A young man watched apathetically as paramedics inspected the body of a dead man on the sofa. The room was filthy, with a sea of trash, and the man's clothes were dirty enough to garner empathy from a homeless person. On a corner of the room stood the deactivated pleasure robot, which was dirty and stained with bodily fluid. On the other corner was the television, still broadcasting the news as if nothing had happened.
[News lady] - "...The events which befell Italy yesterday were still unexplained. Our prime minister has declared concern for the possibility of further incursion of that mysterious military force by the name of the National Empire of unknown origin into the European continent. Minister Chester, our minister of foreign affairs, has blamed China for being the secret sponsor of the fleet which crossed into the borders of France. Meanwhile, our defence minister was considering a possible state of emergency in the next few days- "
Karson coldly shut off the television screen with a click of the remote before throwing it into a pile of chips. As he turned around, a paramedic approached him with a tablet in his hands.
[paramedic] - "Lad, I'm sorry to inform yah that yar father has unfortunaytely passed away. "
Said the paramedic in a thick Scottish accent.
[Karson] - "Bloody bury him or somethin', I don't really care what ye do with that old' drunk. "
Said Karson with an annoyed expression.
[paramedic] - "Well, lad, we've got a few options. Yah can cremate him, bury him or donate him to science. "
[Karson] - "Fuck do I know? Which one's the cheapest? "
[paramedic] - "Well, donating him to science prob' be dah best option, lad. Them doctors could salvage somethin' from him, make him useful, yah know. "
Said the paramedic in a display of cruel comedy. '
[Karson] - "Do that then. "
[paramedic] - "I heard yah, but that service would require 1200 pounds. "
Karson's eyes widened as he heard what the man said.
[Karson] - "Are ye takin' the piss at me, mate? I donate his body to science and you ask of me 1200 pounds! "
[paramedic] - "Or yah can leave his body here. Either way, yah still owe me 1000 pounds for this visit. "
Said the paramedic with a smug smile.
[Karson] - "Ye must've lost yer marbles if ye think I'm playin' all that shit! "
The paramedic laughed before abruptly pulling a pistol out of his pocket.
[paramedic] - "Freshly dead body can still be harvested for organs, yah know, lad. "
Said the paramedic with an evil grin.
Karson was flabbergasted by what he was seeing. He couldn't believe that he was robbed at gunpoint by a paramedic.
[Karson] - "Fine! I'll pay that 1200 pounds! "
Said Karson in a panic.
[paramedic] - "Oy, oy, not so fast, lad. Yah forgot to tip me for mah service. "
Said the paramedic as he showed Karson his tablet with the option of 40%, 60% and 100% percent displayed on the screen.
As Karson reached for the 40% option, the paramedic once more raised his gun at his head. Left without a choice, Karson moved to the 60% option, but the gun remained pointed at his head. Finally, Karson swallowed before pressing the 100% button.
[paramedic] - "Thank yah for your generous donation. We'll take good care of yah father. "
Said the paramedic with a satisfied smile before backing away.
Karson held his breath as he watched his fat father's massive body being lowered onto a mechanical stretcher. Just before the paramedic and his workmates left the place, he reached forward and shot the floor in front of Karson. As Karson jumped and fell into a pile of half-rotten noodle soups, the paramedic cackled cruelly before slamming the door behind him. Karson, meanwhile, was left soaked in spoiled soups and filth.
Later that day, Karson reported the incident to the police, but the best answer he got from them was that they would look into it. With that, Karson exited into the street while smelling like a homeless person who hadn't washed or changed in months. As he walked, he came across dozens of homeless tents on every street in London, which often forced him to walk on the roads.
After a few minutes, Karson stopped and almost threw up as he saw a homeless person's decomposing body on the ground. After overcoming the extreme stench, Karson's heart was filled with a sense of despair as he realized that the hospital was just a few steps away from the dead man's corpse. Despite all the traffic in and out of the hospital, not even nurses or doctors would stop to check on the man.
What has this world become? In the city centre, where the rich and powerful resided, the atmosphere was one of prosperity and advancement. People were mostly sporting apathetic or depressive expressions, yet all the billboards and advertisements showed pictures of happy people and colourful merchandise. As Karson walked into the poorer areas of the city centre, people began to walk around with goggles around their eyes. Unlike the ones he met earlier, these people were happy and smiling with their minds inside a virtual reality.
[Karson] - "Maybe stayin' in the illusion is better than reality. "
Said Karson as he passed by a mob of businessmen in virtual headsets.
After finally making it to his destination, a small animation studio, Karson finally breathed a sigh of relief as he was greeted by a bunch of familiar faces.
[Elise] - "Blimey, look who has arrived. "
[George] - "Ah, Karson, yah tardy wanker. Have you overslept again? "
Said George in a friendly mocking voice while leaning against the wall.
Karson slowly put away his trash-stained jacket before showing his friend the middle finger.
[Karson] - "Yeah, so what if I did? "
Said Karson with a smirk.
[George] - "I ain't judging, bruv. It ain't my fault if your sorry arse gets fired. "
[Karson] - "Fuckin' hell, just get on with the program. What's on the board for today? "
Said Karson before gagging at the stench coming from his hands.
[Elise] - "Nothin' too special. Got a general meeting with the team at Twelve, so don't be late. "
Said Elise as she rushed back into her office.
[George] - "So, bruv, how's the GCI animation on your end? "
[Karson] - "I've done it and added a few extra effects. "
Said Karson with a sigh as he began to walk alongside George.
[George] - "What's wrong? You seem quite disturbed, bruv. "
[Karson] - "It's nothin', I don't feel talkin' about it. "
Said Karson as he wiped his dirty hands, clenched in a fist, on his pants.
Meanwhile, inside a secret underground bar, away from the public gaze, Mike and Kadyn stepped toward a pair of guards, dressed in their elegant military attire. While Mike sported a sharp suit, shadowed by a long and ornately decorated coat in carbon black and gold, Kadyn was in a graceful dress of the same charcoal colours and auric shine that covered half of her legs. As her shiny golden heels stopped before the guards, Kadyn stared at the immobile men for a second before following Mike through the door they were guarding. In truth, the men were struggling to act and draw their weapons, but their limbs and bodies were all incapacitated by an unknown force.
[Kadyn] - "It's so funny how that guy was grimacing when you froze him. He's now just there with a weird face, haha. "
Said Kadyn while imitating an exaggerated version of the guard's expression.
[Mike] - "Well, you don't get to choose comfort when you're in the way of an important business. "
Said Mike as he looked up at a camera before the device shattered into symmetrical pieces.
Mike stared at a long hallway leading toward a sort of underground military bunker with signs all written in Chinese. However, considering how the whole place looked more like a maze, he quickly turned to Kadyn.
[Mike] - "Alright, do your magic. Tell me where he is. "
[Kadyn] - "Huuh? Is this why you brought me with you on this mission? I'm just here as your hacker and tracking device? "
Said Kadyn, flabbergasted.
[Mike] - "Well, yes, why would I waste your time if I could do this alone? "
[Kadyn] - "Oooh! Is this how it is? Making me waste my time dressing up in this sexy, fancy dress just so you could reduce me to a computer? "
[Mike] - "You'll be fairly compensated later, just stop being childish. "
Said Mike as he palmed his face in frustration.
[Kadyn] - "I better be! You know the saying: 'Angry wife = Dead husband!' "
Said Kadyn with a cute pout.
Turning toward one of the camera systems, Kadyn shifted her eyes from the usual green to a deep purple hue. In an instant, the surveillance room of the facility lost control over its equipment as an astronomical number of viruses flooded and crippled its every system. Even as the operator pressed the alarm button, nothing happened as if the button was just a toy. Subsequently, the cameras all began to obey Kadyn's command as they scanned the base for the wanted man in question.
[Kadyn] - "Hmm... So we need to follow that way down and make a left turn and then– "
Said Kadyn as he spotted the man in her sight.
[Mike] - "Just tell me the direction and distance. "
Interjected Mike to stop Kadyn in her phrase.
[Kadyn] - "Right! I forgot... Six hundred metres North-West, three levels below. "
Without hesitation, Mike stepped toward the wall and phased through solid concrete as if it were just a wall of fluid.
[Kadyn] - "Hey! Wait for me! "
Yelled Kadyn as she stepped through the wall behind Mike.
As the two phased into a hallway, Kadyn caught up to Mike and took his arm before they continued into another wall. Then, as they phased into a hallway one level below, they passed in front of an armed guard who watched in shock as they walked into another wall. Snapping out of his shock, the guard tried to catch up to them, only to crash into solid concrete and break his glasses. As the two stepped through a large underground garage with hundreds of cars and armed guards, their presence finally alerted the men.
However, even as a dozen squads aimed their weapons at the two, neither of them even paid them any mind as they continued forward.
"Fire! Kill them! "
Yelled multiple voices all around them.
With one swing of his hand, Mike instantly turned every gun in his field of vision into a massive spear that impaled each man's arms. While men screamed in horror and pain, the two stepped once more into a wall before vanishing out of sight.
[Kadyn] - "Aw, come on, Mike, that was unnecessarily cruel! How are those men gonna jack off at night with both hands gone? "
Said Kadyn jokingly.
[Mike] - "Direction and distance! "
Said Mike firmly with a focused gaze.
[Kadyn] - "Ugh, 50 metres ahead, walking westward ahead of two guards and right of a Chinese diplomat. "
Said Kadyn with a frown.
Ahead, during this time, the rogue knight was sweating in panic as he spoke with the Chinese diplomat.
[Ling Keng] - "You promised me a way out once my job was done! Where's the fucking submarine? "
Yelled Ling Keng in anger and panic.
[diplomat] - "Calm down, my friend, the submarine will be arriving shortly. You should've escaped before the Empire made moves against the world. Now, it's quite difficult to run with the Imperial forces above. "
Said the diplomat in a more relaxed tone.
[Ling Keng] - "I've betrayed history's most powerful faction for the sake of my own nation, served as a loyal spy against all the danger I could've put myself in. This is how you reward me? By telling me the submarine, which was supposed to get me out, is late? "
Yelled Ling Keng as he stepped in front of the diplomat.
[diplomat] - "You chose to escape to Britain instead of somewhere more easily accessible for the PLN; you're responsible for your own trouble more than us. "
Accused the diplomat in an annoyed tone.
[Ling Keng] - "I'll let you know that– "
Before Ling Keng could finish his sentence, a hand suddenly extended from the wall, grabbed him by the face and dragged him against his will into the next surface. As Kadyn passed in front of the shocked diplomat, she grinned smugly before giving him a parting salute.
[Kadyn] - "I'd like to visit your country sometime soon when it's going to be under Imperial rule. "
Said Kadyn before phasing into the wall behind Mike.
The shocked diplomat looked back at his men with his mouth agape, hoping one of them would offer some logical explanation for what had just occurred. Yet, the guards could only respond to him with the same shock as he presented them.
[diplomat] - "Fuck this! We're leaving. I'm not dealing with this. "
Said the diplomat while slapping himself in the face, hoping it was just a dream.
Before long, Mike phased through another wall in an office with his captive still in hand. Right as Ling Keng was about to plead for his life, Mike threw him hard to the floor. As Kadyn arrived inside the office, she only saw Mike sweep his hand before the man went limp. Looking down, she saw the lifeless eyes of the man facing the ceiling in a blank expression and a small drop of blood hanging barely in the shadow of his nostril.
[Kadyn] - "Bloody hell, you're such a brute sometimes. "
Said Kadyn as her eyes darted between Mike and the dead man.
[Mike] - "Efficient, bloodless and quick, what could a condemned man ask for more? "
Said Mike while using his ability to build a body bag out of the random clothes he could find in the office.
[Kadyn] - "At least hear him out or something? Or I don't know... "
[Mike] - "What? You think the Grand Knight of the bloody National Empire is going to sit you down and talk about friendship being magical? "
Kadyn crossed her arms and watched as the makeshift bag wrapped itself around the dead man on the floor.
[Kadyn] - "You're lucky I'm your woman. Any other bitches would've run or seen you as some kind of powerful, malicious eldritch horror. "
[Mike] - "Hmm, that's why I love you so much. "
Said Mike as he kissed Kadyn on the cheek.
As Mike was about to raise his hand to activate his earpiece and report his mission's success, Kadyn suddenly grabbed his arm.
[Kadyn] - "Not so fast! I'm not rewarded yet for my effort. "
[Mike] - "Sigh... what do you want? "
[Kadyn] - "As long as you don't report back to Apogee, he would think you're still hunting for this guy. How about you give it a few days, and we can just have some time to ourselves without anyone knowing? "
Said Kadyn with a devious smirk as she pressed her chest against Mike.
[Mike] - "No! The World Forgers fleet will begin its assault on Mars soon. I will not appear as some kind of incompetent imbecile in front of my men because you want to mess around. "
Said Mike, unimpressed with Kadyn's proposition.
[Kadyn] - "How about a day then? Please! Let us have a bit of a good time together before the war keeps us occupied for good. "
Pleaded Kadyn against Mike's stone-walled gaze.
[Mike] - "No! Duty comes first; you agreed to these terms since day one. "
Said Mike firmly.
Kadyn angrily pushed herself off Mike before turning her head away.
[Kadyn] - "What kind of man are you? Your beloved wife is dressed for the occasion, and this is how you treat her? "
Mike breathed heavily before looking up and pressing both his palms on his face in frustration. This wasn't the first time Kadyn threw a tantrum like this, and from experience, he already knew how it would end. In theory, he should treat her the way a proper relationship should go, but this isn't just any relationship; Mike is the literal Grand Knight of the Empire and Lord of the whole World Forger fleet, responsible for patrolling over 789 planets across the galaxy. For a man ideologically tied to efficiency and utilitarian logic, the worst thing will be problems which put wrenches in his plans.
As for Kadyn, she wasn't just some human girl either, being one of the deadliest bioengineered assassins ever created in human history. However, unlike her peers, she developed a preference for the more human side of her character.
In a situation of absolute comic irony, Mike, a literal man of ungodly power and authority, was dealing with a needy wife instead of formulating grand plans and conquering worlds. It's just that Mike was self-aware enough to realize the absurdity of the situation, while Kadyn ignores the obvious.
[Mike] - "This is ridiculous, seriously... What am I even doing? "
Said Mike as he dragged his hands down his face, pulling at his skin as he did so.
But then, what is he without her by his side? For all her childish behaviour and carefree personality, this woman never left his side, even in the worst of situations. With her by his side, the dull halls of his ships bore vibrant colours, while even the empty darkness of space seemed to be full of life. Even if he doesn't want to admit it, Kadyn matters more than anything to him.
[Kadyn] - "Fine! Let's go back to your stupid fleet and encase ourselves in our dumb faceless masks. So much for being all mighty and powerful... You can't even afford to spend time with your own wife! "
Muttered Kadyn with tears pooling in her eyes.
Mike sighed with a defeated look before changing the channel on his earpiece to that of his fleet.
[Mike] - "Admiral Casey O'Brian, this is the Grand Knight, Lord of the World Forgers! The fleet will gather above the atmosphere of Mars, but will not begin offensive operations before I make my presence seen. Is that clear? "
Commanded Mike in an authoritative voice.
While Mike listened to his men's response, he gently began to wipe the tears off Kadyn's eyes. With a deep breath, Kadyn calmed herself down just as Mike stored away his earpiece.
[Mike] - "There, happy? A KD-series assassin... More like a delusional high school girl obsessed with romance stories. "
Said Mike in a frustrated voice while rolling his eyes.
Kadyn's frown quickly turned into a lovely smile as she quickly switched up her act the moment Mike gave in to her demands.
[Kadyn] - "Hehe! I knew you couldn't resist me. I always get what I want. "
Said Kadyn tauntingly while Mike turned his head away in annoyance.
[Mike] - "We have until tonight! Not a second longer after full nightfall! "
Said Mike firmly while Kadyn happily hugged him.
[Kadyn] - "Okie, my dear husband. Now, hold me as you did earlier. "
Said Kadyn as she extended her arms.
[Mike] - "Hold yourself. "
Said Mike coldly as he began to walk away.
With a frustrated pout, Kadyn quickly leaped in front of Mike.
[Kadyn] - "Is this how you treat the future mother of your children? Imagine– "
Before Kadyn could finish, Mike abruptly swooped her up and held her in his arms like the spoiled princess she pretends to be.
[Mike] - "Just... Stop talking. "
Said Mike with an exhausted gaze.
With her demands finally met, Kadyn was content to nod with a satisfied smile before gesturing the motion of zipping her mouth shut with her hand. Using his ability, Mike quickly lifted the body bag beside him before flying through the ceiling with Kadyn still in his arms.
During this time, inside the animation studio, Karson and the rest of the staff gathered in a conference room. After taking a seat beside George and Elise, Karson pulled an envelope out of his pocket and peeked at the check inside.
[Karson] - "These bloody wankers... This ain't even enough to pay for my rent. "
Mumbled Karson as he shoved the check into his pant pocket with frustration.
[Elise] - "You probably need a side job if you want to keep your ship afloat. "
[Karson] - "A bloody side job... Say, how are you two blokes' holdin' up? "
[George] - "Survivin' off our side gig. Pay's nothin' fancy, but we've got enough to make a livin'. "
Karson smelled something shady about his fellow coworkers, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. People in the outer city of London usually struggled to make a living even with two jobs, but his two friends are somehow making enough from two different jobs.
[Karson] - "Can a fellow bruv get himself a spot in that magical job of yours? "
[George] - "Ehh... "
As George was hesitating, Elise immediately jumped in and handed Karson a small business card with a name and phone number on it.
[Elise] - "Just give Adam a call. He'll take care of your employment. "
Said Elise with a fake smile.
At 6 pm, it was the end of the workday. As Karson was putting his dirty coat inside a plastic bag, he looked at the pouring rain outside with frustration. Without a car, his only choice was to brace for the weather, but just as despair began to wash over him, a figure stepped into the entrance.
[Karson] - "Ma? What the hell ya doin' around here? "
Said Karson with an expression of surprise.
[Nancy] - "I need to talk to you, Karson. "
Said Nancy in a stern voice.
[Elise] - "Hey, who is that at the entrance? "
Karson turned around to see Elise about to leave with George by her side.
[Karson] - "It's just my mother, nothin' to worry about. "
There was a sense of urgency on Nancy's face as she pulled on Karson's arm and dragged him out of the building without greeting his coworkers. As Karson waved goodbye, Elise and George shared a look between them before putting away their coats.
[Elise] - "Looks like we gotta cancel that dinner reservation. "
[George] - "Yeah, I'll call them. "
Said George as he headed into another room.
Although Karson was quite apathetic toward his mother, he was at least glad that she was able to provide him with a vehicle in the current weather.
[Karson] - "So... haven't seen you since I was 18, and two years later, when dad kicked the bucket, you finally showed up. "
Said Karson with contempt in his voice.
[Nancy] - "Sigh... You know I had a messy divorce with ya father. "
[Karson] - "Oh! So that prevented you from seein' yar bloody son? "
[Nancy] - "Watch yar manners, Karson... I didn't want it to be this way, but I think it's time I have this talk with you now that your father is gone. So shut up for now. I'll tell you everything once we get to somewhere safe. "
Said Nancy in a frustrated voice as she navigated through the traffic.
Later, as the sun was but a faint ray on the horizon, Nancy arrived at Karson's house. After shutting the door behind her with an anxious expression on her face, Nancy lit herself a cigarette to calm her nerves.
[Karson] - "Why are ya actin' so weird? "
[Nancy] - "Sit down, I'll explain everything. "
A few moments later, at the dinner table, Karson poured himself a can of beans with a few slices of expired toast. Meanwhile, his mother shakingly held a cup of tea in her hands.
[Karson] - "Now, tell me, what the hell is all this about? "
Said Karson as he poured a spoonful of beans on the bread.
[Nancy] - "That's all you are eating? "
[Karson] - "Gorcery costs upward of 700 bloody pounds. I'll stick to the cheaper option, thanks. "
[Nancy] - "Take this then. "
Said Nancy as she deposited four envelopes, each with a fat stack of cash inside it.
[Nancy] - "I probably won't be needing this. "
The strange situation suddenly caught Karson off guard as he dropped his toast onto the table. With a perplexed look on his face, Karson took a look inside the envelopes and estimated that they contained close to 20,000 pounds in total.
[Karson] - "What the... what is this? Where did you get all this money? "
[Nancy] - "How did you think you were able to not get evicted or tortured after not paying your rent money to the gang that owned this area? "
[Karson] - "It was you? "
Said Karson in a surprised voice.
[Nancy] - "After the divorce, I had to find a way to pay for your education and our house. "
Nancy took out a pack of cigarettes and began to light one of them.
[Nancy] - "I worked for the London Neon Gang to make ends meet. The unspeakable things I had to do... "
Said Nancy before stopping to take a puff of her cigarette.
[Nancy] - "You are such a naive boy for thinking that life is that easy. I had to leave you once things got serious since I didn't want you to become a target. Say, do you know how your father died? "
[Karson] - "Drug overdose. "
Said Karson dryly without hesitation.
Nancy sighed slightly before giving her cigarette a few taps against the side of the table. If she weren't so battered, she would've reacted a bit more intensely. However, for now, all the emotion she could spare was that barely audible sigh.
[Nancy] - "The criminal world was apparently too hardcore for him. He just wants to sit at home, play games online and wank his pathetic dick. "
Said Nancy before flicking her cigarette butt again.
[Nancy] - "The country is beyond savin'... And I'm at my wits' end as well. "
Said Nancy with an air of grief.
[Karson] - "What the hell do ya mean by that? "
Said Karson in a panic as he abruptly stood up.
[Nancy] - "The A25 wants me dead, kid. The life of a gang member is short, fast-paced and violent. My clock's tickin', so here I am. Just wantin' to see my boy once last time, give him a bit of cash and advice in life. "
During this time, a black van arrived in front of Karson's home. Inside it, several heavily armed men with A25 tattoos on their shoulders waited for an order from their leader in the front seat.
[Elise] - "Remember, boys, in and out, no longer than 3 minutes. We are in the hostile territory of another gang, so anyone is fair game. Leave no witness. "
[George] - "Hey, maybe we can spare Karson. I mean... he didn't do anything wrong. "
[Elise] - "Shoot. On. Site! That's what Adam ordered. "
Said Elise as her gaze burned into George's soul.
One after another, the men jumped out of the vehicle while scanning the area for potential witnesses. Following her men, Elise jumped out of the vehicle with a pistol before pulling her ski mask over her face.
To be continued...