Third chapter!! This one is really fun, I introduce one of my favorite characters into the story : )
He is so awesome lol Enjoy!
A terrible storm roared as it rolled it's way across the Mars skies. Storms on Mars were far more dangerous then even some of the most destructive hurricanes that plagued Earth. These storms were granted existence through the artificial atmosphere, but the traces of Mars radiation still interfered with the artificial skies, creating the most dangerous storms. The origins of the Mars radiation in unknown, even the greatest scientists of Earth could not pinpoint the true origins of this mysterious radiation, but it proved completely harmless to humans and actually seemed to enhance several human traits. For example, prolonged exposure to this radiation made humans virtually immune to many natural diseases and medical anomalies that usually afflicted them through their natural lives. Sicknesses such as the common cold and the flu were absent in this atmosphere, as research revealed these types of germs were incapable of surviving in this atmosphere. The radiation, which had been named Valkyrie's Breath, did not appear on the planet until the naturally barren land was terraformed. This led to speculation that Valkyrie's Breath was a result of mixing the natural gases on Mars with the chemicals used to terraform the planet. It was called Valkyrie's Breath as it had a terrible effect on all forms of technology. Machines, electronic devices, everything mechanical was rendered ineffective if the materials used to build these machines came directly from Earth. Only if these objects were built from parts that had been exposed to Valkyrie's Breath for a prolonged period of time were capable of working, which was rare because the amount of time required for exposure was almost thirty to forty years. Mars cities resembled those of cities in the eighteen-hundreds when technology relied on steam and gears to work anything required for daily use, as radiation-aged parts were few and far between and the development of new machines was just now beginning to sprout up in the Mars community. Because of the radiation, most of the firearms sent here from Earth were also rendered useless, as almost all of Earth's firearms were now powered electronically. Because of this, violent disputes and rank challenges within the mercenary organizations were decided through swordsmanship. But the worst and most imposing feature of this radiation were the storms that were produced through the mutated atmosphere.
Thunder roared through the empty streets that were lit by the brilliant displays of electricity that stretched through the artificial clouds. It rained so hard and violently it was near impossible to see just a few feet in front of you, which explained the empty streets. Obscured view, the overbearing noises of thunder that could drown out any screams and a crime-infested city streets, obviously a bad combination that all of the inhabitants recognized and feared. Except for one, who was either too stupid to know any better or too brave to even care.
Zethus was soaked from head to toe as the violent rain pelted him relentlessly. The raindrops were so large and fierce that when they made contact with the gashes across his cheek, the repeated force of the water scraped away the dried blood and dirt crusted on the surface of the gashes, leaving a trail of fresh blood that trickled down his face. He had to pull his goggles over his face to shield his eyes from the violent impact of the raindrops. Aside from being so large and abnormally painful when the rain made contact with his skin, it served as the perfect cover for him to make his way through the city streets unseen. Anyone in their right mind would immediately recognize him as Shark and go for the Bounty, and where he was going, it was imperative that no one saw him.
He stopped at a corner and looked across the flooded streets. The outline of a run-down building was barely visible in the chaotic rainfall, but the imposing structure of the building was still as menacing in the rain as it was in the clear days. The Wrathgate Headquarters.
Now, others would've considered Zethus plight to be either suicide or ignorance, as no one marked as a Bounty ever made it out of Wrathgate's clutches alive. But Zethus had to stay hopeful, he knew Wrathgate owed him dearly for helping them contain a Digitarox outbreak a year prior. They would have to help him now that their own virus had been brought into the picture. Either that, or he'd have to resort to calling on an old friend, and how he'd hate to do that again.
The rain filled the rims of his goggles, giving him a view equivalent to that of being on the surface of the water, but it was still clear enough to see through to the Headquarters before him. His clothes were soaking wet, so much he had to discard his white and blue sweater several blocks back. The heavy cloth absorbed most of the rain water that fell on him, but grew heavier and made it hard to move about comfortably through the rain. Now he wore only a thin tank decorated with a black stripe stretching from the back of the shirt over the left shoulder, where it ended at the collar. Below that, a rather large, black Z was hand-sewn onto the fabric, which now sagged from being soaked. It was barely enough to keep him warm in the cold rain, but he didn't pay much attention to his current condition, save for the soaking sweater hindering his movement.
All Zethus could think about was getting a dose of the Digitarox antidote. His time to retrieve it was limited, getting to Wrathgate didn't take much time at all and returning to Mithra wouldn't be very long either, but he only worried about the time it would take to convince Wrathgate to provide him with the antidote. With a deep breath, Zethus crossed the street and approached the Wrathgate Headquarters.
"Hell no, I ain't doin' that!" A black-haired youth expressed his utmost disregard for his superior as he shouted his protest. Rezzio ran his hands through his wild hair and rolled his deep blue eyes at his new orders. Shocked and appalled at his subordinates response, Vin Karzen shot up out of his chair and stomped his way over to the urchin, who gave him a bored and aggravated expression.
"What? Got somethin' else crappy that'll ruin this lovely, rainy day?" Vin's face turned an abnormal shade of red as Rezzio spat his response. This kid is out of his mind to speak to the Right Hand of Wrath in that tone.
Rezzio's eyes were normally narrowed, giving off a half-asleep, half-awake look to his face, this was usually a common expression seen on him. But this time his narrowed eyes gave off an expression of pure aggravation and annoyance, emotions he was not afraid of sharing openly, even with his boss.
"You better watch yourself boy, only because your the Left Hand doesn't give you the authority to speak to me like that." Vin gave Rezzio a firm shove, knocking him back into his chair that slid a few inches before squealing to a stop. But Rezzio only sighed and crossed his arms, giving Vin a mocking stare.
"Shark is your new assignment, kill him and bring me his head before those fools at Nazca can catch up with him." Vin said as he settled down in his chair across from Rezzio.
"They ain't gonna catch that kid, you know that." But Vin shot Rezzio a piercing glare as he stroked his grayed beard. Vin had been the first mercenary official to rise to power out of all three organizations, and because of this, his entire organization was granted authority over both Nazca and Xibalba. But after thirty years of mercenary work, Vin's face was wrinkled and leathery, clearly showing the years of stress that wore off on his body, both physically and mentally. His gray hair was combed back into a thin, but neat, mass that covered the ever-increasing bald spots that began appearing all over his head.
"Why do you want Sharky dead, anyhow? He ain't done nothin' wrong to you." Rezzio's thick accent reflected that of his parents, who were dropped on Mars after being involved with a bloody drug war in New York back on Earth. It fit his strong face and even more so with his reckless personality, but it seemed to be an annoyance to Vin. In spite of his boss, Rezzio always added strong emphasis on certain words, just to push his buttons.
"Because, that kid is dangerous. You saw what he did to the last Shark, tore the poor guy to shreds before he even knew what was happening." Vin shook his head as he thought back to that day. "If I know that kid well enough, he'll soon realize there's no escape from the mercs."
"Considerin' how long he's been in this line'a business, that's kinda obvious to him then, eh?" Rezzio grunted as he slummed farther into his chair.
"He'll come after us, you know he will."
"What? He ain't got the nerve to even think'a somethin' like that."
"I think he does. If he kills off the mercenary officials of all the organizations, hunters and other mercs will be intimidated. They might call off their hunt if Shark kills off their leaders."
"See," Rezzio pointed at Vin and chuckled slightly. "Now you're givin' the kid too much credit."
But just then, the rusted doors of the main hall swung open violently, clattering and screeching as they slammed against the metal walls. Both Rezzio and Vin were shocked at the sight when a silvery figure came into view, a dark-clad mercenary squirmed as the silver figure pressed a shark-like knife to his throat. Zethus looked up at Rezzio and Vin, his bright green eyes shone from under the metallic blue lenses, still rimmed with rainwater.
"Well damn, I think you're screwed now, Vin." Rezzio burst into laughter at the sight of Vin's outraged face, that took on that amusing shade of red again. But Vin turned towards Zethus and motioned to the mercenary, who Zethus promptly let go and shoved towards the main doors.
"What are you doing here, Shark?" Vin's deep, bear-like voice bellowed through the empty all, giving him an intimidating aura. But Zethus could clearly see he was struggling to keep his composure and suppress his fear. Of what, Zethus hadn't a clue.
"What can you tell me about the Digitarox antidote?" Zethus asked bluntly, quickly getting on the subject. He was not too interested in wasting time with formalities, he just wanted to get the cure and go. Vin turned to Rezzio with a questioning expression, but Rezzio only shrugged and grinned, obvious he was containing his laughter.
"What do you want to know?"
"How I could get a dose of it."
"And why would you need it? Nazca is forbidden to use Digitarox for anything."
"A friend of mine has been afflicted with it. I think her jealous lover is out for blood, she's been spending alot of time with me lately." Zethus offered them his cat-like grin, hoping Vin would take the bait. But Vin shook his head and laughed, leaning against the railing on the edge of the platform.
"Jealous lover, eh? I don't think so." Zethus' grin faded as Vin spoke. "I know you're a Bounty, kid." Vin's eyes followed Zethus' hand, which curled around the fitted grip of his knife.
"That girl is probably an escort for Hobbit Hole, eh?" Rezzio knelt down by the railing and grinned at Zethus, who cast him a piercing stare. He was caught off guard by this transition in his expression as Shark wasn't known for an aggressive appearance, this could mean trouble if he's turning out like this.
"That doesn't matter to you anyways. If the two of you had any problems with escorts and runner's, you would've dealt with it a long time ago." Zethus' countenance became more menacing and malicious as he spoke, his voice thick with an impatient overtone.
"Now, I don't have the time to sit around here and listen to your blabbing. Either give me the antidote or I'll get it myself."
Rezzio stood up and nudged Vin in the arm, motioning to the knife in Zethus' hand.
"Alrighty Vin, better think'a somethin' before Sharky here kills us all."
But Vin didn't move, he didn't even flinch. He only gave Zethus a glare that clearly stated his disregard for Shark's threats.
"We won't answer to you, Shark." Vin turned and started towards the back of the hall, obviously in a hurry to distance himself from Zethus. "You're friend will just have to die." Vin motioned to Rezzio, who pivoted on his heel and followed after Vin. Rezzio chuckled quietly as they walked away, he knew that this wasn't going to turn out well. Either Vin would make the mistake of ordering an attack on Shark, or Shark would make his move first and wipe them all out. Even though Vin was the strongest and best mercenary of all the officials, he held a deep fear of Shark, even though he had never been pitted one-on-one with him. Just hearing stories and bearing witness to Shark's ferocity in battle, which was far superior to his own, was surely enough to steer Vin away from an obstacle he did not want to pass. Rezzio was aware of this, and he knew that if circumstances were different, Vin would've been sending him to his death, since it was now his responsibility to bring in Shark's head.
But thank goodness the circumstances were not different.
Zethus stood in the empty alleys outside of the Headquarters, surveying the building structure. The building was once the capitol of the city back when it was first being built, but after the mercenaries overthrew the Earth Government's hold on Vaire City and now it belonged to Wrathgate. In it's previous days, the capitol was built with seven floors, but now only two of the floors were still accessible. The middle of the second floor, towards the front of the building served as Vin's chambers, where he spent most of his time when he wasn't barking orders to his subordinates. That was also most likely where the antidote was. That was Zethus' target.
The ledges of the building were smooth and especially slippery from the rain, but that only served as a slight delay for Zethus who expertly climbed up the side of the building without a second thought. He kept his head down as he approached the windows, the light inside the rooms illuminated most of the ledge, but has he came under Vin's window, the lights all went out simultaneously. Below, the streets filled with the sound of stamping feet and shouting, sounds that overwrote the noises made by the violent rainfall. He managed to hear a few of the men shouting as they poured into the street from the Wrathgate entrance.
"Full week of freetime to whoever brings me Shark's head first!" Zethus could clearly hear Vin's bellowing voice echo through the rainy alley. They were all coming for him, he had to act fast to get the antidote and even faster to get out alive. But as he turned to face the window, a familiar face met him.
"Y'know, if things were different, I'd have'ta kill you, Sharky." Rezzio said as he pushed the window pane up and grinned.
"But I'd probably kill you first, don'tcha know?" Zethus smiled big and climbed in the window and reached his hand out to Rezzio, who took his hand and shook it rather vigorously.
"You 'bout gave the old man a heart attack earlier, y'know?" Rezzio busted out laughing and handed Zethus a brown paper sack.
"What were you guys talking about, anyways?" His eyes lit up as he opened the paper bag, a small syringe filled with a pink liquid with a smiley face logo smiling back at him. "This is it!"
"Yup, now ya just gotta get back to the girl before she buys the farm." Rezzio gave him a firm slap on the back and a friendly smile. It was times like this Zethus was thankful for having a friend like Rezzio on his side. Ever since the two of them were kids, they had always stood by each others side and even now as members of opposing organizations, Rezzio never passed up a chance to help Zethus. It's good to have connections! Zethus thought to himself as he looked out the window.
"Hey," Rezzio tossed Zethus a pile of clothes as he turned back to face him. "Might wanna put those on. Vin gave everyone your description, they'll find ya pretty quick dressed like that." Zethus pulled out a black and red, collared overshirt and gave Rezzio a disappointed stare.
"Do you have any colors besides black? How about white?" But Rezzio gave him an annoyed looked and shook his head.
"This isn't really the time to be picky, eh?" But Zethus grinned and nodded, then pulled the overshirt over his own white tank.
Finally clad in his new duds, Zethus' platinum hair and green eyes looked somewhat out of place with his new red, gold and black color scheme. The black Z and stripe peaked out from under the overshirt, which was decorated with red and golden stripes. In place of his baggy gray pants he wore a pair of black jeans that weren't as baggy, this offered a better sense of movement as he wasn't scared of tripping over the extra fabric of his pants.
"See? It ain't that bad, eh?" Rezzio smiled as he handed Zethus a pair of black and red goggles in place of his metallic blue one's.
"Alrighty, this is how this'll go down. You take off towards the Hole, I'll lead 'em the opposite direction."
"Vin will suspect you of this. He's gonna pick it up soon enough." Zethus gave him a concerned look before turning towards the window, but Rezzio chuckled in response.
"No worries. After this, I'm leaving." Zethus spun around to face him, caught off guard by his words.
"Leaving? But he's not even dead yet..?"
"That's not important right now." Rezzio kept his toothy grin as he hoisted a large backpack onto his shoulders.
"You said this girl has Digitarox, she was your escort, eh?"
"Yeah, someone in Turel Reach attacked us, not even three minutes later she started showing symptoms." Rezzio's eyes widened as Zethus mentioned this, the transition in his expression disturbed Zethus. Not many things could be said to make Rezzio falter.
"You need to get back to her as soon as possible. That's an enhanced dose. Her fifty-six hour lifespan has just been shortened to twelve."
"What?! I've been out here for six!" Zethus looked at him with disbelief. "How did they get that?!"
"Lukasz defected, we've no idea where he went. But if she has E-Digi, Lukasz' new employer is most likely to blame. Now GO!" Rezzio grabbed a handful of the black overshirt and pushed Zethus out of the side window, into an empty alley. He looked back up at Rezzio and gave him a death glare.
"Rez, what did I tell you about windows?!"
"Kill me later, run now! Get the hell outta here, Sharky!" And with that, Rezzio was gone from the window. Zethus could hear the sound of the crowd turn away from him as he started towards the streets, Rezzio's thick accent could be heard over the roaring crowd as he guided them in the opposite direction. This was his chance. Zethus sprinted out from the alley and back down the wet streets towards the grating that led to Hobbit Hole. With the antidote in hand, there would be nothing standing in his way now.
A shrouded figure stood on one of the highest ledges at the top of the Wrathgate Headquarters, watching the scene before him. Shark going off into the empty streets while his would-be hunters ran off in the opposite direction. The figure smiled with amusement as he took in the scene, it was better this way anyhow. The Shark was his prey. Not Wrathgate's, not Nazca's, not even Xibalba's. His.
His brilliant green eyes fixed on the diminishing figure of Zethus as he ran farther and farther down the streets and finally disappeared in the chaotic rainfall.
"That's right, Shark. Run as far as you can." His smile grew wider and more malicious. "Before I kill you."
-TK
