Chapter 7

Partners And Answers

After everything that had happened last night, Dana had decided to take her new friend with her to her home. While it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, she felt like it was the right thing to do. Whoever the little guy was, he had saved her life in a fight against some strange lady who was able to shoot acid out her mouth, and the detective was going to make sure she paid her debt.

After taking a quick look at the unconscious kid’s face, Dana immediately realized that a normal hospital was pretty much out of the question. Not only did she have her doubts over regular doctors being able to help him, but bringing in a person like him was going to cause a ruckus that she was certain both of them wanted to avoid. The detective also was certain that something big was going on and she needed to be extra careful. One wrong move could get them both dead.

Luckily for both of them, the boy’s injuries had not been too severe, so Dana was able to take care of him without any issues. Unfortunately, the detective only had one bed, which was her couch. Since she couldn’t leave an injured person laying on the floor, she decided to let the kid rest one the couch, while she herself rested on her chair. She was going to stay up all night, until her little guest woke up, so she could hopefully have some answers about what was going on in the city at last.

Too bad Dana had underestimated her ability to stay awake, as she ended up falling asleep.

The next morning the detective woke up to something she wasn’t used to. It was the smell of delicious food, specifically bacon. As she began to wake up more, she heard the sizzling of a pan, most likely being used to fry the bacon.

Dana suddenly broke out of her stupor, as she remembered that there weren’t others supposed to be living with her. While still somewhat groggy from her sleep, the blonde woman shot up from her chair and quickly ran to the small kitchen in her apartment, where she found her guest from last night preparing food.

“Oh, you’re awake,” the boy said calmly, noticing Dana. “I’m sorry if I woke you up. I tried to be as silent as possible.”

“That’s… okay. I’ve slept enough anyways,” the detective said with a dumbfounded look on her face. “Mind if I ask what you’re doing?”

“I’m preparing breakfast,” the boy said as he continued his work.

“I didn’t- I mean, I can see that. What I really want to know is why you’re doing that?” Dana said with a slightly frustrated sigh. “After all, you don’t know me. Why would you prepare breakfast, instead of like running away?”

“I highly doubt I have any need to run away. Not only can I protect myself, but I don’t think you’re trying to harm me. I’m basing this one the fact that last night you had the perfect chance to do so, while I was unconscious,” the boy explained. “Besides, you took me in and treated my injuries. I was taught that when people do something for you, you should repay them in some way.”

Dana wanted to retort, but decided against it. Her guest wasn’t exactly wrong with anything he had said. Besides, she would be getting breakfast, so what was the issue?

“You know, I honestly don’t mind you making breakfast for me, but you shouldn’t so trusting of other people, okay?” the detective said as she went to take a seat on her couch. “After all, you can never know what a stranger is like. I could be planning all sorts of messed up things for you.”

“While I understand your concern, I don’t see that being the case with you at all,” the boy said.

“Oh? And why is that?” Dana asked.

“Because you’re the type of persons that tells what type of a person you are by your every action,” the boy answered. “Someone I used to know was like that as well. I believe she called it “wearing your emotions on your sleeve” or something like that.”

“...I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult,” the detective mumbled to herself.

Now that she had a chance to take a look around, Dana realized that her apartment/office was a bit different from what she was used to. The thing that was different was that the place was clean for the first time in a while. Apparently, her little guest hadn’t just made breakfast, but had also taken the time to clean up a bit.

“Wow… Maybe the kid could start a business or something,” Dana said to herself.

Suddenly, a plate of food was held up in front of her. The plate had fried bacon, sausages, eggs and toast on it. The surprised detective took the plate of food and was then handed a fork and a knife by her guest as well. The smell was practically divine for Dana and she could feel the drool starting to fall at the corner of her mouth. She stuck her fork on a piece of bacon and put it in her mouth, wondering if it was as good as it looked.

The blissful smile that came over the detective’s face was enough of an answer for that question.

Not wasting any time, Dana dug into the food like a hungry dog, devouring every piece. It had been a long time since she had food this good. Everything was prepared perfectly, even if it was simple in the end.

While she was eating, Dana noticed that the boy she had taken to her home wasn’t eating, but just standing to the side. Wasn’t he hungry himself?

“Hey, aren’t you going to eat?” the detective asked with her mouth still full of food. “I’m pretty sure you’re hungry as well.”

“No need for that,” the boy said politely. “It’s enough for me that you’ve treated my injuries and let me rest here. Besides, I didn’t want to take your possessions for myself.”

Dana looked over the boy and couldn’t help but wonder what a strange person he truly was. Just last night he was involved in a fight to the death, but now he was cleaning her apartment and making breakfast. Not only that, but he was ridiculously polite, which was something that didn’t match his appearance at all.

The boy’s skin was incredibly pale and had a strange grayish color, making him look sick. That was the least of his worries regarding his appearance, though. His head had no hair and was unusually large, like his brains were swollen inside. He was also missing his right eye and the place for it had a line of stitches running over it instead. His left eye didn’t look much better, as it was completely white and the area around it was strangely dark, looking like it was rotten. To top it all off, he also had no lips, leaving his teeth and gums completely visible.

It was no wonder why he was wearing a hood over his head when they had first met. Dana knew that no matter how kind and polite this boy was, he would never be able to live a normal life. It was honestly tragic.

“So… Are you satisfied with the food?” the boy suddenly asked, snapping Dana out of her thoughts.

“Well, obviously I was satisfied with it!” the detective stated with a small grin. “I mean, I wouldn’t have eaten it if it was bad, right?”

“I see. That is good to hear,” the boy said before turning around and walking towards the door. “Then my business here is concluded.”

“Hey, hang on a second!” Dana yelled as she stood up. “The hell you mean your business here is concluded!?”

“I mean exactly what I said,” the boy answered. “You helped me out by not only saving my life, but by also taking care of me and letting me rest. I have now paid back that debt to the best of my abilities and I would like to take my leave now.”

“And just what are you planning to do when you leave?” the detective asked. “Are you going to fight more of those crazy people that are causing havoc in the city?”

This stopped the boy in his tracks. He turned to stare at Dana with his lone eye.

“You know about the others?” he asked. “How?”

“Hey, I’m not a detective for nothing, okay?” Dana stated. “It doesn’t take much to tell that not only is something weird going on, but it’s done by multiple people. Not only do the killing methods vary big time, a lot of them happen in such time frames that there has to be more than one killer out there.”

“...You shouldn’t get involved in this,” the boy said. “This is far beyond your ability to handle. If you chase after this whole thing, you will only end up dead.”

“Oh please… If you’re trying to scare me, you gotta do way better than that! I’ve faced all the horrors this city can throw at you and then some!” the detective said and rolled her eyes. “Besides, my paycheck is hanging on this whole thing and I’ve got rent to pay. No way I’m letting go of this!”

“Paycheck, so money… I guess it’s always about that,” the boy muttered in a clearly displeased tone, which surprised Dana.

“Hey, something wrong?” the detective asked, noticing the boy’s sudden change in mood.

“It’s nothing,” the boy said as he walked up to Dana. “So, what exactly are you going to do?”

“Well… There’s a girl, whose parents hired me to find. I’m first going to find her, so that I can get my paycheck,” the detective said thoughtfully, before a look of determination came over her face. “Then I’m gonna find out exactly what’s going on and make sure to get the bastards behind it!”

“Really? Why would you do that?” the boy asked. “What have you got to gain from that?”

“While I may not be a police officer anymore, I still feel like it’s my responsibility to protect this city and the people in it,” Dana explained. “That’s why whoever is causing a mess around here is gonna get his ass kicked by me! Not only that, but they killed one of my friends as well! No way they get away with that!”

“...You’re a peculiar one. You’ve encountered beings that would give nightmares to most people, yet you are diving headfirst into the carnage they’re causing,” the boy said. “I’m not sure whether you’re incredibly brave or simply insane.”

“Well, that’s just who I am!” the detective proclaimed with a grin. “Now, mind telling me more details about what’s going on? I’d really appreciate it.”

“...Understood. I will share whatever information I have with you,” the boy said with a slight sigh. “I don’t think it will help you much, but it’s better than nothing. I suppose it can also be considered me repaying you for what you’ve done for me.”

“Happy to hear that!” Dana said happily. “Nice to be working together with you, mister…”

The boy stared at the detective with a somewhat confused look on his face, wondering why the detective stopped speaking and looked like she was expecting something. This led to silence falling over the two of them.

“…Well?” Dana asked.

“What?” the boy asked back.

“Your name! I paused after saying “mister”, because I was waiting for you to introduce yourself!” the detective said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Mind introducing yourself?”

“Oh. Certainly,” the boy replied. “My name is Telekyne.”

“….Excuse me?” Dana asked.

“My name is Telekyne,” the boy repeated.

Complete silence fell over the two, as they stared at each other. The detective was staring at the boy in disbelief, while the boy himself had a stoic expression. The silence was suddenly broken as Dana erupted into roaring laughter.

“A-ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS!? TELEKYNE!?” the detective managed to ask while holding her sides as she laughed. “I-IS THAT SERIOUSLY YOUR NAME!? THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SHITTY PHONE COMPANY!”

“I would like it if you quit laughing. After all, I never got to choose my name personally,” the boy said in a slightly annoyed tone. “We were all given names that were supposed to make us sound more marketable. It’s not my fault that it’s terrible.”

“Okay okay! I’m sorry!” Dana said as she was calming down, but was still chuckling quite a bit. “But don’t you seriously have anything better for me to call you? Like a nickname or something?”

“I suppose there is something like that,” the boy said thoughtfully. “The person assigned to look after me called me “Kyne”, as she herself didn’t like the name I was given.”

“Alright. Sounds good enough for me,” the detective said as she offered her hand to Kyne. “The name’s Dana Colt. I’m a private detective.”

“I’m Kyne,” the boy said and took Dana’s hand after a bit of hesitation. “I’m one of the 16 Bio-Gladiators that are now in combat within the city.”

“Bio-Gladiators? What does that mean?” the detective asked. “You also said that your names were given to you to make you more marketable. Is there some big organization behind all of this?”

“Well, as you said, there is a large corporation behind us and everything else going on in this city at the moment,” Kyne began to explain. “The Kartz Company is the one behind all of this.”

“Kartz Company? That industrial giant of a corporation?” Dana asked with a slight hint of shock in her voice. “Are you sure they’re the ones behind this?”

“Absolutely. The company owner, Robert Kartz, introduced himself to us,” the boy answered.

The detective had heard rumors about the Kartz Company being involved in shady businesses, but no concrete proof had ever been found. On the surface, the company was a forerunner in developing new technology and medicine, even getting so far as to design weapons for the military itself. However, it was said that they had their hands in human testing, all sorts of black markets as well as developing far more dangerous things, such as viruses.

“I guess this just confirms the things people have been saying about Kartz Company,” the detective muttered to herself. “So they’re the ones behind this, but what is the deal with you and whatever is going on in the city? What is all of that about?”

“Along with 15 others, I’m a specially modified human known as a Bio-Gladiator,” Kyne began to explain. “We have been experimented on inside Kartz Company’s laboratories to give us superhuman abilities.”

“I see. That explains why that bitch from last night was able to shoot acid around,” Dana said thoughtfully. “Not to mention, your looks-”

The detective quickly stopped herself, realizing that she was saying out loud things that should have been left unsaid. She cursed herself for her insensitive blunder, but to her surprise Kyne didn’t seem upset by what she had said at all.

“I am well aware of my less than pleasant appearance. There’s no need to be reserved about it,” the boy stated calmly. “Instead, we should focus on what actually matters.”

“...If you say so,” Dana said, somewhat surprised by Kyne’s calmness. “So in other words, there are a total of 16 of people like you running around the city, right? And with the acid lady-”

“Acidspring. Her name was Acidspring,” the boy suddenly interrupted, causing the detective to start snickering. “...Is it really that funny?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I know we’re supposed to be having a serious conversation and all, but I just can’t take these names seriously!” the detective said while still snickering. “Besides, after last night, I don’t feel bad over laughing at that redhead bimbo. Hope she burns in hell for what she did to my friend.”

“I see… She got to one of your friends,” Kyne said in a slightly saddened tone. “I’m sorry for not getting to her sooner. If I had, your friend might still be-”

“Stop that,” Dana said sternly. “If there is someone that deserves hatred, it’s that acid lady and all the other creeps running around, causing mayhem. I’ve learned a long time ago that we should only feel responsible over our own actions and not the actions of others. To say that it’s the fault of someone else that you did something is only for those too cowardly or lazy to take responsibility over themselves.”

“I get what you’re saying, but why aren’t you sad over the loss of your friend?” the boy asked.

“Of course I’m sad over Ricky’s death. I’m both sad and angry over what happened,” the detective said. “But I’m not going to start placing the blame on you nor am I going to sit here and cry. I’ve seen more than enough death in my life, so I know there’s nothing you can do about it. All you can do is move forward and hopefully get the bastards responsible. That’s how I’ve lived my life for years now.”

“...The two of us are surprisingly similar,” Kyne muttered to himself.

“What was that?” Dana asked, wondering if she heard him correctly.

“Nothing. Just talking to myself,” the boy quickly replied. “Anyways, you wanted to know more about us Bio-Gladiators, right?”

“That’s right,” the detective answered. “You said that there were 16 of you guys in total, so with Acidspring (snicker) out of the way, there are still 15 remaining, including you, right?”

Kyne gave a simple nod as an answer.

“Alright, so what exactly is the purpose of you Bio-Gladiators?” Dana asked. “So far I know how many of you are out there, the general idea of what you guys are, who is behind you and that you guys don’t seem to get along too well, judging by the fact you fought one of them last night. That still leaves two questions. What were you guys made for and why were you brought here?”

“You might not like the answers to those questions,” Kyne said.

“I doubt I will, but I still need to hear it,” the detective said.

“The reason why we were created and brought here is simple. It’s entertainment,” the boy explained. “For a couple of years now, Robert Kartz has been developing people like us for his fights to the death that are shown to rich individuals around the world. At first, we simply fought in his private lands against animals, soldiers and other Bio-Gladiators. However, now he wants to raise the excitement by having us fight each other in this city, fully expecting the residents to get caught in the crossfire. The way he and his audience see it, the more death and destruction, the more fun it is for them to watch.”

After hearing the explanation for what was happening in the city, Dana’s face went into an expression of pure shock that was quickly turned into one of absolute fury. She knew already that whatever the reason for all the death and destruction going on was going to be a selfish one, but simply entertainment? All the innocent lives, like Ricky and the missing kids, that had been lost so far was only to entertain some rich people? This completely infuriated the detective to no end.

“You’re telling me… that the whole goddamn reason all of this is happening… is because some pricks with too much money were bored!?” Dana asked as her body was shaking with rage. “That this isn’t some way to test the abilities of you Bio-Gladiators, but just a show for shits and giggles!? THAT’S WHY SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED!?”

“I understand that you’re upset, but-”

Kyne was cut off as Dana grabbed him by the front of his shirt and suddenly pushed him against a wall. The detective stared into the boy’s lone eye with all the fury she had burning within her.

“You think I’m freaking upset!? I’M GODDAMN FURIOUS!” Dana roared. “You people were dumped into my city to kill and wreck all so a few dickheads could get something to watch! Do you even have any idea how many have already died!? LIKE RICKY!?”

“I-I know! And I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything about what has already happened!” Kyne said fearfully. “All I could hope for was that I could get to the others before they managed to do too much damage, but I’m just one person! There is only so much I can do, even if I want to stop all this killing as well!”

The detective suddenly realized what she was doing. In her blind rage, she had lashed out against a child that might have been a part of this whole mess, but he wasn’t mindlessly killing people. In fact, as far as she knew, Kyne was trying to stop all the chaos and save people. Not only that, but he had saved her life. To put it bluntly, Dana had attacked someone who wasn’t just innocent, but actually trying to help people.

Realizing her mistake, a feeling of shame washed over the detective as she let go of the boy and sat down on the couch. This wasn’t how she was supposed to act. She was supposed to be better than this.

“I’m sorry,” Dana muttered in shame. “I shouldn’t have acted like that. None of this is your fault.”

“It’s fine. You have a right to be angry,” Kyne said. “However, we should focus on stopping the other Bio-Gladiators, instead of arguing between ourselves. The longer we waste time here, the more damage the others are allowed to cause.”

“You’re right,” the detective said with renewed vigor, as she got up and went to get her coat. “Let’s get going then.”

“Where are we going exactly?” the boy asked.

“Wherever those bastards are,” Dana replied. “No matter how you look at it, our first priority is to take down the other Bio-Gladiators. Once that is done, we’re going after the Kartz Company.”

Before the two of them could even get close to the door, Dana’s phone suddenly started ringing. She took it out and checked who was calling her, only to see an unknown number. Regardless, the detective answered the call.

“Hello, Ms. Colt,” a voice said on the other end of the line. “I see that you’ve befriended one of my little pets. It’s been rather adorable to watch.”

“What the-? Who the hell is this?” Dana asked. “How do you know about me?”

“I have my sources. As to who this is, I’m sure you can guess who I am,” the person answered. “After all, Telekyne has already told you about me.”

“Robert Kartz,” the detective said as her grip on her phone tightened. “What do I owe the pleasure of getting to talk with the big turd himself?”

“Now is that the way to talk to someone who took time from their busy schedule to talk with you? I’m quite hurt by your remarks,” Robert said mockingly. “Joking aside, I just decided to call you to inform you of how the game has now evolved with your interference.”

“The hell are you talking about?” Dana asked.

“You see, we don’t simply watch our little Bio-Gladiators fight, we actually take bets on who is the last one standing. Acidspring happened to be quite popular and with the way you not only took her out but also joined up with our little Telekyne you’ve been added to the betting pool,” the businessman explained. “I only saw it fitting to do so. After all, you are going to be getting involved even more, aren’t you?”

“Maybe I am. Does it count as such, if I’m looking to putting a bullet through all of your badly named sideshow freaks?” the detective asked sarcastically.

“I would say yes to that. By the way, I don’t appreciate the way you talk about the names of my little pets. I actually had a team of people get together to name them all, as we wanted to avoid ripping off any IP that might belong to some of my clients,” Robert replied. “Back to the matter at hand, you currently have the odds of 10 000 to 1 on your survival. Not many have taken that bet, but there were still a couple of brave ones to place money on you.”

“Wow, how encouraging,” Dana said and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be like that. Had you not taken out Acidspring with your own hands, your odds would have been 100 000 to 1. I’d say we’ve evaluated you properly,” the businessman explained. “By the way, I do hope that you keep working with your new friend, as he has lost his means to find the other competitors in the last fight. Not only that, but having you team up with the black sheep of the family seems really fitting.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” the detective asked.

“You see, Telekyne has always been a bit of a disappointment among the Bio-Gladiators. Unlike his brothers and sisters, he never killed any of his opponents. I honestly blame his upbringing. His caretaker apparently filled his mind with all sorts of ridiculous ideals,” Robert explained. “However, I kept him around, as I know that hate can move people as much as love. Every show needs a… villain of sorts for the audience to despise and root against. Many of my clients turned up to watch his matches, just in the hopes he would die.”

“Oh yeah? Well you’re right about hate motivating, because I’m feeling really motivated to take your ass down,” Dana said while struggling to hold back her anger. “Once I’m done with the circus show here, I’m coming after you next!”

“Now why would you do that when it is completely useless? You should know by now that those with enough money and influence can never be taken down with the law,” the businessman said with a chuckle. “Not only do I doubt you could get anyone to believe your wild stories with the media backing me up, but even if you got me into court, all the evidence would simply “disappear” and I’d walk away free. Provided that my prosecutors had enough money and resources to keep me in court long enough. Honestly, I almost want to see that happen, as it could be amusing to watch.”

“Is this all just a freaking game to you!?” the detective asked angrily.

“Miss, when you get to the point I am at with my friends, everything is a game. After all, this whole thing is all just one big spectacle for entertainment. Even the gambling that is done on the side is simply there to spice things up. No one is really looking towards getting richer, as they just want to have fun,” Robert explained. “But I’m afraid I must leave you now. I have a big show to look after and I believe you two have a part to play in it. And before I go, let me wish you both luck on your endeavors. I’d hate to see you get taken out right after you got together as a team. Goodbye.”

Before Dana could say anything in response the call was ended. She stared at her phone with fury in her eyes, as the mocking tone of Robert Kartz kept echoing in her mind. At that moment, she swore to do everything she could to ensure that the people behind this whole thing would pay for the lives they had ruined. No matter what.