Chapter 12

Just Following Orders

A heart monitor incessantly beeped as two red-eyed individuals laid on operating tables. Several wires and tubes were attached to their bodies, connected to other machineries that detected their every movement.

There was a sharp, sterile scent in the steady air.

“No changes, Isabelle?” Asked the black-haired professor standing in front of them.

“Nothing in particular, Professor.” The white-haired woman, Isabelle, answered as she got up. She took the metallic device off her head and gave him a curious stare.

“As you can clearly see, we’re fine, Professor.” The blond one, the man who broke Maria’s door, remarked as he gestured with his hand to move along.

“Routine check-ups are necessary to keep track of your progress, Nero. So far, a few minor things in your biology have already changed.” The black-haired professor responded.

“Is that so?” Nero tilted his head.

“Indeed. Your genetic composition is slowly changing to host the power you now possess.”

“You don’t say? If that’s the case, when can we have our first mission?”

“The Director actually wanted you to go on one, but we’re urging him to give us a little more time before either of you go out in the field.”

His red eyes narrowed, “Why? We can handle it.”

“Nero, could you try to use it?” The Professor asked.

“Ah…” He blurted out.

“Show me that you can use it.”

Nero sighed and placed his hands close to each other. He tried to gather power into his palms.

Light flowed outwardly from his pupils, like tides that slowly faded out as it reached the edge of his irises. A restriction that made it appear as if he had flowers in his eyes.

One of the monitors that depicted his brain started to glow, following the glistening pattern of glitter forming inside his head.

– But nothing came out.

Only a drop of blood leaking from his nose that made Isabelle feel a tad queasy.

“As much as we would love to record you in the field, Professor Tetsuya said that we can’t afford to risk any unforeseen effects to compromise you.”

“But I’m strong enough to—”

“I don’t doubt your strength, Nero. I just want to be certain your new abilities will be an asset, not a hindrance. For now, please just follow our orders.”

Nero cast down his gaze and clicked his tongue.

“Please be a little more patient, it’s only been a couple of months since you both turned.” The professor sighed, “The agencies aren’t lacking in manpower. I will write a letter, and let Felix Aster take over. It will be a perfect opportunity to analyze him.”

Isabelle placed her finger on her chin and muttered, “I wonder what the two of them are up to right now…”

*

Through the unfinished roads, two motorcycles raced. Their engines blared against the rain. Felix and Maria struggled to maneuver through the muddy road as their target, Lewis Shaw, boomed forward.

With a dampened cigarette in her mouth, a lone woman stood atop them from the edge of a small, desolate building, silently watching and waiting for them to get closer.

“How the hell did he get out of prison?!” Maria angrily yelled out.

“I don’t know, but he’s going— G’ahk!” Felix growled as Lewis threw black bags towards his direction, slamming against his mask.

“Get back here—!” Maria yelled before a black bag of garbage struck in the face. “Blegh!”

Their motorcycle scrambled through the wet roads, but it was enveloped in a blue light and corrected itself.

“Come and catch me, bitch boy!” He yelled out from afar as he threw another black bag towards them.

Felix slickly avoided the bags thrown at them, several of which exploded with a fiery blaze behind them. The lone woman grinned as she threw away the wet cigarette and leapt from the surface above them.

Felix slid off his mask and yelled, “Marie, grappling hook!”

“Grappling hook!” Maria smiled vibrantly as she pulled out her grappling hook.

Though before she could fire, a bright flash and loud roar from the sky suddenly startled her, followed by an unknown woman dropping from above and declaring, “Don’t worry, I got him!”

“Wha—” Lewis mumbled as the motorcycle shook.

The grappling hook sprang and wrapped around a nearby pole. Maria failed to let go and was suddenly pulled away by the pole that it hooked onto.

“Marie!”

“I’m okay!”

“Tch, damn it!”

A sharp whir reverberated from the motorcycle’s wheels as Felix slowed down to turn back.

The unknown woman stood atop Lewis’ motorcycle, struggling with its driver as he thrashed about, throwing out bags of trash towards her as the spiraled out of control.

As Maria was still getting up, one of the bags struck her straight against the side of head.

Maria flailed frantically as she tried to get the rotten bag away from her, yet in Lewis’s attempt to get the woman off, the two had found themselves in a collision course towards her.

The woman quickly smashed his face with the grip of her pistol and grabbed the throttle, leading the motorcycle away from Maria, before hopping out of the vehicle herself.

Lewis, still on the motorcycle, crashed.

Felix got up as soon as he got close, and quickly rushed to Maria’s side. As he did, an explosion blasted from the motor’s engine, and stray debris fell through every direction, and struck him on the shoulder, while another struck Maria directly.

“O-ow…” Felix grunted in pain as he pushed himself upward, “Damn it, what are you doing?”

As Felix snarled at her, his expression changed as his narrowed eyes slowly widened at the sight of Maria, who laid on the ground, looking up at him with an unfamiliar, frail stare.

“I-I’m sorry … um…” She squeaked out, wiping her face. Yet as she looked to her palm, the sight of her own blood made her shudder.

“M-Marie…?”

Before he could utter another word, he had little time to be confused as the woman approached him, “Well, lookie here. If it isn’t the child of stars, Felix Aster.”

Maria shook her head as she thought to herself, “Child of what?”

“Bollocks.” Felix grumbled as he got up. He walked to Maria, who had been scratching the aching part of her head, “Can you get up, Marie?”

“Who—?” She whimpered.

“This isn’t the time for jokes, Marie.” He said without even turning to face her.

“Huh…?” She muttered to herself with a pained groan.

Felix walked over towards the flames of the explosion, all while their Lewis jittered on the sludge outside the road.

“Are you insane?!” He yelled out to the tan-skinned woman who walked toward him, the woman stood slightly shorter than him, almost to eye level, patting out the scorched edges of her brown hair. On her face, just below her eye, was a barcode with the digits one two seven, respectively.

“No one lasts in this line of work by being sane.” The woman responded.

“Sigh, what are you doing here, Renee?” Felix sighed.

“A thank you would be nice.” The woman, Renee, replied.

“Yeah. Thanks. You tried to kill our target.” He scoffed.

“I did not, stop complaining.”

Another boom from their Lewis’ motorcycle reverberated through the air. “Ah-oh, damn it… He better not be dead.” Felix whined as he picked up his mask.

”Who is he, anyway?” Renee asked with a head tilted upward.

“That’s classified.”

“Bitch, I swear—”

“Sigh, his name is Lewis Shaw… a mafia capo, and one of the leads to finding their boss. Not to mention he has something we need.”

Still dazed and on the ground, Maria muttered, “F-Felix? Child of stars…?”

From the explosion, one of the motorcycle’s rearview mirrors dropped right in front of her. She saw her own distraught and frightened expression from the shattered glass, divided in the middle.

Suddenly, her expression turned to anger, and with a burst of furious rage, she struck it with a fist so clenched, that her palms bled. She smirked and exhaled deeply. “Oh, right…”

Maria shook off her bleeding hand and looked upward towards the empty sky, where the faintest glimmering stars shined above her. “Right…”

As Felix and Renee bickered, a loud snuffle could be heard from flames as Lewis had slowly stood up.

“I feel like we should be stopping this…” Felix commented while he stood still and stared.

“You don’t get to call the shots.”

Lewis pulled out a plastic bag from under his shirt and smashed open with his head. A white powder showered all over his face as he yelled out, “We’re told not to get high with our own supply… but in times of need.”

Yet they continued to stand as Lewis grew violently enraged. “Come and get me you shit-eaters!”

Both Felix and Renee stared in dismay.

“Great, now he’s on steroids AND coked out!” Renee frustratedly pointed out.

With the fires burning behind him, Lewis roared and declared, “I won’t let you destroy what I’ve built up!”

“Tsk, damn it.” Renee nonchalantly pointed her gun towards Lewis.

“I just said we have to take him alive—!”

Felix grabbed on to her wrist, yet she quickly pulled her arm back, “Let go of me!”

“Why are you so mad?!”

“Why are you still a whiny bitch?!”

“Huh?!”

“You think you’re hot shit just cause you outrank me now?” She replied sharply.

“What?! This isn’t—We’re just following our orders!”

With a scornful tone, Renee yelled, “Just following orders like a little goody-two-shoes? Just like that bitch, Luna?”

“What did you just—” Felix glared with a disdain bursting in his voice. Around him poured out a deep blue haze that raged like a fire.

“Ah yes, the lightshow. Did I ever tell you how eerie that is? It makes the hairs on my skin stand up. You’re just another freak like Luna and David. I’m curious, what did they do to make you a monster?” She sneered.

The blue fire wrapped around Felix grew in bright contrast to the burning red of the fire.

“Don’t worry, I got this…” Maria boldly declared as she wobbled up to stand, wearing her usual confident face as she wobbled about.

As she rushed forward, Felix reached out and yelled as a blue haze wrapped around her, “Be careful, you might—!”

Yet it suddenly dispersed as soon as it came in contact with her.

“Kyah—!”

“…slip.”

Both Maria and their target Lewis fell straight down the bridge’s edge, and the sound of sludge splashing could be heard from below.

The tail of the grappling hook suddenly flies upward, and Felix immediately catches it, pulling the two up. As Maria was pulled back to the road with Lewis over her arm, Felix immediately turned his head, hiding his smirk from her.

Covered in mud, her eye twitched as she yelled out, “Shut up!”

“I didn’t even say anything.” He replied, before letting out a sigh and calming down.

From behind them approached the woman, Renee, “What’s up with all the black bags this guy was carrying?”

“He apparently mixed up his cocaine bags and his explosives with… trash...” Maria answered.

“How?”

“We caught him during one of his, ugh, sessions.” Felix added.

“How are you okay?” Renee asked hesitantly with a startled expression.

“I used this guy as a shield as we fell.” Maria explained as she pointed down at Lewis’ body.

“Harsh.”

Felix sighed, “Renee, why are you here?”

“Following orders. Like you said. I was ordered to assist. I assisted. You’re welcome.” She repeated in a biting tone.

Maria turned her head over to Felix, “Someone I should know about?”

“Renee Thompson, an Elite, rank fifteen on the leaderboard.” He explained.

“I see.”

“So who’s the little girl?” Renee asked.

“…She’s my partner, Maria Readman.”

“Felix, I’m pretty sure she was referring to you.” Playfully added.

Renee let out a burst of laughter and placed her left hand on Maria’s head, her arm decorated with black tattoos that said the Latin proverb “Audentes Fortuna Iuvat”, or “Fortune favors the bold.” Topped off by a silver ring worn in her ring finger,

“Damn, this bitch has got some attitude.”

“Call me that again and I’ll show you some of that attitude.” Maria responded as she slapped away her hand.

“Feisty, too.” Renee smiled widely before placing a tip of the gun on Maria’s chin, “I don’t like feisty.”

Renee’s expression turned cold as she spoke, “Maria Readman, a professional cracker with mixed-up credentials who came out of nowhere, and reached rank fourteen on the alliance’s leaderboard.”

Undaunted, Maria kept up a smile and lowered the gun pointed against her, “Renee Thompson, the ex-bounty hunter who caught seventeen wanted criminals, a nice record. It’s a shame you lost one of your legs trying to catch your last bounty.”

“Tch… I heard you both took down Harbinger. Good to know, I hated that posh bastard. Now let me see how much of that is true.”

“Stop it, both of you.” Felix reasoned as he broke the two apart, “Renee, I thought that information was classified.”

“Pfft, classified. Right.” Renee rebuked.

Maria interjected, facing Felix, “Wanna know classified? I heard that she volunteered for Project THESEUS for that sweet cybernetic leg. Go on, tell us. How does it feel being less of the woman you used to be?”

Felix took in a sharp inhale, as he tried to keep the two women at a distance from one another.

“Just, please… Cool your head.”

“What, no thank you? I helped, didn’t I?”

“Thanks for the help. I’ll make sure to add in a few good girl points for you. We still need to cuff him.” Felix pointed to the knocked-out man mumbling on the ground.

“Tsk. If I don’t get my credit…” She snarled as she walked away.

“Take care, now.” Maria slyly waved.

Renee scowled at Maria as she passed by, “You watch yourself.”

A private vehicle had stopped at their location, and a number of black-suited men walked out.

“She was pleasant.” Maria commented as she walked up to Felix.

“A bloody little gobshite is what she was.” Felix blurted out in response.

“Um, what?”

“Nothing…” Felix sighed, “How did you even know all of that about her?”

“I have some level of access in the info division with my position as a cracker. But what I wanna know is why she’s so angry.”

“She holds a grudge against Luna and David for some reason, and by association, me. Though I’m pretty sure she’s always like that. But it was worse than usual this time.”

“I guess it’s her time of the month.”

Felix’s brows lower with discomfort, “… Did you get the key fragment?”

“Yeah, luckily it was on his person.” Maria opened her palm, revealing a black chip.

“Now you can figure out what it’s for, right?”

“Probably, but the key was fragmented into five pieces, so I can’t say for sure yet…Still, it’s no wonder the data didn’t make any sense.” Maria answered as she looked through the data.

“Well, we’re halfway there...” Felix said as he picked off the pieces of rubbish that stuck on his mask.

“So that’s your new mask?”

“Yeah, I got it back in my last mission, what do you think?” He said as he placed it in front of his face.

Maria wiped the mask clean, and from its white sheen reflected her own face. Her cheeks turned red on at the sight of this as she pushed the mask further on his face.

“M-Marie, what are you doing?”

“Ah… my bad.” She let go and her expression turned back to her normal, vibrant smile.

He lowered the mask and asked her, “So what do you think?”

Maria chimed brightly, “It looks good on you.”

“Thanks— Hey, wait…” Felix lifted his hand to scratch his cheek, but stopped and squinted his mismatched eyes at her.

Maria giggled.

Felix hand halted before it could reach his own face, “You’re still sour, aren’t you?”

“What? No.”

“Whatever you say, mud bath.”

“Want a mud bath? Here, have a mud bath.” Maria grumbled as she flicked some of the mud at Felix’s face.

“Speaking of baths, you’d probably love one right now.”

“Have another…” She flicked more mud towards him.

“H-hey.”

**

As the two returned to their headquarters, the chief’s assistant stood out in wait.

“Murphy?” Felix said.

“Sir Felix, please, come with me.”

“A mission? But I just got back.”

“Not exactly, it was a request from the chief.” Murphy explained.

“Right.”

“Well, if it’s a request from the chief, I’m just gonna go…” Maria yawned, stretching out her arms while walking away.

The two dropped at a small, pale flat building.

“Where is this?” Felix drowsily asked, scratching his eyes.

“One of the Obsidian Industries research institutes.” Murphy replied as he flashed a lion-engraved badge to the door, and it automatically opened.

The two walked through the hall, Murphy pulled out a phone and called.

“Murphy. Are you there?” Chief Vivian’s voice could be heard from the phone.

“Yes sir.”

Felix looked to the window in the hall. From the one-way mirror, he saw a familiar face of a man with blond hair and tanned skin sitting in the dark room.

“See someone you know?” Chief asked.

“What’s this about?”

“From one bodyguard to another, I thought you two might want to talk.”

“It’s not like I know anything about him.”

“It took a while to transfer him in secret. Now take this and go inside.” Chief said while Murphy handed Felix a pistol.

Felix’s eyes narrowed slightly as he picked it up and placed it behind him.

As he opened the door, the man inside looked at him with squinted eyes as the light from the outside room hurt his eyes. His hands bound to the chains on the metal table.

“Asahi…”

“Haruki…no, it was Felix, right?” Asahi asked with a weary tone, his cheek was a deep red, a clear sign of being hit.

“Put the phone on the table.” Chief ordered.

As he did, a virtual projection appeared out, the chief’s figure popped out right in front of them.

“How’s Ayame doing?”

“She’s fine.” The chief answered.

“So, you were one of those “Elite Agents” too, huh? I’m not surprised.” Asahi smiled slightly, his gaze still downward.

“You know about that?”

“Of course, I do… after all, I wasn’t able to pass the program. So, this is what it takes to be one. I’m jealous, bro.”

“I see. So…”

“I don’t see why they had to go through all the trouble to bring me here… or you, for that matter. My answers are going to be the same.”

“Hm?”

“I’ll just tell you what I’ve already told them. I didn’t actually get to meet the Jackal… I met one of his henchmen.”

“A Fang?”

“I don’t know… But, it was a woman with white hair.”

“White hair…? Did she have red eyes?” Felix hesitantly added the second part.

“No… she was wearing a hood, but she clearly had black eyes and pale skin. She sounded Russian, and was about five foot two. All she did was hand me a pre-recorded message.”

“What did she say, and where’s that message now?”

“All she said was to listen to this. It was set to self-destruct as it played.”

“And what did the message say?”

“I am the Jackal. Kill the heiress on the night of the concert, or Ayame dies. It was very direct. He was using a voice modulator, so it’s not something I can describe.”

“I see… Do you have any clue where Jackal is, or what he’s planning?”

“I don’t. I don’t have a clue. I was just doing what he ordered me to.”

“I see…”

“But… if there’s one thing I’m sure of… it was that he wasn’t driven by ulterior motives, but by rage.”

“Rage…” Felix repeated.

“I’m sorry if I’m useless to you, but I’m not lying, I swear.”

“If that’s the case, then there’s nothing left to talk about. Felix. Kill him.”

“What?”

“You heard me, didn’t you?”

“N-no, please. Don’t… I’m not lying, I swear!”

“Chief…”

“He said he was following orders, now you will follow mine.”

Felix pulled out the gun and placed it against Asahi’s forehead. His cold blue eye radiated against his shadowy, silhouetted face.

“B-bro?”

A loud burst shot out in the small, dark room. Followed by the sound of a head slamming on a metal table. The scent of gunpowder quickly filled the room. Blood began to pour down on the table.

Felix put the gun on the table. His mouth opened slightly to take in a sharp inhale, his throat suddenly tight and parched, and it became difficult to breathe.

“Have Murphy send a raven to clean up this mess.” Chief said.

As he left the room, Felix asked the chief, “What was the point of bringing me here? You could have sent anyone to kill him.”

“I thought you might want to give your old friend a proper send off.”

“I barely knew him.”

“But you could hardly do what you were ordered.”

“He was…”

“He was affiliated with the Jackal. Regardless of how reluctant he was, he already knew too much. He would’ve been nothing more than a liability if we kept him alive.”

“Chief…”

“Did your hatred fade away? Don’t you remember what happened to Luna?”

“That’s not it…” Felix’s eyes narrowed, and he felt a sudden weight in his chest. “It’s just that… I didn’t feel like that was necessary.”

“… Ayame of Starry Sweethearts is dead.” Chief said after a short pause.

Felix stopped in his tracks.

“She was found drugged and dead behind an alleyway, along with two others…We needed to make sure he wouldn’t retaliate over such a thing.”

“I…see.”

“Felix. You understand, don’t you?”

“… Yessir.”

“Good, now head back to the headquarters.”

As he put the phone down. He stood there, his gaze cast down, empty.

A familiar memory flashed in his head, the voice of a woman with white hair and a four-leaf clover necklace echoed in his mind, “You’re a kind, good person, aren’t you?”

“This was… necessary.” He mumbled to reassure himself, clutching the necklace.