A.N. Mannaged another chapter! This one focuses on Devante's mission, while Tyson was in Brazil. Enjoy!
Awaken Book of Bonds
Chapter 17, Forging Bonds
What a way to go… Looking at what used to be my target, I feel a twinge of sadness for the poor man… A revolutionary who wished to overthrow his town's leader. The target was a man desperate to be heard, to the extent he would throw away not only his life, but all the lives of those around him. He's been reduced to a smoking pile now… My mission wasn't to kill him, but he refused to remove himself from presence… he stood right in my line of fire, is it really my fault that he wouldn't listen? I had to shoot through him to get to the target, who was is in the same condition…
Why can't one just appreciate life? Why must humans challenge their existence with fighting? It's so illogical. I just walk away, and forget both of the men. Leaving behind only the card I'm instructed to. DWMA-3- Awaken Mercenary.
4 in the morning, 4 in the goddamned morning… Michael is the biggest damn jackass for making me get up this early for a mission; I figured those days were over when Tyson stopped making us train in the middle of the night. With every step of our boots, a loud thunk could be heard, that made my brain pound as if I had a hangover… Which I might admittedly actually have… Morgan and I had had a few drinks last night.
Once we entered his office, he was wide fucking awaking, reviewing his work… God I hate him… Robert cleared his throat to get him to notice us. "Hmm?" He turned to us. "Ah, sorry for the early start, but you've got missions today"
"Missions?" Tyson questioned, dragging out the last 's'. Just then, my heart sank… More than one mission, just damn fantastic.
"Yes, Tyson, missions." Michael confirmed slightly angry… My moral only fell even more. "You each have a separate mission today." I practically collapsed in sudden exhaustion… I couldn't even rely on those two to do all the work?
"Wait, separate?" I asked in exasperation to be sure… I really just wanted to sleep today.
"Yes, Tyson and Devante, you each have solo missions, and Robert, you'll be going with Angel." He said in kind of a stuck up way… He seemed to get like this when he gave orders. I nudged my friend for his stroke of luck.
"Have fun with that job, buddy!" I snickered as Robert shot me a death glare. Then, Michael shot me a death glare. "Oh, Angel is your girl, huh?" I try to keep my mouth shut before my very agitated boss decides to kill me. Michael then gave Tyson and I our orders, and sent Robert off to find Angel. "You two remember how to work Soarers?" He questioned.
"You kidding?" Tyson smirked, I could hear it in his voice.
"That was only the best part of boot camp!" I exclaimed. I couldn't help but think back to when Tyson and I were doing tricks with those wonderful machines, we almost killed ourselves and wrecked the things, but we were just as good, if not better, than everyone else who was on the grey team.
"Good." He tossed us two key cards, which had numbers on them. "Pick your ride and get moving." He then turned away, and left us to the greatest give ever, our own rides. Tyson eye shifted our gazes from our keys to each other, and we could both see the huge smirk on each other's faces, helmet or not, they were obviously there. As soon as we were out of Michael's office, we were both chuckling with glee.
"I've got 13!" my friend shouted out.
"Mine's 30!" I matched his excited tone. As we entered the docking hangar, we searched for among the series of sleek, black Soarers. Coming upon mine, I gasped at its perfectness, the smooth shape, the leather interior, and the impressive dashboard.
Immediately, I jump right in and kick it into ignition. I felt the wondrous thing send me off of the ground, "Yeah baby!" I cheered at the feeling of piloting myself again. I was hovering in place, in perfect position to take off, when…
"You'll want to read your orders first, genius… Don't just take off to a random place." Tyson's voice transmitted to my helm… It's like all the positivity in body was sucked straight out of me.
"Yeah yeah…" I reply groggily as the fatigue hits me again, and the hangover hit's my skull again like a sledge hammer. I open my orders and read them carefully.
Devante, travel to Pleiku Vietnam, there, seek out Turin Vuong, he will inform you of your duty to replace him in a fight. You must defeat his opponent, and give to him his prize money, he will then pay you, and you may return home. Don't get yourself hurt this time.
Jackass… I punch the coordinates in, and set my directions on fire. I didn't care to see them again. As the paper burned, I noticed something, my blazing orange fire… Was hot. It's never been hot before to me, it's impossible to burned by your own fire… And yet, it was! I could feel my skin burn away, I tried to retract the fire, but it expanded further and further and I couldn't scream, I couldn't breath. I was burning and burning and the pain was so excruciating… I thought of setting my other arm on fire to speed the process along… And it looked like I had no choice but to-
"Get up and move already!" I woke with a start at Angel's scream as her and Robert took off to god knows where in her Burst Drive. The directions were still in my hand, completely unburned. I am NEVER, drinking before a mission again. I think as I punch in the coordinates again, and take off.
Within 10 minutes, the Soarer was on auto pilot, and I was drifting back off to sleep…
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I awoke again to yelling, but this time, it was locals… I was in Vietnam, and my ride was about to crash into some sort of market… "Fucking hell…" I take the machine out of auto pilot and pull up, taking it out to a more deserted area… I found a large field, and I landed. I collected a series of branches and leaves around and hid the Soarer… "Today, officially sucks." I walk around in broad daylight, unaware that I'm still in my uniform…
I head off, looking for what's his name… I just walk around the city aimlessly for a bit before remembering the name Vuong. I ask around for the family name, and soon find myself downtown in some apartments which he supposedly lives in… room 5 A is what I had been told. I knock on the door, and wait. After a moment, a small man appeared, dropping the knife he had in hand noticing the A on my uniform… Wait, had I really been walking around like this? Shit… I'm in trouble when I get back to base…
"You? You here to help me?" He asked in broken English.
"Are you Mr. Vuong?" I reply.
"Turin Vuong, I am Turin Vuong!" I said anxiously, pulling on my arm to bring me inside.
I sat down on the seat he provided. "I need help." He stated. "You help me?"
"That's my job, isn't it?" I replied.
"Yes! Good, good." He smiled. "You fight for me, yes? You win, you get money, then leave?" I nod at to him. "Good, good. Man come after me, Nyl Darren, he want blood. You stop him, and take money. He bring fighter, strong man, Creature… Creature kill, Creature stab. You be careful." He informed me as he handed me directions to the fight scene.
What the hell am I getting into here?
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I arrived at the city square, a place known for fights and races, and tonight, people were gathered prepared to witness a brutal fight, possibly to the death. And who knows? Maybe it will be… I'm not exactly a happy guy right now…
Once I approached the center of the square, two men were waiting for me. "Hey, this is the fight area, if you want to live man, you'll leave."
"Sorry, Turin couldn't make it, but I assured him I'd get his money from you…" I state calmly.
"Oh? So Turin managed to afford a fighter then?" The other man asked, based on the mask he wore, I assumed he was Creature.
"A fighter? No, he managed to get his hands on a weapon." I smirked. The 1st man, apparently Nyl, scowled at me. Very well then, we begin in 20 minnutes, pray for your life, scum." He sneered. His raven hair bounced as he turned and walked away. Creature just stood there, looking at me. His mask was that of a blue devil. It had sharp fangs, and small horns… The mask amplified his breathing, making him sound more threatening than he really was… Probably. He was about my height, and a head taller than Nyl I held out my hand, and exerted a massive blue flame, that made the crowd jump back in fear. Creature just stood there, but had a hand in front of his eyes to block out the scorching light. At his reaction, I turned, and walked to the back of the crowd. Turin was there watching…
"Big fire, you made it?" He asked in awe. I nod. "You be very careful! Creature uses Blue fire, and sometimes ice! He very strong, he freeze then stab! You can't let him freeze you!" He rushes his voice.
"I get it, I won't let him touch me." I sigh. He nodded, then ushered me back to the center, Creature was still there, growling at the sight of Turin.
"There you are, coward!" He seethed.
"You leave me alone! My fighter will destroy you!" Turin shouted back, then let out a stream of Vietnamese that I could only imagine what he was saying, Creature responded in Vietnamese as well, and I tuned them out as Nyl walked up to us.
"Looks like you just can't wait to get started, can you?" Thou I wasn't sure if he was speaking to me or Creature, either way, he was right… I just wanted to get the hell out of here so I could go back to sleep.
"Alright, winner gets $1,000,000, as agreed." Turin stated, if I wasn't wearing my helm, my jaw would have hit the concrete. No wonder this guy went all out to get mercenaries… With the apartment he had, there's no way he has a mil stashed away. And if he won, he'd have a good deal of money, minus what he'll have to pay me.
"Right, and that money better be ready to hand over to me when this fight ends." Nyl growled…
"Don't underestimate me." I warn slowly.
Nyl and Turin left to opposite ends of the crowd, front row. Creature bowed before drawing out a knife, which was holstered on his lower back. I draw my elemental rune blades… and take a fighting stance.
"Come at me!" Creature roared.
"Do ya dare me to?" I taunt. He nodded. I sprint to him, and extract some powerful lightning from my body. Today, I think I might get my lightning up to the next level… The lightning flowed into my blades, and I slashed out to Creature, he dodged and attempted to stab me. I made a quick combat role, and turned to face my opponent.
He seemed stunned that I had moved so quickly. "Keep your guard up!" I shouted out as I caused a large blue pillar of flame to appear behind him. He was forced to jump towards me, just as I had planned, and I took the opportunity to stab him in the abdomen with a lightning charged blade. He coughed up blood, and stepped back.
"I told you to keep your guard up…" I shrugged.
"You… Bastard." He coughed again as his body became rigged with spasms from the electrical charge currently surging through his circulatory system. Nyl was screaming in Vietnamese, and Turin was cheering. "I'll have to pick up my game now…" He straightened himself, and began to shoot out ice shards at me, I engulfed myself in flame, and watched the ice melt before it even hit.
"You're gonna have to better than that, dude." I call out. I extinguish myself, only to notice that Creature is gone… "Where the…" Suddenly, I felt an unwelcome chill, and I knew that my back was being frozen.
"Game over, punk." He whispered in my ear as the rest of my body froze over. I simply smirked. He brought the knife down just as I released another burst of flame to thaw myself. The knife lodged in, and creature flew back from the blast of fire that resulted. I had completely rid myself of his ice.
"Oh, did you forget that fire melts ice?" I ask as I pull the knife from its resting place.
"H-how can you still be standing?" He asked. "I stabbed you in the spine!" I twirled the knife in my hands a few times, and then I threw it, the blade stabbing straight into his thigh. He gasped in pain, and fell over as he tried to stand. I stood over him now.
"Armored clothing, jackass. You gonna give in now, or what?" I ask him.
"Creature never gives in!" He spat back.
"Alright then." I summoned up a bright blue flame to my hand, and allowed it to grow in intensity. "You sure?" I asked. He glared at me, I think… And nodded, though with hesitation and doubt in his body language. "Whatever you say then." I released the powerful burst of fire, sending straight down to his face.
He began to roll and scream in pain as the fire engulfed his head, melting his plastic mask to his face. Once the damage was done, I extinguished the flame. "Never forget, Devante's gift to you, is life." I noticed the knife lodged in his leg, and the gold inscribed ebony holster still strapped to his lower back. "I win, and I claim your weapon." I say as I take them both, and strap them to my person.
I turned to Nyl, who stood in disbelief. "$1,000,000 is the bet. Where's the reward?" I asked him. He turned and began to run. I quickly released a bolt of lightning in the air, and I couldn't help but notice the brilliant blue that it was instead of the usual yellow. Lightning level 2, achieved. "I wouldn't run if I were you!" I called out. He stopped in his tracks and fell to his knees. He began to weep. I walked to him, and people scampered to stay out of my way.
I grabbed him by his suit's collar. "Where is Turin's money?" I growled dangerously. He pointed a shaky finger to a vehicle nearby. I dragged him along with me. When the driver spotted me, he kicked the ride into ignition, I used the suits built in gun to shoot out his hover mechanism, and the machine fell back to the floor. He quickly threw a metal case towards me and took off running. I opened the case to see stacks and stacks of money. "You're staying with me until it's verified that all the money is there. I walked Nyl and the money back to Turin, and he began counting.
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It was all there, every damn bill. I had never seen a solid million in my life, and I was damn envious of that Turin right now… "Alright Nyl, scram before I change my mind." I released the man and he took off in full sprint. "Turin, you can just give me my pay, and I'll leave." I informed him. He looked up at me with wide eyes… Eyes full of fear, but that was understandable.
"Yes, yes, you take money, then go?" He asked anxiously. I nodded, and he began to count out a few stacks. "$44,500 , yes?" He asked as he handed the money to me. I looked with shock at the money… That was almost ten times what we had been paid back at the lightning incident… And this time I was alone… Did that punk ass curator cheat us out of money, or is this one very thankful and gracious Asian?
"G-good, thank you." I stutter like an idiot.
"No more? $44,500 good number?" He asked again
"Yes, a very good number, thank you!" I say to him as I turned and began to head back to my Soarer.
"Wait! I see you again?" Turin called after me... Shit, I forgot. I turned to him, and tossed my card in his direction Awaken Merc- Devante
"Only if you have the job and the money." I say, and turn again. I enter the field again, and find my ride just as I left it, covered in branches. It's going to be a long ride home. My head begins to ache again. Time to sleep… I might never drink again if this keeps happening… I punch in the coordinates for home, and take off. "There's no way Tyson and Robert earned as much as I did!"
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I awoke to a loud Crack! And I realized I was in the middle of a thunder storm… And where there's thunder, there must be lightning. And when there's lightning, the last place you want to be is a flying pod made out of metal. "Shit, shit, shit." I begin to make the Soarer fly higher… "I hate auto pilot!"
I rise higher and higher. And then I see it… Directly on top of me, the split second of rising electrical current in the sky. "Fuck. My. Life." I stick my arm outside of the vehicle, and focus everything I've got into creating a level two lightning to counteract the oncoming bolt. "Come on… Come on." The surge in the sky was coming faster than that of the one in my arm. "COME ON!" I released the bolt, right as the lightning stuck, narrowly redirecting the electric flow away from me, allowing me to get above the clouds, and away from danger. Thank God I'm alive… Thank God, thank God, thank fucking God. That's the SECOND time lightning has tried to kill me in my life.
"I check my current position to see how far away from home I am. 240 meters away from base? Aw shit. I have to dive down again… I'm definitely not happy about that. I lower myself, exactly, where I didn't want to, in the middle of an electric surge… As the current drained the life of my Soarer, the systems failed, everything I touched damn shocked me, and the only thing going for me was I was on the correct course to base.
"I hate lightning… I hate is so much." I'm descending much faster than is safe for me… As I fall, base comes into clear view… I can see the hangar open up, expecting my arrival, and landing… "Surprise guys…" I mutter. "Looks like I'm making a crash landing." Just as it leaves my lips, the tail end of my vehicle catches fire, making my situation only that much more exciting.
The hangar is only a few meters away now, and I can definitely see a figure standing at the entrance. "Move! Run! I'm going to crash you nimrod!" I yelled to whoever it was… The figure just stood there. Aw shit. I pulled the controls upward, but to little avail, as the Soarer barely turned. But just enough so that the Soarer wouldn't kill whoever was bright enough to stand there.
The Machine went right over their head, and I bailed out as it continued right into a hovermech, and then off into the wall. Leaving a hefty dent on both, and leaving the Soarer completely totaled. Jim came running to my side.
"What the hell man? You almost got us killed!" He screamed in my ear… Err, helmet.
"What the hell yourself!" I screech back as I stand up. "What are you doing standing in the middle of the hangar while I'm crashing?"
"I'm just supposed to be grabbing you and telling you that you have another mission!" He yelled back.
And the world stopped turning for a second. "What?" I ask.
"You have another mission to go on!" He clarified.
And then I snapped… Fire erupted from my body sporadically. "I swear, if you're not joking, I'll kill Michael."
"And there, you crossed the line!" He yelled at me while shielding his eyes from my fire engulfed frame… Next thing I know, he sticks a syringe in me… And everything goes dark…
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I woke in a daze… I think… I see Tyson talking to Robert… "Yeah… Us too." Robert muttered. "I'm so fucking exhausted.
Tell me about it. I try to say, but find that I can't… Jim, after I kill Michael, I'm coming after you… And I fade back into darkness.
Awaken
A.N. Hey, hope you all enjoyed, let me know what you think in a review! The next chapter will be about Robert and Angel. Untill next time.