“So, you’ve managed to earn his trust. How did it turn out? Was he the threat that you expected him to be?”

“No.”

“Who was he? It’s strange that someone like him appears out of nowhere and happens to waltz into where you were. Not to mention that ingenious machine that always traveled with him. Even I couldn’t get into its programming. But you took care of that.”

“.........the dogs.”

“Ah, I didn’t tell you, didn’t I? Those were beyond my control. But you improvised rather quickly didn’t you? Took care of the situation in an instant. I am very impressed by your abilities, and I really believe that there is no one like you in this world.”

“You should have warned me.”

“But it made your story that much more convincing, didn’t it? In the end, everything worked out. Truthfully, I was away from the monitor at that moment, many apologies. Things are restless here, and my superiors want you removed.”

“The bomb.”

“Yes, the bombardment. You must have been surprised. I’m sorry about that, but the people here vastly underestimate your power. I, for a fact, know that a small explosion like that won’t kill you.”

A pause.

“The people here fear you, 31. They’ve heard about the city now. A team is being created at this very moment to hunt you down, but I know better. It will be futile. But whether or not you will destroy us is another question. I, with all my heart, hope that you won’t strike me down. We used to be friends, and it would break my heart.”

“You don’t sound too stressed, considering your words.”

He laughed. “Because I know who you are. I know your heart. You’ve treated the boy fairly, haven’t you? It seems like you’ve taken a liking to him.”

“I did what you told me.”

“So, who is the boy? Did Workman send him?”

“He doesn’t know himself. He’s clueless about everything, and without the drone, he’s very unstable.”

“Ah.”

“But he tries his best.”

“Ah.”

“He began to love me. Can a person love so quickly?”

“Love, you say? I am not experienced in matters of love, but love is a mysterious thing. Anything is possible with it in play, so yes, a person can fall in love quickly. Now, you know for certain that he is of no threat to you?”

“I knew that from the first day.”

“Yes, you can...see things. Or should I say sense?”

“Both. Let me ask—what is your plan for me?”

“I simply wish for you to enjoy life and appreciate it.”

“You say the same things as him.”

“Do I? I suppose great minds think alike.”

“You wouldn’t mind me eliminating any obstacles?”

A pause.

“The people being sent after you are people I know, so it would be better not to kill them. I’ve told you before. Killing isn’t good.”

“Okay.”

The line disconnected.

“So. What are your thoughts?”

From the chair, a man with graying hair lifted his eyes and crossed his muscular arms. He had the air of a weathered soldier, though he had never fought in any real wars. But his eyes sagged with a look that told of eroding anger and lingering despondency. His voice was low, solid, and clear.

“She sounds like a child,” he said, wrinkling his eyebrows, “not the abomination you made her out to be.”

“She has consumed thousands,” Ilnam emphasized. “A whole city, gone in the blink of an eye. Men, women, and children, all dead within seconds.”

The man’s discomfort was apparent, and he tensed in his chair.

“We don’t have any other choice, do we?”

“You do.”

“But we’re the only ones who can do it.”

“It is an honorable task.”

“For a group of dishonorable people.”

“You can earn your forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness that is forged,” the man growled, but otherwise remained composed. “Yours? I don’t think we can call that forgiveness.”

Ilnam didn’t say anything. The man got up and began to walk towards the exit.

“Send the equipment to the northwestern sector,” the man said as the door slid open before him. He turned his head slightly. “Is she still unwell?”

“It’s the same as yesterday.”

“I see.”

The man went out, a dull thud resonating throughout his chest.

He hated his life. He hated most of the people he’d been grouped with, but it made him feel better taking them into the battlefield instead of innocents who didn’t know the feeling of taking a life. This would be their first time putting their life on the line. They were used to numerous simulations, so their experience was plenty, but having only one life was a large restriction.

He made his way to the northern sector, his steps heavy. He preferred it that way without receiving assistance from the system. The feeling of his body reminded him constantly of his failures, and it pushed him on to live. He could quit; all of them could.

But all of them had their reasons for staying. For some of them, he believed that it would be better for them to die while on the mission. Yet their superior thought of them as the same, and the fluid within his brain would prevent him from acting on his own will. It gave him strength, but at the same time, it restricted him.

He knew it would be better to quit caring. He’d be less agonized that way. But the thought of his daughter bound him to his nature, the very reason why he led the group.

One last mission, and he’d be free.

He opened the door to where everyone was.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

Grey loved his life on the team.

The training sessions they had, the conversations during dinner, the way his body felt liberated when he ran around with luggage—he loved it all. His life had been so dull back when he was in the city, but here, he was a part of something. They were the best team on the planet, and he was an elite, capable of doing things no ordinary person could dream of.

“Hey! Get your ass over here,” Vandel yelled, shaking his bottle of alcohol.

“You’re drinking already?” Grey asked, walking over.

“Hell yeah. Want a sip?”

“No thanks,” he refused, sitting down next to the tan man. Vandel swung an arm around his shoulders, pulling his close. His body smelled of smoke and booze.

“So, thought about the bitches I told you about?” taking a swig. “You gotta enjoy them while you can. Who knows when we’ll get back?”

“Still not interested,” Grey replied, trying to wiggle out. The hold on him became even tighter.

“You don’t understand. You’re a good boy, so I want you to enjoy fucking, eh? Gotta be a real man before getting blown to pieces. A good boy should do what I tell them to do. Life is all about freedom and pleasure!”

“I’d rather settle down with a good girl and enjoy raising children with her.”

“Bullshit! You can’t make them babies. Little demons, I tell you again and again, and you still don’t understand?”

Grey finally managed to wiggle out from the man’s arms and got up. “We were all babies once, you know.”

“Trying to be smart with me?”

Seeing that the man was already drunk, Grey raised his hands while stepping back. It wasn’t good to get on Vandel’s bad side when he was like this.

“Hey, I’m the worst out of us. Just being a little logical.”

The man stared at him, one fist curled up. A few seconds passed by, and he would have been shaking in fear had he been inexperienced, but he knew the man and his customs.

“Haha, little demons, we were!” the man roared with laughter, gulping his drink down. Grey chuckled with him, though it was more of a forced laugh. He didn’t like Vandel when he was drunk. Vandel was better when they played games together.

“I gotta go,” Grey said, tapping on his wrist. “Army wants me to help carry some things over.”

“If Army says so, then get the hell outta here!” Vandel waved, swinging his bottle. “Don’t wanna get an earsore from that bitch. Whoops, I mean, person.”

“Yeah, yeah, enjoy your drink,” Grey smiled, waving back.

Honestly, the call from Army had been a lie. He wanted to look at what all the other members were doing before they left, and Vandel had been the first person he’d run into. Honestly, he didn’t know why the man even bothered to stay in the team. Even as a Dient, he’d still be able to do everything he wanted to. His reasons for staying were minor at best.

But things wouldn’t be as interesting without him. Vandel was the loudest in the group, and Grey was glad that he was here. A rough man at a glance, but fun and caring once you got to know him. Vandel was a good friend if he made sure not to cross certain lines. Grey was good at meeting people’s expectations, and so far, he was doing great.

He spotted two four-legged carriers moving across the hall. He followed them and eventually spotted Bone, who was doing maintenance on her machines with the help of her tools.

She looked up when she heard her drones approach, and her face transformed into a smile when she saw Grey. Setting down her tools and raising her safety glasses, she got up from her seat.

“Need something?” she asked while rummaging through the items that her carriers had brought. “Or we could talk. I’m kind of nervous. Maybe you could ease me a bit.”

“We can do that,” Grey said, sitting down in a chair. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous. Really nervous,” she sighed, fumbling her hands. “I know I’m not supposed to be, with all the practice we’ve had. But I’m unsettled. Heh, weird, right?”

“We only have one life this time, so I think it’s reasonable for us to have more anxiety than usual.”

“Yes, you’re right! But no one admits it.”

“Even Crusha?”

“I’m talking about the males. Everyone besides you can be so—so intolerable, you know? Always the no-nonsense type.”

“I’d say Vandel is excluded.”

Bone’s face scrunched with revulsion. “Yes, excluded as in, he is the nonsense itself. Gah, I hate that guy the most. It feels like he’ll jump on me any moment if I turn my back from him.”

“Thankfully,” Grey tapped on his head.

“Yes, I swear, that’s the only thing that keeps me asleep. At least people like you make this place better,” she smiled sheepishly. “But I don’t mean anything by that, so don’t get your hopes up for something naughty, okay?”

“You know I’m not that kind of guy,” Grey pouted, crossing his arms.

“Yes, but men can change at any moment.”

“Rude!”

Bone laughed, holding her arm. “We’re finally heading out, aren’t we? I hoped it wouldn’t happen during our lifetime.”

“It is what it is,” Grey said. “At least we won’t have to be on the front lines.”

They shared a moment of silence before Bone returned to her work again. “Anyways, I need to wrap up all of this,” she said, pushing her safety glasses back on. “If I mess up while we’re out there, it’ll be a disaster.”

“You’ve done perfectly so far. Don’t stress too much. I can help if you need me.”

She smiled. “I’ll be counting on you out there.”

Doing a thumbs up, Grey said goodbye to Bone and headed out of the room. The closest room next to Bone’s was Crusha’s, so he headed there next. But failing to find her there, he passed by and made his way to Shooter’s room, where he found him cleaning his guns and knives. Knowing how much the guy hated being interrupted, Grey passed by and went ahead to Domeel’s room, which he found to be locked.

Putting his head on the door, he heard some sounds that made his face go red, so he retreated and walked back to his room.

Besides him, there was one other person who wasn’t on bad terms with at least one of the members. The youngest of the group, but the most dangerous. Everyone treated him as a younger sibling, including him, since the guy had an air of innocence that gravitated all of them towards him. The secret weapon, and their source of hope for the seemingly impossible battle.

“Yo, P3!” Grey called, going inside. The boy turned his eyes towards him, his face blooming into a grin as he paused the game he’d been playing.

“Hey, what’s up,” Praprapra said back, getting up from the floor. “Did you come here to play a game?”

“Nah, just looking around, seeing how people are doing,” Grey answered, putting his hands on his head.

“You’re the only one who cares enough to,” Praprapra said, stretching. “You should enjoy the time too. It might be our last.”

“With you here, I’d say we’re definitely going to make it back.”

“Well, I’ll try my best.”

“That’s our man,” Grey said, swinging his arm around Praprapra. “You know what, let’s play a game. It’s not really fun playing alone, right?”

The boy nodded, fetching a controller from one of the boxes. They selected a game then began to play, clearing the stages one by one. Even on the greatest difficulty, they rarely lost a life. Rather, Praprapra never died; it was only Grey who made mistakes. They fought the final boss two times, then went through the hidden stages—and their afternoon passed away in an instant, so they decided to eat dinner together.

Grey spotted Crusha come out of Domeel’s room, and she blushed when she saw the two youngsters wave. After nodding quickly, she dashed away.

“Ho,” Grey whistled, holding his hands over his head.

“Do you think she lost?” Praprapra asked.

“Huh? You mean Crusha?”

“Yeah. That’s why she was embarrassed.”

“I don’t think it’s really about winning or losing…”

Seeing the younger boy stare at him with innocent eyes, Grey couldn’t help but hold in a laugh. Even Vandel was extremely cautious around Praprapra and hesitated to speak vulgarly in front of the boy, so the boy was clueless when it came to sexual matters.

“You’ll understand one day,” Grey told the boy with a grin.

“Yeah,” Praprapra agreed.

They had a quick meal at the cafeteria. Domeel was next to enter, dressed neatly like he was going to a formal meeting. His thin shirt and pants highlighted his lean body, toned from exercise. The man was meticulous as well as beautiful—if they were to rate themselves based on appearance, it was obvious that Domeel would come first.

“Good afternoon,” Grey greeted. The man gave him a short nod before taking a package and slicing it open. Even his movements seemed to be calculated without a wasted movement.

Out of all of the members of the team, Grey felt the most distant from Domeel, since he mostly acted alone. Even when he tried to initiate a conversation, he could tell right away that the man wasn’t interested, so he had stopped along the way.

Not to mention the unease he felt when he was near the guy. He’d gotten everyone’s stories except Domeel’s and Army’s, so he was cautious around both of them. But while he could rely on Army, Domeel was another story altogether.

After dinner, they both returned to their rooms to enjoy the time they had left. Grey plopped down on his bed, thinking about the memories he’d made with his team. Frankly, nothing much had happened between them. They hadn’t been gathered for fun, nor had they been interested in learning about each other. They were selfish people, all of them, grouped together for a purpose that they’d never thought would happen. It meant that the system wasn’t perfect. But who could argue? Them? They had no right. The rest of the world didn’t know.

Despite everything, he’d tried his best to mix the various personalities together, acting as the kind mediator, made easier by his younger age. He was an extrovert, and he loved people. Or rather, he loved to be at the center of attention. He loved listening and being heard. He couldn’t stand the thought of being alone, abandoned by everyone.

His position in the group was a vague one since he was a sort of jack of all trades. He was their driver, their luggage carrier, and supplier, and his position in the team helped him mix with the others, creating small talk whenever he could. But not with Domeel, since he was always somewhere else.

Unlike the others, who longed to return to their old lives, he was content in his. There was nothing waiting for him back there. Here, where the group would fail without him, he strived.

Grey closed his eyes.

Within the group of the guilty, he would never be abandoned.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

Blonde hair, blue eyes. While not extremely good-looking as a natural-born, he was once regarded as the legend of Battalica, the king who reigned supreme in all battles. The day when he had mowed down an entire city with a rifle still remained as one of the worst days in the world, a mass murderer who had done it simply to prove his superiority. To many, he was a crazed addict; to others, he was regarded with honor.

He would listen to the praise and be happy. It had given him purpose. But each feat needed to be overtopped with another, and on the way of building his undying legacy, he’d gone too far, and it had brought him here, in the team.

But he didn’t dislike it. Rather, he had been elated. It was as if the world had recognized his existence and had given him the perfect opportunity to prove himself. It was an obsession now, and when he had heard about the dreaded news, he had never been more excited.

That was the kind of man Shooter was.

Once, he’d had friends. Long gone now, but one day he wished to tell them how far he’d come and how great his impact had been in the world. He wanted to stand on top once more, this time over everyone, and let the world know about the greatness that was he.

“Fuck. Fuck!”

He smashed his fist onto the table after remembering the way Domeel had treated him. That bastard thought that he had everything, looking down on people like that. And he’d even seduced the girl—nothing could get past his perception.

Oh, how he wished he could take his rifle and shoot a bullet through the man’s head. He didn’t know his place, and as much as he wanted to teach him a lesson, Army’s hard gaze had always prevented him.

His forehead wrinkled from thinking about the older man. He was a good leader. But he was a restrictive one, not allowing him to destroy his enemies. Shooter hated the man for underestimating him all the time and giving him orders that didn’t let his abilities shine through, but he feared the chip in his head too much.

Someday, he’d put a bullet through his head too. That would show them how great he was.

Shooter fondled his rifle and held it close to his chest, taking a large sniff. He loved keeping the weapon clean. The weapons he’d gotten had been top-notch, and just the thought of sending his bullets flying through people’s heads one by one was enough to make him squeal with joy.

His stomach growled, and he put down the weapon with a sigh. He’d prepared all he could for the battle. All that was left was to run, aim, and pull the trigger.

While on the way to the cafeteria, he passed by Vandel who was sluggishly walking to his room, obviously drunk. The man was crass, but he left him alone, so he had fewer thoughts about sticking a knife in the guy.

“Pitiful,” Shooter muttered.

“What? What did you just call me?! Come back here, you piece of shit!”

“I’m sorry, very sorry, I’ll be on my way,” Shooter hastily apologized, scurrying away from the scene, body hunched. After he was a safe distance away, he straightened his back and crumpled his face in anger.

“Fuck that bastard, that bitch,” he whispered, digging his nails into his palms. Vandel would be no match for him in a duel of shooting, but the unsophisticated asshole thought he was greater than everyone else because of his bigger body. Like that extra mass would get him anywhere. His own body was superior in every way with tools. Humans were meant to use tools.

Yes, he’d send a bullet through his head too someday.

His day became worse when he saw Domeel inside the cafeteria. After contemplating about whether he’d go now or return later, he finally headed inside and quickly retrieved a packet, a drink, and rushed outside back to his room. He could feel the man’s eyes on his neck, and he swore to himself that he’d riddle his body with holes the moment he got the chance.

“A joke, only a thought,” he said aloud, remembering the chip in his brain. But it would be removed after the success of their mission, and no one would be able to stop him then. He’d been caught because he’d allowed them to, not because they had been better.

Shooter’s face lit up when he saw Grey coming out from his room.

“Hey, Shooter,” Grey greeted with a smile. Shooter raised his hand and waved awkwardly.

“On your way to dinner?” Shooter asked, straightening his back. At least there was one person in the group who understood his brilliance.

“Nah, I already ate. By the way, how are the preparations going?”

“Oh, perfectly,” Shooter replied, putting his palms together. “You can count on me to mow the aberration down.”

“Of course. You’re the best marksman I know.”

“Better than Domeel?”

“Of course! You don’t even need a magnifier to land your shots. And you land them while moving. Domeel just stays still, so it’s obvious who’s the better shooter.”

“And that is?”

“You. It’s why you have ‘Shooter’ as your name, right? Even the system recognizes your skills.”

Joy filled Shooter, and he giggled in glee. It was always so pleasant talking with Grey since the boy knew facts.

“But…”

Shooter’s stomach immediately turned cold.

“But?”

“Maybe Praprapra might be better.”

Relief filled him, and he smiled again, rubbing his hands together. “Human standards, Grey. Human standards. There’s no way an SLS-36 can compare to a BMAG, is there? You can be silly sometimes.”

“Yeah, haha. You’re the best non-artificial marksman.”

“Naturally.”

“Anyways, I need to go talk to Army. I’m putting my hopes on you, Shooter.”

Shooter thumped his chest with his hand and nodded. “Anytime!”

After they separated, he returned to his room and equipped his simulator. Practice was always important, after all. While they’d receive assistance from the system to allow them to perform at their best, he was someone who could go over and beyond what the system had provided through sheer determination and hard work. While the others played around or got drunk, he was the only one who was sharpening his skills.

It proved how superior he was.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

The ginormous vehicle rumbled along the road, camouflaged from any onlookers. It held all eight members of the team as well as all of the equipment they would need, and if they ran out of supplies, they could restock from anywhere in the city they were headed towards.

They’d done similar missions many times. Long gone were their days of failure, and over a year had passed since they’d ever experienced a casualty. They had studied their prey rigorously, and all of them had a clear idea of what their role was to make the mission a success.

And yet, everyone felt anxiety they’d never felt before.

“No need to be so nervous,” Ilnam told them over the comms. “You’ll have weeks to prepare before the target arrives. Set up the bases and equipment at their determined locations, and do what you always do. It will be a breeze.”

“Yeah, stop shitting with us. That’s not what you told us last time,” Vandel snorted, flexing his biceps. “I bet you’d be happy either way. Us dying, or the target. Both would be fucking pleasant, wouldn’t it?”

“Why, I’d prefer it if everyone made it out alive,” Ilnam said humorously. “So, any final questions? You will be on your own soon.”

No one said a word.

“Then, good luck! I will be in touch.”

The speakers died, and the low rumble of the engine filled the air again.

“Fucking dammit,” Vandel sighed, leaning back of his seat. “I’m gonna sleep, so don’t think about touching me.”

No one replied, so he pulled a towel over his eyes and relaxed. The journey was going to be prolonged, and he hadn’t slept well last night. He hadn’t been sleeping well at all that week.

He wished Grey was present so he could small talk with the kid, but he was driving the vehicle, and he was too lazy to walk all the way there. Domeel was a creepy bastard, and Shooter was even creepier, with all his fidgeting and twitching. The glares the trigger-happy maniac gave him when he thought he wasn’t watching was something out of a nightmare. At least he was too much of a wimp to carry out whatever was in that white skull of his, but if he ever did, he’d bash the creep’s skull in.

Vandel hadn’t been this stressed in a while. The last time he had been, someone had almost died. But he was more or less in control of his emotions now, and they’d be the fuel with which he’d push through everything life threw at him.

Why had things progressed this way?

He’d never meant to kill the guy—just teach him a lesson he’d never forget. But it had caused him to become a Dient, and his actions had brought him here, in this shithole.

The fucking snake had tricked him into joining, promising enough freedom in exchange for some training. He’d been fine with everything, and there was no way that anything was going to happen while the system kept an eye on everything. But it had fucking. Messed. Up. And now they were heading to their deaths.

FUUUUUUUUCK!!! Vandel screamed internally. He didn’t understand why the others were fine with this. Did they really believe that they could complete the mission? For fuck’s sake, they’d all seen the camera footage. Even with Praprapra on their side, he just couldn’t see things happening.

The others thought that a bullet to the head would be enough. Well, they were fucking wrong. His experience with movies told him that bullets would never be enough unless it happened after a drawn-out fight.

Fuck. He wished he was as positive as they were. Then he’d stop feeling like a bitch.

After failing to fall asleep, he got up and walked to the front of the vehicle where Grey had his hand on the steering wheel. The kid looked as calm as ever.

“What’s up?” he greeted, turning his head around. “You sober now?”

“More or less,” Vandel said, sitting down next to him. “Er, did I do anything?”

“Well, you tried to start a fight with me over something minor.”

“Fuck.”

“Nothing happened, so chill,” Grey reassured.

“So...what was the argument about?”

“Babies. Whether or not they were demons or not.”

“I don’t like babies.”

“You’d get along with Praprapra.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. But why babies? What brought that up?”

“Oh, you told me that I should sleep with someone, so I said, nah, I prefer settling down and raising kids, so you were like, fuck that. Babies are demons. And I said, we were babies too!”

“Err, sorry about that,” Vandel apologized, clearing his throat. “Real fucking mature of me.”

“Yeah, cut back on the drinking.”

“I—well, no drinks during a mission, and this might as well be our last,” Vandel said, looking out of the window. They were still far away from anything, and the sky was too blue to be true. A march to death deaths on a fucking sunny morning.

“Yep,” Grey agreed. “I never thought it would happen.”

“Exactly my thoughts.”

“But you’ll be free if we make it through.”

“Fuck yeah,” Vandel smiled, smashing his fist into his hand. “Gotta go get them real girls again.”

“I’m jealous. I have nowhere to go once this is over.”

“Come over to my place if you want,” Vandel offered, patting Grey’s shoulder.

“But I like this team, you know? I hoped it would stay like this.”

“Stay? With those guys?”

“They’re okay once you’ve talked with them.”

“Fuck no.”

“We’ve all known each other for over a year, and we’re still like this,” Grey sighed. “It’s kind of sad.”

“You know there’s no way in hell we can get along.”

Grey smiled. “Maybe. But everyone has something in common, right?”

Vandel’s heart did a small drop. He shrugged, looking ahead.

Something in common.

“Not really a good thing,” Vandel muttered, remembering who Grey really was. Even with all of the conversations they’d had, it was hard to get rid of first impressions.

Among all of them, he was the most innocent. Vandel truly believed that he didn’t belong in the team. Bad-mouthed as he was, his intentions weren’t evil. Selfish and foolish, maybe, but not malevolent.

“I hope none of us die,” Grey said with a look of emotion on his face. “We’ll make it through, right?”

Vandel fumbled his fingers together. If he didn’t have hands, he wouldn’t be here right now. But he was, and he wasn’t going to be a pussy about it.

“Fuck death,” he snorted. “I’m not dying when I’m this close to freedom.”

“Yeah. Fuck death.”

They shared a laugh. Their conversations would allow him to regain his composure and rekindle his stability. His emotions were his to control.

The vehicle rumbled on.