[The Mansion, Val Venezuela Special Zone]

[January 21, 2023]

We echoed down the hallway and then into another hallway. We walked for about ten minutes before we reached our destination.

Another identical blast door was here. No numbers or indicators to confuse invaders. I would need a map to navigate this place.

An identical setup was here. We set all major containment rooms up the same.

There were no technicians here. No one unauthorized was present, under threat of execution. So far we had no issues aside from a lost person.

The black armor of the Black Turtle Legion was guarding the front door. As we entered there were more soldiers settled around the room. There were three Scopedogs towering inside the room.

This was a choke-point and the only way to enter the operating room. They would fight to the last man if needed. A proper supporting force to ensure our guests stayed safe.

The Sargent gave me a salute with a venerable fist thumping their chest. The others stared at me, weapons ready in case I was an impostor.

I grinned at the blatant threat. They were so cute like that.

The video screen showed ten people chained to chairs. We arranged them in a circle, facing outward. They could talk to each other, but not easily see one another.

We kept an audio log of their talks, and they liked to talk a lot. These wonderful subhuman pieces of trash were not military elite.

Zealots with dreams of grandeur. It made me sick, this senseless devotion to hate and high-handed piousness.

“Kori, Kara, please keep me from ripping out their eyes,” I asked as I made my way to the door. I took a deep breath. I could do this.

Candice slipped on her helmet, and her red eyes flashed as the unit powered up. She cracked her neck and wondered if she should have asked the two to do the same.

Sue took a position by the main console. She set up a special record function. It wouldn’t commit the recording to a hard disk until she clicked the approval button. If I went and killed them all, then there would be no hard evidence of it.

This way, if anything bad happened, there was no recording of it.

I was already prepping my mind for this delightful conversation.

Kara adjusted my tie as Kori ran her hand through my hair. I took a moment to embrace the moment. My hand grabbed theirs as I drew strength. I took a few deep breaths before letting go of their hands. I was ready.

The two settled by my side and the blast door to the U-section opened.

—

“Well, well, well…” a tired, but chipper voice drawled out. The man’s eyes raked over Kori and Kara. Their more form-fitting clothes were easy on the eyes.

The others chattered as we walked in. My hand twitched as I could see their glee. I could feel their smugness despite their current predicament.

Kara and Kori pressed their hands softly into my back. A reminder of their feelings and mine. I was only three steps into the room and almost pulled out my gun to shoot them.

Lovely. Time to wake up these fools.

“Hello gentlemen and ladies,” I said as I stared into the eyes of the eight men and two ladies.

Well, those who could see me, anyway. One actually spat at me, but it fell short. The wad of spit landed on a woman’s knee and she scowled.

“Cute,” I muttered as I made a note to stand farther away in case the others tried something similar.

I circled them. My eyes staring into their mirthful ones. Each one was a combination of amused, prideful, and hateful.

They may have found Kara cute, but Kori ended up receiving a much colder gaze. Her orange skin and all green eyes. They probably thought she was meta-human. Though being honest, they didn’t view aliens in a positive light either.

I was slow to circle back their leader.

A man named John Smith. Generic enough that there was another John Smith in this group. The balding man sneered at me as I stopped in front of him. The one who had tried to spit at me.

“Hello John Alric Smith,” I began. The file I had received wasn’t huge, but it had enough for me to become angry every time I recalled it.

“You the leader of this shindig?” John sneered. He was an American citizen! They couldn’t touch him!

“Of this specially protected zone, yes,” I said with a genuine smile. The citizens of Raccoon City had settled down very well since I had resettled them as a city on foreign soil. Changes would keep them safer than before. Different, but better as we enacted changes.

Citizens of Val Verde had certain rights and privileges given to them. Which included a military-grade police force and military-grade surveillance system. Protection that few nations could ever experience.

While their assault failed, it showed that there were gaps in our defensive line. In a broad stroke of luck, no one had died. We had set up supply tents in the outskirts, and they had attacked a food tent by pure luck.

“You mutie loving scum,” John growled out as he glared at me. The others joined in as if they could ignite me with their communal effort.

I sighed. It rated rejected puppy. Doctor Doom had a harsher glare from looking in your general direction.

“Gentlemen, I have to give you good news, and splendid news!” I announced as I stared into John’s eyes. My cheery glow was confusing him.

“The good news is that no one got injured in your attack,” I said as I walked up to the chained man. They locked his arms and legs onto the thick, metal chairs.

John sneered at me. They had arrived and tried to cause mass destruction. It was back luck that the response had arrived much faster than they had predicted.

A point in favor of Friday's competency, and value. When she had things set up here, she would get transferred to Val Verde.

Sue wanted Friday's support on various projects. Improvements were vital for ensuring Val Verde's leap to the future.

“The splendid news is that you have no confirmation of arriving!” I cheered as my eyes bored into John's.

Something clicked as my smile had never reached my eyes. Eyes that were now filling his vision.

“We… We are US citizens!” John cried out as he now understood he was in trouble. Deep trouble.

They had arrived to drop off some presents. A quick, straightforward mission. He had done it dozens of times before.

“So you are not here, so anything that happens is theoretical,” I was a foot away from John now.

“This is illegal! The US government won’t let this go!” John was panicking, and they now understood their reality. That they weren’t untouchable.

“You attacked people on my soil. My. People,” I hissed as I smiled again. “Don’t worry. You will roll in that sweet, sweet karma soon.”

“I… I… You!” John stuttered as he couldn’t look away, or find a solution.

The others yelled and scream. They came to life and tried to break me down with their voices. It did not even distract me from staring into John’s eyes.

Creed would definitely abandon them since they had failed. He would deny his association with this botched mission. Assuming that I even raised a stink to the US government.

“As friends of humanity, I am sure you are all willing to make the ultimate sacrifice!” I announced with a smile. They had quieted down to my cheery voice.

“We have several strains of the T-Virus. The bio-weapon unleashed onto this city last year,” I said as I paced around the circle of people.

Several members broke and wailed. They were mentally ready to face torture. They understood physical pain. This... this was inhumane!

“Don’t fret though! We also have antidotes!” I cheered as I looked at each of them in the eye as I passed. “We only need volunteers to ensure that the antidote works. It is very hard developing complex cures to complex diseases.”

I stopped as I circled around to John again.

“Thank you, dear friends, for your sacrifice. I understand the trials are extremely harsh. Why you are the first volunteers!” I smiled as John stared at me.

Something finally reflected in the man’s eyes. Something that made my soul purr. The eyes of a broken man.

John looked down at the safety of the floor. He understood his fate. The other nine had also begun staring at the floor.

“Do not worry. I hear your suffering will not be too prolonged. It will last as long as it takes to confirm the results,” I explained as six people resisted.

Their last struggle was to strain against their bindings. To break for freedom. The simple steel chains were thick and bolted into place. These could hold down low-level metahumans, and cybernetically enhanced individuals.

Even if they could break free, they could not escape. The Black Turtles had only a company on-site, but there was also a Doom-Portal for support.

I stared at them one last time. These assorted racist men and women. They had come intending to kill and destroy. They did not deserve a Leader’s sympathy.

I made my way back to the blast door to the U-Section. Sue would see us leaving and open the door.

I had seen their kind. The short-sighted, hateful people in all different regions in the world. Their looks changed, but their hearts did not. My tours across the world, guarding various people against people like this.

For these hateful ones, I connected with my dark side. Their suffering would be like music. A dark joy that I knew every human could experience.

It was at this moment that I could relate to Doctor Doom the best. To do what one must, regardless of what most considered right.

To ensure prosperity for my people, I will consign others to death. Especially these terrorist types that preached hollow words.

That was why my special zone was having an influx of meta-human refugees. I saw them as people, and that was enough.

I stared at Kori, and Kara. These two were like beacons to ensure that my darkness didn't swallow me whole. It was telling that Kara was allowing this to happen.

“Farewell, everyone. Thank you for your service,” I said as I began to walk away. Kori waved as I turned to leave, then followed with me.

I wondered if I was having a poor influence on the Supergirl. Hmmmmm. She had a stern face but was looking into the distance.

The door boomed close behind me.

————

Chapter 52: Bad Faith