent jumped up from his chair, grabbed M-21 and threw him with enough force against the opposite wall to show deep cracks in it. M-21 wheezed and struggled for air, but Shark was already on him and put his foot on his chest. With a sadistic grin, Shark slowly increased the pressure. M-21 gritted his teeth in pain as his ribs slowly broke under the rising pressure.
"You know what?" Shark shouted with a mad smile "If you scream and implore mercy, I may even listen to you." Hammer laughed in the background. M-21 pressed his lips together and looked at Shark with all the contempt he could muster.
"As you like, it just means more fun for me." Shark giggled, stepping so hard that several ribs broke simultaneously. M-21 reared up, trying unsuccessfully to protect himself. At that moment, the door opened and Krantz followed by Tao and Takeo entered. Sharks snickered silently and stepped off M-21.
M-21 rolled aside and pressed his hands on the broken ribs. Krantz looked annoyed, or rather, really sour, probably the reason why Shark had let him go so quickly.
"You'll leave the bait alone now, Shark," Krantz nodded to Tao "He belongs to Tao from today."
"What? Why that?" Shark demanded to know. Secretly, M-21 wondered the same.
"The DA-5 has received a new mission and Tao needs a helping hand for his work. If he isn't able to utilize the bait properly due to it being damaged, I will not spare any of you."
"Pah" Shark stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and stomped outside.
"Tao, immediately start with your work," growled Krantz,"The bait should help you with the construction. Hammer, you come with me"
"Roger that."
M-21 straightened and wiped the blood from his face. His ribs were noticeable with a sharp pain, not to mention the variety of bruises and cuts he sported. Tao looked at him worried, but said nothing, not with the other members of the DA-5 within earshot. Instead he showed Takeo and him to take some boxes from a transporter in front of the base down into one of the lower cellar rooms. He continually looked over his shoulder and tapped with his fingers on his forearm.
The hacker sure looked nervous and twisted, even more than usual. M-21 noticed how he peeked at Takeo again and again. Strange ... he leaned against the wall and watched Tao as he went through the crates, muttering softly. Then Takeo came in with the last box, and Tao closed the door behind him.
"What are you doing, Tao?"
"Did you get another order from Krantz?"
"No, I should help you." Takeo frowned. "Why do you ask?"
Tao took a deep breath. "I've been looking for your sister in the main base computer ..."
"You did what?"
His sister? M-21 raised his eyebrow. Takeo had a sister? The sniper looked at Tao with a mixture of rage and hope. M-21 remembered that Tao said to him that their hands were tied. So was Takeo's sister the reason why the two were so quiet? Was she also an agent of the Union? But that did not make sense at all ...
"Did you find her?" Takeo asked urgently "Answer me, Tao!"
"No, he did not because you do not have a sister on the first place." M-21 gave a cool look to Tao. "That's the way it is, or..?"
Tao lowered his gaze and did not contradict him.
"That cannot be" Takeo looked incredulously between the two of them, then shook his head "She has always visited me."
Visited when? After an experiment? Snorted M-21 "The Union does not allow any familial bonds within its ranks. Why would you be an exception?"
"M-21 is right, Takeo! I went through your records again and again but you're a single-child." Tao reached for his laptop, "Listen to me. I'll show you some pictures of women now and you can tell me which of them is your sister."
Takeo had such baffled expressions on his face at their conviction that it almost made M-21 snort with pity. Nevertheless, the sniper clenched his hands in fists and nodded slowly. Tao opened his laptop and tapped something, then he turned it so that Takeo and M-21 could see the different images scurried over the screen.
"There she is!" threw Takeo in as the image of a red-haired woman showed "The ... that's Teira." His carefully controlled voice was already betraying his fear.
Tao turned the laptop toward him and looked at the screen. For a long time, no one said anything. Then Takeo turned around in the room to stand restlessly behind Tao.
" " Tao looked up from his laptop, "Takeo, that is the scientist who created the DA-5."
"No" Takeo whirled around "No, you have to be wrong."
" conducts a behavior research that deals with human ties and relationships within the Union ..."
"Shut up!" Snapped the sniper. "Let it be, I do not want to hear it. I cannot believe it. I really believed that ..." His voice was trembling slightly and his aura cackling up carelessly, "I cannot anymore. I cannot live if it's true..." He finished in a dazed whisper.
"Haha ..." the two DA-5 agents froze as soft laughter filled the room. Takeo's eyes narrowed and he turned slowly, "Do you want to say something, M-21?" He whispered dangerously. Tao looked nervously back and forth.
"You've been tricked by a scientist of the Union," M-21 grinned scornfully, "and now your whole word is breaking apart, you poor thing," he chuckled, "Do you want me to hug you?"
"M-21!"
"You miserable ..." Takeo made preparations to attack him, but Tao stopped him.
"Takeo has lived for his sister, he has done everything for her, M-21."
"Yes, and now he is curling himself with self-pity on the ground. If this could see this, she would surely amuse herself ... "
"M-21, what's wrong with you?" Tao asked, he too was getting angry.
"What's wrong with me?" M-21 whispered softly and jerked away from the wall. "You want to know what's going on with me?" He bared his teeth and showed the two extended canines. Tao and Takeo seemed surprised by his aggression.
"I'll tell you what's wrong with me," M-21 spat out. "The Union garbage who fight every single minute to claim my right to live, do you know how your whining sounds to my ears? My comrades and I... It did not matter if we lived or died, and here you stand so high and mighty above life that you are just willing to throw it away because you got made fun of?!" M-21 growled, and then it was as if a dam broke within him.
He told them how he and his comrades begged each other to live because that was the only thing they could have done for each other, yet still each of them died one by one on him. All his efforts were in vain, all the experiments that he turned onto himself just so he could save his comrades the pain, all the pathetic scheming and lying to fool the scientist to let them go easy, all the sneaking around like cockroaches with equipment to change their stats, all the.. They still all died. What did they suffer all the experiments for? To land in the Union incinerator after being deemed a failure?
He didn't know if this rant was more to help Takeo, or himself who had been keeping this in for so long. He felt like he was giving a personal part of him to these two by revealing all this… perhaps it was because their comradeship reminded M-21 of his own relationship with the M series? In anycase he kept on until it started to sink in to Takeo, and Tao, both.
Takeo shrank with every word, every spark of anger had vanished from his posture by the end.
"You want to die because your sister is not your sister? So what Takeo? It doesn't mean that you have to kill yourself for it. And if you're in such a hurry to die, I can help you!" Breathing heavily, M-21 stopped for a moment.
"But maybe you can think for a moment of your partner who has risked his life to get you this information, and what will become of him if you die now ..."
He saw both their eyes widen at his last words. But he ignored them and turned away,"Atleast you still have a comrade who cares for you ..." he whispered and slammed the door behind him.
That damn idiot, it went through M-21's head as he trudged along the corridors. His heart pounded furiously against his chest and he was close enough to tear down the next wall. What would he give to bring his comrades back to life? In front of his eyes, M-21 still saw the images of M-24 as he had pushed him down this damned cliff before everything exploded. There was nothing left of the last of his comrades, not even enough to build a grave. He squeezed his eyelids shut as the thought of it scrubbed his wounds. Even after all this time, the memory of it was still terribly fresh ...
"What are you doing here?"
M-21 froze and turned. Shark and Hammer again, their faces did not promise good. M-21 tightened his muscles as they came closer to him. He knew these expressions, this was one of those situations where no matter what he answers, Shark would still go after him.
"I've asked you something, bait!" Shark repeated dangerously "Are you numb on your ears, uh? I'm afraid I'll have to help you some ... "
"He has just done an order Shark," Takeo's cool voice resonated in the hallway. M-21 heard the steps of the sniper approach from behind, "If you attack him now then you may like to carry the boxes instead."
"Pah, carry boxes" Shark shrugged, shaking his shoulders "No, I like to leave it to the rubbish." With a hateful look at Takeo, Shark and Hammer went on. M-21 could hear them telling each other dirty jokes as they moved away.
Takeo stood next to him "Tao still needs some things ... and ... M-21"
M-21 looked at the man.
"I am sorry."
"... Never say such a thing in my presence again."
"Promise."
~.~.~
Bonus:
Shit, shit, shit ... M-21 kicked the next attacker against the wall. This should have been a simple reconnaissance mission. This lab should have been unguarded! Instead, they had gone straight into a trap, the miserable Union bastards had simply handed them over!
Several shots fell, the bullets bored into his chest. M-21 sank to his knees, choking as blood filled his lungs and made breathing difficult for him. Then many shots again, this time in his back. He fell to the ground and remained lying, his own blood gathered in a pool around him. Through hazy vision M-21 saw many guards making their way his direction, guns all aimed squarely at him. He was going to die for real this time won't he?
M-21 was sure he lost unconsciousness for a moment there. Because when he opened his eyes again, soldiers were nowhere to be found; instead M-24 leaned over him, checking his pulse. He managed to get a tired grunt out of him to let M-24 know that he was still alive. The large man looked bloody and battered himself, and he looked panicked, shaking him. M-21 twitched with pain and tried to get up. His injuries were not fatal, but he needed time to regenerate himself.
Time they obviously did not have. M-24 nearly ripped him to his feet and dragged him through the corridors. M-21 let himself be hauled dazedly when suddenly, the ground vibrated and the whole building shook.
"M-21…" M-24's voice was strange in that moment. In the second he saw his eyes, M-21 had realized it before it happened.
He didn't even get the chance to voice his protest as M-24 pushed him away, over the edge of the cliff where they stood. At the same moment the whole building exploded. The heat of the pressure wave caught him still, and smashed him with greater force at bottom of the cliff than a free fall had done.
He did not even know if he had screamed as he landed. He also did not know if he was unconscious, but when he looked up again he could see smoke and fire, which dipped the night into a bloody light.
M-21 reared up in sheer desperation, and managed to get up somehow despite his injuries. His ears rang and the skin stretched on his back, was probably burned. M-21 ignored it, clutching his broken arm, he dragged himself to the wall and looked around frantically, but could not find M-24 anywhere. From the edge of the cliff, only the flames flew up into the sky. He wanted to call, but as soon as he opened his mouth, smoke penetrated his throat and made him cough.
Doubtless, he clung to the rugged rock and continued a senseless attempt to climb up to see his comrade. Three times he tried it, the third time he lost consciousness and sank against the hard rocks while the fire raged above him.
~.~.~
"Report"
Someone nudged him with a boot. M-21 opened his eyes and gasped for air. Another stronger nudge rolled him to his back and a contemptuous and annoyed voice repeated this one damn word: "Report!"
M-21 dug his fingers into the ground. It was bright, daybreak. Smoke had collected on the floor of the cliff. He looked out of the corner of his eye frantically, there were a few soldiers standing beside him, a helicopter circled over his head, but nowhere could he find M-24 ... He knew it was fruitless to fool himself anymore. He knew what had happened. He had seen it with his own eyes a split second before the top of the cliff went out of his sight. M-24's body ripping apart.
M-21 opened his mouth, his voice flat and scratchy as he gave the soldier what he wanted to know : "Mission failed. Bait M-24 died in action."
The soldier finally turned and left him behind. M-21 suppressed a desperate cry, leaning against the rock wall, his face turned away from the soldiers. His back itched and ached as well as his arm. But the pain in his heart tore him as he sat calm and composed on the ground even though everything in him wanted to die. The last of him comrade was gone. He was on his own now.
Notes: Why Nobles are being called Noblesse (The one Noblesse aka. Rai) here? One could assume that the Union should know the difference when so many traitors are in the Union. But I guess simply the top of the Union is willing to leave their undersigned in ignorance. After all, they must give the "We are the saviors of mankind" image some credibility. Und we all know that you fear the most what you do not know.