《Program Zero》


 Chapter 1: 3 more years

    "What the hell, Zac?!!!" A hooded figure shouted as he leaped over the rooftops of the Akihabara District in Tokyo, Japan. Their navy blue and gray camo cloak fluttered in the night sky as they moved silently over the brightly lit bustling city streets.


    "What you mean?!" A voice echoed into the figure''s ears.


    "Where am I going?!"


    "UUUUHHHHHHH, keep going straight. 400 meters."


    "UHHHHH? Are you a serious man? Do you know how to use that damn thing?"


    "Not really; it was just finished like 2 hours ago. Don''t worry, I''m a fast learner." Zac''s half confident voice chuckled over communications.


    "Not really?! You invented it!"


    "No, I had the idea and designed it¡­ the twins invented it. I''m the ''idea guy¡¯."


    "Then where are the twins?"


    "They''re busy! Look, it was my idea; I want to be the first one to play with this thing. Go left!"


    The cloaked figure groaned, turning left sharply.


    "No right, I meant right."


    "Goddammit..." The cloaked figure pressed his feet on the air beneath him. The space beneath his feet rippled as he pushed off air to change course.


    "Are you sure I''m going the right way?"


    "If this thing is working like it should, the closer you get, the easier it will be to know. Right now, I''m 70% positive. Come on, have faith in me. When was the last time I led you astray, huh?"


    "Exactly 36 hours ago."


    "Stop talking about old shit. The target should be heading towards the train station."


    Zac sounded confident. In return, the hooded figure quieted as he slowed his approach, stopping on the roof of a building that overlooked the busy entrance to the Akihabara train station.


    "I figured out why it was so hard to track him, and you might want to hurry up." Zac''s voice came in over the communicator.


    "What''s happening?"


    "You have two groups of ''Chasers'' coming in. One from the south, another from the east. 11 in total. You got about 5 minutes." Zac explained.


    "How? I didn''t pick up anything."


    "No shit. Obviously, while we''ve been working on ways to find things more efficiently, they''ve been working on ways to hide, but it looks like our toy wins. We''ll need to work out the kinks later though, their signals were interfering with the target''s and,"


    The cloaked figure listened to the rambling coming from the other end while making his move. He jumped from the building disappearing into the busy crowd below.


    "What a long unfulfilling day. Just 3 more years, just 3 more years."


    A young man with dark brown tousled hair moved through the crowd chanting to himself. College during the day, working a 6-hour shift, returning home to study, and maybe getting himself 4 to 5 hours of sleep if he was lucky. It was a familiar story for many University students, especially those who didn''t have a family to pay for their education. His mom helped as much as she could. She mostly paid for his housing, and he had to handle everything else.


    She would send him a little extra money if it seemed like he was falling a little behind or had to miss work for some reason. He couldn''t complain; he was better off than most and was well on his way to a better life; he just needed,


    "3 more years. Just 3 more ~."


    "Cheong Isuel!"


    A shout interrupted the young man''s mantra before he entered the station. He turned to see the hooded figure heading his way. He didn''t seem shocked by his odd attire; no one in the area did. Akihabara always had its share of cosplayers roaming around, so this guy didn''t stand out much at all.


    "Nice cosplay, my name is Suzuki Kenji; you got the wrong guy," Kenji spoke in Japanese to the hooded figure.


    "I know your father, Isuel¡­," The cloaked figure spoke in Korean to Kenji.


    Kenji¡¯s look soured, his hazel eyes tried to tear a hole in the cloaked figure''s body,


    "Tell that bastard we don''t need him anymore!" Kenji or Isuel shouted in Korean and then quickly caught himself, noticing some of the crowd looking over at the two of them.


    "Well, I mean, technically, he''s the bastard, right? Hehehe!" Zac quipped over coms.


    "Pfft! Zac, now is not the time." The cloaked man responded,.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Now is not the time for what?" Kenji asked.


    "Now is not the time to be hating your father. We''re here to help you, and you need to come with me if you want to live." The cloaked figure returned to speaking in Korean. Kenji looked at the cloaked figure and tilted his head,


    "Are you serious right now?"


    "Very. Look, if we don''t- Shit! They''re here."


    "Who''s here?" Kenji jumped in.


    "The people coming to kill you." The cloaked figure groaned.


    "How many?" Kenji asked


    "Does it matter? Zac, give us a way out of here. I can''t fight them while babysitting, at least not here." The cloaked figure spoke.


    "Give the kid a communicator, and go catch a train." Just as Zac''s suggestion came over coms, two groups of similarly cloaked figures began to appear from the crowd.


    Five wore maroon cloaks. On the left shoulder of their cloaks was a crest shaped like a bouche shield. Its borders were fashioned with the visage of the intertwining of the deadly Oleander flower. At its center, two ornate daggers crossed. Of the 5 maroon cloaked figures with this crest, 4 wore crests silver in color, while the 5th was rose gold.


    The other six wore dark green cloaks. On the shoulder of the cloaks was a crest. These crests had a circular design with two Adder snakes making its'' frame. In the crest''s center was the druid spiral. Of the six of these figures, 3 of their crests were solid black, 2 were white in color, and the last crest was a deep blood red. The two groups faced each other only for a moment before the one wearing the Blood Red crest spoke.


    "We take care of the Renegade first, then we''ll decide who gets the boy?"


    "Fine by me." The cloaked figure with the Rose Gold crest agreed.


    When they turned to face Kenji, the only thing that was there to greet them was a busy crowd of people flooding the station''s doorway. Curses echoed as the 11 of them forced their way inside past the crowded doors. Pushing their way in, they saw the cloaked Renegade pushing Kenji around the corner, his middle finger poked out to greet them. The group of 11 hurriedly made their way around the corner but had lost the two of them once again. The cloaked figure with the Rose Gold crest groaned to himself and began to talk,


    "Reporting, we need visual assistant on one target Suzuki Kenji, currently chasing through the Akihabara Train Stati~."


    "Yeah, I''m going to stop you right there, Dropper. None of you are getting in contact with your bases." A familiar voice interrupted the communications of both groups as each squad leader tried to contact support.


    "The Anomaly." The man with the Blood Red crest named Dropper responded through clenched teeth.


    "I¡¯m off the clock, so say my name." Zac chuckled into their ears.


    "Zac, you are far too annoying for someone so killable." The man with the Rose Gold crest jokes.


    "Is that you, Cage? Your sister thought that too, and she ended up walking away with one less arm." The man with Rose Gold crest, named Cage, clenched his fist.


    "We don''t have time for this. Catch!" Dropper motioned for a cloaked young woman with a white crest on her shoulder. ¡°Catch¡± nodded her head,


    "Initiating Program: Hunter. Target Suzuki Kenji." Her body twitched for an instant, and her eyes began to grow as she scanned the area. Her head and neck twitched and turned mechanically as she saw the glowing outline of Kenji''s feet on the ground. Without speaking, she charged forward, and the other ten trailed behind her.


    "Whelp, I bought you all the time I could, but they have a Chaser with the Hunter Program with them," Zac called out through the communicators as The Renegade and Kenji made their way to a passenger platform.


    "Hunter Program? Chaser?" Kenji looked at the cloaked figure in confusion.


    "Don''t worry about it right now. How much time do we have, Zac?"


    "Not much. Lugging that kid around, you''re not going to get far; it''s best just to fight."


    "You know what will happen if ~."


    "Oh shut up, you''re not the one who''s going to have to clean it up. Why do you care?" Zac interrupted The Renegade.


    "You won¡¯t have to clean up either!!"


    "You''re right! The Twins are, and all parties involved are going to have to help. Sooooo, why do the two of us have to care?"


    "You''re an asshole, Zac."


    "Your point? Now look pretty, they''re coming."


    Just as Zac finished speaking, the 11 cloaked figures arrived at the platform. Kenji looked at the 11 of them and then at the crowded platform,


    "They won''t try anything with so many witnesses, right?" Kenji thought to himself. Just as he thought that a man standing next to Cage said,


    "Initiating Program: Puppeteer." His body quivered for a moment and then lifted both his hands out in front of him. All the people present on the platform suddenly seemed to be in a daze. Like zombies, they all trotted off the platform back into the station''s hallways.


    "What the fuck?!" Kenji silently gasped to himself as he watched the civilians all march off at the simple motion of this man wiggling his fingers. In a matter of moments, the platform was clear, leaving only the 13 of them.


    "Hand over the boy!" One of the cloaked figures blurted out in English.


    "Let''s just get this over with." The Renegade said dismissively,


    "We need the boy alive; the condition wasn''t specified. Do wherever you want with the Renegade." Cage said with a grin on his face. Dropper gave similar instruction to his group as well.


    9 Cloaked figures began to move forward slowly. Even if the Renegade was alone, he must be capable if they sent him on this mission, especially with The Anomaly assisting him. They needed to be careful. However, one of the more overzealous Adder Crests jumped in front,


    "Initiating Program: Blaze!" He laughed as flames began to ignite his sleeves, and a blast of fire roared towards The Renegade and Kenji. The giant Fireball melted and destroyed the platform as it traveled. Kenji''s breath was ragged as soon as he saw the man''s sleeves ignite,


    "I only needed three more years. Just three more years!"


    "Calm down, kid." The Renegade''s voice rattled Kenji''s consciousness as he calmly walked forward and extended his palm.


    The Fireball touched the tips of his fingers. With a swipe of his hand, the flames dispersed in a fiery display. A powerful gust of wind blew a hole through the Fireball and proceeded to flow through the platform. This gust pushed the 11 would-be kidnappers back several meters. The fluttering of wind removed the Renegade''s hood, revealing short messy black hair and light green eyes that were paired with an annoyed expression.


    "Cover your ears kid, you may not want to hear what happens next."


    The Renegade turned his head to face the 11 of them. When Cage and Dropper saw the man before them, they both staggered back as if they had seen a ghost.


    "Why are you here?!" Dropper muttered.


    "I was in the area." Only now did they understand that he wasn''t just a Renegade; he was "The Renegade" As their breathing picked up, Cage shouted, as he and his Oleanders began to flee,


    "RUN!!!"


    "Too late. Initiating Program: ¡­ Zero." At the moment, everything went dark throughout the entire Akihabara District. On that lonely platform in this rolling blackout, faint screams of horror could be heard.

 Chapter 2: The Cost of Living

    ¡°Ow!¡± Kenji softly exclaimed as he was poked by a strange-looking device.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby.¡± A light brown young lady said as she rolled away on her office chair, heading over to an even stranger-looking device.


    ¡°You have horrible bedside manners for a Doctor,¡± Kenji growled as he rotated his left arm that was just stabbed by said doctor.


    He tried to make light of the situation, as he took several deep breaths to center himself. Kenji  was already surprised that the situation didn¡¯t send himself into a full panic. He was just on his way back to his apartment a few hours ago. In that span he had his life threatened and then was basically kidnapped. However, he was more alert, rather than disoriented or afraid.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not a certified physician then, isn''t it?¡± She chuckled as she continued her work.


    ¡°Wait, what? You said your name was Dr. Varma!¡± Kenji responded, confused. He looked to be in a doctor''s office, fancier than any doctor¡¯s office he¡¯d ever seen. Still, apparently, this woman wasn¡¯t even a doctor! Now he began to panic a little bit. Why was she taking blood samples?


    ¡°I did say that, didn''t I? Anyway, everything looks as expected; just sit still. Devin and Zac should be here any second now.¡±


    ¡°Zac and Devin¡­ wait, you think you can just gloss over the fact that you¡¯re not a licensed physician?!¡±


    ¡°Can, will, and did.¡± The young lady said, ignoring Kenji.


    ¡°Oh God, oh god!¡± Kenji silently panicked as he began to look around for anything to use to help him escape.


    Before Kenji could formulate anything close to a plan of escape, the door opened, relieving 2 individuals. One of which Kenji was very familiar with, Devin. Last night he wore a hooded cloak and a very dour expression, but today he had a smile plastered on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it was the biggest dumper I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Zac, a young black male, with honey bronze-skin, said while laughing. He was just as animated in person as he was over communications.


    ¡°So, did you try to talk to them?¡±


    ¡°No, because I¡¯m not gay, Devin.¡±


    ¡°They were a man?¡±


    ¡°I never said they weren''t. I¡¯m just saying they had a huge ass!¡±


    As the two of them laughed, Kenji just stared at them. These were the two responsible for saving his life last night; they were far less intimidating than he had imagined. He found himself naturally relaxing at the sound of their laughter. However, he recalled what Devin had done just hours ago to his would-be killers, and  a shiver ran down his spine.


    ¡°So if they were a woman, you would¡¯ve tried?¡± The young doctor asked as she got up and handed a tablet to Zac. A sly smile stretched across his face,


    ¡°A man needs to keep his options open, right?¡± Zac joked,


    ¡°We¡¯re still on for tonight?¡± She let out a soft giggle.


    ¡°Yeah, got something big planned. See ya later.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Devin.¡± Dr. Varma said dismissively to Devin. She gave Zac a soft slap across the face before leaving.


    ¡°Since when are you and Shaila a thing?¡± Devin asked curiously,


    ¡°Since a year and a half ago.¡± Zac shrugged.


    Devin stared at Zac in shock, both in how he hadn¡¯t known his best friend was in a relationship for over a year, and how he wasn¡¯t able to figure it out.


    ¡°You were hiding it? You know, the office fraternization rules don¡¯t really apply to you.¡± Devin chided.


    ¡°I know. We weren''t sure if it was going anywhere at first, then we just enjoyed other people not knowing. Now we wanna see the look on peoples faces as they find out. Like the one you have right now.¡± Zac chuckled, at Devin¡¯s look of complete confusion.


    ¡°Anyway, check out his chart.¡± Zac handed over the pad to Devin who glanced over it before looking at Kenji, who was still at a loss for words.


    In Kenji¡¯s eyes, both Devin and Zac looked like the epitome of successful businessmen. Both wore expensive fine tailored suits, with everything from head to toe perfectly in place. But they acted like,


    ¡°It¡¯s weird, right?¡± Devin asked Zac with a curious expression.


    ¡°Weird? Really? That¡¯s all you got? Weird? How are you, the boss again?¡±


    ¡°White privilege?¡± Devin said with a joking smile. Both of them began to laugh once again.


    ¡°Um, what''s going on?¡±  Kenji finally spoke.


    ¡°You are exactly what we thought you¡¯d be,¡± Zac said, giving Kenji a dismissive glance.


    ¡°And that could be a good thing or a bad thing. Follow us.¡± Devin motioned towards Kenji.


    Kenji  slowly got out of his seat, and they made their way through the hallway. There was nothing around that could give an accurate indication of where they were. Just plain white walls, tiled floors, and a long hallway with doors.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Kenji said. His calm was becoming more unnerved by the moment. Everything was too artificial, to the point he wondered if even this happy go lucky appearance of Zac and Devin was staged.


    ¡°You are in  the basement of our new Japan branch,¡± Zac said as he continued to look through the tablet.


    ¡°Japan branch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are a relatively new worldwide tech-based company, Renegade Technologies founded around 3 years ago, March of 2044 to be exact. Or, at least that¡¯s what we are to the outside world. What we¡¯re really about, you¡¯ll find out soon. You¡¯ll be diving headfirst into it.¡± Zac said in a solemn tone.


    Kenji¡¯s eyes widened when he heard of Renegade Technologies. Everyone was aware of that name. In a time period of technological leaps, Renegade Technologies came out of nowhere 3 years ago and now stood at the forefront. They now lead the industry in several technological fields, being most prominent in Machine Learning technologies, robotics, and true Artificial Intelligence research. If they came out with a real hovercraft tomorrow, people would be more upset that it took so long rather than be surprised that it¡¯s here. Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be diving headfirst?¡± Kenji asked, confused.


    ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t think we saved you for free, did you?¡± Devin looked over his shoulder and chuckled at Kenji.


    ¡°You said you knew my dad, so¡­.¡±


    ¡°You dad works for us, and is one of the very best in the biz. However, you¡¯ll learn very soon that everything has a price. Your life happens to be very expensive. Our friendship with your father nor his considerable talents would be nearly enough to cover that bill.¡± Zac didn¡¯t spare Kenji a glance as he continued to pour through the data on the pad. Zac then started to mumble something under his breath as he seemed visibly annoyed.


    ¡°What exactly are you expecting from me?¡± Kenji spoke after what felt like an hour¡¯s long silence.


    ¡°We expect the same thing we expect from all our recruits,¡± Devin smirked.


    ¡°Recruits? Do you want me to be like one of those people from last night? No way!¡± Kenji stopped walking and stood there stubbornly. He had no desire for power, monetarily or otherwise. He just wanted a nice calm life. He just needed three more years to be set down the path he had envisioned for himself. As he stood there, Zac groaned,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of those types? The ¡®I just want a normal life¡¯ type? The ¡®I don¡¯t want to have superpowers and just be a boring regular-ass human¡¯ type?¡± Zac said with disgust tinged in his voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being normal?¡±


    ¡°Do you have so little ambition that you¡¯d rather stay the way you are? When the chance to be someone, something better is presented to you?¡± Zac asked Kenji.


    ¡°Maybe you ARE a ¡®Suzuki¡¯. You sure as hell ain¡¯t anything like a Cheong.¡±


    ¡°How would I have the chance to be? He was never around to teach me how?!¡± Kenji snapped back at Zac against his better judgment. He flinched as he caught himself looking at Zac who was about to respond.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Zac.¡± Devin finally stopped Zac before he could go any further.


    Kenji stared at Zac with rage in his eyes. Kenji had more he wanted to say, but held his tongue because he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t live to see the next moment with either one of them if something started. Devin let out a sigh,


    ¡°Look, you have 2 choices. Either go through the process of becoming a trainee or¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°Die,¡± Zac added, since it seemed like Devin was reluctant to say it.


    ¡°What?! What was the point of saving me if you''re going to kill me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better this way.¡± Zac answered.


    Seeing the confused look on his face, Devin continued,


    ¡°Think about it, kid. Do you think you can just go back to a normal life after last night? We don¡¯t want to kill you, and even if we wipe your memory and you go back, you¡¯ll be untrained and incapable of defending yourself. What do you think will happen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kenji answered.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be ¡®Chased¡¯ again by those groups. They¡¯ll take you and poke and prod you like a lab rat for the rest of your not-so-normal life.¡± Zac said while still looking at the tablet in his hand.


    ¡°Well, what are you guys going to do to me?¡±


    ¡°Us? Well¡­ we¡¯re going to poke and prod you like a lab rat for the rest of your not-so-normal life. But we¡¯ll pay you and give you cool powers. I¡¯d say that¡¯s fair.¡± This time Devin answered, while Zac just chuckled to himself.


    Kenji had no choice in the matter. He also realized that they didn¡¯t need to tell him any of this. If they were really out to get him, they could have just started with their experimentation. From the way the groups from the night before were, he was confident that even this level of courtesy would not have been given to him.


    ¡°So, what exactly do you need me to do, and where is my father?¡±


    ¡°We just need you to act as a recruit and let us observe you for a while. And your father is away on a mission; he¡¯ll be back around the time your recruit process is over, so a couple weeks.¡± Devin answered, to Kenji''s dismay.


    ¡°Typical, not here when I need him.¡± Kenji mumbled to himself.


    ¡°The only reason you¡¯re alive is because of your old man. And I don¡¯t mean in a, he knocked up your mom type of way.¡± Zac heard Kenji¡¯s  remark and got visibly upset.


    Kenji was curious about what he meant, but that curiosity was stuffed almost as quickly as he formed. In his mind there was no redemption for his father, so why even pretend to care. What was more concerning for him was this time frame. A couple weeks was far too long. Kenji had to go to classes, not to mention he had to go to work as well. He couldn¡¯t juggle this on top of all of that. Zac glanced up from his tablet for a moment to see the look on Kenji''s face. He rolled his eyes and then said,


    ¡°You are free to do what you need during the day; we have Chasers trailing all recruits on their downtime. You also don¡¯t need to worry about going to work anymore. I just had your first payment sent to your account, and we¡¯ll pay your tuition for the next 3 years. Congrats on being the first winner of the Renegade Technologies Scholarship Program.¡± Zac put the tablet underneath his arm as he began to clap. Devin joined in soon after.


    The two of them stood there deadpanned as they clapped for an obnoxiously long time. During which Kenji took this time to check his bank account and almost fainted. They had transferred more money into his account than he would have made in two years at his job. He looked up at Devin and Zac,


    ¡°Is this a one-time thing?¡±


    ¡°That is the standard payment for all recruits. If you become a trainee, the payment will vary based on your performance. But at the very least, it will be 3 times that paid out monthly, and for you, the recruitment process should be just a formality.¡± Devin answered as he turned around and started walking once again, motioning for Kenji to follow him.


    Kenji said nothing and followed along with an extra pep in his step. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in this line of work, but he¡¯d have to be a fool to pass up this money-making opportunity, especially since he didn¡¯t have much choice to begin with. He wanted to know what made him so special, to have all these people after him. However, he was more than positive that those answers in some form would stem from his father. The two of them had a lot to talk about. But he wasn¡¯t sure he really wanted to know.


    ¡°How long are you planning on staying in Japan?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Staying? Kid, we come and go as we please, you know where I was 2 hours ago? Seattle, Washington.¡± Zac said somewhat mockingly. However, Kenji didn¡¯t seem upset about Zac''s attitude; he was more fascinated by what he meant.


    ¡°He was halfway across the world 2 hours ago? How?¡± Kenji thought to himself as he looked at Zac''s back. The group stopped in front of a pair of metal doors. Those doors slide open on their own, revealing a sizable indoor training field. To simply call it a field would be an understatement. There was a large track and field area with several large off white parametric buildings surrounding the track. Kenji felt like he was dropped into an alien training facility. He saw several people walking out one of the buildings and when he looked inside he saw several humanoid robots performing maintenance. They looked far more advanced than anything currently on the market. This place was large enough to train several nations'' worth of elite Olympic athletes. It was more like a small futuristic underground town than anything else.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Kenji asked, mesmerized by the sheer size of it all. As he looked up to see them covered by a dome, that emitted artificial sunlight, and a holographic image of the cloudy sky.


    ¡°Even if this was underground, how could they hide something this huge from the government? Were they hiding it at all?¡± Kenji¡¯s mind wandered through all the possibilities. The more his mind wandered, the more he came to realize just how screwed he was if he defied these two goofballs in front of him.


    ¡°This is where we test new recruits and train. Go join the others.¡± Devin said as he pointed to the group of people in the middle of the field.


    Kenji walked towards the group of recruits. He looked over his shoulder every now and then to see what Devin and Zac were doing. Devin turned his attention to Zac.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been looking at that tablet for a while now. Is it really that interesting?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if I¡¯m reading this right. We might be able to solve my problem with the help of Isuel.¡± Zac said as he continued to look at the tablet.


    ¡°He prefers Kenji, Zac.¡±


    ¡°His daddy named him Isuel; I¡¯m calling him Isuel. Besides, if he goes into this line of work, he¡¯ll need an alias anyway, I¡¯m just getting a head start.¡± Zac continued to mull over the data in front of him.


    Devin shrugged his shoulders in defeat. Zac had a point, Kenji would need an alias, he''d be better off as a Cheong than a Suzuki. Zac scratched the top of his head, showing a bit of concern.


    ¡°But this data doesn¡¯t exactly put my mind at ease. He might end up like me, and then we¡¯ll be back at square one with 2 burdens.¡±


    ¡°Zac, you¡¯re not a burden,¡± Devin interjected.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m special and provide blah, blah, blah. Let¡¯s just see what the kid can do.¡± Zac quickly changed the subject and began to walk towards the group of recruits.

 Chapter 3: Best of the Best

    ¡°Good afternoon, recruits. I am Franky, and I¡¯ll be your evaluator for today.¡± A man in his mid-twenties, dressed in plain black training attire, stood on a box in the middle of the field where the recruits had gathered. He looked down at the tablet in his hand,


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you are aware of why you¡¯re here. All of you were recruited by active or past operatives who thought you had what it takes. However, that remains to be seen. I suggest you all approach the next few days as if your life depends on it. Because it does.¡± The man looked up from his tablet and smiled.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± A young man responded.


    ¡°Exactly what I said. If you fail the evaluation, what do you think is going to happen? You just go back to your everyday lives while knowing of a secret global security group operating under Tokyo?¡± Franky asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just erase our memories or something?¡± A nervous woman asked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Men in Black. But we could, we definitely could. However, it¡¯s cleaner and more cost-effective to just kill you. That way, we don¡¯t have to worry about the effects wearing off or you rediscovering us.¡± Franky said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane. You good damn Americans think you run the world, treating us like cattle?¡± Shouted one loud mouth recruit.


    ¡°I¡¯m Indonesian, first off. Franky is an alias, not my actual name, 2nd we work with the U.N, not the United States. Third, what part of SECRETE GLOBAL SECURITY GROUP are you not understanding? I know it¡¯s not getting lost in translation? I¡¯m quite fluent in Japanese.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t be useless. How hard is that?¡± A fiery young woman said as she looked over at the recruit that shouted.


    ¡°She''s right. 40% of people pass the evaluation, and this group is filled with notable talents. The best group so far. At least, that¡¯s what the chart says. So yeah, just don¡¯t shit the bed, and you¡¯ll be fine¡­ maybe¡­¡± Franky said rather nonchalantly, clearing his throat.


    More than half the people failed these evaluations, and failure means death. Even if this group was special, some were bound to fail. Kenji looked around the group of recruits with a bit of trepidation. Everyone here was in their late teens or early twenties at the lastest. He looked over his shoulder to see Devin and Zac happily chatting with each other while most of the recruits seemed to be going into a panic. He wondered how they could treat life so lightly.


    ¡°You said you¡¯re the evaluator for the day? So will we have different ones each day?¡± Kenji asked with a sigh.


    ¡°Finally, an actual question. Usually yes. However, this time around, our Head of Finance will be overlooking your evaluations. He won¡¯t be able to stay long today, he has somewhere important to be, so I¡¯ll be in charge of today''s examination.¡± At Franky¡¯s words, Kenji turned his head toward Zac¡¯s Direction.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Zac waved sarcastically.


    ¡°Fuck¡¯in great,¡± Kenji mumbled to himself.


    He was planning to do the bare minimum to pass. So he could survive long enough to see his father and live somewhat normally. He knew that was not an option now.


    ¡°Are there any more questions before we begin?¡±


    ¡°Exactly how many days is this going to take, and will we be stuck here the entire time?¡± A very petite young lady asked.


    ¡°7 days. It should be over next Friday. And no, you¡¯ll be allowed to leave at the end of each session.¡± Franky responded, and the young lady let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re letting us go after each session? What about all the Secret Security Organization stuff you were talking about? How can you just let us leave after all this each day?¡± The same loudmouth recruit as before blurted out.


    ¡°40% of recruits pass the examinations,¡± Franky said with a smile.


    Knowing how to keep your mouth shut was a hidden task for the recruits to follow through on. Running their mouths could put not only themselves but the ones they told at risk. Talented individuals gathered here, but only 40% passed. Many hidden dangers may await the recruits. Every step they took could be their last. The mood got noticeably gloomier. As everyone here now understood the magnitude of what was transpiring. They didn¡¯t want just talented individuals. They wanted the best of the best. Franky asked for more questions, but all that met him was silence.


    ¡°Great, then we can begin. In this box that I¡¯m standing on is training gear. Find something that fits, and run around the track 20 times. You have 30 minutes total to complete both tasks. Begin!¡±


    Franky hopped off the box and jumped away. As soon as he did, the group of 30 recruits rushed the box. All except for 4 individuals. Kenji, the fiery young woman, the petite young woman, and the loud mouth. All four of them sprinted toward the track''s starting line and began to run.


    ¡°It seems we all had the same idea.¡± The petite young woman said with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, he never said which order. Let those idiots fight over the training gear.¡± The feisty woman responded as the group of four began their run. They all had been recruited and had high expectations aimed toward them. Obviously, there would be training gear available to fit them all. What was the point in fighting to get yours first?


    ¡°Heh.¡± Kenji chuckled to himself. He was sure that if he was going to make the time limit, he would need to make the most of it. He didn¡¯t want to get caught in the mad scramble and would have made do with whatever was left over. Plus, he figured he¡¯d need a head start. He never did any physical activities outside of what was mandatory at school. Even then, he just went through the motions.


    This looked like a standard track and field track. 20 times around meant 8000 meters in total. Running that in 30 minutes was already pushing it as far as he was concerned. Those thoughts of doing the bare minimum were no longer applied. He seemed to have underestimated what they expected from them. For now, he¡¯d do his best to keep up.


    The 4 of them finished their first lap and saw that there were still quite a few people fighting over training gear in the middle of the field. Some were frantically putting on the gear, and others were knocked out. Kenji shook his head.


    ¡°They might as well have killed them. What are they thinking.¡± Kenji said to himself.


    The group of 4 finished their 3rd lap, and all 4 seemed to keep pace. This came as a shock to Kenji. He was sure that the other 3 would have widened the gap already or that he would need to take a quick break after instinctively trying to keep pace with these other 3. He could feel his breathing picking up, but he was sure he could keep going. Not only that, he felt that he could go a little faster.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    They rounded the 10th lap, and Kenji felt that he would collapse if he continued to try and keep pace with the group. He was too far in now; he knew that if he stopped, he might not get back up for a while. He grit his teeth and pushed forward. The 14th lap came and went, and Kenji could see nothing but the track in front of him and could only hear the sounds of his pants. He stopped keeping track of the other 3, having long since given up on trying to keep pace with them. He was just pushing his legs with all their strength to keep going.


    ¡°15¡­16¡­17.¡± Kenji called out the laps as he completed them. He had lost track of time. No, he erased the concept of time from his mind. If he was too focused on that, he knew it would cause him to panic.


    ¡°Just keep pushing forward, just 2 more.¡± He told himself as he rounded his 18th lap.


    ¡°You seeing this, Zac?¡± Devin elbowed Zac in his side as they looked at the track.


    ¡°Yeah, I see it. It¡¯s not outside of our expectations.¡±


    ¡°I guess. It''s one thing to say, but seeing it, ¡± Devin responded.


    ¡°20!¡± Kenji shouted as he passed the finished line. He doubled over after returning to the center, placing his hands on his knees, trying his best to catch his breath.


    ¡°Hands on top of your head, recruit! Stand up straight!¡± Franky shouted out at Kenji, who quickly changed his posture. He turned and saw Devin, Zac, and Franky walking toward him. Zac tossed a bundle of clothing at him and said,


    ¡°Congratulations, kid. Franky, keep me posted.¡± Zac walked past Kenji.


    ¡°Will do, boss man.¡± Franky waved as Zac left the training area. Kenji looked down at the gear and smiled.


    ¡°Right, he said to get one that fits, not necessarily put them on.¡± Kenji looked up at Franky with a blank expression.


    One little sentence caused everyone to go crazy when things could have gone very smoothly for everyone. This was one of the skills needed for a Chaser. Making a target move how you want. Whatever allowed maximum results with the most negligible risks. Kenji was in deep thought and looked around and noticed that he was the only one standing there. Everyone else was still running the track.


    ¡°Wait, where are the other 3 I was running with?¡± He blurted out as he looked around the center of the track.


    ¡°They¡¯re still running. You lapped them¡­ 3 times.¡± Devin said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°What?! No way!¡± Kenji looked at the track to see the other three still running. On the other hand, the three of them looked at him like he was a freak.


    ¡°Wait, how much time was left when I finished?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°12 minutes and 3 seconds. Your time was 17:57. Congratulations, you beat the previous Company-wide record for recruits by a whole minute.¡± Franky said.


    He and Devin began to clap with deadpan faces. Kenji was in shock. Not only because he had broken the record but because there was such a record in the first place. 8000 meters in 18 minutes was an inhuman feat in itself. He broke a record like that, but he had never done any kind of physical training before in his life.


    Why hadn¡¯t he done any physical training before? His mother! His mother had always been against him doing anything too dangerous. He always thought that she was overprotective because his father wasn¡¯t around. Was it because she knew? Kenji placed his hand on his forehead, as all of this crashed down on him like a cold shower. Then a sudden thought came to mind, someone else was capable of superhuman feats.


    ¡°Wait, who held the record before me?¡± Kenji asked, but he was staring at Devin. From what he remembered last night, those goons were terrified of him. If anyone was superhuman as a recruit, it had to be him.


    ¡°The previous record holder, huh? He just left.¡± Devin chuckled.


    ¡°Zac?! Shit!¡± Kenji mumbled under his breath.


    Zac didn¡¯t seem entirely too thrilled with Kenji¡¯s outlook on this situation. Now that Kenji had broken his record, he was sure that Zac wouldn¡¯t let him just go through the paces. Kenji groaned,


    ¡°How is this even possible?¡± He said to himself. He began to doubt his existence up till this point when an energetic voice entered his ears.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I wanna know, you little freak!! Were you training for the Olympics?!¡± The excitable young woman shouted as Franky tossed training gear toward her. She snatched it out of the air and sat on the ground in front of Kenji. Her green eyes stared up at Kenji, looking for answers.


    ¡°Ah, no. I don¡¯t even work out.¡±


    ¡°I find that improbable. Your build is quite robust.¡± The petite young lady spoke while catching her breath. Her dark brown eyes checked out Kenji¡¯s body.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose to you next time!¡± The loudmouth wasn¡¯t far behind as he shouted at Kenji. The two of them grabbed their gear from Franky. All three sat down in front of Kenji; they all looked exhausted. It was only then that Kenji noticed that while he was tired, he wasn¡¯t what one would call exhausted. He looked down at his clenched fist and could feel a burst of energy flowing through him. What the hell was he? Was the only thing echoing through his mind.


    ¡°You guys should take this time to put on your gear; we''ll start the next evaluation once the 30-minute mark is reached. So you have about 5 minutes.¡± Franky told the four of them. Kenji looked over at several individuals still knocked out on the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to them?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°That depends on them.¡± Franky responded.


    ¡°Tsk, I¡¯d say you¡¯d better worry about yourself, but seeing how freaky you are, I¡¯m sure you have nothing to worry about.¡± The fiery green-eyed girl said as she began to strip down in front of everyone.


    ¡°Whoa!!! What are you doing?¡± Kenji shouted.


    ¡°You see a changing room around here? What? Haven''t you ever seen women¡¯s underwear before? I¡¯m Hanabi Akiko, by the way. You can call me Akiko.¡± The fiery young woman said as she held out her hand towards Kenji.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Suzuki Kenji. You can call me whatever you want.¡± Kenji shook her hand a bit shyly.


    ¡°I am Chiba Ume; feel free to call me what you like.¡± The petite woman bowed toward the three of them. She seemed to have changed into the training gear without anyone noticing.


    ¡°Takashi Genkei.¡± The loudmouth gave a simple introduction as he stripped. He was a head taller than Kenji and seemed to be packed with muscle. After putting on his training gear, he looked over at Akiko,


    ¡°You¡¯re part foreigner?¡±


    ¡°My mom¡¯s german. Is that a problem?¡± She asked as she glared at Genkei.


    ¡°Ah, no, I was just curious,¡± Genkei said as she shrunk back at Akiko''s aggressiveness.


    ¡°What about you, freak? You¡¯re half Korean?¡± Genkei turned his attention towards Kenji.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Kenji gave a simple response. As he put on his training gear.


    ¡°You have a nice body. Mr. I don¡¯t work out.¡± Akiko said as she stared at the half-naked Kenji.


    ¡°I bet he just says that to impress girls,¡± Genkei chuckled.


    ¡°If Akiko¡¯s expression is any indication. It¡¯s working.¡± Ume said with a smirk.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Akiko turned away from the group.


    Kenji just shook his head.


    ¡°Guess the 3 of them think the 4 of us will definitely pass, so it¡¯s best to stick together. I won¡¯t turn away from help.¡± Kenji thought to himself as he looked at the 3.


    The training gear didn¡¯t seem to be anything special, as far as he could tell. It fit a little snugly, but other than that, it seemed like a black one-piece training suit. However, after putting on the training suits, Kenji felt a tingle run through his body and lines of green light flashed aroused the bodysuit for a moment before fading away. Kenji''s group continued to chat with each other as the recruits began to pile in as the deadline neared.


    ¡°And that¡¯s time! All of you who haven¡¯t finished, finish and wait here. The rest of you come with me.¡± Half of the recruits managed to finish on time. That wasn¡¯t surprising, considering several were still knocked out on the ground from the initial scuffle. The group of 15 didn¡¯t have to follow Franky too far. As they arrived at an obstacle course inside the training facility.


    ¡°Line up facing me, arms width apart.¡± Franky gave a simple command, and everyone followed.


    ¡°You all will be running this obstacle course as fast as possible. I don¡¯t care how you get through it but get through it. But first, we will be performing the Five 20s.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Five 20s?¡± One of the recruits asked.


    ¡°The Five 20s are 20 rounds of 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, 20 half burpees, and 20 full burpees, performed in succession. Immediately after the 20th round, you begin the obstacle course. Those training suits will monitor everything you do to ensure you finish everything. No slacking.¡±


    After Franky finished speaking, everyone looked like they had seen a ghost. They didn¡¯t understand what kind of hell they were trying to put them through. That 8000-meter run was just a warm-up. Now the actual assessment was going to start.


    ¡°God dammit.¡± One was the recruit mumbled.


    ¡°God dammit, indeed. Round 1 20 push-ups, go!¡±

 Chapter 4: Day 2

    ¡°Ergh, good morning, recruits. How¡¯s it going?¡± Zac spoke to the recruits while drinking a travel mug full of coffee. The recruits looked at him a little concerned. They all heard that he was the Head of Finance but understood that meant something different in this secret world. The way Franky acted when he introduced him made it seem he was very high on the totem pole. But right now, he really looked out of it.


    ¡°Are you ok, sir?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m great. Girlfriend agreed to move in with me. Things went so well that I forgot I had to be here this early, on a Saturday morning.¡± Zac groaned.


    ¡°But it''s 7pm on Saturday night,¡± a confused Genkei said.


    ¡°Not where I was!¡± Zac shouted, annoyed.


    Kenji chuckled. He knew they somehow had the means to move across the planet at incredible speeds. Using something that probably wouldn¡¯t be available to the public for maybe a decade at least. It sounded great for many situations, but this was one of the pitfalls, time zones. It looked like Zac was still in the clothing he wore on his date.


    The recruits found themselves in another rather large empty gymnasium connected to the track and field area. Kenji counted that there were still 30 recruits left from yesterday. He was a bit shocked that there were so many here. Only 15 made the 8000-meter time limit. Although there was no time limit for the obstacle course. They just needed to finish, and all 15 did, if only barely. Comparatively, he finished everything quite quickly, surprising himself. After everything that happened yesterday, he expected to be dead tired and sore. Instead, he was refreshed.


    ¡°Why are there still 30 of us?¡± A sharp-eyed brown-haired male spoke.


    Zac started to laugh while choking on his coffee as he looked over at that recruit. He raised an eyebrow as he walked towards him. He stared into his eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time and then said,


    ¡°You¡¯re a vicious little bastard, aren¡¯t you? I saw you yesterday in that scuffle, Mr. Watabe.¡± Zac patted that individual on the side of the face and walked away. Watabe glared at Zac¡¯s back with contempt.


    Watabe Ken was indeed vicious and had a very discerning eye. He was the first to grab his gear during the scuffle, but he stood there to knock out individuals in the confusion who he thought could threaten his achievements. Unfortunately, these ¡°Chasers¡± weren¡¯t as heartless as he had hoped. The ones he targeted were still alive and well and were now wary of him.


    ¡°You think we¡¯re just going to kill off talent because they got unlucky once? That would be wasteful and very short-sighted, Ken.¡± Zac chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee.


    ¡°Yesterday was just to set a baseline. It''s used to ascertain your physical levels, determination, and¡­ your character.¡± Zac then turned to stare at Watabe. The recruits he had targeted the day before looked at him with glee. They assumed that there was no way they would accept someone like him.


    ¡°What are you losers smirking about? His attitude is perfect for a Chaser. I rather like him.¡± Zac said, much to the shock of everyone present. It was Watabe¡¯s turn to look at the others with glee.


    ¡°His physical prowess is around 2nd or 3rd best overall, after Isuel over there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kenji!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Isuel!¡± Zac cut off Kenji and smiled.


    ¡°On top of that, he has a good eye, he¡¯s goal-oriented, and will take down anything he perceives as a threat to that goal. Those are all qualities valued by Chasers. We aren¡¯t beacons of justice, here. We are cold calculative killing machines.¡± Zac took another sip of his coffee.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it counterproductive to act against your allies?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°You are correct, little miss! But you guys aren¡¯t allies yet. Are you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not.¡± Ume nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°You are all working to pass the evaluations. Obviously the better you do the more attention you get. If there is someone here that you feel will overshadow you, the natural train of thought needed for a Chaser should be to remove said person. However, we will not tolerate recruits killing each other. Anything outside of that, knock yourselves out, literally.¡± Zac spoke nonchalantly.


    ¡°He basically turned this into a free-for-all, and he looks pleased with himself. Bastard.¡± Kenji thought as he stared at Zac. He didn¡¯t understand this world, and the more he found out the less he wanted to understand. From his first interactions he was clear that human lives were little more than transactional to these people. It made him a little sick. Zac looked back at him and then smirked,


    ¡°You look like you wanna hit me, Isuel. Well, you¡¯re in luck. Today, I will be assessing your combat abilities. To your left is a rather large locker room filled with weapons. You have until I finish making more coffee to choose the weapons of your choice. Then you will take turns attacking me. Either on your own or in groups no larger than 4. Your mission is to make me bleed. Your time starts now.¡± Zac said with a smile as he walked out of the room, looking into his empty traveler''s mug.


    The recruits all walked into the weapon cabinet, giving Watabe a wide berth. It was clear that if groups were going to be formed, they would have to avoid teaming up with him. He scoffed at everyone,


    ¡°You clowns would just hold me back anyway.¡± He walked deeper into the spacious room with a contemplative look.


    ¡°He¡¯s kind of a dick. He¡¯ll fit right in.¡± Kenji mumbled to himself as he watched Watabe walk into the storage room, and then glanced over to look at Zac leaving.


    ¡°So we¡¯re teaming up, right?¡± Akiko asked Kenji, with Genkei and Ume trailing behind her.


    ¡°Do we even need to?¡± Genkei asked incredulously.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a Chaser in action?¡± Ume asked Genkei, who responded negatively.


    ¡°If everyone in this room went at that man, if even one of us made it out alive, it would be a miracle,¡± Ume said with a grim expression. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Kenji said with a frown as he


    remembered what he saw Devin do. It would be a slaughter if Zac was even a tenth of what Devin was.


    ¡°Well, at least all those hours in Kendo Club won''t be wasted.¡± Akiko smiled as she grabbed a Katana, a Wakizashi, and a Tanto blade. She strapped the three blades on her waist. Genkei looked over at her and smirked as he grabbed a pair of tactical hard-knuckle gloves.


    ¡°I was nationally ranked in Taekwondo in High School. I¡¯ve been doing MMA as a hobby while in University,¡± Genkei said proudly as he smashed his fists together.


    Everyone then looked over at Ume, staring blankly at the weapons in front of her. She looked back at everyone else and shrugged her shoulders, This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Bioengineering Major. I was president of both the Robotics and Science Clubs in High School.¡± She informed the group.


    Genkei stared at her inquisitively. On the other hand Ume, turned her contemplative gaze back toward the weapons.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯s just a science nerd. She could keep up with me through the 8000-meter run and the obstacle course.¡± Genkei thought to himself.


    Akiko and Genkei then looked at Kenji but didn¡¯t bother to ask him anything. Every time they brought up the topic he was adamant about not being involved in anything physical. Even though he not only finished 1st in everything so far but broke records each time.


    Kenji ignored the group for the most part, as he spent most of his time staring at the weapons in front of him. He¡¯d never touched any kind of melee weapon before he had no idea how to even go about this. Everything had come to him rather easily to this point, so he thought that if he just stared at the weapons long enough something would jump out at him, like some anime. After combing through everything, nothing of the sort happened, and he chuckled to himself.


    ¡°Guess this is real life afterall. ¡± Kenji jokes to himself.


    Afterall no weapon would leap into his hand like it had a mind of its own. He had no no choice but to thoroughly think things through.


    ¡°Make him bleed, huh?¡± Kenji thought and then grabbed a military-grade bulletproof shield. His group gave him a strange look. Ume looked at the shield and nodded her head,


    ¡°Interesting, then I¡¯ll take this,¡± Ume said as she grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows.


    ¡°Tsk!.¡± Watabe scoffed at the 4 of them as he walked past. He had two daggers in his hand. Akiko looked at his back as he walked away and then turned back to the group,


    ¡°That guy gives me the creeps,¡± Akiko said as the four walked out of the weapon closet.


    ¡°Really? He just seems like a dick who¡¯s about to get his ass kicked.¡± Kenji said with a frown.


    ¡°Times up, my Tiny Tots,¡± Zac shouted as the recruits filed out of the closet. Zac looked at the weapons everyone had gathered from themselves and raised an eyebrow at Kenji.


    ¡°Interesting. So who¡¯s going first?¡± Zac asked with an excited look on his face. No one seemed to move. No one wanted to be the litmus test. Everyone knew the more information they had to work with, the easier time they would have to accomplish their goal. Watabe scoffed at no one moving and then said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go, you cowards.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a surprise. I¡¯d thought you¡¯d go last for sure.¡± Zac commented.


    ¡°You said our ¡®mission¡¯ is to make you bleed. Missions are accomplished through the cooperation of multiple divisions and collaborations with multiple teams. This is not an individual task. I¡¯ve noticed from the start that you guys are cautious with your words. You say exactly what you need, to give instruction without explicitly giving the game away.¡± Watabe said as he pointed his dagger at Zac, who began to laugh.


    ¡°Clever little shit. You stomped all over my game before I got to play. Well, I¡¯ll just have to find my fun elsewhere.¡± Zac sighed.


    Zac tried to antagonize the recruits against each other before handing out the mission of this evaluation. They would not leave until he bled. Watabe knew once they failed and this exercise''s purpose was revealed, everyone would blame him for his actions the previous day for forming a divide among recruits.


    Now he understood he could not get rid of the competition as intended. Instead he¡¯d just have to stand out as much as possible. This would also lessen the pressure from the other recruits who felt they couldn¡¯t trust him. He was sure more group activities were to come. So even if they didn¡¯t trust him, they could trust his competence and willingness to succeed.


    As Zac went to take a sip of his coffee, Watabe launched one of his daggers toward Zac, who gently turned his body to the side to dodge.


    ¡°Would you look at that?¡± Zac thought as he saw a thin wire attached to the dagger.


    Watabe pulled on the wire, and Zac crouched as the dagger flew back over his head from behind. As he crouched he saw Watabe crouched in front of him with his dagger stabbing toward Zac¡¯s chest. Using his free hand, Zac grabbed and twisted Watabe¡¯s twist, flipping him onto the ground, never letting go of his wrist. Zac quickly put him into an armbar lock, holding him down with one hand, while taking a sip of coffee with the other.


    ¡°Do you yield?¡± Zac asked.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Watabe asked calmly. His free hand wiggled with the wire holding the thrown dagger retracted, bringing the dagger into his free hand, he then went to stab Zac¡¯s leg. Zac kicked the hand holding the dagger away, disengaged the armbar, and flipped off the ground. He looked down at Watabe with a smirk,


    ¡°I thought so. That¡¯s my weapon; what the hell is it doing back there? The Twins must be really pissed with me.¡± Zac chuckled as he looked back at the weapon storage closet.


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing that concerned him; this Watabe could use them decently well. Nothing in his files said he had any experience with such weapons. Zac smirked as he looked at Watabe and over at Kenji and the other recruits.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Zac mumbled to himself.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Watabe shouted as he charged towards Zac, slashing at him with those daggers. Every strike was aimed at vitals. Zac had a carefree smile on his face as he dodged. Suddenly he kicked Watabe¡¯s gut, and sent him tumbling across the ground. Watabe quickly gathered himself and made a pulling motion with both his hands. He had purposely dropped his daggers on Zac¡¯s side when he was kicked. Those daggers leaped off the ground, aiming for Zac¡¯s neck and legs. Zac instinctively leaned back to avoid the dagger coming for his head.


    ¡°He got him!¡± One of the recruits shouted when they saw those blades fly towards Zac; he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge both. However much to that recruit''s dismay, there was no blood, only the sound of metal clashing.


    ¡°The coffee mug?!¡± Ume said with a look of shock as she saw that the tin traveler''s cup blocked the other dagger.


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Watabe cursed as he charged forward, retracting the daggers to his hand. He attacked again, incorporating kicks into his assault this time as well. Zac continued passively evading and blocking Watabe¡¯s attacks, while casually drinking his coffee.


    ¡°Fight back!¡± Watabe shouted. He found it impossible to make ground when Zac was only playing defense. There was no opening he could find to make up ground.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Zac spoke as he sidestepped Watabe¡¯s stabbing motion and slid in close to his body. In a series of rapid motions, Zac¡¯s right elbow bashed into Watabe¡¯s solar plex, he then raised his fist to send a backhand to watabe¡¯s nose. That right hand grabbed Watabe¡¯s arm, still extended in its stabbing motion. He used his right foot to kick Watabe¡¯s leg off the ground and break his balance. In one fluid motion, that same foot crashed into Watabe¡¯s sternum.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Watabe groaned as he was jettisoned across the room once again. He struggled to get up, dropping to his knees as he looked up at Zac sipping on his coffee again. The man hadn¡¯t broken a sweat.


    ¡°Fighting against Chasers is impossible! How are we supposed to make that bleed.¡± One of the recruits said, dispirited.


    ¡°Heh, well, you¡¯re wrong about two things,¡± Zac said as he turned to the other recruits.


    ¡°The most important being, I¡¯m not really a Chaser, I don¡¯t have a Program,¡± Zac said, much to the shock of everyone in the room. Even Kenji looked at him with surprise and a little annoyed. He bitched at him for wanting to live an everyday life not two days ago, yet he wasn¡¯t even a Chaser, which meant he could live a normal life.


    ¡°Hypocrite!¡± Kenji mumbled to himself.


    ¡°Second, you can fight against someone with a Program just fine. I do it all the time.¡± Zac said with a smile.


    Everyone went silent as they stared at him. Since Zac joined The Renegades, he has been used to set an example for particularly rowdy or cocky recruits more than a couple of times. Especially those with access to rare and powerful Programs. They all needed to understand that they couldn¡¯t entirely rely on the power Programs provided.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a soft, delicate, vulnerable human, like the rest of you. So make me bleed.¡± Zac''s voice got noticeably darker.


    ¡°Soft and vulnerable, my ass.¡± Kenji mumbled, Zac was anything but.


    However, As Kenji observed that fight, he felt more at ease. Many around him couldn''t pick up on most of what was happening, but he could see it all. Not only could he see it, he understood it and was starting to feel more excited than anything. In the depth of his mind there was one thought roaming,


    ¡°They''re not as impressive as I thought. It can be better.¡± He instinctively began to correct the flaws in the movement he saw, even though he had no point of reference for such things. Kenji flinched at his own train of thought and looked down into his palm.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    Kenji mumbled as Watabe slunk back into the group of recruits. Even if he wanted to go again, he was in no condition to do so at that moment. He¡¯d need a moment to gather himself. Even though they knew that Zac didn¡¯t have a Program, it didn¡¯t make him any less imposing. In fact, some of them became even more cautious. If he could fight those monsters while being a normal human, he must have a variety of tricks and skills up his sleeve. They were all aware that the records Kenji had broken the previous day belonged to him. They could only imagine how far he had pushed the limits of the human body since then.


    ¡°Next!¡± Zac called out, causing the recruits to shiver.

 Chapter 5: Boss Battle

    Several groups went up, and they all were knocked back by Zac. Not a single one of them could make him bleed; in fact, Watabe had been the closest up to this point. It became apparent that only some here were natural fighters, and their teamwork left much to be desired. They also noticed that Zac was more than happy to take advantage of their lack of chemistry and coordination.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s easier for him to deal with us in a group. Maybe we should go solo?¡± Kenji said.


    ¡°I disagree. That Watabe guy is a beast. I don¡¯t know what he did before this, but he¡¯s a trained fighter. I would have been shredded to bits by those daggers.¡± Genkei said reluctantly. Kenji stared at Zac as he defeated another group. Zac looked back at Kenji with a smirk.


    ¡°Alright, 15-minute break. I¡¯m going to replace this coffee with some water. I¡¯m wide awake now.¡± Zac chuckled as he left the room, leaving the recruits in silence.


    ¡°Shit, that guy¡¯s insane. He¡¯s just playing with us.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect? He fights people with powers. He¡¯s not normal.¡± The recruits chattered.


    ¡°Speaking of not normal. Kenji, you¡¯re the one who broke his records. When will you and your group take a shot at him?¡± Watabe asked. It was clear that he was hostile towards Kenji. Kenji frowned at him, but before he could respond, Ume interjected,


    ¡°We will take our shot when I am assured of at least a 40% chance of success, Ken.¡±


    ¡°What do you think your chances are right now?¡± Watabe asked,


    ¡°20%. I need more time.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Watabe announced curtly as he went towards the middle of the room.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Yes, he''s my cousin. We were both recruited by our uncle, who works here.¡± Ume spoke placidly.


    ¡°I knew it!!¡± Genkei shouted excitedly; he knew this little woman couldn¡¯t just be a science nerd. He was willing to bet that she was trained by her uncle with Watabe.


    ¡°She must be very impressive. Especially considering that Watabe seemed to trust her judgment. Since his head is so far up his own ass I doubt he could see the sun at noon.¡± Kenji muttered to himself, as Genki nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you team up with your own cousin?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°Our personalities clash more often than not. It¡¯s better this way.¡± Ume turned her attention back towards the center of the room as Zac walked back in.


    ¡°Up for another beating, Mr. Watabe?¡± Zac asked callously.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Watabe sounded a bit defeated. He looked over his shoulder at Ume before he charged in.


    Nothing much changed from Watabe¡¯s first encounter with Zac. Actually, things went a little worse. As Zac said, he was now wide awake and sharper than when things began. Also, it seemed that Zac had picked apart Watabe¡¯s fighting style in their previous encounter. Watabe could make no ground; he was only toyed with by a jovial Zac.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Watabe cursed as he picked himself off the ground and walked towards Ume. A new group of recruits went up to try their luck.


    ¡°How much?¡± Watabe asked curtly.


    ¡°30%. If you can fight him again, that would be for the best. The others hardly give me new information.¡± Ume said with a sigh, watching the next group being quickly dispatched. She could gain next to nothing from that performance.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be of any more help. He saw straight through everything I did. If I went up there again, I¡¯d be no different than the other groups.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll just have to make do with a 90% success rate. I needed 40% assurance; the other 60% was contingent on Kenji''s uniqueness. A 10% chance of failure makes me uneasy.¡± Ume said as she stared at Zac, like a lioness stalking her prey.


    ¡°I thought so. You have too much faith in him.¡± Watabe said as he looked over at Kenji. Who stared back blankly.


    ¡°And you have too little faith in anyone but yourself. This is why I refuse to work with you. Genkei and Akiko come here. I¡¯ll tell you two what we¡¯re going to do.¡± Ume commanded.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Your job is simple. Watch, learn, and guard me with that shield. When you see an opening, take it.¡± Ume said as Genkei and Akiko leaned as she began to whisper commands to them. 2 more groups were quickly dispatched,


    ¡°Next!¡± Zac commanded.


    ¡°Oh, man, it¡¯s about time,¡± Zac said gleefully as Kenji¡¯s group approached.


    ¡°Do not deviate from the plan. Go!¡± Ume called out as she knocked an arrow.


    Genkei and Akiko both charged forward, Genkei on the left and Akiko on the right. Akiko performed a drawing slash aiming at Zac¡¯s left leg, and Genkei then a sliding kick for Zac¡¯s right leg. Zac jumped into the air avoiding the strikes, only to see Ume with her arrow trained on him. His trusty traveler''s mugs parried the arrow aimed for Zac¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Zac commented, looking down to see Akiko swinging her blade toward him. He contorted his body in mid-air, spinning out of the way of the attack. That exchange happened in an instant and was the closest all night Zac had come to getting hit, and the look of excitement on his face was plain for everyone to see. He landed on the ground a bit off balance. Before fully gathering himself, he was forced to parry another arrow with his mug.


    The force of the arrow caused his balance to stagger even more. At that moment, Genkei appeared in front of him with a smile. He sent a flurry of punches, kicks, and knees. Zac was on the back foot, and they knew they could not let up the initiative. If they gave him a second to breathe or attack himself, it would be over for them. Even now, Zac was still able to defend himself. Even though he was constantly backing up, he parried and dodged each blow.


    Not only that, but he was cautious about ensuring that Genkei¡¯s body blocked Ume¡¯s view of him. Zac couldn¡¯t simply dodge those arrows; if he did, the recruits in the area ran the risk of being struck, and he would have to defend. Ume predicted this and used it to her advantage. Zac had similar ideas. While Ume used the recruits to limit Zac''s actions, Zac used Genkei¡¯s body as a shield against her attacks.


    ¡°As planned. Kenji, watch closely. Phase 2!¡± Ume called.


    At the call out of Phase 2, Genkei disengaged his assault and jumped back. However, Zac had no time to catch a breather, as Akiko seamlessly continued the assault. Sending ruthless slash after ruthless slash at every vital on Zac''s body. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I see. The Tots want to switch the rhythm; they don¡¯t want to give me enough time to read their fighting styles. Not bad.¡± Zac thought to himself as he gracefully dipped and ducked out of Akiko¡¯s attacks. Everyone one of them had the intent to kill behind them. Ume had told her not to hold back; if they wanted to touch a single hair on Zac''s head, they needed to try to kill him. Akiko sent a slash towards Zac¡¯s neck and then immediately crouched. As she crouched, an arrow came flying toward Zac¡¯s head. He brought his mug up to deflect the arrow and then arched his back.


    Genkei soared through the air with a flying kick that trailed that arrow. Zac¡¯s free hand touched the ground to help himself balance in this crab pose. After Genkei flew overhead, the shadow of Akiko replaced him, sending a downward slash. Zac pushed off with that free hand turning his body on all fours, well, 3, as he was still holding his tin mug. He pushed off the ground with his free hand and legs, narrowly avoiding an arrow that shot his way.


    ¡°I need to get rid of you first.¡± Zac thought to himself as he looked over at Ume.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s getting serious,¡± Watabe said as he saw the dark look in Zac¡¯s eyes.


    Zac burst forward and shot past Kenji and his shield faster than the recruits thought possible. He punched Ume, intending to put her out of commission.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here!¡± Kenji shouted out, as he was able to just barely track Zac. He stepped in front of Zac¡¯s fist with his shield extended.


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Zac cursed as his fist turned into an open-palm strike. The blow knocked Kenji through the air. As Kenji was launched, Ume used him as a footstool to jettison herself into the air. With two arrows trained on Zac. However, before she could release those arrows, water splashed into her eyes from the open mug in Zac¡¯s hand,


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Ume cried out as she fell, as Kenji rushed to ensure she was alright.


    ¡°Shame; if he punched that shield, his fist would have bled. I¡¯m sure that was the best-case scenario Kenji was hoping for when he chose a shield.¡± Watabe thought to himself as he looked at Ume, wiping the water from her face.


    After Zac slung the water into Ume¡¯s face, Akiko came from behind with a stabbing motion. Zac turned and met the blade¡¯s point by turning the opened end of the coffee tin. The blade sunk into the mug and stopped as it hit bottom.


    ¡°What the hell is that thing made of?¡± Akiko shouted in shock.


    Before she could recover, Zac slid towards her, grabbing the handle of her blade. She was kicked onto the ground. When she looked up, she saw Zac now had the Katana in his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m paranoid, so just about everything I own is designed to be a weapon. But nothing beats the real thing.¡± Zac chuckled as he swung the Katana around deftly and got into a stance. Akiko groaned as he unsheathed her tanto and Wakizashi blades and charged forward.


    ¡°Stop worrying about me and focus, Kenji. Don¡¯t miss a moment of what comes next.¡± Ume shouted as she wiped the water from her eyes. Kenji turned to see Akiko unleashing a torrent of slashes. Zac could display his skills in earnest now that he held a proper weapon. His blade moved like water as he parried each slash with a tranquil smile.


    ¡°Your form isn¡¯t bad, but you¡¯re too aggressive. Leaves you with too many openings.¡± Zac taught Akiko as he counterattacked with three swift strikes. They were shallow cuts on her arms and legs. She grunted in pain as she was kicked away by Zac. Kenji felt the wind blow past his head, and Ume shot another arrow. Zac casually slapped the arrow away with the side of the Katana.


    ¡°Then comes the big guy. Your attacks are too unfocused; you lack sharpness.¡± Zac said to Genkei as he ducked out of the way of Genkei trying to punch him in the back of the head. He had a sense of their patterns now, and while the constant switching slowed him down a tad, it didn¡¯t matter in the long run.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Ume, it was a good shot, but we¡¯ll need to regroup and try something else,¡± Watabe said from the sidelines.


    ¡°Losers should just stay quiet! We¡¯re not done yet!¡± Ume shouted as she glared over at Watabe.


    She had never felt such humiliation before. That usual calm demeanor of hers crumbled for an instant before she calmed down and asked Kenji,


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ume asked Kenji, giving him a knowing stare.


    ¡°Since when did you notice?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°When I saw you mimicking our running styles back at the track.¡± Ume smiled at Kenji.


    ¡°So you knew before I did? That¡¯s some crazy observational skills there.¡± Kenji sighed as he stood up.


    Kenji would involuntarily mimic physical actions he thought superior. Not only that, but he would instantly think of ways to improve upon them. He didn''t know how or why it was happening. However, the more he experienced it, the more intoxicating it became. He wanted to explore exactly what he could do, even though it was against his better judgment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never failed at anything I¡¯ve set my mind to. Do not make this the first.¡± Ume commanded, and Kenji nodded.


    ¡°Go! Phase 3!¡± Kenji went into a full sprint bringing his shield along with him. He looked ahead and saw that Akiko and Genkei had stopped staggering their attacks and began to attack together. Kenji wasn¡¯t the only one she wanted watching; she wanted Akiko and Genkei watching each other as they attacked. She wanted them to get used to each other''s style of fighting.


    Kenji closed the gap and threw his shield at Zac, who kicked it away, sending it tumbling into the charging Genkei. After Genkei caught the shield, Zac kicked it, knocking Genkei off his feet. Zac used his Katana to deflect the attacks from Akiko before sweeping her off her feet. Her swords fell to the ground. Zac smirked and stabbed the Katana into the floor as he watched Kenji rush towards him bare-handed.


    ¡°Show me what you got, Isuel!¡± Zac laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kenji, you dick!!¡± Kenji shouted.


    Kenji sent a flurry of punches and kicks, and the smile on Zac¡¯s face slowly started to fade. He could easily parry and block these blows, but that wasn¡¯t the issue.


    ¡°This is Genkei¡¯s attack pattern, but it¡¯s sharper and more focused.¡± Zac sent a backhand at Kenji¡¯s face, but it was parried as Kenji grabbed Zac¡¯s wrist and attempted to throw him.


    ¡°What?!¡± Zac quickly broke Kenji¡¯s grip on his wrist and kicked him away.


    Zac was shocked because that was the same motion he used to put Watabe into an armbar. If Zac was even a second later, he might have been at Kenji¡¯s mercy. While Zac was still in thought, Kenji raced past Zac and picked up the Tanto and Wakizashi blades that Akiko had dropped. He raced towards Zac, who ran towards the Katana he had stabbed into the ground, and that smile on his face returned.


    ¡°This might be fun!¡± Zac shouted as the two of them began to clash blades. Sparks flew as the blades seemed to clash in an endless flurry.


    ¡°Akiko¡¯s fighting style. But it''s more calculative, and most openings have been closed. I see. That¡¯s your gift.¡± Zac chuckled as he thought to himself. Zac parried his strikes and then swept his feet from under him. Kenji was flipped onto his back, and Zac pointed his blade at his throat.


    ¡°Do you yield?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Never!!¡± It was not Kenji who shouted, but Genkei as he bashed into Zac with the shield knocking him off Kenji. Zac rolled on the ground and popped back onto his feet. He then dusted himself off. His clothes were wrinkled, but there was no blood. Kenji was helped up by Genkei, who tossed the shield to the ground. Kenji handed Akiko her Tanto and Wakizashi blades. At the same time, he picked up the Katana that Zac dropped in the previous shuffle. Ume nocked an arrow and said,


    ¡°You are weaponless. Do you yield?¡± Ume asked.


    Moments ago, everyone would have thought that she was crazy for asking such a question. But after watching everything that just happened, it didn¡¯t seem too crazy. Zac appeared to have his hands full enough that he had to abandon that scary tin mug and pick up an actual weapon. Now that he didn¡¯t have one, and Kenji wasn¡¯t just playing defense, the recruits thought that seeing Zac bleed was just a matter of time. Ume stared at Zac nervously.


    Zac had far exceeded her expectations. She couldn¡¯t imagine how scary he would be if he wanted to kill them. Luckily, Kenji had also exceeded her expectations. She was uncertain about the level at which he could copy the fighting styles of Genkei and Akiko. She certainly didn¡¯t expect him to be able to improve upon them to the extent he did.


    That bit of information was only some good news. It also meant that she couldn¡¯t correctly predict the outcome. It was a very uncomfortable feeling for her. She told Watabe that he needed to trust people more. In reality, she was much the same. It wasn¡¯t that she trusted Kenji and the others; she trusted herself to use them for all their worth.


    ¡°Yielding? Weaponless, huh? You naughty children think too highly of yourselves. You need a good spanking.¡± Zac chuckled as he undid his belt and whipped it out to the side of him.


    ¡°Come!¡± He commanded.


    Ume closed her eyes and took a deep breath; this was the worst-case scenario. She would have to truly trust others for the first time. She opened her eyes to see Kenji getting into a fight stance with the Katana in hand. That fighting stance was identical to the stance Zac had moments before. He was far outstripping what she thought him capable of. Ume began to giggle.


    ¡°Screw it.¡± She thought to herself.


    ¡°Phase 4¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Phase 4?¡± Genkei asked.


    He was confident that Ume had never mentioned Phase 4 before. Ume looked over at Genkei and said with a smile,


    ¡°Support Kenji. Go!¡±


    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking!¡± Zac mused as Kenji, and the others began their charge.

 Chapter 6: Making Him Bleed

    ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit!!!¡± Ume cursed as she banged her fist against the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ume, I couldn¡¯t do it.¡± Kenji said through gritted teeth. There was a red mark on his face, courtesy of Zac¡¯s belt. They had been soundly beaten. Despite everything Ume had tried and Kenji¡¯s abilities, they were still toyed with. Ume looked at Kenji and then looked over at Zac as he stood in the middle of the room. It had been 10 minutes since their defeat, and no one else had the nerve to take a turn.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s mine. I purposely overestimated him as much as I could when planning, but I still underestimated him. He can¡¯t be human.¡± Ume said as she sat down.


    ¡°No kidding, he¡¯s not even tired.¡± Genkei spoke, while rubbing his left arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible with just 4 of us. We¡¯ll need at least 5 or 6.¡± Ume said with a scoff.


    ¡°You think he thought that far ahead and put us in an impossible position to win?¡± Akiko asked as she sat down and slumped over. Kenji had displayed swordsmanship on par with her and, in some cases, surpassing her; he even seemed to duplicate Zac¡¯s swordsmanship. Even then, the 4 of them were toyed with.


    ¡°No, they wouldn¡¯t give us an impossible assignment; they want to evaluate us, not break us. I¡¯m sure he just increased the difficulty because of me.¡± Watabe said with an annoyed expression on his face.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Remember when he said he¡¯d have to find his fun ¡®elsewhere¡¯?¡± Watabe asked as he looked at the group.


    ¡°Dammit. You gave away the answer to this lesson. So he changed the lesson.¡± Kenji grumbled.


    Watabe nodded his head in confirmation.


    ¡°You mean he would let us win if we decided to work together, on our own?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯d let us do anything, but he¡¯d probably just be going through the motions rather than¡­ that.¡± Ume sighed as she pointed at the next group that finally decided to try their hand. They were beaten back in a matter of moments with disheartened looks on their faces. Zac rested that damned belt around his shoulders as he called for the next group.


    ¡°Yeah, this is all just a game to him.¡± Kenji clenched his fist as he stared at Zac. He wanted to punch him in the face at least once.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying since you ruined the game he had in mind, he switched games, and now we don¡¯t even know the rules?¡± A recruit who had been eavesdropping said with a frown on his face.


    ¡°More or less.¡± Watabe nodded.


    ¡°Dammit! What do we do now?¡± The recruit asked.


    ¡°You do nothing. The 5 of us will figure something out.¡± Watabe said sternly.


    ¡°The five of us? Are you willing to work with us?¡± Genkei said curiously.


    ¡°Unlike my cousin, I will only believe what I can see. From your display, I have determined that you 3 are competent enough to trust my back.¡± Watabe answered.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so honored.¡± Kenji responded sarcastically.


    Regardless of how annoyed Kenji was about Watabe¡¯s insertion, he wasn''t going to deny his help.


    The others looked over at Ume, silently staring at the next group of 4 that had gone up to attack Zac. She hadn¡¯t said anything since Watabe began to give his take on what was going on. It seemed that she agreed with his assessment of the situation.


    ¡°There are 30 recruits, correct?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°From my account, that is correct,¡± said Watabe.


    ¡°And he asked for groups of no larger than 4?¡± Ume¡¯s question was rhetorical, so no one answered. Instead, Kenji asked,


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Are any of you aware of the number of people needed for a team to perform optimally?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°There are studies that state teams of 4-6 are optimal for most issues.¡± A random recruit who was listening answered.


    ¡°Exactly, so why ask us to form a group no larger than 4 when there are 30 of us?¡± Those numbers wouldn¡¯t add up, and as things stood, there were a lot of mismatched groups. And none of them outside of Kenji¡¯s group had any synergy.


    ¡°Because he never asked us to form groups of 4 in the first place. Dammit!¡± Kenji said with an annoyed look on his face, and then everyone else''s expression lit up with realization.


    Zac told them they could ¡°attack¡± him in groups no larger than 4. He never said anything about forming teams that consisted of more people. There were 30, the perfect number for 6 teams of 5. Adding to the fact Ume felt they were just one person shy of success, the full picture came to mind.


    ¡°He¡¯s teaching us how their Chasers work. They work in teams of 5, 4 as the main attacking force, while one coordinates the group''s action.¡± Ume said as she folded her arms.


    ¡°He played us from the start, then. Watabe never fully figured out his game.¡± Kenji said as he looked over at Zac, standing in the center of the room, looking at his phone. No team had stepped forward, and most of the room was huddled over where Kenji and the others were.


    ¡°Deception on top of lies, wrapped in illusion.¡± Watabe started to chuckle darkly as he stared at Zac.


    ¡°Everyone should reform your teams. You¡¯ve all seen each other fight by now, so finding those you synergize with shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± Watabe said.


    He didn¡¯t have to explain things in detail. Everyone here was recruited because someone within Renegade Technologies thought they were exceptional. He felt he wouldn¡¯t need to hold their hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this bastard bleed,¡± Genkei said as he smashed his fist into his palm.


    ¡°So, who should act as our team leader?¡± Ume asked.


    It was a question every group would need to decide, and they were no different. Watabe had already inserted himself into their group; they needed a leader. However, everyone just looked at Ume as if the question was unnecessary.


    ¡°Weren''t you already our leader?¡± Kenji said with a chuckle.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to assume,¡± Ume responded.


    ¡°What? Do you think the meathead or the hothead could be a good leader? Or maybe the naive freak instead? And we all know none of you will be willing to follow my lead.¡± Watabe said, not willing to spare anyone¡¯s feelings. Much to everyone¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°Very well, I will give commands; you 4 will do the fighting.¡± Ume looked over at Zac and motioned for the others to come closer as she ran through their battle plan again. Zac saw the change in the recruits and smirked. He didn¡¯t immediately call for the next group to come; he knew well what they were doing.


    ¡°About time.¡± Zac chuckled as he sat on the floor, waiting for the ¡°Tiny Tots¡± to finish their preparations.


    Half an hour passed. Team Kenji had been waiting for Zac to call up the next group, but he had just been sitting there without saying a word. He¡¯d just glance at the recruits before turning his attention back toward his phone. Finally, he tucked his phone into his pocket and looked at the recruits.


    ¡°It looks like you guys finally figured it out? Good! Then this will be your last chance. Pick a team to try and make me bleed.¡± Zac said with a smile.


    ¡°What happens if we can¡¯t?¡± A nervous recruit asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get the reward for completing the Day 2 mission. Resulting in Day 3 becoming significantly more difficult. This means you may not be rewarded for successfully completing tomorrow''s task, resulting in a snowball effect. That will ultimately affect your overall evaluation.¡± Zac answered with a glib smirk.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He made it sound like nothing. But these words meant that if they failed today, the possibility of failing the evaluation was extremely high. Meaning death .All of the recruits instinctively looked over at Kenji¡¯s group. They all understood that individually, the 5 were somewhere at the top of this recruiting class. Now they have formed a team. Everyone else was fighting for 2nd. If they were going to succeed, it would hinge on these 5.


    ¡°This changes nothing. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Kenji said with determination.


    The others nodded their heads in agreement. As Kenji, Watabe, Genkei, and Akiko moved forward, Ume hung back and smiled at Zac. She knew that Zac was a brilliant and crafty man. Trying to outthink him while fighting him was outside the scope of what she was capable of. But if she could just sit back and observe, she was sure to keep pace. Kenji held the katana in his hand; Akiko gave it to him to use as she would use the Wakizashi and Tanto combo. Genkei instantly began to charge towards Zac as Watabe threw his daggers out on the sides of Genkei.


    This cut off Zac''s number of escape routes; he could only back away or take Genkei head-on. Ume noticed that Zac likes to stay on the move. It made sense; he constantly fought people with superhuman strength; one blow could mean his death. He had developed a habit of evasion over the straight-on defense and had perfected this craft. There was no way to ultimately hold him down; the best they could do was limit his options.


    ¡°Not bad!¡± Zac shouted with excitement.


    The belt on his shoulder whipped out and smacked the dagger that threatened to cut off his right escape route, out of the air. He then moved towards the right, avoiding Genkei¡¯s charge, but not before wrapping the belt around Genkei¡¯s front leg. He pulled Genkei off his feet. Zac saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked to see Kenji there in a drawing posture.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Zac cursed.


    His belt was in his left hand, leaving his right exposed. He¡¯d have to dodge. The drawing of Kenji¡¯s blade was fast, faster than a typical human''s. Still, Zac dodged, leaning backward into a crab walk position using his left hand for support. A shadow hovered over him as Akiko came crashing down from above with her two blades. Zac quickly dropped on to his butt and pushed off the ground, sliding backward. Akiko landed after hitting nothing and looked up to see Zac flipped off the ground.


    They gave him no time to breathe as Watabe made a pulling motion. The blade flew towards Zac on his left. Zac used his belt to slap that dagger out of the air. Ume smiled, Zac was right-handed, and she noticed his effectiveness when using that belt in his left hand was reduced. It was hardly noticeable, but any advantage they could take was valuable. She wanted to ensure that belt stayed in his left hand as much as possible. The key to this strategy was Watabe and Kenji.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Kenji shouted. Zac was still in motion of deflecting the dagger as Kenji¡¯s inhuman speed closed the gap in a flash. He was once again in a drawing posture. But before he could draw the blade from its sheath, Zac¡¯s right palm thrust onto the top of the blade¡¯s sheath, keeping it stuck in its sheath, much to Kenji¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying,¡± Zac mumbled as that same hand punched Kenji across the face, sending him stumbling onto the ground.


    Genkei and Akiko caught up to the action and began their assault. Akiko attacked from Zac¡¯s left, while Genkei from his right. The belt wrapped around Zac¡¯s left arm with the buckle at his knuckle, acting as a brass knuckle, making a makeshift gauntlet on Zac¡¯s arm. With it, he parried and blocked Akiko¡¯s attacks without suffering damage. The two attacked in a semi-stagger pattern. They didn¡¯t want to get in the way of the other.


    ¡°A bit clumsy, but there¡¯s potential.¡± Zac thought to himself.


    It was only their second time fighting together, so he didn¡¯t expect a perfect sync. But their chemistry was evident. He subconsciously looked over at Ume for a moment. She was even more impressive than Kenji, at least in his eyes. This was her doing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Zac mused to himself.


    Zac¡¯s eyes widened as he looked down and saw a dagger lying between his feet.


    ¡°When did that happen?¡± Before he could finish his train of thought, the dagger leaped off the ground, and both Genkei and Akiko disengaged and jumped backward. Zac retreated backward as the dagger shot into the air before him. He looked to see an airborne Kenji catching the dagger and throwing it at Zac, who was still off his feet. Zac backhanded the dagger with the buckle of his belt. He twisted his body horizontally to avoid the second dagger coming from his left.


    He gracefully came out of his spin, landing on his left leg; his right foot swung down, knocking away the blade Kenji held, who tried to use this opportunity to attack. That was followed by a sidekick to Kenji¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Why only me?!¡± Kenji shouted as he stumbled back again.


    It was apparent that the only one in the team Zac seemed to want to actively deal damage to was Kenji. Zac chuckled as he punched out with his left-buckled fist. It collided with Genkei''s fist, and Genkei reeled back in shock. Genkei was always proud of his physical strength, but Zac seemed several times stronger than him. Up to this point, he never clashed directly with him. He rubbed his numb hand as he looked over at Kenji, rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°How the hell is he still conscious?¡± Genkei thought.


    If Zac¡¯s casually thrown punch was that strong, that kick should have nearly killed Kenji, but it looked like it just left a bruise. Genkei refocused when he saw Akiko attacking Zac.


    ¡°It¡¯s about what I expected. Start Papa Protocol!¡± Ume called out from the crowd of recruits as she started to walk toward the other side of the room where the fight was taking place.


    ¡°Papa Protocol? What the hell?¡± Zac said with a chuckle.


    The fighting continued for several more minutes, with similar scenarios taking place. The coordination of the 4 of them was becoming tight, and Zac was pressed more and more. Surprisingly they shifted their patterns constantly. Watabe and Kenji became the more aggressive pairing, while Akiko and Genkei attacked whenever there appeared to be an opening. Then they switched to Akiko and Kenji, then Watabe and Genkei. Each combination had a different flow and synergy that Zac had to evaluate.


    ¡°Very impressive, my Tiny Tots.¡± Zac thought to himself.


    Zac then looked over his shoulder and frowned a bit. He noticed that he was getting uncomfortably close to the watching recruits. A thought then flashed into his mind,


    ¡°Papa Protocol! You little shits!¡± Zac said with a laugh.


    They had noticed that he¡¯d take extra care to avoid the fight spilling over onto the watching recruits. They wanted to further hinder his movement by drawing him closer to the edge.


    ¡°Move out of the way! That¡¯s an order!¡± Zac shouted.


    The recruits all scurried out of the way except for one. Ume stood there with a smile on her face. Zac began to chuckle. Kenji, Watabe, Akiko, and Genkei stood before him, cutting off his escape routes. Fighting through them wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, with Ume behind him, the various attacks sent his way would no doubt risk hitting her. While she was part of their team, she was not a part of the attacking group. Zac had an obligation to protect her as an observing recruit.


    ¡°Not bad Ms.Chiba. Not bad at all.¡± Zac nodded his head in approval.


    ¡°What are you guys waiting for? Attack!¡± Ume shouted with confidence.


    Zac closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Protecting someone wasn¡¯t hard. Protecting someone who wanted to get hit was a completely different story. If Zac moved from this spot, Ume would get hit; even if she didn¡¯t, and he changed location, she would just try and shadow him.


    ¡°You changed the game, how fun. Let¡¯s play!¡± Zac said eerily, opening his eyes. The 4 of them attacked together. Kenji was the first there as he sent a drawing slash with everything he had. Zac sent out a belt-wrapped punch to meet the slash. Kenji was shocked to see the blade shatter with the power of Zac¡¯s punch. That punch continued until Kenji was struck across the face. He barreled onto the ground, knocked out.


    Genkei wasn¡¯t far behind Kenji as he went to attack. Before he could do anything, the belt wrapped around his neck and pulled him down. His face was met by Zac¡¯s knee as Genkei was taken out. In a flash, that belt whipped out like lightning and struck all four limbs of Akiko as she tried to make her approach.


    ¡°Argh!¡± She crumbled to her knees as she dropped her weapons.


    The belt then wrapped around Zac¡¯s left arm again as he slapped away a dagger flying towards him from the left. Zac¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the second dagger was not aimed at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Ume had walked out from behind him, and that dagger was headed straight for her. Zac started to laugh.


    ¡°Alright, you Tiny Tots did well. I¡¯ll give you this one.¡± Zac thought to himself.


    He reached his bare right hand and grabbed the dagger by the blade. The blade was inches away from Ume¡¯s forehead. Finally, a red drop of blood leaked from Zac¡¯s hand and fell onto the floor. The recruits began to cheer as Watabe and Ume both let out a sigh of relief and crumbled to the floor themselves. Kenji and Genkei slowly started to recover as they were roused by the cheers of the recruits.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ congratulations, Tiny Tots. You have completed the Day 2 Mission. You guys have about 7 hours until Day 3 starts. So you can either check in with whoever you need to and use the barracks here to get some rest. Or head home, and make your way back here.¡± Zac poured cold water on everyone¡¯s celebrations as he walked out of the training room.


    It was 9:00 am Sunday morning. They had been here since 7:00 pm the previous day. They had been at this for 14 hours, and Zac didn¡¯t even appear tired. It finally sunk in what a monster that man was. He had perfectly calculated everything, even up to the end of the evaluation, to give them enough time for a decent sleep. Did Kenji¡¯s team actually win? Or did Zac let them after having his fun? What did he have planned for them for Day 3? Regardless of what had Zac said, the recruits still saw him as a Chaser. But he was one without a Program for some reason and could do this. What would they be capable of in the future? The recruits all left battered and beaten but surprisingly looking forward to tomorrow.


    Three people stared at a screen showing the events during the recruits'' evaluation.


    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe they actually managed to make that slippery little snake bleed.¡± A blonde-haired, green-eyed woman said while giggling.


    ¡°Please, he had at least 5 other ways to stop that dagger. He let those kids injure him.¡± A black-haired Japanese man spoke.


    ¡°That makes it even more unbelievable! He must really like those 5.¡± The blonde said.


    ¡°I can agree with that much. They are impressive.¡± The black-haired Japanese man responded


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good for us either way. We get first dibs this time!¡± Franky said with excitement in his voice.


    The door behind them opened, and Zac walked in with Devin.


    ¡°I can see why you asked us to come. These 5 are indeed impressive.¡± The black-haired man said with a stern expression.


    ¡°I assume you all found someone you fancy?¡± Zac smiled.


    ¡°Hanabi Akiko, she is very much to my liking.¡± The Japanese man said with a smile.


    ¡°That Genkei guy is a cutie. I¡¯ll teach him well.¡± The blond woman spoke.


    Devin and the others shuttered a bit. Poor Genkei. Helena put herself through some hellish training. They couldn¡¯t imagine what her idea of ¡°teaching¡± someone was.


    ¡°So you¡¯re taking Kenji, right Devin?¡± Helena asked.


    Out of all these recruits, Kenji had the most potential by far. It made sense for Devin to mentor him.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Devin said with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. Ume is way more my style.¡± Zac said as everyone looked his way.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking Kenji,¡± Franky said with a smile.

 Chapter 7: Day 3

    Today, 6 teams of Chasers came in to greet the recruits. Each team was assigned to one of the recruit teams and chose a specific recruit. They were told that these individuals would be their mentors until they died or finished their time as a Trainee. Kenji expected that Devin or Zac was going to pick him. However, Devin chose Watabe Ken, and Zac eagerly chose Chiba Ume. Instead, Kenji found himself alone in a room with Franky.


    ¡°You look disappointed,¡± Franky said with a smile.


    ¡°Ah, no, no! I¡¯m just surprised. That''s all.¡± Kenji blurted out.


    He had been told he was special since he showed up here. In the beginning he didn¡¯t understand how, but as the days progressed, he was slowly starting to understand. The more he discovered about what he could do the more he wanted to explore his own limits. Which surprised and confused him. Through all of that he figured Zac wasn¡¯t fond of him, but he expected Devin to mentor him.


    ¡°Surprised, huh? Why¡¯s that? We each choose recruits from your team that match us the best.¡± Franky explained.


    ¡°Ah, I get it. Zac¡¯s your team leader, so he took Ume. Devin is¡­ strong, so he took Watabe.¡± Kenji understood. Kenji could imitate how others fought and could move his body well, but he didn¡¯t really know how to fight. Even after he had ¡°copied¡± those fighting styles, he still felt that if he fought Watabe, he would be at a disadvantage. But in the back of his mind he rejected that notion, he was sure that he could beat Watabe into submission.


    As that thought bubbled to the surface, Kenji instantly pushed it back down. He had never been this competitive before. Maybe, he was, and had just avoided situations where this trait could show itself. He was starting to think he really didn¡¯t know himself at all.


    ¡°Incorrect!¡± Franky, sharply interrupted his train of thought.


    ¡°What?¡± Kenji responded to Franky¡¯s sudden outburst.


    ¡°Zac isn¡¯t our Team Leader. Devin is.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Zac isn¡¯t leader material. He¡¯s a master manipulator. Sure, some form of manipulation is needed to lead, but Zac is¡­ a little much.¡± Franky explained.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kenji questioned.


    ¡°Let me ask you something. Did you hear what your reward for completing Day 2¡¯s ¡®mission¡¯ was? Or what your task today is?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no. I hadn¡¯t thought about it.¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°Because there isn¡¯t one. There never was. You¡¯re a recruit; this is an evaluation, mostly physical in nature. Why would we give you missions? That¡¯s so dumb!¡± Franky laughed. Kenji just stood there in confused silence.


    ¡°Did I give you a reward for breaking Zac¡¯s records on Day 1? HAHAHA! On Day 2, instructors normally fight each of you individually, evaluate your abilities and potential, and then create the teams for you. They then fight your teams, test your synergies, re-evaluate you, and reform teams as needed. Normally you¡¯d barely have 3 hours of rest before Day 3 starts.¡± Franky continued to laugh.


    ¡°Zac felt his way was more effective, and honestly, we can¡¯t argue with the results. He played you guys to get the desired results with the least amount of work. He even got you guys to form your own teams.¡± Kenji stood there in silence as he watched Franky double over in laughter. Kenji felt a cold shiver run down his spine, as he felt a migraine coming. He didn¡¯t know whether to fear or respect Zac, but the more he learned about him the more he came to understand Zac¡¯s annoyance with him.


    ¡°Leaders inspire trust, and trust their subordinates. Zac doesn¡¯t trust anyone¡­ but Devin, and Dr. Varma. Also, Zac doesn¡¯t inspire trust from anyone¡­ but Devin, and Dr. Varma.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t he the brains of your team?¡± Kenji asked, confused.


    ¡°Yeah, but not because we trust him. We trust Devin, who trusts Zac. As far as Zac¡­.¡± Franky let out a long sigh and continued,


    ¡°We all know it¡¯s in our best interest to follow his game plan. Because even if we don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s probably by his design.¡± Franky shrugged helplessly.


    ¡°Wow¡­ uh, he¡¯s uh.¡± Kenji stammered.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a real piece of work.¡±


    ¡°But Ume isn¡¯t like that!¡± Kenji injected as he realized the implications.


    ¡°Really? You know that, after knowing her for what? Barely 48 hours?¡± Franky chuckled.


    ¡°She may not be quite as untrusting as Zac. But she¡¯s not far behind. She didn¡¯t trust you guys on Day 2; she trusted HER ability to use you for HER own means. She is a schemer, just like Zac. Watabe is a leader.¡± Franky corrected Kenji. There was a reason why Franky chose to mentor Kenji. Out of all the recruits, Kenji was the most like him.


    Sure, Kenji had far more potential than he could dream of, but Franky was also forced into this life. He had stumbled on something he shouldn¡¯t have seen. Luckily, he was given a choice. To die or try his luck as a recruit. He was just as naive as Kenji and was content with everyday life. It had been barely 3 years since then, but he had already gone through more than enough to crush that naivety out of him.


    So while all the other recruits were probably getting pointers on their fighting style or weapon of choice. Or, in poor Genkei¡¯s case, going through an entirely new physical evaluation that made him wish for death. Instead, Franky decided to use this time to educate Kenji about the world he was getting himself into.


    ¡°What qualities does a leader need, then?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°As I said, they must inspire trust. Other than that, they must have authority and the capability to maintain that authority, while being able to command respect. They must desire greatness or, at the very least, to get the best out of those around them. Most importantly, they must have the will and strength to put their team on their back when shit hits the fan. You have the potential to do that. But does that sound like you?¡±


    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Kenji responded.


    As he reflected on the previous day, it was Watabe that chose their group, not the other way around. Not only that, but none of them rejected him. Instead, they were more shocked that he¡¯d work with them. Obviously, they respected his ability and trusted him to get the job done. Kenji found himself imagining Watabe¡¯s movements almost as much as Zac¡¯s. He was one of the people he wanted to emulate and surpass. And when everything was said and done, it was him and Ume that made Zac bleed.


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Kenji mumbled to himself. He didn¡¯t know where this sudden desire for Devin¡¯s and Zac¡¯s, of all people, approval sprouted from.


    ¡°Devin is not only the leader of our team but our entire organization. You didn¡¯t even want to be here. Why would he waste his time on you?¡± Franky chided.


    ¡°You want me to be the team leader? What about that freak? We all saw what he could do yesterday. Moves that took years of training, he copied and improved after a glance!¡± Watabe asked Devin, a bit annoyed.


    ¡°What about him? He has tremendous potential, more than me. But he doesn¡¯t have the drive, nor the desire.¡± Devin responded with a smile. He and Watabe stood in an empty training room.


    ¡°Desires easily change.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, and I¡¯ve noticed a slight change already. Being the leader of that team won¡¯t be easy. Dealing with someone like Zac never is, and you¡¯ll have 2 versions of him! One with his potential and the other with his mind. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they both challenged you for leadership at some point.¡± Devin joked.


    Watabe didn¡¯t need to ask what he was referring to. Ume was hard to read and harder to follow mentally. That innocent face of hers hid a sinister temperament. She was immensely kind and supportive to those she cared for but equally cruel to those she didn¡¯t. He¡¯d tried his best to stay on her good side over the years. Otherwise, he¡¯d be done before he knew what happened.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°You seem to know what kind of person Ume is?¡± Watabe asked.


    ¡°Yeah, your uncle filled us in on the both of you, and-¡±


    ¡°AND YOU WANT ME TO STEAL A POSITION FROM HER?!¡± Watabe interrupted. As Devin began to laugh hysterically.


    ¡°Zac will handle that, don''t worry. She seems to be a logical person; she¡¯ll understand. If not now, eventually.¡±


    ¡°Eventually¡­great.¡± Watabe wasn¡¯t convinced. However, if there was anyone who could reel her in, it would be someone like Zac. Especially if he was going to be acting as her mentor. Watabe sighed as he calmed down.


    ¡°What exactly are we going to be doing today?¡± After Watabe spoke, Devin tossed him a pair of daggers. They were very similar to the ones he had used the day before, only newer.


    ¡°You¡¯re a natural leader, so I don¡¯t need to teach you anything. So we¡¯re going to work on your weapon of choice. Your weapon of choice is the exact same as Zac¡¯s. Eventually, I¡¯ll ask him to give you some pointers, but outside of him, no one knows the ins and outs of those more than me.¡± Devin smirked proudly.


    ¡°Do you use these as well?¡± Watabe asked. Even if Zac and Devin used the same weapons, it made sense that Zac was more proficient. Devin was a true Chaser with a Program. Zac had nothing but his body and wits; he¡¯d need to bring everything he specialized in to its limit to even begin to compete.


    ¡°Nope, never even touched them. But I¡¯ve been Zac¡¯s sparring partner¡­ and training dummy for years. So attack me with everything you have, and I¡¯ll point out every single flaw and tell you how to fix them. We have 12 hours together, so make them count.¡± Devin smirked.


    Watabe let out a deep breath as he properly equipped the daggers. He checked the wiring to make sure everything functioned properly. Watabe then charged forward toward Devin.


    ¡°First mistake. Your throwing hand is too obvious.¡± Devin said as an invisible force smacked the dagger out of Watabe¡¯s left hand before he properly began to throw it. Watabe¡¯s eyes widened as he didn¡¯t understand what had just happened. He took a breath and picked up his dagger, and charged again,


    ¡°Thank you, Sensei.¡±


    ¡°Kill me, Sensei, please!¡± Genkai shouted out in pain as he lay on the ground.


    Strapped to him were all manner of weights and odd devices exclusively designed by Helena for training. Conciendiatally, a good deal of the ¡°training¡± equipment she had designed was used for interrogation purposes. That is, once she had concluded that she was no longer getting ¡°gains¡± from them. Helena looked down at him from atop a set of monkey bars. Her head tilted to the side. She was baffled,


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too much of a cutie to kill. Instead, I will make you even cuter with bigger, stronger, more powerful muscles! Come on now, we¡¯ve only been at this for 3 hours! We got 9 more to go!!¡± Helena giggled as her legs swung.


    Genkei had always prided himself on his physique. He certainly was not one to shy away from hard work, especially if it was training. But this tiny woman was a lunatic. His worldview was already shattered when the thin woman carried these heavy weights like a stack of paper. Still, he was confident that she had gone through this training herself if she was willing to put him through it. He looked at Helena and observed her body through his ragged breathing. She wore a dark purple spandex bodysuit. Everything under her neck was covered.


    Still, he could see her impressively built body beneath. Those cut lean muscles could not be hidden. They also hid immense flexibility. If he could compare it to anything, she was like a world-class gymnast, only several times more impressive¡­ in many aspects.


    ¡°You keep staring at me like that, and you¡¯ll make me blush. When I blush, things tend to break.¡± Helena smiled at Genkei.


    However, that smile didn¡¯t carry the same playfulness as usual. Genkei felt a cold shiver run down his spine, and he instantly shot up from his lying position. Helena needlessly contorted her body to flip off the monkey bars while landing in complete silence. She walked over towards Genkei and rubbed her hands over his body.


    ¡°Oh, come on, that¡¯s not fair,¡± Genkei grumbled.


    ¡°Oh shut up, I¡¯m checking your muscles, not feeling you up.¡± Helena giggled.


    ¡°You have great endurance and power, but there is still room for improvement. However, your flexibility is ass. I¡¯ll need to focus on that.¡± Helena nodded to herself as she took mental notes.


    ¡°They say we shouldn''t get too attached to you guys on day 3 because you might not make the cut. But you won¡¯t disappoint me. Will you? My little cutie?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Sensei,¡± Genkei responded with confidence.


    ¡°Good!¡± Helena''s excited shout filled the room as she pressed a button on one of the contraptions attached to Genkei. The sounds of gears shifting filled Genkei with dread as his body started to move on its own. He was forced into a very uncomfortable position, and it kept going.


    ¡°This will help work on your flexibility. I¡¯ve never needed to use this before. You¡¯re so lucky! If it feels like you wanna die, it means it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°Kill me!!!!¡± Genkei shouted out as his large body looked more akin to a pretzel.


    ¡°Oh good! it¡¯s working!¡± Helena sounded excited as she squatted down and poked the agonizing Genkei in his sides.


    Akiko and a black-haired man sat in the middle of a room that was more akin to a lush garden. They both had their Katanas laid into their laps as they sat in the lotus position. They had been sitting there silently for upwards of 2 hours. Finally, Akiko could take no more,


    ¡°Argh!!! You said you were going to train me! Making me into something that could not be imitated! But all we¡¯ve been doing is sitting here!¡±


    ¡°Your technique is superb, your physical condition leaves little to be desired, and your determination is satisfactory. What you lack is tranquility. You lack patience, as you have so brilliantly displayed.¡± Hachiman said as he opened his eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been sitting here for 2 hours; how much longer do I need to wait?¡± She protested.


    ¡°Until you understand the value of clearing your mind of all thoughts. If you could do as such, you¡¯d hardly notice the time pass at all.¡± Hachiman shook his head.


    He saw what Akiko was like during her fight with Zac. He wasn¡¯t disappointed; he expected precisely this. In his mind, Akiko had all the pieces she needed to be extraordinary. All that was left was for her to have the patience to let herself grow.


    ¡°You must have a fire in your belly, but be tranquil as a forest. The sharpest weapon you possess is your mind. With it, nothing is impossible.¡± With a motion too fast for Akiko to follow with her eyes, Hachiman drew his blade and resheathed it. Akiko only saw him placing his blade back into its sheath, she couldn¡¯t follow the draw. She looked out in front of her and saw all the training dummies set up in the distance, cut to shreds. Hachiman placed his blade back in his lap.


    ¡°However, if it is miss-handled, it is a danger to yourself and everyone around you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Akiko said with a despondent expression.


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t. You¡¯ve never taken the time to just slow down, have you? Just to be alone with yourself in silence? To let everything go, your worries, your insecurities? Just clear your mind, forget everything you have learned, leaving only the barest of basics.¡± Hachiman said as he took a deep breath and smiled with his eyes closed.


    ¡°Is this the beginning of your sword style?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°Nothingness is the beginning of all things. You will not be learning my fighting style. It¡¯s not something that can be taught. It is an expression of me. So too, will your fighting style be. It will be an expression of you. Something that can not be taught. Others can attempt to imitate, but they¡¯ll just be fooling themselves. For you can not imitate that, which has no form.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± Akiko said with a nod. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Akiko tried to clear herself of all her thoughts and forget her worries. There was no way she could remove bad habits she had formed, but if she could forget them and start fresh, then maybe. However, the idea of doing that through will alone seems ridiculous.


    ¡°Ergh, this is impossible!¡± Akiko said. She felt like she could only do this for a minute or two before going insane.


    ¡°Impossible? Really? We only have 2 hours left in our session.¡± Hachiman smiled at her.


    Akiko¡¯s eyes widened. She was in deep meditation for 8 hours, and it felt like just a few moments had passed. She giggled and then began her mediation again.


    In a separate room, Zac and Ume sat at a table with a chessboard. Ume had a distraught look on her face. Zac told her she would need to give up her position as team leader. Before she could protest, Zac challenged her to a game of chess, telling her if she could beat him, he¡¯d reverse his decision.


    ¡°Is this really all we¡¯re going to do today?¡± Ume asked, a little annoyed.


    ¡°Well, I said we could play Shogi, too. Look, I even let you be white.. What are you complaining about?¡± Zac shrugged helplessly.


    ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m complaining about.¡±


    ¡°Never shit on the classics! Two smart people having a conversation over a game of Chess. It¡¯s so cliche, I love it.¡± Zac jokes.


    ¡°Sensei!¡± Ume was not amused.


    ¡°What, are you too good to work for a reward?¡± Zac chuckled.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to work for something that was already given to me!¡± Ume shouted.


    ¡°Heh, the team leader position wasn¡¯t theirs to give.¡±


    Zac and Ume went back and forth like this, all the while they continued their game.


    ¡°Did my uncle do this? Did he say to make Ken team leader?¡± Ume sounded very upset.


    This was why she wanted to avoid teaming up with Watabe Ken. She expected this outcome. Zac held back laughter,


    ¡°You¡¯re uncle is so low on the totem pole as to be almost non-existent. He¡¯s a historian more than anything, reminding us of the pitfalls of others so that we don''t repeat them.¡±


    ¡°Then why him and not me?¡± Ume said as she slammed a piece onto the board.


    ¡°You¡¯re not leadership material. Check.¡± Zac smiled as he moved his knight.


    A look of disgust layered onto Ume¡¯s face. She never has been more insulted in her life. Before she could say anything, Zac interrupted.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that look. You¡¯re just like me. You want to be a leader and be at the center of attention. But deep down, we both know that¡¯s not what you want; that¡¯s not what WE want. Well, maybe that is what we want, but that¡¯s not what we enjoy.¡± Zac smiled at her. Ume moved a chess piece as she calmed down.


    ¡°Go on.¡± She said, her curiosity instantly peeking. She wanted to know exactly what this man thought he knew about her.


    ¡°We enjoy playing the game. We love watching the pawns move as if they have free will; while enjoying the sight of them dancing to the steps we have dictated for them. We enjoy the look on the other party''s faces when they understand it¡¯s too late. Checkmate.¡±


    Ume looked down at her pieces and sighed. She gently knocked over her king and leaned back in her chair.


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about having all those eyes filled with expectations looking at you? Isn¡¯t it more fun to run the show from the back?¡± Zac smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care, Sensei.¡± A dark smile stretched across Ume¡¯s face. Zac looked at her with satisfaction.


    ¡°Good girl.¡±

 Chapter 8: Shocking Truths

    Day 4 had arrived, and the recruits found themselves in a large laboratory. There were several human-size specimen tubes towards the back. Inside of some of them were odd creatures that they had never seen. Some they had only heard of in legends and fairy tales.


    ¡°Is that a vampire?¡± One of the recruits blurted out.


    ¡°No way what the hell is that? Are these real?¡± Another exclaimed.


    Standing in front of the recruits were two people, Zac and the beautiful Indian woman Kenji had met several days ago.


    ¡°Good morning! And they are indeed real my Tiny Tots! I hope you all enjoyed your time with your mentors.¡± Zac smiled.


    Everyone but Genkei seemed to have a satisfied look on their faces. Genkei looked like he was doing everything in his power not to pass out at the mention of their ¡°mentors.¡±


    ¡°Today, you¡¯ll be spending your time with my lovely assistant. One Dr. Shaila Varma.¡± Zac motioned to his right. Dr. Varma fluttered her fingers at the recruits while winking at Kenji, who scoffed at the title of Doctor.


    ¡°What do we need a Doctor for?¡± One of the recruits asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who administers the Nano-machines that give you access to Programs, thereby awakening you as Chasers.¡± Dr.Varma said with a smile.


    The excitement in the room went up several levels at the mention of Programs. Several of the recruits looked over at Zac menacingly. Zac, in turn, just began to chuckle.


    ¡°Before we begin, are there any questions?¡± Dr. Varma asked.


    ¡°I got one. What exactly are Chasers?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°Hell of a first question.¡± Zac said with a smile as he leaned against one of the tubes.


    ¡°These strange creatures you see in these tubes. Do you know what they are?¡± Dr. Varma said sternly.


    They all had ideas about what they were, but none of them wanted to say it out loud, for fear of sounding crazy.


    ¡°They are exactly what you think. Cyptids, monsters, paranormal, supernatural¡­ it''s all real, well most of it. Humans have never been at the top of the food chain, and sometime after the first human civilizations came into being, so too did a group of people. Those people made it their business to protect humans from the things that seek to do us harm. Including ourselves. They were given a title from someone or something,  in a language that no longer exists on Earth. The closest translation we could muster was, ¡®Chaser¡¯.¡± Dr. Varma saw the shocked look on their faces.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t anyone know about this?¡± One of the recruits asked as they touched one of the tubes holding a demonic looking creature.


    ¡°The fewer people who know the better. One of the best ways to protect humans from themselves, is to keep them in the dark about things they don¡¯t understand. We¡¯ve all seen how the human race likes to deal with things it doesn¡¯t understand.¡± Zac sighed.


    ¡°The U.N. agreed with our train of thought. They also understood they could not stop us from continuing, at least not without inducing mass panic. So they proposed the Secrete Security Operatives Against the Paranormal Initiative. The S.S.O.A.P Initiative, for short. It basically says we are free to proceed as we always have, as long as it stays out of the public''s eyes, and we keep them informed of our operations, especially those that can affect global politics.¡± Dr. Varma carried on.


    ¡°Wait, so Soap?¡± One of the American recruits giggled.


    ¡°Yeah, we think it¡¯s stupid too. But the U.N. refers to us as ¡®Cleaners¡¯, I guess they think they''re clever.¡± Zac chuckled.


    ¡°And by proceeding as you alway have¡­ meaning?¡± Ume inquired.


    ¡°Eliminating all entities that pose a threat to society, or life as a whole. That can range from these monsters you see here, to particularly nasty humans.¡± Zac answered.


    ¡°Seems you missed a few dictators.¡± A bronze skinned young lady responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Sometimes killing a single or multiple bad people can do more harm than good. In most cases solving the issues that lead to the dictator coming into power is the way to go.¡± Zac shrugged.


    ¡°I know it happened before we were born, but the US Iraq War is a prime example. A lot of people were killed, some that needed to be, and a lot who didn¡¯t. However, as soon as the US occupation ended, some would say things got even worse.¡± Dr. Varma sighed.


    ¡°Human problems are complicated, monster problems are relatively simple. So we try not to involve ourselves in global human conflict, unless things get out of hand. Like when the bombs were dropped during WWII. That¡¯s when we made our presence known to the Allied Forces.¡± The room became eerily quiet after Dr. Varma spoke.


    ¡°Why do you think Hitler committed suicide? Because he¡¯s a coward? Yes, but what drove him to reveal his cowardice, was the vision of a squad of perfect Jewish superhumans, ripping his army to shreds and hunting him down. His idiotic dream became his worst nightmare.¡± Dr. Varma gave a dark chuckle.


    ¡°After the war ended and The United Nations was formed, their first order of business was the  S.S.O.A.P. Initiative.  To summarize, we chase away the darkness, so people can live in the light. '''' Zac smirked.


    Everyone nodded as they began to understand their role here. They couldn¡¯t solve all the world''s problems even with super powers, but they could at least do their part to keep it safe long enough for someone to find answers. As Kenji heard all of this, he started to feel a bit ashamed of himself.


    He saw these Chasers as nothing but self serving megalomaniacs, and maybe that was true for some. However, what they stood for at their core was respectable. He sighed to himself as he looked at Zac. The feelings he had regarding that man were becoming more conflicted as the days passed. He hated him, and maybe he still did, but he could not deny the respect that was rising to the surface.


    ¡°Why are you giving us powers? We haven¡¯t finished the evaluations?¡± Another Recruit asked.


    ¡°Technically, you have finished the evaluations as normal humans. After your Awakening, you will do what you did the previous days. The only difference is you will be enhanced and have access to Programs. We will then compare your results before and after.¡±


    Everyone looked over at Zac, who smiled back at the lot of them. They were all itching to have another go at him after getting their Programs. Dr. Varma saw the looks in their eyes and just shook her head.


    ¡°Yeah, good luck with that, Tiny Tots.¡± Dr. Varma thought to herself. These children had no clue. However, this would be good for them. Humbling cocky children was never a bad thing.


    ¡°Will¡­ will it hurt?¡± Genkei asked sheepishly.


    He had been through more than he was willing to for the rest of his life. He wasn¡¯t in the mode for more.


    ¡°Immensely. But you¡¯re Helana¡¯s pupil, right? The pain will pale in comparison to whatever that lunatic had you go through.¡± Dr. Varma consoled Genkei, who let out a sigh of relief. He was perfectly fine if that was indeed the case.


    ¡°Why will it hurt? What are you doing to us?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll inject you with nano-machines that will reconstruct and improve your body and DNA. It will remove flaws, increase strengths, and unlock any hidden treasures your ancestry may hold. Or even open up latent evolutionary paths. It will also integrate itself into your bone marrow to help maintain these changes. As you can probably imagine, it will be quite painful.¡± Dr.Varma spoke.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just sedate us?¡± A recruit asked.


    ¡°Yes, but sedation will work until the nano-machines start their job. One of their functions is to remove anything hurtful from your system. They identify sedatives as harmful. So¡­ You¡¯ll just have to grit your teeth and bare it, I¡¯m afraid.¡± A lot of the recruits had odd expressions on their faces. If it was that painful, then,


    ¡°How many people have died undergoing this process?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Since the creation of these nano-machines in the early 2000s. 60%¡± Dr. Varma smiled.


    The recruits all looked at each other and then over at Zac. That was the 40% survival rate they talked about at the beginning? They didn¡¯t kill recruits. Recruits died at this point in the evaluations. Some of them looked rather upset.


    ¡°You lied to us?!¡± Someone shouted.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°No one lied. Except me, but I lie constantly. You just need to do a better job of asking questions. Like this. Now that you know your chances of survival, has anything changed?¡± Zac spoke to the recruits, and all of them became quiet.


    Nothing had changed; there was always a 40% chance of survival. The only difference was they thought they had more control over the outcome. However, no one was willing to quit. They had made it this far. They refused to believe they couldn¡¯t get through this.


    ¡°That was the survival rate since its creation in the early 2000s. That was over 40 years ago. You have undoubtedly made improvements in the nano-machines and the administration process. So what is the success rate in recent years?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re Zac¡¯s pupil, right? I like you. We¡¯ve worked out most of the bugs in the past 5 years. The current success rate is 98%. That 2% chance is unforeseen circumstances, we can do nothing about.¡± Dr.Varma shrugged.


    All the recruits let out a sigh of relief. They were all going to go through it anyway. Still, the added stress of having a 40% chance of survival may have led to those unforeseen circumstances.


    ¡°Were you going to tell us that?¡± Kenji asked,


    ¡°Maybe¡­It depended on how many of you looked like you would faint from anxiety. You¡¯re entering a profession where your life''s on the line every time you step out those doors. If you die from the stress of gaining a Program, you have no business being a Chaser in the first place.¡± Dr. Varma¡¯s words were harsh but true.


    ¡°But it seems like that was an unnecessary worry. You all seemed adequately motivated. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.¡± Dr. Varma started to walk toward the recruits.


    ¡°Wait, I have a question.¡± Ume spoke, before Dr. Varma could continue.


    ¡°Ask.¡± Dr. Varma Responded.


    ¡°Nano-Machines are relatively recent. Chasers existed as far back as the first human civilizations. How did they enhance themselves, before the Nano-machines?¡±


    ¡°Excellent question. They had access to some form of serum that they created by hand. Our records claim they received the know-how from a being they referred to as Heka, we believe it to be the same being that named them. They perfected said serum over thousands of years. However, there were always rather nasty side effects. Milder side effects caused their nervous system to slowly degrade, and they¡¯d become vegetables after about 2 decades of having superhuman abilities. The most intense side effects were that they would go mad and become worse than the monsters they fought.¡± Everyone went silent for a moment, and Dr. Varma continued.


    ¡°The serum also increased cognitive function, so they were able to advance their technology quickly. Soon their technology caught up to their abilities. So they made diluted forms of the serum to severely lessen the side effects and compensated the loss of some strength with technology. However, around the 1990¡¯s the monsters started to become stronger than before. This brought upon the Advent of Nano-machines. Using technology and the premise of the old serum as the base, we created something that made us stronger than ever before, without the side effects. While having far more advanced technology to boot. Are there any more questions before I continue?¡±  Dr. Varma asked as she looked out into the stunned recruits.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll continue. Chasers are prohibited from using their abilities in public. This does not apply when on missions or in self-defense from other Chasers or supernatural entities. You will be prohibited from killing civilians. Obviously, you are prohibited from revealing your abilities to civilians unless the situation calls for it. Most importantly, you are forbidden from having children. Adoption is fine, but Chaser spawning children of their own is strictly forbidden. Which is why we aren¡¯t too keen on workplace romances.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Zac dating!¡± Kenji blurted out.


    ¡°Yes! And neither of us have Programs.¡± Dr. Varma smiled at Kenji.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we have children?¡± A recruit asked for confusion.


    ¡°Because we don¡¯t know what your little devils will become. These Nano-machines push human evolution forward by thousands, if not millions of years. But it¡¯s controlled. However, you are changed down to your DNA. You will pass that change on to your children, and we do not yet know what effects that could have on the general public. That¡¯s why such children are taboo.¡± Zac said as he looked over at Kenji.


    Kenji¡¯s eyes widened as everything started to click. Kenji rubbed his forehead as he thought about his life to this point. His mother was always against him involving himself in physical sports. She always told him to focus on his studies, not on useless things.  She especially instilled the idea of living an everyday life. When he was conceived, his father was a Chaser, and his mother must have known, or could have also been one herself. He was one of these Taboo Children.


    ¡°Has such a child ever been born?¡± Ume asked curiously.


    ¡°We are aware of two such individuals. One we aren¡¯t certain of. The other, we are quite certain of because we know his parents.¡± Dr.Varma looked over at Kenji, and everyone¡¯s eyes locked on him.


    It made sense to everyone. Kenji was abnormal on many levels; many things he did were beyond what humans were capable of. At that thought, everyone turned their attention over toward Zac. If Kenji was abnormal, then Zac was downright freaky.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They believe I¡¯m one of these Taboo Children as well. But we aren¡¯t sure, father died before I was born, and no one has information on him, and my mother was never a Chaser.¡± Zac shrugged.


    Dr. Varma nodded in satisfaction at the quick deduction of these recruits. Zac and Kenji were abnormal. They had the physical nature of Chasers, in some cases more impressive, but surprisingly they had no powers.


    ¡°So why haven¡¯t you gotten a Program?¡± Ume asked Zac curiously. If he was such an oddity, injecting him with those nano-machines would make him into something unstoppable.


    ¡°The Nano-Machines don¡¯t work on me.¡± Zac shrugged.


    ¡°They get in, start their work and then¡­ vanish. We have no idea why.¡± Dr. Varma said with an annoyed expression on her face.


    ¡°Is it really ok to share all this with us?¡± Watabe was the one who asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a secret. Everyone in our line of work is aware of what I am. I even have a moniker. ¡®The Anomaly.¡¯¡± Zac chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Fuck¡¯in cool alias.¡± Akiko blurted out.


    ¡°I think so too. It¡¯s fun.¡± Zac joked.


    ¡°Will I be the same?¡± Kenji asked, a little concerned.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but we hope not. Because if we can figure out why the Nano-machines work on you¡­.¡± Dr. Varma spoke but was cut off by Kenji,


    ¡°You can maybe make them work for Zac.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Dr. Varma nodded in response.


    Everyone else nodded as well. The recruits all recognized that Kenji was extraordinary. Even more so than Zac in some ways, but he¡¯d need time to grow. Zac was already a dangerous animal. If they could figure out how to get the nano-machines to stick, it would be like turning a Black Mamba into a Black Dragon. Even Kenji understood this, regardless of how much he hated to admit it. They also understood why Zac was so invested in their recruitment class, even overseeing it himself.


    ¡°Are there any more questions?¡± Dr. Varma asked.


    ¡°Yeah, how much do you actually know about me?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Do you really wanna know?¡± Dr. Varma asked in return, as Kenji nodded his head affirmatively.


    ¡°Very well. We don¡¯t know as much as we would like. But what we do know is that your father was one of the first Chasers to receive a Program, on top of that he¡¯s one of the best, alive or dead. Anyone who knows him, either has immense respect, fear, or a bit of both.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s alright.¡± Zac scoffed with a roll of his eyes. Dr. Varma chuckled and continued


    ¡°The real mystery is your mother.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Kenji asked, confused. His mother as far as he could tell was as average as it came.


    ¡°Our information is limited, because we weren¡¯t an organization back then. However, as far as we can tell, your mother didn¡¯t exist, until about 17 years ago. That¡¯s when she appeared out of nowhere, with a child. You Kenji.¡±


    Kenji could feel his breathing picking up. He wanted to say that none of it made sense, but when he thought back on his life. His mother had always been standoffish with people they didn¡¯t know, she made no mention of family or friends, it was like there was nothing in her world outside of him. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of his shock.


    ¡°Fourteen years after her appearance, we discovered her, well Devin and Zac discovered her. And in the process, they were confronted by your father. They came to an agreement, and in exchange for keeping you a secret, he works for us indefinitely. However, our counterparts caught wind of you somehow.¡± Dr. Varma didn¡¯t need to explain the rest to Kenji.


    ¡°Is that all you know about my mother?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°The only person who knows more would be your mother or father, and your father isn¡¯t exactly forthcoming with information, and your mother won¡¯t talk to us.¡± Zac responded.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ok¡­¡± Kenji was breathless as he tried to process everything he heard.


    Not only was his mother not what he thought she was, but his father was close enough to keep an eye on him all this time. Why did he never visit, why did he never let him know that he actually cared, why didn¡¯t his mother tell him? What was happening?! Kenji felt his world begin to spin and walked away from the group, without looking back.


    ¡°Kenji!¡± Akiko called out to him, but he ignored her call.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to him.¡± Zac calmly said, as he walked after Kenji.


    ¡°Zac!¡± Dr. Varma called out to him worried, but he simply waved her off without looking back saying,


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Zac followed Kenji into a corner of the room, where he found the boy beating his hand against a wall. Kenji looked over his shoulder and saw Zac standing there, he frowned at him and then faced the sterile white wall again.


    ¡°What? Are you here to tell me to get over it? That I have a gift, and a duty to use it?¡± Kenji scoffed. It became obvious to him that he could no longer run away from this. It was as if the world had conspired to shove him into this position. His father was one of the greatest Chasers that ever lived, and his mother even if she wasn¡¯t a Chaser, she was someone, with enough ability to confidently reject them. That little bit didn¡¯t escape his notice. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be alive, but now that he was, he must have a duty to fill a role, right?


    ¡°No.¡± Zac responded bluntly. He leaned his back against the wall Kenji had buried his fist into, and sighed,


    ¡°Look kid. I''m a jackass, a dick even, but not a complete asshole. This isn¡¯t something you just get over.¡±


    Kenji chuckled a bit as Zac gave a very accurate description of himself.


    ¡°Also, no one can tell you what to do with your gifts, but you.¡±


    Kenji looked up at Zac, the shock clear on his face.


    ¡°People like you and me, owe the world nothing! So it makes it that much more impactful when we decide whether or not it¡¯s worth saving. Even from itself.¡±


    At Zac¡¯s words Kenji rubbed his forehead, and chuckled silently to himself.


    ¡°You can decide whether this world is worth saving later. Right now, you need to get your head on straight, the nanos could respond negatively to your mental state. So take time to gather yourself. You¡¯re not in the first group to receive Nanos anyway.¡± Zac thrust his back from the wall and began to move forward.


    Kenji stared at his back and a feeling of calm took over him. He never experienced having a father figure, maybe this was what it was like? Or maybe just a jackass uncle? Regardless,


    ¡°Zac, wait! I''m coming.¡±


    ¡°Atta boy. It would¡¯ve really sucked if I didn¡¯t get to see whether those nano-machines would take or not.¡± Zac sauntered back to the group.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a dick.¡± Kenji muttered.

 Chapter 9: Expectations

    Once Zac and Kenji returned, no one spoke or asked any questions. They were curious about these Taboo Children, especially with two of them standing in their presence, but they were more excited to get this underway.


    ¡°Good, then we will be performing this in groups of 10. It shouldn¡¯t take more than an hour for each group to finish. When I call your names, please step forward and follow me.¡± Dr. Varma then called out 10 names. Among those 10 names, Akiko and Ume were called. They were led toward those specimen tubes. Dr. Varma moved her hand across her tablet, and the sides of the tubes rolled down.


    ¡°Please step inside and place the breathing mask over your face, then we will begin.¡± The 10 of them tentatively climbed on top of the stand. The walls of the tubes rose once again, and a breathing mask lowered for them. They all quickly put on the masks.


    ¡°Here we go. Good luck.¡± Dr. Varma said as she moved her hand across her table once again.


    The tubes all began to fill with a luminescent fluid. In moments the tubes filled with the fluid. The training gear that the recruits were wearing began to light up, and Dr. Varma sighed,


    ¡°Here it comes.¡± She then pressed her tablet, and the liquid began to move and bubble. When the liquid began to move, so too did the recruits in the tubes. They all began to contort and writhe in pain. Watabe instinctively moved towards Ume¡¯s tube with a frightened look. Ume was always so even keel. This was the first time he had seen such intense emotion on her face. Kenji winced at the sight but noticed something else. That luminescent liquid began to lose its luster over time.


    ¡°The luminescence is the nano-machines?¡± Kenji blurted out.


    ¡°Correct, they are drawn into the body through your pores. The training gear we equip helps to facilitate that. As well as regulate your heart rate, and keep an eye on your vitals.¡± Dr. Varma said.


    Kenji slowly nodded his head. They not only had them wear that gear to get comparative data. They also had them wear it, so the gear could document their vitals under different circumstances to accurately assist in this process. Kenji shook his head in disbelief. Indeed, everything these people did had a reason. Kenji turned his attention to Akiko¡¯s tube. She seemed to be in less pain than the others, or at the very least, she seemed good at bearing the pain.


    ¡°Not bad. Hachiman found some premium goods this time.¡± Zac thought to himself as he looked at Akiko as well. That girl seemed to have gone into a trance-like state. She had cleared her mind and was already starting to acclimate to the nano-machines. Zac then turned towards Ume and smirked. He knew this would be the hardest thing for her. However, after she survived this, there was nothing she wouldn¡¯t be able to do. He just wondered what Program she would birth.


    An hour passed, and the liquid the recruits were floating in became dull. The tubes rapidly drained, and all the recruits landed on their knees.


    ¡°No casualties and no abnormalities. Good, everything looks great. Ok, everyone, hop on down, and let¡¯s get a look at your Programs.¡± Dr. Varma said with a smile on her face.


    The recruits quickly gathered themselves and walked towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about this for a while, but what exactly is a Program?¡± One of the recruits who just got out of the tubes asked.


    ¡°Simply put, they¡¯re a superpower. The Nano-machines enhance your body while discovering innate abilities hidden within your DNA. The Nano-Machines manage and maintain those abilities, so we call them Programs.¡± Zac explained.


    ¡°Manage?¡± Another Recruit asked.


    ¡°Yes, you initiate the Programs with a command phrase. The Nano-machines allow you access to said abilities, and then you can use them freely.¡±


    ¡°If the nano-machine ¡®allows¡¯ us access, I¡¯m guessing you control the nano-machines?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Correct. To be more precise. The leader of each Organization has direct control, along with a kill phrase.¡± Zac said sinisterly.


    ¡°A k-kill phrase?¡± Akiko stuttered.


    ¡°Of course, if you guys go rogue or attempt to betray us. Devin says a key phrase that only he knows, along with your ID number, and boom! Those countless nano-machines in your body detonate in tiny explosions that reduce you to atoms. What? You didn¡¯t think you could run unchecked with superpowers, right?¡± Dr. Varma chuckled.


    Everyone instinctively gulped but then immediately calmed down. Those were pretty easy rules to avoid death. Don¡¯t betray, and don¡¯t go rogue. Dr. Varma then motioned for Akiko to come up; she held up her tablet and scanned Akiko. She then flicked her stylus in Akiko¡¯s direction. Akiko¡¯s eyes lit up, and her body twitched a bit.


    ¡°Give me your name, and then confirm your Program and ID Number? It should have popped into your mind just now. We need to make sure the communication function is working properly.¡± Dr. Varma instructed.


    ¡°Yes, Hanabi Akiko 88471469. Program: Flare.¡± Akiko responded. Dr. Varma nodded her head, indicating everything was correct. On the other hand, Zac tilted his head to the side with wide eyes.


    Program: Flare; allows its Chaser to raise heat values, and directly control those bodies of heat. They are only limited by their own control.


    ¡°Did you say Flare?¡± Zac asked


    Akiko nodded her head affirmatively. Zac started to laugh.


    ¡°You kids really are something else.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Dr. Varma agreed with Zac¡¯s assessment.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°All Programs are not created equal. Some are more¡­well, just more than others. Flare is a perfect example of that. Kenji, remember the night we saved you?¡± Zac said as he turned towards Kenji, who nodded.


    ¡°That idiot that shot the giant fireball at you. He had the Blaze Program, which is pretty common. Flare is like Blaze¡¯s more attractive, more talented, and more successful older brother.¡± Zac said with a smile. Kenji remembered the destructive nature of that fireball. It melted the platform instantly, but Akiko¡¯s Program was capable of more? He didn¡¯t really want to think about it right now.


    ¡°So there are tiers to Programs?¡± Genkei asked.


    ¡°Not really. All Programs have strengths and weaknesses, and anyone could push any Program to do unbelievable things. It¡¯s just that some Programs are easier to do that with than others.¡± Dr. Varma said.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not completely true. One Program sits above all of them. Program: Zero.¡± Zac said with a smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Program with infinite possibilities, or zero limitations. It can''t be fully explained because it¡¯s different for every Chaser that has that Program. It should be called Program: Infinity, but Zero sounds cooler, I guess.¡± Zac shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°There are currently only 3 known users of that Program, our illustrious leader Devin being one of them.¡± Dr. Varma said with a smile.


    At this confirmation, Watabe had a proud smirk on his face. He didn¡¯t know whether he could become one of these Zero Chasers, but the fact that his Mentor was one was enough for now. More recruits went and got their ID numbers and Program names. However, none of them stood out as much as Akiko¡¯s Flare Program. The last to go up was Ume.


    ¡°Ok, tell me your name. Then confirm your ID number and Program.¡± Dr. Varma repeated as she had so many times before.


    ¡°Chiba Ume 54712482, Program: Bloom,¡± Ume responded.


    ¡°Bloom?¡± Zac asked curiously.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never heard of it before, either. Maybe Devin or Mr. Chiba will know.¡± Dr. Varma said. Zac nodded his head in agreement. If anyone knew, it would be one of those two


    Ume had a satisfactory smile on her face. Akiko¡¯s Program was supposedly awe-inspiring, but her Program was so rare as to stump even these two. In her mind, it meant her opportunities were limitless. She bowed to Zac, who had a proud smirk, and walked over toward Kenji and the others.


    ¡°Alright, next group! Come forward when I call your name!¡± The following 10 were called, but Kenji, Watabe, and Genkei were not in that group. Watabe and Genkei seemed slightly annoyed; they wanted to see what they would get. On the other hand, Kenji was happy not to be called just yet. After everything he had just learned, he felt like this was a lose-lose situation. Either, he lived up to their expectations and was a kind of super freak. Or he would be a disappointment, and the Nano-machines wouldn¡¯t take just like with Zac. And he would be at a loss at what to do¡­ again.


    Kenji looked over at Zac and started understanding why he was so pissed at his mindset in the beginning. Zac dedicated his life to this stuff, to be the best he could be, even to the point where he could fight Chasers without a Program of his own. Yet Kenji, a person that could hold the key to getting the thing he lacked, didn¡¯t want anything to do with this world.


    ¡°Things are different now.¡± Kenji thought to himself.


    He still wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to do, but he was invested now, and if those Nano-machines didn¡¯t take, he knew not only would Zac be disappointed, but he would be worthless. And for some reason the idea of Zac being disappointed scared him more than anything. He didn¡¯t believe he could become someone like Zac. Even if Kenji was A Taboo Child, Kenji didn¡¯t believe he could fight against someone like Watabe after they became a Chaser. He was sure that everyone in this room, once they became Chasers, would leave him in the dust.


    ¡°Suzuki Kenji!¡± Dr. Varma called out his name. As he stepped forward, he could feel the quickening of his breathing and his heart threatening to beat out of his chest.


    Kenji, Watabe, and Genkai were all called up with the last group. They looked at each other for a moment before entering their tubes. Kenji placed the breathing mask over his face as he tried not to think about what would come next. The pain was one thing, but if he experienced it with nothing to show for it, that would be the worst. Not only that, his life would be at significant risk.


    ¡°Please work.¡± Kenji thought to himself.


    The thoughts of everyday life were long gone. He didn¡¯t know if he wanted to serve the world. But he¡¯d rather be extraordinary in an extraordinary world, where he could freely choose what he wanted to do. He was tired of being dragged around in this vortex of absurdity.


    Kenji looked down as he saw the luminescent water begin to fill the tank. The water reached up to his neck, and he closed his eyes. At some point, he felt something pinching at his skin and entering his body. He waited for the pain, but it never came.


    An hour passed, and all of the recruits exited their tubes except for Kenji. Everyone stood there staring at the tube, especially Zac. His face was unreadable, while Dr.Varma was confused. Watabe walked towards Zac and Dr. Varma and asked,


    ¡°Is he like Mr. Zac?¡±


    ¡°No, this is something different.¡± Dr.Varma responded as she looked down at her tablet.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Shaila?¡± Zac asked, never taking his eyes off Kenji.


    ¡°The Nano-Machines are entering the body but are then forced out.¡± Dr. Varma responded.


    ¡°Not disappearing? But being rejected?¡± Zac was confused.


    ¡°No, not rejected. I am reading noticeable changes in Kenji¡¯s body. Also, the rate that the Nano-machines are being drawn in and expelled is slowly increasing. It''s like breathing. ¡°You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how long this will take, so let¡¯s finish registering the others first,¡± Zac said as he rubbed the back of his neck.


    ¡°Yeah, Micheal Stepton. You first.¡± Dr. Varma called out one of the foreigners in this Japan branch recruit party. Out of the 30, 14 individuals were not Japanese. A stoic, 6¡¯2 athletic young black male stepped forward, shaking his damp dreadlocks. Dr. Varma scanned him, and then her eyes widened for a second. She then checked what she was reading once again and started to laugh.


    ¡°Hidden gems everywhere in this recruitment group. Ok, sweetheart, you know the drill.¡± Dr.Varma said with a smile.


    ¡°Yeh, Michael Stepton 45297856. Program: Pulse.¡± Micheal responded in a British accent.


    Zac immediately took his eyes off Kenji and looked over his shoulder at Micheal. He started to chuckle.


    ¡°He could be a problem,¡± Zac said to himself.


    During Day 3, Micheal didn¡¯t stand out too much with these recruits, but he would have been at the very top with any other recruiting class. He had a good foundation and was an excellent leader. Zac also knew who his mentor was. That psychopath would turn Micheal into a monster even if he had an average Program. But Pulse?


    Program: Pulse; allows the Chaser to manipulate, and control all forms of waves. Wave manipulation had countless applications in and outside of combat, all of them extraordinary. If that kid understood a fraction of his abilities, he would be one of the crown jewels of Renegade Technologies. Zac might have to prepare especially for him for day 6. Several others came and went; nothing was shocking about their programs, at least when compared to Micheal¡¯s. Now, only 4 recruits remained. One of them was Kenji, floating in the luminescent liquid.


    ¡°Travis Kane, come on over.¡± Dr. Varma pointed at Travis. A caucasian sandy blonde-haired male happily walked over. He was of average height and build but had a bright disposition. He looked over and nodded at Micheal. Dr. Varma quickly scanned him. This time she let out a sigh,


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Travis asked nervously with his American accent. This was the first time they had heard Dr. Varma sigh. Micheal was his team leader, and his other 3 teammates had pretty good Programs from the responses they got.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s the opposite, actually. I¡¯m just annoyed. Your recruitment group seems to have ruined my ability to be surprised. Go on, you know what to do.¡± Dr. Varma waved her hand for Travis to go ahead.


    ¡°Ah, ok! Travis Kane, 52478963. Program: Mind Matter.¡± Travis smiled.


    The sounds of Zac laughing could be heard throughout the laboratory. He couldn¡¯t help it. Program: Mind Matter; Chasers with this Program could use psionic energies(energy of the mind) to create constructs. The only limitation was the Chaser''s creativity and the things they adequately understood. Micheal and Travis, on their own, could become a two-man army, even within this deadly world of super-powered hunters.


    Zac laughed because he assumed that the only team he¡¯d have to worry about on day 6 was Team Watabe. Now, depending on what Watabe and Genkei¡¯s Programs were, Team Micheal might be his biggest concern. Of course, Kenji might be a problem all on his own if his administration was successful.


    ¡°Alright, you''re next, big guy.¡± Dr. Varma called out to Genkei, who proudly strutted towards the Doctor. He was already satisfied with his Program; he didn¡¯t need Dr. Varma to confirm his thoughts. All Chasers had a basic idea of what their Programs were capable of once they became Chasers. It was only that most had no idea how to properly use those Programs and had no litmus test on what would be effective or not. From Genkei¡¯s and Watabe¡¯s attitudes, they clearly felt their Programs were equal to, if not superior to, Micheal¡¯s and Travis¡¯.


    ¡°Wow, ok, go ahead.¡± Dr. Varma shook her head in disbelief after she scanned Genkei.


    ¡°Takashi Genkei 7954638, Program: Stockpile.¡± Genkei had a cocky smirk on his face. Zac looked at him,


    ¡°Well, that''s the perfect Program for him. Dammit.¡± Zac groaned.


    Program: Stockpile; allows its Chaser to absorb and redistribute kinetic energy in various ways. Its most basic function could make the Chaser an immovable object or an unstoppable force. It was a simple but incredibly versatile ability. Akiko, Ume, Micheal, Travis, and now Genkei, all birth Programs that would make them the focus of any other Organization, especially Michael.


    However, Zac¡¯s eyes focused on Watabe. Watabe Ken was a very proud individual, but even after the others had revealed their Programs, he didn¡¯t show a change in expression. Watabe walked forward without being called by Dr. Varma. She scanned him with her tablet, and her jaw dropped.


    ¡°I was wrong, looks like I can still be surprised. Zac, come here.¡± Dr. Varma called Zac over.


    He looked at her tablet and let out a whistle.


    ¡°You think you can handle that on day 6?¡± Dr. Varma said with a chuckle.


    ¡°On day 6, yeah. Give him a year, then¡­ ehhhhhhh. Hehehehe¡­. Ahhhhh. I¡¯ll get back to you on that.¡± Zac let out a nervous laugh. Dr. Varma motioned for Watabe to verify his information.


    ¡°Watabe Ken 69458724, Program: Ion.¡±


    Program: Ion; this Program could manipulate charged particles. At its most basic level, they could control and manipulate electricity. At its peak, Chasers could manipulate things on an atomic level. Add that Program to Watabe¡¯s already stellar performance thus far,


    ¡°I really got my work cut out for me.¡± Zac sighed. He had high expectations for this group of recruits, but he didn¡¯t expect this. All the recruits saw the look on Zac¡¯s face, and they couldn¡¯t wait for Day 6.


    ¡°Yeah, keep that energy, Tiny Tots.¡± Zac chuckled as he looked at the recruits staring at him like fresh meat.


    The recruits had already forgotten what they were told. It was difficult for anyone not to be initially seduced by the new power they were feeling. It was the only good thing about Zac not being able to use Programs. It allowed him to help these recruits remember that they were still human.


    ¡°Well, now Dr. Varma here is going to take some time to review what your Programs can do individually. I know you have a general idea floating in the corner of your mind, but she will go over it with you in detail. You¡¯ll have the rest of the day to toy around with your abilities and¡­¡± Before Zac could finish explaining what was next, Kenji¡¯s tube began to bubble. Dr. Varma ran over while frantically tapping her fingers across her tablet. Everyone turned their attention toward the tank.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Shaila?¡± Zac walked over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; the Nano-machines are fighting directly with Kenji.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t understand.¡± Dr. Varma stated worriedly.


    ¡°Stop the process,¡± Zac commanded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s like a tug of war if we forcefully remove him from there.¡±


    ¡°It will do more harm than good¡­ dammit.¡± Zac cursed.


    Everyone looked on as Kenji''s body began to twitch. But he didn¡¯t appear to be in any sort of pain. Dr. Varma was frantically combing through her tablet as she observed all the information thrown at her.


    ¡°This is incredible.¡± Dr. Varma blurted out.


    ¡°Well? Share with the class.¡± Zac joked.


    ¡°His body is constantly changing and evolving. With each evolution, it picks out what it likes and expels the Nano-Machines, stabilizes, and then allows the Nano-machine to come in again.¡± Dr. Varma commented with a curious expression on her face.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re saying he¡¯s using the Nano-machine to endlessly improve his physical condition?¡± Zac tried to understand.


    ¡°Not just his physical condition, everything. His DNA is constantly being changed and reworked. He¡¯d hardly be human when everything is said and done.¡± Dr. Varma no longer seemed worried and more fascinated.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t something like this happen to me?¡± Zac asked.


    ¡°If I had to guess, it¡¯s something to do with your innate abilities. You said Kenji instinctively copied everything he saw and adapted them to himself? Maybe that¡¯s just how his particular body works. A sort of ultimate adaptation. He subconsciously takes in information from around him and copies what he deems the best, or at least the best parts while trying to improve it. On top of that, he is most likely using the Nano-machines scanning abilities, to expedite the process. ¡± Dr. Varma could only theorize.


    ¡°So you think his body takes in the Nano-machines, scans the room, picks out the best sample, and copies and modifies it to change his body? Then push out the Nano-machines to start the process again?¡± Zac tried to understand.


    ¡°Yes, and I don¡¯t think this will stop until he¡¯s satisfied.¡± Dr. Varma solemnly spoke.


    ¡°You think he¡¯s controlling this?¡±


    ¡°Not consciously. You, on the other hand. Whatever your innate ability is, seems rooted in destruction, not adaptation. So the Nano-machines never had a chance when waking something like that up. But, with you guys being polar opposites in how your body reacted to the Nano-machines, this could be pivotal to fixing your situation.¡± Dr. Varma explained her theory. Zac nodded his head in acceptance.


    He also looked around the room, at all the ¡°samples¡± Kenji could be copying from. Varma was correct, when everything was said and done, he may barely be human. However, In the depths of Kenji¡¯s subscious there was only one being in the room he thought superior to all the rest.


    ¡°Zac¡­¡± The singular goal his body worked towards was to achieve what Kenji subconsciously deemed perfection.


    Everyone stared at Kenji¡¯s tube for another 30 minutes before the turmoil within it died down. The liquid was still emitting a luminescent glow, indicating the Nano-machines were still present. Zac and Dr. Varma breathed relief, and just as they turned their attention back toward the other recruits, the liquid churned again. The luminescence instantly disappeared.


    The water drained, and Kenji opened his eyes as his head instantly snapped over in Zac¡¯s direction. Zac saw Kenji''s pupils turn into slits for a moment and felt a wave of aggression before Kenji¡¯s eyes returned to normal.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Zac asked himself. It wasn¡¯t only the wave of hostility that he felt that shocked him, but the excitement he got from it. Kenji felt the same excitement, although he could not understand where it came from. It was almost instinctual.


    ¡°Kenji, let''s get a look at you.¡± Dr. Varma called out to Kenji, who stepped down.


    ¡°How long was I in there?¡± Kenji asked as he cracked his neck.


    He looked at everyone around them, and they had completely dried off. That meant he was in that tank long after everyone else had gotten out.


    ¡°About 2 and a half hours,¡± Zac said as he stood next to Dr. Varma.


    Kenji almost recoiled at the sound of Zac¡¯s voice, as if he had seen his natural enemy. After Zac raised a confused eyebrow at him, Kenji calmed himself down and shook his head.


    ¡°You ok, kid?¡± Zac asked curiously.


    ¡°Y-yeah, Yeah. I¡¯m just on edge for some reason.¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s not too surprising. You went through countless and repeated enhancements and changes. I suspect it will take a while to get used to certain stimuli. From my observation, your instincts have heightened to frightening levels, and you perceive Zac as a viable threat.¡± Dr. Varma explained as she looked over the initial data she had gathered from Kenji¡¯s suit.


    Kenji nodded his head in understanding, as he kept sneaking peeks at Zac who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Kenji wanted nothing more than to charge him at this moment, and he couldn¡¯t understand why? He felt like an animal that needed to establish its dominance over a rival.


    ¡°Alright, time for the moment of truth. Hold still, please.¡± Dr. Varma began to scan Kenji.


    Dr.Varma motioned for Zac, who leaned over and looked at her pad. He chuckled a bit,


    ¡°Not bad, Isuel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kenji!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Isuel,¡± Zac smirked and started walking away.


    ¡°Ume, come with me. We¡¯ll see if Devin can figure out what that Program of yours is. There¡¯s currently nothing that can help you in our database.¡± Zac said without turning around to look at Kenji. Ume followed behind him, tentatively looking over her shoulder periodically at the others.


    ¡°Sensei, what did his chart say?¡± Ume asked sheepishly. Zac seemed in a foul mood, although she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at his face to find out.


    ¡°Suzuki Kenji, ID#: Not Applicable. Program: Unidentifiable,¡± Zac responded.


    ¡°What does that mean? And with no ID#, doesn¡¯t that mean¡­.¡±


    ¡°The Kill code is ineffective, correct. But that¡¯s par for the course¡­ with Zero Chasers.¡± Zac responded.


    ¡°Program: Unidentifiable means he¡¯s a Zero? It can¡¯t be identified because it has no quantifiable limits?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Ume then flinched as she finally looked over at Zac¡¯s face. She thought to see a face filled with rage or jealousy. She could understand that. Kenji was a Taboo Child like him. However, Kenji¡¯s body seemed to send the Nano-machines into overdrive instead of rejecting them. It was no secret to Ume that Kenji didn¡¯t seem cut out for this life and that he was reluctant to be here, but all this power landed in his lap.


    Zac had worked hard for several years hoping for them to figure out a way to make the Nano-Machines work on him, to no avail. But that twisted expression of jealousy was not there on his face. The look he had was far more frightening. There was a tranquil calm, with a sinister light in his dark purple eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me, Isuel.¡± Ume heard Zac mumble to himself.


    He wasn¡¯t jealous at all. He was excited. Just for a moment Ume thought she saw Zac¡¯s pupils turn to slits.


    Dr. Varma watched Zac walk away and just sighed. She then turned her attention back toward the recruits,


    ¡°Alright, Tiny Tots. Let¡¯s get you guys squared away. I¡¯m going to call you guys up one by one. Then transfer all our data about your individual Programs directly to you. You¡¯ll be able to access it through your Nano-Machines. They¡¯re a part of you now, like an extra muscle. So start flexing them. Except for you, Kenji¡­ Kenji!!¡± Dr. Varma called out to Kenji, who was still staring at the door that Zac had walked through.


    ¡°Ah? Ah¡­ sorry, yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± Kenji refocused.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to help you with your Program. No one can. That¡¯s the only downside with Zero Chasers. All I can tell you is that you need to get familiar with your abilities and pay attention to your Boot-Up sequence.¡± Dr. Varma warned. Kenji nodded his head in understanding.


    ¡°Boot-Up sequence?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you guys have to worry about; it¡¯s something only Zero Chasers have. If I¡¯m being honest, it¡¯s the real thing that sets them apart from other Chasers.¡± Dr. Varma then walked towards Watabe and then poked him in the chest with her tablet,


    ¡°Speaking frankly, Watabe¡¯s and Michael¡¯s Programs are comparable to what the current Zero Chasers have. However, assuming they were of equal skill, Watabe and Micheal would be severely disadvantaged because of those Boot-Up sequences. Even if they fought one of them together.¡± Watabe and Micheal looked at each other and then stared at Kenji.


    ¡°So make sure you completely understand what yours can do. Also, keep what it does to yourself, for now.¡± Dr. Varma warned Kenji, who nodded his head in understanding.


    ¡°When I call your name, step forward.¡± Dr. Varma started to call people up as Kenji walked away from the group.


    Kenji closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He felt like he could do anything, but every time Kenji looked at Zac, he felt a primal hostility rise within himself and primal fear. He still didn¡¯t understand this feeling, but he was sure he would come to do so on Day 6 when they clashed directly.


    Information about his Program and Boot-Up sequence flowed through his mind. However, the Nano-Machines needed a name for both to properly help him regulate them. The Program was simple enough. He could name it anything, but he was identified as a Zero Chaser, and there was already a certain amount of prestige and fear associated with that name.


    ¡°So, of course, it will be named Zero¡±


    After naming the Program, details of what his Program and Boot-Up sequence could do filled his head. His eyes widened. He then chuckled as he came up with a name for his Boot-Up sequence.


    He walked towards the exit excited, but before he left, he turned to look back at the group. His pupils turned into slits as he said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this out. Initiating Program: Zero. Boot Up: Replica¡±

 Chapter 10: day 5

    The recruits found themselves back where everything had started for them. They had just finished running the Track and doing the obstacle course again. They all noticed a stark difference in their physical abilities. Kenji was still at the top by a large margin, but they all clocked inhumanely fast times. They all noticed they could run a full sprint for extremely long periods without fatigue; their top speed eclipsed olympiads. Dr.Varma also informed them the previous day that this was just the beginning.


    Their bodies were reborn, and they had no documented physical or mental limits. They could become countless times more robust and faster with time. And now, time was in abundance. Their longevity was massively increased, and they needed to fully explore those limitations. They had come to find that the Nano-Machines even acted as a Global translator, allowing them to speak and understand multiple languages they previously could not. Everything felt new and incredible to all of them. They were all extraordinary young adults, to begin with, and now their potential could be fully explored beyond their imagination. However, with such power often came hubris.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zac? Is he afraid we might jump him now that we''re Chasers?¡± A cocky recruit asked.


    Standing in for Zac, Franky looked at him like an idiot. However, it was Ume who responded,


    ¡°It¡¯s Instructor Zac, Sensei Zac, or Mr. Zac. Show proper respect. He¡¯s preparing for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, preparing? What? Is he Batman or something?¡± The same recruit asked mockingly.


    ¡°Kinda, yeah. Well, I mean, Zac''s not disgustingly rich like Batman but he has a lot of resources to work with. Adding on to that he doesn¡¯t have a no killing rule.¡± Franky looked up at the mocking recruit with pity in his eyes. Franky knew that Zac would be at a heavy disadvantage against seasoned Chasers, but not these pups.


    ¡°I think you guys have a misunderstanding about Zac. He¡¯s not here as a favor to you.¡± Helena walked towards the recruits standing in the middle of the field. The other Mentors were trailing behind her.


    ¡°He knows what your Programs are capable of, but he doesn¡¯t know how you will use them. He wants to keep things fun for himself and stay in the dark. He even allowed us to come today and assist you for the next 10 hours.¡± An average-built Spanish male spoke. This was Micheal¡¯s mentor, alias Duendes.


    When the recruits heard this, they began to tense up a bit. Was this still just a game to Zac? Many of them didn¡¯t want to believe it; they had been tricked time and time again. They felt this was just their mentors trying to get under their skin. In their minds, Zac was impressive¡­ for a human, but they were beyond that now and would continue to grow beyond him. The mentors all saw the looks on their pupils'' faces and just sighed. These kids wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until they had their faces beat in.


    ¡°I hope you all keep that energy. That sadistic prick won¡¯t be satisfied otherwise.¡± Alais Mawu, a youthful Black American woman, said as she motioned for Travis to follow her.


    Kenji was about to head off with Franky when he turned towards Ume,


    ¡°Zac¡¯s not here to assist you. Are you going to be fine by yourself?¡±


    ¡°After talking with Mr. Devin and my Uncle yesterday about my Program, Sensei Zac was able to compile a thorough and detailed training regimen for me to follow. It details how I should progress without choosing a specific path for me. If I never saw Sensei Zac again, this regimen could hold me over for several decades.¡± Ume responded flatly as she walked away from the training grounds to find her own spot to play around with her Program.


    ¡°Ah, alright¡­ bye,¡± Kenji responded awkwardly.


    ¡°You look a little disappointed,¡± Franky said as he looked over his shoulder at Kenji.


    ¡°Just a little bit. I didn¡¯t get the chance to copy her Program yesterday. I was curious.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Franky turned around and stared at Kenji, the shock plain for anyone to see.


    Genkei was looking at a pair of vests and gloves that Helena had just tossed at his feet.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±  He asked.


    ¡°Just something I had the Twins cook up when I heard about your Program. Put them on!!! But activate your Program first.¡± Helena shouted gleefully.


    ¡°Okaaaay. Initiating Program: Stockpile.¡± Genkei said tentatively. He slowly put on the gloves and vest. He felt his body twitch, and then his mind opened up as he gained access to his abilities.


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Now say ¡®system start, Block Breaker,¡± Helena commanded.


    ¡°Alright, system start, Block Breaker,¡± Genkei repeated. The gloves and vest lit up. That was followed by the sounds of something winding up. The sounds of endless thumping echoed. Genkei grunted and doubled over before he began to stabilize himself.


    ¡°You crazy woman!! Why didn¡¯t you warn me?!¡±


    ¡°I did!!!!!! I told you to activate your Program!¡± Helena responded with a hurt expression. Genkei took in several breaths. She was right, and he should have known better. He hadn¡¯t known her long, but she wasn¡¯t hard to figure out. It didn¡¯t stop him from being upset as he glared at her. His body was jolting from the constant pounding he received from the vest and gloves.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Genkei asked.


    ¡°A prototype. Small pistons constantly bash your body, allowing you to store kinetic energy without relying on your target. It was made on short notice, so bare with it for now. But this should be good enough to see how much you can store. And help us figure out if you can simultaneously store kinetic energy from different sources.¡± Helena explained, and Genkei nodded his head.


    ¡°Wait, how are you going to test that second bit?¡± Genkei asked.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Blow Back.¡± Helena sent a punch in that instant, and a concussive force blew Genkei off his feet. Program: Blow Back; allowed Helena to manipulate and generate powerful concussive waves. This should make Genkei a terrible match-up for her under most circumstances. However, in her mind, it made him the perfect training dummy.


    ¡°You better focus!! You might die!¡± Helena¡¯s laugh filled Genkei¡¯s ears as he looked up to see her crash down on him from the sky with an ax kick. Genkei dodged out of the way instinctively but was blown away again by the concussive force that followed her kick.


    Akiko once again found herself sitting in a lotus position with a katana resting in her lap.


    ¡°Our Programs are simply a tool. If it can assist us on our path of the sword, then great. If it can not, then it is simply a hindrance. Program: Flare is the ability to increase heat values and manipulate those bodies of heat. Ejecting heat into your blade can make it more deadly but weaken it. So tell me. Will you abandon your Program or the way of the sword?¡± Hachiman asked.


    Akiko had not moved; her eyes remained closed as she meditated. She had thought about this already. Chasers had enhanced regenerative capabilities. However, if she cauterized wounds with her heat, it would be impossible for them to heal or reach the same healing level they usually could.


    However, doing so would compromise the integrity of her blades. Even if it was made with modern techniques, and they could make heat-resistant weaponry, she still ran the risk of warping her blades. She didn¡¯t honestly believe that Hachiman wanted her to abandon her Program. Her fighting style had to be an expression of herself. Abandoning her Program would be abandoning a piece of herself. She opened her eyes and stared at Hachiman,


    ¡°Neither.¡±


    ¡°Good, so what will you do?¡± Hachiman was satisfied with her response.


    However, the fact remains that heat did not mix well with the blade. There were several synthetic materials they had to alleviate the issue. Still, nothing could stop the heat she could produce from negatively affecting her blades.


    ¡°If blades can not handle my heat, I need to make a blade of heat.¡±


    ¡°And how will you do that?¡± Hachiman asked.


    He knew the Flare Program could manipulate bodies of heat, but he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to control it to such a degree, at least not as a fresh recruit. He was correct in his assessment, and Akiko had already thought of this.


    ¡°Argon gas.¡± Is all Akiko said. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A smile stretched across Hachiman¡¯s face as he motioned for her to follow him.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to see The Twins. They head up our R and D department. They use a Unique set of Programs that are strictly utility in nature. Program: Blueprint and Program: Creator. Blueprint allows the Chaser to determine the logistics and components needed to make nearly anything. Creator allows the Chaser to assemble anything they have a clear vision of, with their mind, as long as they have the needed materials. Working in tandem, they can make just about anything in a matter of moments. I¡¯d assume they¡¯d be fairly busy today.¡± Hachiman chuckled as the two of them left the training room.


    ¡°Are they in Japan?¡±


    ¡°No, they are in Finland. It¡¯s about a 4-hour round trip. So spend that time in meditation.¡± Hachiman said.


    Akiko had a confused look on her face. 4-hour round trip? There was no way they could get to Finland that fast from Japan. But she then remembered what her sensei had just told her. The Twins could make anything if they had the needed materials. Making an aircraft that could accomplish such a feat may be possible. Akiko smiled as she started to rethink her initial idea. She could get a little more creative with her designs if they could do such things.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Ion,¡± Watabe said as she extended his hand and shot a bolt of electricity toward Devin. Devin extended his hand and swiped the electricity away.


    ¡°The fundamental use of this Program is the discharge and control of electricity. There is so much more you can do with it.¡± Devin spoke.


    ¡°I know, manipulating charged particles, I understand the power I could wield. However, I¡¯m going to university for a degree in business, not particle physics.¡± Watabe sounded annoyed.


    ¡°Then maybe you should change major. I¡¯m not kidding.¡± Devin spoke seriously.


    Watabe reluctantly nodded his head in understanding. This was going to be his future; if he could learn to better control his Program by going to class, there was no downside. Outside of attending particle physics courses.


    ¡°Right now, you should just focus on the feeling. Don¡¯t worry too much about fooling around with particles you don¡¯t understand; just focus on being able to feel them and sparking their electrical properties. Your Program is highly complex but equally as powerful. Don¡¯t rush.¡± Devin instructed Watabe.


    ¡°Have you fought someone with this Program before?¡± Watabe asked.


    ¡°I have; my old mentor had it. The strongest person I¡¯ve ever fought, and second deadliest.¡± Devin said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Long story short, I became ¡®The Renegade¡¯, and with the help of his daughter, we killed him. Almost died in the process. That was about 5 years ago. Hopefully, our relationship won¡¯t end the same.¡± Devin spoke with a tinge of remorse layered in his tone.


    Watabe didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He just nodded his head and began to focus as Devin had instructed. If Devin needed assistance to deal with his old mentor, that meant even Zero Chasers weren¡¯t unbeatable. Kenji had become a Zero, as he had feared. However, that did not mean he would fall behind. In fact, he could eclipse him. Watabe smiled as electricity arched off his fingertips. He looked towards Devin¡¯s feet. Devin then instinctively jumped away as electricity sparked in the spot where Devin was standing.


    ¡°Are you going to use your Program, Sensei?¡±


    ¡°My Program wouldn¡¯t allow you to practice thoroughly. You¡¯re not at a level of understanding, where you can resist my Boot-Up.¡± Devin said placidly.


    Watabe¡¯s eyes squinted. Was Devin Boot-Up enough to take out Chasers? From how he spoke, Program: Ion had ways to counter it. Watabe took a deep breath; there was much for him to learn, but he was thankful he had a Program that could keep his interest. Watabe¡¯s eyes flared with lightning, and the air around Devin became charged as lightning struck him from all sides.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Devin smiled as he waved his hand, dispersing the electricity.


    Kenji and Franky stood in a large barren room. There was a steel floor and ceiling, with about 300 square meters of space. Franky had a worried look on his face,


    ¡°Before we talk about your Boot-Up. I heard they told you about your parents yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so?¡± Kenji''s smile faded from his face.


    ¡°You wanna talk about it? It is one of my jobs as your mentor, you know?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Kenji responded curtly.


    ¡°Come on kid. It¡¯s not something you should bottle up, it can affect your performance.  Did your mom ever tell you anything? About your dad? Anything at all?¡±


    ¡°Dad left before I was old enough to understand that he was even there. Everytime I brought him up, mom got visibly depressed. So I stopped bringing him up.¡± Kenji responded.


    The anger towards his father had begun to subside, now he was more empathetic to his existence.


    ¡°Well at least you know that he never really left you guys. He was always around.¡± Franky tried to comfort him.


    ¡°Yeah, around but out of reach; that somehow makes it worse. So can we drop it? You suck at this.¡± Kenji chuckled as he looked at Franky¡¯s flustered face.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I know. Anyway, you¡¯re telling me your Boot-Up, can not only scan and copy the Programs of other Chasers but also enhance them? What did you name it again?¡±


    ¡°Replica, and yeah, more or less. Although I didn¡¯t get to copy Ume¡¯s before she left.¡± Kenji said with a slight chuckle.


    ¡°That means you copied my Program just now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then show me,¡± Franky commanded.


    ¡°Alright. Cycle, Program: Full Arsenal.¡± Kenji called out, and his body twitched. He then stood there with an embarrassed look on his face. It wasn¡¯t that it didn¡¯t work; he just couldn¡¯t physically use the Program as things were.


    ¡°Thought so. So you¡¯re enhancing doesn¡¯t push the Programs beyond their original scope. Let¡¯s test it out. Initiating Program: Full Arsenal. Assimilate this.¡± Franky¡¯s body twitched, and then his skin wiggled. Mist was released from his pores and manifested into a gun. He then tossed it at Kenji. After Kenji caught the weapon, it shattered into mist and entered his body. Kenji flexed his fingers, and then the gun reformed in his palm.


    ¡°Fire at the wall over there,¡± Franky commanded.


    Kenji did as instructed; the gun sounded and blasted into the metal wall. There was no sign of a bullet, just a burn mark at the point of impact. Franky nodded, manifested a gun of his own, and fired at the wall. Franky¡¯s shot left a burn mark about twice the size of Kenji¡¯s. Kenji¡¯s eyes widened; his Boot-Up should have enchanted the ability.


    ¡°Full Arsenal. It allows me to absorb any weaponry and fully understand it. I can then modify and manifest anything I have absorbed at any time. Using bioenergy, that I generate by burning my blood, I can create an energy source and energy-based ammunition for my Arsenal.¡± Franky explained as he looked at Kenji with a smile.


    ¡°Your first shot was approximately 20% more powerful than my first shot when I acquired this Program. So, we can assume your enhancement is a flat 20% in destructive power. This probably applies to capacity when power enhancement is not applicable.¡±


    ¡°Ok, but how is yours so much stronger than mine?¡± Kenji was still confused.


    ¡°I have spent years increasing my efficiency. While the Nano-Machines can stimulate mass blood reproduction, it wouldn¡¯t help me if I ¡®burned out'' in the middle of a mission. I have learned to produce more bioenergy with less blood. What I did just know was barely a drop. How much did you burn?¡± Franky asked curiously.


    ¡°A lot more than a drop,¡± Kenji said in a defeated tone as he rubbed the back of his neck.


    ¡°I thought so. That Boot-Up of yours is something wicked. You can have any known Program at your disposal, this makes you very flexible, but there are drawbacks. While you may initially have more potency than the original user, you¡¯ll never be able to match their abilities over time. A Replica is still just an imitation.¡± Franky warned Kenji rather bluntly.


    ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t use the other Programs I¡¯ve copied?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. I¡¯d just avoid the more complicated ones, like mine, for instance. I¡¯ve also learned how to burn external biomass to use as bioenergy. Did that thought even cross your mind?¡±


    ¡°No, it hadn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I bet, and there¡¯s a lot of tricks of the trade that make using that Program several times more lethal. It¡¯s a heavy time investment. Watabe¡¯s Ion and Micheal¡¯s Pulse Programs are much the same. If you¡¯re going to use them, I¡¯d suggest just using the basics when the situation calls for it. You¡¯d be better off focusing on your actual Program and picking Programs you¡¯ve copied that synergize with it as your main focus.¡±


    Kenji took mental notes of everything that Franky was telling him. He was glad about it. Kenji initially thought of going through and learning every single Program. Kenji had concerns that he wouldn¡¯t be able to match the original users. Still, he figured the enhancing feature would mitigate the gaps that would form. He had underestimated the ingenuity of the human mind and the benefits of having a primary focus.


    ¡°So what can your Program do?¡± Franky asked.


    All Zero Chasers had Programs that were specific to them alone, and they all were outside the scope of what was possible for most other Chasers. It was the reason why Franky was gobsmacked by Kenji¡¯s Boot-Up. He already had a Program that would put most others to shame; did he need the ability to copy others?


    ¡°Momentum Manipulation. I can control anything in motion that I can perceive.¡± Kenji replied.


    ¡°Can you use your actual Program in conjunction with those you have copied?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can use up to 2 copied Programs in conjunction with my own,¡± Kenji clarified.


    Franky started to chuckle as he listened to Kenji describe his Program. It was simple yet potent. Controlling anything in motion that he could perceive? What he could perceive could vary depending on the copied Programs in use. It was a perfect Program to accompany such a Boot-Up sequence. With that in mind, he smiled and said,


    ¡°Kenji, I will teach you how to properly use Full Arsenal. We will combine that with your Program and the basics of Ion.¡± Franky began to explain what his idea was.


    He was going to turn Kenji into a monster. It had been a long time since Franky was excited about something. Full Arsenal allowed Franky to take on monstrous forms and do incredible things when used to its total capacity. However, he always felt that something was missing, that if he just had a little more, he could make this Program genuinely shine. Now Kenji, this glorious little Taboo Child, fell into his lap. The holes and flaws in his Program that he could not find answers to, the solutions to everything were given to him, through Kenji. It took everything in him to stop himself from laughing like a madman.


    Within his team, Franky came across as the most normal. Hachiman was a freak for his sword and its improvement; he lived to engage in battle and find worthy opponents to sharpen his blade against. His alias Hachiman, the Japanese God of War, was a testament to his mindset. Helena craved destruction and had a twisted sense of enjoyment in the pain of herself and others. Her alias is Helena, the namesake of Helen of Troy, a beauty responsible for the death and suffering of countless heroes.


    Zac, ¡°The Anomaly." He was so inventive and cunning that even without a Program, he struck terror into the hearts of Monsters and Chasers alike. Devin, ¡°The Renegade '''', the person almost single-handedly maintaining the balance of power between the Chaser Organizations. Then there was Franky. Someone who was just a normal guy wishing he had a normal life, who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Franky is the embodiment of the phrase, ¡°All it takes is one bad day,¡± and that day had long since passed. In many ways, he had more ingenuity than Zac and was more twisted than Helena. Alias, Franky aka Frankenstein.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you something special, kid.¡±

 Chapter 11: Rude Awakening

    Day 6 had arrived, and the recruits were all gathered in a new room. This one was significantly larger than the others. The room was large enough to hold a football field and then some. Not only that but it was filled with uneven dirt terrain and obstacles spread throughout the large field. It looked more like a ruined cityscape as opposed to a training ground.


    Above the training ground was a sky box overlooking everything. Inside were the 30 individuals; 29 of them were mentors. One of them looked down at the recruits heading toward the edge of the training field and pondered,


    ¡°How well do you think our rookies are going to do?¡±


    ¡°It depends on what kind of head space Zac is in.¡± Another responded.


    ¡°Doc, you were with him all yesterday, right? So how was he?¡± A dark-haired woman asked.


    ¡°Do you guys remember Budapest?¡± Dr. Varma said placidly.


    ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Countless dispirited groans echoed through the room.


    ¡°What happened in Budapest?¡± A newly promoted Mentor spoke up.


    ¡°A friend of Devin and Zac¡¯s was killed by the Weaving Adders. Devin went on a rampage, assisted by Zac. A lot of Adders died that day.¡± One of the other Mentors commented.


    ¡°Assisted? No, it was more like it was fueled, coordinated and directed. Every step Devin took was premeditated by Zac. Devin didn¡¯t have to think; he could just lose himself in his rage while following Zac¡¯s instructions. Those two together are impossible, and at the time, Zac was especially focused.¡± Franky sighed as he recalled what happened that day.


    ¡°Shiiiiiiitt! I hope he doesn¡¯t break them.¡± The newly promoted Mentor commented.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s a reason why Zac needed to focus so hard. It¡¯s because he had to. We have some very shocking recruits this time around.¡± Devin spoke as everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Devin looked over the recruits and then stared at Kenji and Watabe. Devin then turned to Franky,


    ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°The kid¡¯s a monster,¡± Franky said pleasantly.


    ¡°Of your own making, I¡¯m sure,¡± Devin responded with a smirk.


    ¡°You know it. The only thing holding that kid back is himself. Once he learns to let himself go. No one¡¯s stopping him. Not even you. ¡± Franky laughed.


    Kenji not only had enhanced physical condition compared to other Chasers, but his ability to comprehend and learn was even more remarkable. He had absorbed and learned much from Franky in such a short amount of time. Franky couldn¡¯t wait to get his hands on him again. Everyone¡¯s eyes then looked at a door opening on the other end of the training ground. They all saw Zac walking out and sighed,


    ¡°He¡¯s really taking this seriously. He might actually break a few.¡± Hachiman said.


    ¡°My little cutie won¡¯t break, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Helena giggled; her fists were currently wrapped in bandages.


    Zac walked onto the training field; unlike Day 3, he was in proper gear. He wore a black hooded cloak with a black full-face mask that conformed to his face. Everything from his mask to his gloves and boots, even his black cargo combat pants, had been specially made by the Twins under Zac¡¯s design specifications. He walked to the top of one of the dirt mounds and looked down at the recruits. The mask on his face peeled back as he said,


    ¡°Hello, my Tiny Tots. How are you all this fine day.¡±


    ¡°Better now; I expected you not to show up.¡± One of the recruits said. As some of the other recruits began boisterous laughter.


    Ume didn¡¯t find any of this funny and looked over at the laughing recruits with ridicule. Did they think they had become so much better in just 2 days?


    ¡°He hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat on Day 3. They seem to forget quickly now that they have a little power.¡± Kenji commented. Ume nodded in agreement.


    Ume shook her head in disappointment as she stared at Zac. Zac didn¡¯t have a Program but was still a Chaser and a Taboo Child who had been training far longer than any of them. Last time, he was jet-lagged, hungover, and in nightwear. Today he had come prepared for a fight.


    ¡°Fools.¡± Ume spat out involuntarily.


    ¡°Yes, yes. You guys are terrifying with your new powers you¡¯ve barely had for 48 hours. Especially you guys who don¡¯t even know how to fight. What shall I do?¡± Zac mocked them, pouring cold water on quite a few of their heads.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the task today? You want us to make you bleed again?¡± Kenji asked sarcastically.


    ¡°No, that¡¯ll be boring. This time, there is no task. You guys have the next 12 hours to kick my ass to your heart''s content. If you can. Come up in Teams or all together; it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Zac chuckled as he walked down the dirt mound, and the mask reformed around his face.


    ¡°So, who¡¯s first?¡± A metallic voice rang from behind the mask.


    Zac knew well that they would be too proud to come at him all at once. This taunt was nothing more than to get under their skin. As Zac was thinking, a team came forward. Zac tilted his head towards the side.


    ¡°You guys, huh?¡± Zac was a little surprised.


    ¡°You guys didn¡¯t get enough last time?¡± Zac mocked them even more.


    This group had gone up to fight him more than anyone else on Day 3. They were rather tenacious. They had proper coordination, and they synergized reasonably well. They were a solid group. They just weren¡¯t enough. The team leader looked rather upset with Zac¡¯s remarks and made a simple hand motion. The group then charged him.


    ¡°Not using your Programs? Wow¡­¡± Zac seemed insulted as they charged at him. With nothing more than their weapons. Zac entered a low crouching fighting stance with two daggers primed.


    The 5 of them were multiple times stronger and faster than before and had much better control over their bodies. However, no matter how they attacked, they couldn¡¯t lay a hand on Zac. The smiles on the spectating recruits'' faces began to slowly fade as they heard the metallic laughter of Zac fill the area.


    Kenji¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched Zac every movement. He was much faster than day 3, much sharper and cleaner. As he commented Zac''s movements to memory, there was no room for improvement he could deduce. Or at least nothing he could currently achieve.


    ¡°Perfection, as it should be. It¡¯s over.¡± Kenji whispered, as Ume looked over her shoulder at him.


    Suddenly the Team stopped in their tracks. Everyone looked up to see Zac sitting on top of a mound of dirt.


    ¡°Let me put you Tiny Tots on some game. Number 1, being Chasers doesn''t make you invincible. You still need to train your body and your awareness. Number 2, those Nano-Machines are exactly that, machines. They share some of the same weaknesses.¡± Zac clenched his fist, and the Team of recruits that were bound in place all screamed as electricity coursed through their bodies. As the electricity flowed, everyone saw the almost imperceivable wires binding them. Those wires used bits of the surrounding poles and obstructions as anchors.


    ¡°For instance, overloading them. Now you won¡¯t be able to use your Program for the next 5 minutes even if you wanted to.¡± Zac chuckled as the Team crumbled to the ground.


    ¡°When did he?¡± The recruits began to become anxious. None of them had seen him using wire. Hell, even the ones fighting him didn¡¯t pick up on it until it was too late. Expect Kenji. Ume looked at him and then smirked.


    ¡°Number 3, and this is the most important thing. Do you know why I spend so much time studying your Programs? It¡¯s because that¡¯s the only thing that concerns me. I¡¯ve never understood it. Even with the Nano-Machines, you Chasers always seem so¡­ weak and slow. The only thing of note is your Programs.¡± Zac''s metallic voice rang out towards the recruits.


    It made sense to some of them. Zac was a Taboo Child, his physical prowess far exceeded normal humans. Since he had no Program, the only thing he could do was train his body.


    After getting their Programs, they all understand how complex they could be. They¡¯d need to spend most of their free time experimenting and studying their abilities. Most of them would have little time to train their bodies. Trying to overpower Zac without their Programs was a fool''s errand. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Many thought of getting revenge on Zac without the need to use their Programs. The reality of that not being possible hurt a great deal of their pride. They started to understand why Zac had the moniker ¡°The Anomaly .¡± Nothing really made sense when it came to him.


    ¡°It¡¯d be better to consider him as a Chaser whose Program increases his physical attributes beyond common sense,¡± Watabe stated to his Team.


    ¡°Ume, what do you think our chances are?¡± Watabe asked.


    ¡°If what everyone told me is true, then 50%,¡± Ume answered as she crossed her arms.


    ¡°Just 50%, even with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kenji, even with your Program. If what you told us is true, while impressive, it¡¯s only giving us about an extra 10% at most. I don¡¯t think you understand how deep Sensei Zac¡¯s mind goes. Nothing he does is pointless. Even now.¡± Ume commented as Zac commanded someone to pick up the unconscious Team.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Zac called out after the training field was cleared of the defeated Team.


    Over the next hour, 3 teams went up, and three fell. The only 2 teams that had yet to make an attempt were Team Watabe and Team Micheal. It seemed the two of them were waiting for the other to make a move first. Micheal looked over at Watabe¡¯s Team and then asked a young Japanese woman within his group,


    ¡°Miko, are you ready yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Micheal said with confidence.


    ¡°Finally!!¡± An excited Travis blurted out.


    Micheal led his group of five toward the edge of the training grounds. Miko looked around and started to point toward different areas. She began to speak, but no sounds came out of her mouth, or at least there were no sounds that Zac could hear. Zac¡¯s eyes narrowed behind his mask as he stared at Miko. She was pointing to every area where he had set wire traps. No one up till this point had been able to pinpoint them. Zac nodded his head in approval.


    ¡°Program: Reverb combined with Program: Pulse. Not bad.¡± Zac thought to himself as he watched Micheals''s team prepare.


    Program: Reverb; allows Miko to create, interpret and manipulate sound waves. She could act as a sonar to find all Zac¡¯s light-refracting wire, invisible by normal means. Also, by combining Program: Pulse¡¯s ability to manipulate all forms of waves, Miko could hush their verbal communications to less than a whisper. At the same time, Micheal directly guided those sound waves directly into their ears. They didn¡¯t want to use nano communications out of fear that Zac could somehow hack their communications


    ¡°Unfortunately for you, I can read lips¡­ wait, what¡¯s this?¡± Zac thought to himself as he picked up strange readings for his masks. Light waves were moving oddly. Zac then started to chuckle,


    ¡°That Micheal kid really is something.¡±


    Micheal moved the sonic waves and bended the light waves subtly to influence what Zac saw. Reading lips was now out of the question.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Travis goes wild; Patrick and Izumi get rid of the wire traps, then come to provide Travis with support. Miko, keep track of any unusual movements. I¡¯ll guard Miko while providing instructions.¡± Micheal called out.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Mind Matter!!! HAHAHAHA!¡± Travis was the first one to jump forward with a crazed look on his face. Suddenly a light blue construct manifested.


    ¡°Is that a fuck¡¯in Quad Tube Rocket Launcher?!¡± Zac shouted.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s a Quad Tube Zac-tracking Rocket Launcher!¡± Travis responded.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t exist!!¡± Zac protested.


    ¡°It does in my head! HAHAHAHAHAH!!!¡± Travis¡¯ crazed laughter exploded as he fired off psionic rocket constructs.


    ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± Zac sounded flustered for the first time.


    It was hard for anyone to predict the mind and the movements of a lunatic. If Travis didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, how could Zac possibly? Zac dove behind a mound of dirt as the rockets exploded in psionic light. However, Travis kept it going, firing off another 4 rockets.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how Mind Matter is supposed to work!¡± Zac shouted in an upset voice.


    In the Mentor''s room, everyone looked over at Travis¡¯ Mentor, alias Mawu. She looked at them and just shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I was just like Zac yesterday. My little lunatic has no restraint in his thinking, because I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much thought going on. He just wishes something into being, and poof! There it is. If it¡¯s not supposed to work, he makes it work. I can¡¯t explain it either. Maybe this was how Mind Matter was always supposed to be used.¡± Mawu let out a soft chuckle.


    ¡°Seems like he is the antithesis of Zac. I wonder what he¡¯ll do?¡± Duende commented with a satisfied expression. He was wondering why Micheal was readily willing to play the support role. Now he understood. Micheal understood how best to use his people and what was required to make a mission successful. Being prideful and inflexible would only result in failure. Out of every recruit here, the individual who had the best chance against Zac was Travis.


    ¡°You guys both choose fascinating students,¡± Devin said.


    They all watched as Zac was bombarded by heat-seeking psionic rockets. He looked and sounded panicked. However, Devin knew more than anyone that Zac was probably having the time of his life. Not only that, he was already more than likely halfway to figuring out his next move.


    ¡°Hmm, looks like the Taboo Child¡¯s Team may not get a crack at Zac at this rate. I know he¡¯s still going easy on them, but I didn¡¯t expect them to put him in such a tight spot.¡± One of the mentors spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s Watabe¡¯s Team, not Kenji¡¯s. And is that what you see? I see a cat playing with a mouse.¡± Devin corrected that Mentor, who closed their mouth and looked back at what was happening. Mawu was the first to nod her head,


    ¡°He saw through it already.¡± Everyone looked over at her, and she clarified.


    ¡°Travis¡¯ Mind Matter is unique, but it uses much more mental energy than what is recorded. He also hasn''t had enough time to familiarize himself with it. Zac just needs to wear him out. He¡¯s already showing some fatigue.¡±


    ¡°I doubt Zac is going to do something so boring,¡± Helena said as she leaned against the window.


    ¡°Indeed, that is not his style at all.¡± Dr. Varma smiled.


    After handling the wire traps, the explosions continued to sound off as Patrick and Izumi made their way toward Travis. Zac poked his hooded head from behind cover to take a look, before diving out of the way again. Zac zipped around the training grounds as he kept his eyes on Travis.


    ¡°What is he planning?¡± Kenji thought to himself. Zac was his goal, he wanted to take every opportunity, to get inside his train of thought as much as possible. He understood that he could never be Zac, his mind didn¡¯t work like his, but he could at least try to understand how he approached difficult situations.


    ¡°Show me¡­¡± Kenji whispered with non-blinking eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s now,¡± Zac said to himself, as there was a lull in the rocket launcher bombardment. Zac smiled beneath his mask as he saw the fatigue encroaching on Travis¡¯ face.


    ¡°Here we go.¡± Zac mused to himself as he began to charge straight toward Travis.


    Travis let off another continuous volley of rockets as two black daggers appeared in Zac¡¯s hand. Zac did not stop his charge; he pushed forward. He avoided the rockets at the last moment, not giving them time to adjust their course and crash into the ground behind him. Those that could not be dodged were sliced down their middle. Travis¡¯ Mind Matter was weird, but there were still some limitations that it had; those rockets were not more sturdy than your run-of-the-mill rockets, which made them easy to pick apart. Zac closed in, the volley of rockets stopped, and Travis¡¯ breathing began to pick up.


    ¡°It should be 20 seconds this time,¡± Zac mumbled.


    ¡°Patrick, Izumi, stall him for 20 seconds!¡± Micheals''s eyes widened as he gave out the command. Zac had caught onto something that Micheal was sure even Travis didn¡¯t know. Micheal then touched the ground. The ground began to quake in front of Zac.


    ¡°Localized earthquake, not bad, Micheal,¡± Zac whispered.


    Micheal felt a chill run down his spine. Zac already knew they were listening in on him? Zac jumped into the air and threw a dagger at Patrick. The stocky scottsmen began to dodge, and Miko shouted,


    ¡°Deflect, don''t dodge!!!¡±


    Patrick stopped himself in his tracks and stomped the ground. As he stomped, a slab of dirt shot up in front of him, deflecting the dagger.


    Program: Mound, allows its Chaser to manipulate earth minerals. There was a wire attached to the dagger. Miko¡¯s quick warning saved Patrick from going down for the moment. Zac saw the slab of earth rise and snorted,


    ¡°Earth Bending motherfu-¡± Zac then tilted his body to dodge out of the way of a flying object. However, that object was not visible. Izumi looked at Zac, shocked.


    ¡°How could he see my throwing dagger?¡± He wondered to himself.


    Program: Refract allows the Chaser to bend and manipulate light waves and particles to do a host of things. At its lowest levels, making things invisible or causing shallow illusions. Unknown to Izumi, Zac¡¯s mask had features designed to help detect such things.


    Zac retracted his dagger and landed on a mound of dirt. There were still 8 seconds left. Zac again jumped into the air, throwing both of his daggers this time. Patrick made several motions, but nothing seemed to happen. However, Zac¡¯s daggers crashed into an invisible wall. He smiled as he then pulled himself towards that wall. Now Patrick and Izumi worked in tandem. Patrick continued his furious motions, but Zac lashed out and kicked at the invisible earth debris coming his way, as the retracting force continued to pull Zac towards the invisible wall. Zac landed on top of the wall of earth and looked at Travis.


    ¡°Travis!!!!¡± Zac¡¯s metallic voice shouted out with excitement. He then charged at Travis using the earth wall as a leaping point.


    ¡°Too late!!!! HAHAHAHAH!!¡± Travis let out an excited laugh as he aimed his rocket launcher at Zac.


    ¡°There should still be 3 seconds left. I guess he miscalculated.¡± Micheal said as he let out a sigh of relief. Just as that thought left his mind, he felt a chill. Zac didn¡¯t make miscalculations. Zac also knew they were listening in on him. That 20 seconds line was all a set up, to lower their guard for exactly this moment! Micheal was going to shout for Travis to get out of there when Zac said,


    ¡°Confetti!!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Travis¡¯ face was filled with confusion.


    Travis then fired his rockets, but nothing came out. Except, well¡­ confetti.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± Zac laughed as he sent a diving kick straight into Travis¡¯ head. Travis was knocked through the air, smashing into a dirt mound.


    ¡°Incredible¡­ nothing without reason. I think I get it.¡± Kenji thought to himself .


    Zac saw the mental fatigue that was being put on Travis. He also noticed how almost empty and yet chaotic Travis¡¯s mind seemed when he used his ability. It was his greatest asset in using that Program and his greatest weakness. In his mentally fatigued state and with his naturally chaotic mind, anything Zac said would have jumped to the forefront of that lunatic''s brain. If you ruin the image of the construct in his mind, the construct will no longer function.


    ¡°Understanding that is one thing, being able to emulate him¡­ is something else entirely.¡± Kenji sighed, but kept his determined gaze on Zac¡¯s every move.


    ¡°That¡¯s one down,¡± Zac said as he turned to face Patrick and Izumi.

 Chapter 12: We Scrapping

    The Mentors looked down at the scene with shocked expressions, except for the ones who knew Zac the best.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± One of the Mentors responded.


    ¡°Just like that, yes. That¡¯s how Zac operates. He identifies the biggest threats and eliminates them before they cause trouble.¡± Franky said while shaking his head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think he could deal with Travis¡¯ Mind Matter like that?¡± Another Mentor said.


    ¡°I knew; I just didn¡¯t think he¡¯d notice that fast under these circumstances. I figured that out around the end of our session; he figured it out in barely 3 minutes.¡± Mawu said with a smile on her face.


    She was always a fan of Zac. Like Devin, she could appreciate his brilliance and thinking out of the box. She also hoped they¡¯d never be able to give him a Program. She feared that having a Program would make him lose his sharpness and cleverness. He was a great breath of fresh air among all these Programs and was essential the way he was.


    ¡°Indeed, The Anomaly rarely disappoints. But things are not over yet. They still have Micheal.¡± Duendes said with a smile. Now that the best-case scenario was foiled and shit hit the fan, it was time for Micheal to shine.


    Micheal looked over at Travis¡¯ unconscious body and cursed under his breath.


    ¡°Regroup; Miko and I will cover your retreat.¡± Micheal¡¯s whisper entered their ears.


    The two began to run toward Micheal and Miko, but Zac was behind them in hot pursuit. In a flash, he overtook them and blocked their way. Just when he was about to strike, he looked over his shoulder and saw Miko opening her mouth.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Zac leaped out of the way as Miko let out a scream that generated a powerful shockwave.


    Zac dodged, but the shockwave heading straight for Patrick and Izumi, curved to follow Zac. He looked over to see Micheal guiding Miko¡¯s shockwave. Zac threw out a dagger toward Miko, who stopped screaming to dodge. With a tug, Zac was pulled in by that same dagger lodged in a pole behind Miko. Zac was heading straight for Miko¡¯s location as her shockwave fizzled out. Micheal quickly jumped in between Miko and Zac. Miko let out a small shriek, and Micheal wrapped the soundwaves from that shriek around his fist as he sent a punch at the approaching Zac.


    ¡°Those two work together annoyingly well.¡± Zac thought to himself.


    Zac kicked the punch away, and the power of the punch knocked him off course. Zac landed hard on the ground but pushed forward without hesitation. He pretended to charge Micheal but quickly changed his target to Miko, throwing a dagger her way. Miko dodged, rolling behind Micheal, who in turn charged Zac, shockwaves still wrapping his fists like gauntlets. He sent a flurry of blows toward Zac, all of which were parried with Zac¡¯s dagger.


    Every opening Zac was given, he took a swipe at Miko. She was no fighter, at least not yet, but her ability to read soundwaves and her natural decision-making made her very illusive. Zac went for another swipe at Miko, who dodged once while also kicking Zac¡¯s attacking arm into the air. Micheal used the opening to punch Zac¡¯s chest. Zac brought up his free arm to block and was knocked into the air. While he was airborne, Miko opened her mouth to shout in his direction while Micheal prepared to control her shockwave.


    ¡°Shut up¡­¡± Zac said placidly as he clenched his fist in the air.


    ¡°Eeeehh!!!!¡± Micheal heard Miko¡¯s scream from behind him and the buzzing of electricity.


    He quickly turned his head to see Miko unconscious on the ground and tiny beads still sparking with electricity surrounding her.


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Micheal cursed.


    ¡°He never intended to directly attack Miko.¡± Kenji smiled.  He had learned more for Zac in the last few minutes then his entire time with Franky. That wasn¡¯t to say he was dissatisfied with Franky¡¯s help, it was the opposite. He found his time spent with Franky extremely enlightening, but Zac was opening his eyes to different avenues.


    With every swipe and missed attack, he dropped those tiny beads. They must have stuck to her gear. He couldn¡¯t put them on Micheal because he had the shockwaves as a layer of protection during their brawl.


    ¡°Your actions are irrelevant. Think of your opponent''s next action and move accordingly. If you can manipulate their actions, even better.¡± Kenji¡¯s mind was racing at 1000 mph. He found himself engrossed in the decisions that Zac made. There was a reason Zac didn¡¯t need a Program, it was simply because he was just better.


    ¡°Bloody Hell!¡± Michael shouted, as he turned to face Zac but saw no one. He then quickly refocused as he stomped his foot on the ground.


    He sent out a gentle shockwave, and through that shockwave, he felt Miko on the ground and felt Izumi and Patrick. To their left, something was rapidly approaching.


    ¡°Patrick!! To your left! 8 meters!¡± Micheal shouted. Patrick didn¡¯t need to ask; he quickly erected a giant earth wall on his left side.


    ¡°Coming around back,¡± Micheal shouted out again.


    Izumi was the one to act this time. As he did so, he waved his hand, and whatever was making Zac invisible was disabled. Or, to be more precise, Izumi bent the light being refracted by Zac¡¯s clock to reveal him. As soon as Zac was revealed, he tossed a small orb in front of him,


    ¡°Gotcha! POP!¡±At Zac¡¯s command, the orb exploded in a flash of light.


    Like everyone else, Patrick and Izumi only had about 48 hours to get accustomed to their new powers. Patrick couldn¡¯t erect large walls like that quickly, and Izumi couldn¡¯t bend light at will either; he still needed to concentrate. All of his attention was on revealing Zac; he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop this flash bang. Everyone watching was blinded momentarily.


    When the light faded, Patrick and Izumi were unconscious on the ground. Zac stood there, stretching his waist, looking over in Micheals''s direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s just you and me now, Mike!¡± Zac¡¯s cheerful voice filled the training grounds.


    Micheal got a bit jittery and took several breaths. He gathered himself as he got into a relaxed boxer stance as bounced on his toes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s scrap then, yeah?¡± Micheal said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy. Come on!¡± Zac motioned for Micheal to make his move, as he tucked his daggers away. As soon as Zac motioned, Micheal exploded forwards. He kicked off the ground, and he produced shockwaves to propel him forward. In two bounds, he had covered the 20-meter gap between them and sent a punch at Zac¡¯s face. Zac lazily dodged while parrying the blow. The punch went past Zac¡¯s face and a powerful concussive wave exploded behind it. Zac glanced back at the concussive explosion for a moment and smiled. Micheal sent several sharp, quick punches, all accompanied by powerful shockwaves tearing the ground apart. Zac calmly parried as his body looked like it was floating around Micheal.


    Micheal went to send another punch but stopped. He looked behind Zac and noticed that Patrick and Izumi¡¯s unconscious bodies were lying there. Every motion Zac made was to slowly position himself in front of Micheal¡¯s teammates, just to create this opening,


    ¡°Gotcha.¡± Zac mused.


    Zac sent an uppercut to Micheal¡¯s chin through the opening created by Micheal''s hesitation. That uppercut was followed by a torrent of punches aimed to knock Micheal unconscious. After the initial uppercut, Micheal recovered and put up his palms to block Zac''s assault. His palms had a layer of vibrating waves to act as shields to cushion the blows. The power behind Zac¡¯s punches was far outside of his expectations. That first uppercut almost took his head off. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Micheal was forced back as the waves he used to defend himself began to shake more and more under Zac¡¯s blows. Zac then sent a haymaker punch angled down at Michaels''s jaw. Micheal blocked the blow but was brought to a knee. Zac continued to beat down on Micheals''s wall of waves as he shouted mockingly,


    ¡°That¡¯s all you got?! HUH!!¡±


    ¡°Errgghhh!!¡± Micheal let out a frustrated shout. He continued to block the heavy blows raining down on him with his left hand and pounded the ground with his right fist.


    A powerful earthquake shook the training ground and the entire underground facility. Zac was knocked off balance as Micheal thrust out his left hand.


    ¡°Mate, I¡¯m sick of ya cocky mouth, yeah?!¡± Micheal shouted.


    When his hand extended he unleashed a powerful shockwave. He had absorbed the force of every punch that Zac had sent. Now he was sending it back at him while adding more of his own power on top of it. While off-balance, all  Zac could do was cross his arms in front of him as he was blown back. Zac looked over his guard to see Micheal standing up. He also saw that he had been knocked away from the unconscious bodies of Miko, Patrick, Izumi, and Travis.


    ¡°Not bad, kid.¡± Zac thought to himself.


    Micheal shouted without giving Zac a chance to land; he amplified the sound waves and sent out a shrieking shout that was about as powerful as the one Miko had performed before. Zac threw out a dagger that embedded itself into some of the debris and pulled himself out of the line of fire. As he got his bearings, he heard a booming noise, and Micheal was in front of him in a crouching position in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°You can use it like that?¡± Kenji¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the way Micheal used a pulse to propel himself forward at incredible speeds. He started to get some ideas of his own. He was disappointed up till now with all of the other teams. However, team Micheal had shown him a few interesting things. However, there was no way he would be able to duplicate what Travis could do with Mind Matter,


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with that guy''s head.¡± Kenji thought to himself.


    Micheal on the other hand, he was inventive, but at least what he did made sense. Franky told him not to try and spread his focus, Kenji agreed for now, but he could feel that he could do more than what Franky thought he could, but for now he needed information.


    ¡°Show me more Micheal.¡± Kenji smirked.


    The crouching Micheal sent a rising punch towards Zac, who went to parry it. But in an instant, Micheal bent the light waves around his entire arm, turning it invisible for a moment. It came back into view along with the images of 7 more fists coming towards Zac.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Zac proclaimed as he was forced to cross his arms in front of him to defend himself once again.


    Micheal¡¯s punch exploded with a concussive force and knocked Zac into the distance. Zac rolled across the ground before stabilizing himself on one knee.


    ¡°He¡¯s learning his Program as he fights. This kid¡­¡± Zac¡¯s train of thought was cut off by another earthquake. Zac looked at Micheal to see that he had jumped into the air after causing the quake. Zac tried his best to jump back and Micheal landed in the spot where Zac was standing just moments ago. Accompanying his landing was a focused shockwave that blasted out in front of him in Zac¡¯s direction.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± Zac¡¯s metallic groan filled the air as everyone saw his body roll across the ground. Everyone went silent for a moment, as Zac didn¡¯t seem to be moving. Micheal stood up straight up, panting heavily.


    ¡°Did I get him?¡± He asked himself.


    ¡°Did he get him?¡± Genkei asked Ume.


    ¡°No.¡± It wasn¡¯t Ume who responded; it was Kenji.


    ¡°Not bad, kid.¡± Everyone heard that cocky metallic voice echo.


    Zac¡¯s light-refracting cloak disengaged and revealed him standing behind Micheal with a gun pressed against the back of his head. Everyone looked over at Zac lying on the floor, only for it to be revealed to be a hologram.


    ¡°When?¡± Micheal asked.


    ¡°The moment I saw you in the air, I knew what you would do. You weren¡¯t sure you were going to hit me directly. So the smart thing to do was to make a shockwave powerful enough to take me out. However, you¡¯d never put your teammates in danger. So I set the hologram node and rolled towards the direction of your teammates, simple really.¡± Zac explained.


    ¡°Simple, right,¡± Micheal said in disbelief.


    There was nothing simple about that. It was the greatest magic trick Micheal had ever seen, and he pulled it off in the middle of an intense fight during an earthquake. Micheal let out a sigh.


    ¡°How were you able to take those hits head-on? I know you¡¯re a Taboo Child or wat¡¯eva, but you¡¯re not Superman.¡± Micheal asked another question.


    ¡°These clothes are very well made.¡± Zac simply responded.


    Micheal nodded his head in understanding. That cloak of his could turn him invisible, and he had little marbles that could instantly take down Chasers. No doubt those clothes hid some kind of body armor he was wearing underneath. Micheal sighed this guy was really like Batman.


    ¡°You know it wouldn¡¯t have worked if you didn¡¯t let your guard down. You should have been able to feel me standing behind you, or sense the light waves being refracted, or a host of other things. You¡¯re a Pulse Chaser, after all.¡±


    ¡°As you said, it¡¯s only been 48 hours,¡± Micheal responded.


    ¡°Right...don¡¯t ever hold back against me again. Next time I¡¯ll be pulling the trigger.¡± Zac whispered into Micheal¡¯s ear so only he could hear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have to worry about that, mate; I don¡¯t think I ever want to fight you again, yeah?¡± Micheal put his hands up in defeat, and Zac chuckled as he put his gun away.


    ¡°The only teammate you should have been concerned about during our fight was Miko. I overloaded her Nano-machines, so they¡¯d be out of commission for a while. However, everyone else was fine. They could take a beating, and the Nano-machines would have helped them recover. In a real fight, they would have been dead anyway. There is no point worrying about dead bodies.¡± Zac instructed.


    ¡°That¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the life of a Chaser.¡± Zac retorted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind then, yeah?¡± Micheal walked away as he began to help his unconscious teammates. Micheal held the still-unconscious Miko as they walked towards Travis, who sprang up on his own,


    ¡°Did we win?!¡± Travis shouted.


    ¡°Does it look like we won?" Patrick knocked Travis on the top of his head.


    "Ya bampot!¡±


    ¡°I guess not.¡± Travis sulked as he looked at the unconscious Miko and then looked over at Zac sitting on top of a dirt mound waiting for the next group.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t get him, Mike?¡± Travis asked, surprised.


    ¡°That man¡¯s a crazy sort, yeah? I held back a little power because I thought I could kill him by mistake. But he was the one just playing around with us. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve seen more than the surface mate. I also don¡¯t think he was joking when he said all of us could attack him.¡± Micheal said with a worried expression on his face.


    ¡°Ms. Mawu said that he¡¯s the weakest of all active Chasers. That makes sense, he doesn¡¯t have a Program. But if he¡¯s the weakest, how crazy are our Mentors?¡± Travis said as he looked over at Zac.


    ¡°I think the better question is, if he is that ¡®weak¡¯, why does everyone seem to be afraid of him,¡± Izumi said.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out. If a team has a chance, it¡¯s them.¡± Micheal said as he looked over at Team Watabe. They all were Mentored by members of the Organization''s top Team. On top of that, they had a Zero Chaser.


    Zac rested on top of a dirt mound and wasn¡¯t looking at any of the other teams present. His mask was undone, and he was staring directly at Team Watabe. More specifically, Zac was staring directly at Kenji. He didn¡¯t know why; he just felt an uncontrollable urge to reign that kid in personally. It all happened after he successfully got his Program. Zac was confident this feeling wasn¡¯t jealousy. It wasn¡¯t just Zac having this feeling. Kenji stared right back at Zac, unblinking.


    When he first got out of that tube, he felt an instinctual fear towards him. However, that feeling had faded and was replaced with a primal urge to fight and dominate him as well as a deep respect.


    The same thought went through both of their minds,


    ~I will make you kneel.~


    They stared into each other''s eyes, Kenji noticed Zac¡¯s pupils turn to slits for just a moment, and Zac noticed the same in Kenji. The shock of this event brought an end to their staring contest, and Zac commanded,


    ¡°Next!¡±


    Back in the skybox, the Mentors looked over at Team Renegade. All of them were interested in seeing what kind of monsters these 5 could create. One of the Mentors looked over at Helana¡¯s bandaged fists and then asked,


    ¡°Hey, Helena, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. How did you damage your fist so bad that Nano-Machines couldn¡¯t have healed them by now? It¡¯s not some crazy new ¡®training¡¯ device, is it?¡±


    ¡°Heh! You could say that.¡± Helena smiled as she looked down at Genkei with a pleased expression.


    ¡°Devin, after seeing Micheal, how does he compare to Watabe?¡± Duendes asked.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t,¡± Devin said flatly. This caught everyone¡¯s attention. Micheal was extremely impressive to them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Micheal is very impressive. But he¡¯s an uncut gem, very raw and naive. Watabe was a sharpened and honed weapon, and then he got THAT Program. There is no comparison.¡± Devin explained his stance, and Duendes nodded in agreement.


    Duendes knew better than anyone where Micheal¡¯s deficiencies were, and he knew how to fix them. He just needed time.


    ¡°So what about Kenji?¡± Everyone looked at Franky, who just smiled back at the lot of them.


    No one bothered to ask Hachiman anything; they¡¯d be lucky if he responded. Even if he did, at best, it''d be some cryptic nonsense limerick about the sword that no one would understand.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to enjoy the show.¡± Mawu said with a smile. She was pretty excited to see what Team Watabe could do.

 Chapter 13: Warm Up

    Zac had called for the next group, but Team Watabe still had not come forward. Zac couldn¡¯t force anyone to step onto the training ground if they did not want to. The only Team Watabe member who seemed to be on the move was Ume. She had walked several laps on the outskirts of the training ground. Zac watched her every move but did not figure out precisely what she was trying to do. She walked a final lap around the training grounds before stopping in front of  Watabe and the others.


    ¡°This should be enough,¡± Ume said to the group.


    ¡°What do you think our chances are?¡± Genkei asked.


    ¡°Before that fight with Micheal, I would have said 50% success. Afterward, I¡¯d say about 30%. That¡¯s being generous.¡± Ume shrugged in defeat.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little better than I was expecting,¡± Watabe commented.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m accounting for one or more of us letting our potential explode. Outside of that, our chances are even slimmer.¡± Ume was straightforward with her assessment.


    Zac had been conscientious about showing only some of his cards. Until now, she was confident that she only saw him dig into 3 of those pockets on his person. From what she could see, those cargo pants had about 10, and he hadn¡¯t even used his firearm; he simply pulled it out to pacify Micheal. There was no telling what functions those things could have.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to do our best. Ready up; we¡¯re heading in!¡± Watabe commanded as the group began to walk toward Zac.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Stockpile. '''' Genkei called out as his body twitched. He clenched his fist, and the fingerless gloves and slick tactical vest that had on began to glow purple,


    ¡°System Start: Block Breaker.¡± At his command, a loud thump and a gentle shockwave metered out from Genkei¡¯s location.


    ¡°Helena, that crazy bitch.¡± Zac mumbled as he watched Genkei¡¯s body lightly jolt under that vest and glove combo.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Flare.¡± Akiko¡¯s unnervingly calm voice sounded. She pulled out her katana; it seemed blunt and had glass tubing lining its edges. Before Zac could figure out what was going on with that blade, Plasma appeared within the tubing. The tubing retracted, and that light blue Plasma began to hum.


    ¡°Is that a fuck¡¯in lightsaber?!¡± Zac exclaimed.


    ¡°Is that a fuck¡¯in lightsaber!!¡± Many of the other Mentors back in the Skybox mimicked Zac¡¯s reaction. Everyone looked over at Hachiman,


    ¡°Program: Flare does not mix particularly well with the way of the sword. She thought of superheated gas to form a plasma blade to alleviate that. However, she is still too fresh to her abilities. So we had the twins quickly put this together. The base is shaped like a typical katana, and Argon Gas is released into the tubing.¡± Hachiman stopped his explanation there. The rest was easy enough to figure out.


    Argon had a low boiling point; likewise,  turning its gas into Plasma was relatively easy. From there, she could focus her full attention on steadily increasing the Plasma''s heat and maintaining the Plasma and its shape around the katana base. It basically acted as training wheels.


    ¡°Damn. And you guys call me crazy!!¡± Helena began to laugh, and everyone avoided looking at her.


    What Hachiman and Akiko came up with was ingenuity; what she came up with for Genkei was just glorified torture. It was lucky that Genkei had the Program he did. Any other recruit would have died by this point while being mentored by Helena.


    Ume looked over at Akiko¡¯s blade and smiled. Akiko told her what she was capable of. However, seeing was far different from hearing. Ume looked over at Watabe, who nodded his head.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Ion¡± Watabe¡¯s body twitched. Then a pair of daggers appeared in his hand, and then 5 more daggers floated from under the blue and gray camo Renegade cloak that Devin gave him. Electricity sparked off of each one of the blades as they rotated around Watabe.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Zero. Boot Up: Replica. Cycle: Full Arsenal and Ion.¡± Kenji smiled as he saw the look on Zac¡¯s face, as mist escaped Kenji¡¯s pores, turning into two pistols.


    ¡°You gotta be kidding me.¡± Zac deduced what the kid¡¯s Boot-Up system could do at that moment. He could also imagine the uproar going on in the Skybox. More than anything right now, he wanted to beat the hell out of Franky.


    Zac always thought Franky¡¯s Program was the most impressive Program he¡¯d ever seen. He thought it was criminally underrated, and he knew it was mostly because most of these Chasers struggled to think out of the box. He had discussed several ways to improve and enhance the abilities of that Program with Franky. However, there were several holes that neither could figure out how to close. But Program: Ion solved all of that.


    ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± Zac muttered as his mask shuttered around his face. Zac stood up on the dirt mound and got into a ready position. From what he saw, this was going to be an actual challenge. If he could kill them, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much, but for someone like him with no Program, not being able to kill these kids was a considerable handicap to have.


    ¡°You¡¯re already so defensive, Sensei. Don¡¯t tell me just this as much has startled you.¡± Ume said with a pleased expression on her face. Zac looked over at his pupil and smiled under his mask. He was curious to see what his cute Tiny Tot had come up with in his absence.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Bloom.¡± The ground began to quake at her words, and Zac looked around in confusion. Suddenly, giant roots sprouted up from the ground and attacked Zac, who quickly evaded. Giant roots and vines continued to assault Zac from all angles. Zac gracefully dodged the rapidly attacking foliage as he danced like a leaf in the wind.


    ¡°She must have done something while walking around the edges of the training grounds, But I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Zac thought to himself. The attack then suddenly stopped.


    He looked around to see that the training ground had been completely transformed. What first looked like a battleground in a destroyed city was now overgrown with plant life and foliage. All of which were under the control of Ume.


    Program: Bloom; allows the user to manipulate, control and create all forms of plant life, foliage, and their by-products. It was an exceedingly rare Program whose capabilities had yet to be fully explored.


    ¡°Shall we begin?¡± Watabe said with a smile on his face. At his command, Genkei and Akiko charged out in a familiar pattern. Watabe trailed behind them as the three charged forward into the forest thicket created by Ume.


    Everyone was staring over in Franky¡¯s and Devin¡¯s direction back in the Skybox.


    ¡°What?¡± Franky asked.


    ¡°What my ass! Are you serious? That Boot-Up can copy Programs?!¡± Mawu asked.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Franky responded bluntly.


    ¡°Devin, did you know about this?¡± Someone else asked.


    ¡°Of course, Franky alerted me as soon as he was made aware.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about something so remarkable?¡± Another Mentor commented.


    ¡°Oh, do forgive me. I wasn¡¯t aware I was your secretary.¡± Devin said rather blandly, but the look in his eyes told a story of its own. The Mentor instantly closed his mouth, and everyone looked at the training grounds. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°This Team Watabe¡­ they may actually be able to take him down,¡± Duendes said with a smile.


    Zac cursed under his breath. The terrain had been completely changed, and there was no point in relearning it. Ume could change anything with a thought. She was abnormally efficient with her Program the moment she got it, like she had been training it for years already. She could make this place a damn maze of roots and vines if she wanted to. This was the first time Zac was put in a genuinely passive position. His annoyance only lasted for a moment before he chuckled,


    ¡°Now I¡¯m excited!¡± Zac¡¯s Metallic voice shouted out as he watched 3 people approach him.


    It was Watabe, Genkei, and Akiko charging forward. It was the same formation as Day 3. However, they now had more confident looks and were more formidable than before.


    ¡°Different song, same dance.¡± Zac pulled out a gun and fired off several rounds at the three of them. Blasts of electricity shot out the tips of Watabe¡¯s daggers, reducing those bullets headed towards him to dust. Akiko made several slashes, also reducing those bullets to dust. Genkei stretched out his hand and caught the bullets headed his way. He held out his right hand and flicked out a bullet with his thumb.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Zac shouted as he dived out of the way.


    That thumb-flicked bullet blew a human-sized hole in the root behind Zac and shattered the root into splinters. Zac looked over his head to see shattered wood splinters levitating in the air.


    ¡°Oh, you gotta be fuck¡¯in kidding me.¡± Zac thought to himself.


    Ume could perceive everything that was going on within this foliage of her creation. That, too, meant she could control everything, including these damaged wood splitters, to attack. Zac jumped out of the way as those wooden splitters lodged themselves where Zac was previously standing. As he jumped to his left, he heard the humming sounds and looked over his shoulder to see Akiko standing with her sword above her head.


    In this situation, Zac would typically throw his dagger and pull himself out of harm''s way. However, everything was now under Ume¡¯s control, and doing so may put him in a more dangerous situation. Zac twirled his body around and crossed his daggers in front of him. The plasma blade clashed with the daggers knocking Zac onto his back with a grunt. Akiko¡¯s blades continued to press down on Zac¡¯s daggers. Every moment that passed, the heat from the Plasma increased.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Zac cursed as he saw the dagger blade being melted.


    He jerked Akiko¡¯s blade to the side while throwing away his daggers and rolling out of the way. He looked up to see Genkei standing over him, sending a punch. He rolled over again, but as Genkei¡¯s punch landed on the ground, it caused an upheaval. Sending Zac flying through the thicket. As he was sent flying, the foliage and the vines wrapped around him, binding him in place. The vines stretched out his arms and legs and had him suspended in the air.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that easy, right?¡± Akiko asked as she and Genkei trailed behind Watabe, who stopped in front of the suspended Zac.


    ¡°Do you yield?¡± Watabe asked as his daggers pointed in Zac¡¯s direction.


    ¡°You know better than that,¡± Zac responded with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Watabe mumbled to himself. His Daggers fired out 5 blasts of lighting.


    Those lightning bolts would be enough to punch holes through bone and reduce most things to ash. Watabe knew holding back was foolish. Those bolts crashed into Zac¡¯s body but seemed to bounce off him harmlessly. Watabe''s eyes widened.


    ¡°System Start: Nano-Armor.¡± Zac sighed.


    ¡°Whatever he¡¯s doing, stop him!!¡± Ume¡¯s voice shouted out through the forest.


    Without asking questions, Watabe, Genkei, and Akiko all charged toward the suspended Zac. and attacked, but it was too late. The attacks from the three smashed into Zac¡¯s body, which shuddered for a moment before his left foot ripped free from the vines binding it and whipped across the faces of all three of his attackers. From Zac''s mask flowed an odd-looking liquid that started to go into his shirt and pants covering his skin in black metal.


    The three of them rolled on the ground, surprised. None of their blows seemed to do anything to Zac, who broke free from his bindings. There was a loud thud of metal as Zac straightened his back. Watabe got a good look at Zac and saw black metal covering his skin and aquamarine lines flowing over the top of that metal.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Genkei asked as he gathered himself.


    ¡°Nano-Armor. Something The Twins and I invented for me. I figured I¡¯d get to test it out today. Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to use it so soon.¡± Zac¡¯s metallic voice chuckled.


    If this was a life or death situation killing the Tiny Tots would be easy, as they were now. However these little ones were more impressive than he¡¯d thought they¡¯d be. He hadn¡¯t even gone up against Kenji yet. Nano-Armor enhanced Zac¡¯s physical abilities by another level and was equipped with several abilities of its own. Nano-machines malfunctioned and vanished when they entered his body, so Zac decided to try keeping them on the outside.


    However, to only respond to Zac and his commands, the Armor ran on bioenergy produced by Zac¡¯s body; he drew this idea from Franky¡¯s Full Arsenal. Meaning it feeds on his blood as biofuel to maintain itself. Being a Taboo Child, Zac¡¯s body was highly abnormal. His blood produced far more bioenergy than average, and he produced blood at a much higher rate. But this still could not last forever; he was limited to 15 minutes of use with the current model. Any more came as a risk to his health. As far as Zac was concerned, it meant for 15 minutes, he was officially a Chaser.


    ¡°Here I come.¡± Zac mused.


    ¡°Get over there and help them now!¡± Ume shouted at Kenji, who immediately ran off into the distance, while looking back at Ume, he gave her an understanding nod and playful wink.


    Zac¡¯s body shot out like a rocket as he closed the distance instantly. Akiko sent a slash at the approaching Zac, who simply sidestepped and sent a punch toward her temple. Genkei stretched out his arm to receive the blow and absorb the kinetic energy behind the punch. Zac¡¯s fist opened as he locked fingers with Genkei and then twisted.


    ¡°ARGH!!¡± Genkei shouted as his fingers were broken and twisted.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± That is all Zac said as he kicked Genkei away.


    It was clear to him that Genkei could only ¡°store¡± the type of force he was expecting. He couldn¡¯t ¡°store¡± all forms of kinetic forces at will. At least not yet. After Genkei was kicked away, Akiko continued her assault, and Zac narrowly dodged each slash. Zac noticed that she was slowly building heat as the fight went on, and he was sure of the level of heat that Plasma had reached. It was best to avoid her blade as much as possible. If he could, he¡¯d put her out of commission first.


    ¡°Now!¡± Zac thought to himself, As Akiko performed a slash that left a small opening. He sent a quick kick to the side of her knee and went to knee her in the face, but before he could deliver the blow, he was knocked off his feet by a stream of lightning. He rolled onto his feet to see Watabe charging his way.


    Watabe began a flurry of attacks at Zac; the 5 daggers floating around him stabbed at Zac from all angles while Watabe attacked directly with the daggers in his hand. Zac¡¯s daggers were already destroyed by Akiko moments ago, so he was forced to defend himself with his bare hands. Luckily for him, the Nano-Armor was more than capable of defending against the slashing of those daggers. However, Watabe seemed to have picked out several weak points in the Armor and stabbed them at every opportunity. Zac was aware of these weak points but didn¡¯t know how Watabe had marked them so quickly.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Zac exclaimed.


    While focusing on Watabe, he didn¡¯t notice a root had wrapped around his right ankle to stop him from moving. Watabe shouted as he gathered a massive amount of electricity into his Daggers and went to stab Zac. He was trying to overload Nano-Armor like Zac had previously overloaded the Nano-Machines of the Chasers. Before the daggers connected, the Nano-Armor wiggled, and two black Daggers emerged and parried away Watabe¡¯s attack. Zac then used his free leg to kick Watabe away. He sliced the root holding his foot and started to chuckle as he looked at the daggers in his hand.


    ¡°So this is how it feels?¡± Zac said.


    The Nano-Armor could form weapons from the Nano-machines it was composed of. Any weapon stored in their data could be assembled. It was similar to Franky¡¯s Full Arsenal by design. However, depending on the weapon, more Nano-machines were directly removed from Zac¡¯s protection. Zac looked at the black daggers as they started to burn his blood to create bio-energy. As they did so, a light green glow emerged on the dagger¡¯s edge. Zac played with the daggers and then charged toward Akiko.


    Akiko quickly brought up her blade and began to attack. This time Zac didn¡¯t dodge; he brought up his dagger to meet Akiko¡¯s plasma blade. The blades collided, and there were no signs of the dagger melting this time. Akiko looked shocked as she was sure she had increased her blade''s heat. Zac then kicked her away. She was no longer the primary concern he had. So he would not waste time on her.


    Zac ran past her and headed straight toward Genkei, whose broken fingers had just been reset and healed. Genkei saw Zac charging his way and got into a fighting stance, only to find him leaping over his head.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Genkei looked confused.


    ¡°He¡¯s heading towards Ume!!!¡± Watabe shouted out.


    Moments later, Zac had Ume in his sights. Like before, Ume assaulted Zac with numerous large roots and vines. However, Zac sliced and weaved through them with ease. Ume went to form a protective dome around her, but Zac managed to slip through. His metallic chuckle sounded,


    ¡°Sorry, my Tiny Tot.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be, Sensei.¡± Ume smiled at Zac.


    At that moment, multiple gunshots rang out, and yellow bioenergy weaved through the openings in Ume¡¯s dome, assaulting Zac from all sides. Zac was knocked to and fro by the explosive force of those shots. Once he recovered, he looked up to see Ume being carried away by a vine as she disappeared through the foliage, leaving Zac trapped inside the dome of plants. Zac looked over his shoulder to see Kenji standing on a tree branch in the distance, two guns trained on Zac¡¯s location.


    Zac heard Ume command Kenji to go help the others, but in all this foliage he had no idea where he would come from. He assumed he had slipped past him at some point, because he had not been able to pick up on Kenji¡¯s location at all.


    ¡°How about you be a good normie, and help me with some target practice?¡± Kenji joked, as he let loose another volley of energy bullets.


    Zac started to laugh,


    ¡°Well, shit.¡±

 Chapter 14: Sword and Shield

    Two minutes had passed since Zac had been trapped inside the dome of plants. At the moment, he was being pelted by the bioenergy bullets that weaved through the openings. As well as electrified flying daggers that made their way through. Every time Zac slashed at the dome, more plants appeared to replace what was lost.


    ¡°Ume must have deduced that I can¡¯t keep this Armor for too long. They plan on drawing this out. Hmmm¡­¡± Zac thought to himself as he looked over at Kenji and Watabe.


    They constantly attacked while Ume focused on maintaining the dome. Akiko and Genkei, on the other hand, stood there watching. They were the two that concerned him the most at a time like this. Ume, Kenji and Watabe all had complex Programs, and each had an extremely high skill ceiling, but the skill floors were in the gutter.


    However, Akiko and Genkei were different. Their skill ceilings weren¡¯t quite as high, but their skill floor was significantly higher. Right now, what they needed to do was simple. Akiko increased the heat of her plasma blade by a second. With every second that went by, Genkei stored more and more Kinetic energy. Zac needed to escape as quickly as possible, or this would be an uphill battle.


    ¡°Should I go at them with the intent to kill?¡± Zac thought to himself.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling guys.¡± Kenji said as he noticed that Zac¡¯s movements weren¡¯t slowing at all. He knew that Zac wouldn¡¯t be so easily defeated, or at least he hoped he wouldn¡¯t. But he didn¡¯t like this feeling bubbling in his gut. He was doing his best to predict what Zac¡¯s next course of action could be, but he simply didn¡¯t have the mind for it, yet. Nor did he know the extent of this nano-armor.


    Zac¡¯s movements suddenly picked up as he dodged a flying dagger coming from his right and then held up his forearm to deflect the energy bullets being shot at him by Kenji.


    ¡°Here it comes.¡± Kenji''s deflated voice whispered.


    Zac threw the daggers in his hand at the dome wall in front of him. The daggers melted into the same strange liquid. That liquid ate away at the foliage faster than Ume could reform the dome. Zac quickly dived through the hole that was made, and the liquid trailed behind him reformed into Armor on his hands. Rolling onto his feet Zac looked at the 5 of them.


    ¡°You could have done that 3 minutes ago. Why now?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°I was planning,¡± Zac said nonchalantly.


    ¡°Shit! Planning?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Yeah, planning what to do after this session, plans for the week. Oh, and how to deal with you guys was peppered somewhere in there.¡± Zac shrugged sarcastically.


    Soft laughter escaped Watabe¡¯s lips.


    ¡°He¡¯s just like Sensei Devin said. I don¡¯t know if he is just messing with us or being serious.¡± Watabe thought to himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus,¡± Watabe told his team. They were all still young; it wouldn¡¯t be surprising to him if any of them fell for such a taunt.


    ¡°Yes, please don¡¯t lose focus because I did come to a conclusion, and I need to ask you guys a favor moving forward,¡± Zac said.


    ¡°What is it, Sensei?¡± Ume asked.


    She didn¡¯t mind Zac wasting this time talking to them. The more he talked, the better off they were.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die on me.¡± Zac¡¯s chuckled. But that chuckle sent a chill down the spine of everyone listening.


    ¡°Spread out!!!¡± Watabe immediately shouted.


    It was too late; Zac had already appeared amid their group with blinding speed; he had a gun pressed against Genkei¡¯s forehead. He had deduced that Kenji¡¯s Program was the ability to influence flight paths to some degree. Watabe wasn¡¯t skilled enough with Ion to weave those daggers in and out of that dome. So he must have been assisted by Kenji, who also controlled his own energy bullets. It also seemed he could fire them off nearly endlessly. Kenji used the energy produced by Ion as the power source instead of burning his blood for bioenergy.


    In this situation, going for Genkei first was ideal. Kenji could not manipulate the bullet Zac would fire; by the time it was in motion, it would already have gone through Genkei¡¯s skull. Akiko couldn¡¯t risk attacking for fear of slicing through Genkei. Ume¡¯s control over plants was not at a point where she could quickly pinpoint and stop Zac¡¯s action.


    ¡°Genkei!!¡± Kenji shouted as the sound of a gunshot went off.


    Genkei¡¯s head reeled backward, but there was no hole in Genkei¡¯s head. Instead, a bruise and bullet fell from the point of impact. When Zac pulled the trigger, Genkei preemptively began absorbing the kinetic energy. If he had been a moment later, that bullet would have gone through his skull. Genkei¡¯s head came forward with a kinetic energy-empowered headbutt,


    ¡°Did you forget my Program?!¡± Genkei roared in anger.


    ¡°No,¡± Zac answered as he lazily tossed up an orb in the path of Genkei¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Brace yourselves!!¡± Watabe called out as Genkei¡¯s head made contact.


    A powerful wave of concussive force exploded onto the orb, and in return, the orb exploded.


    In the skybox, the Mentors panicked at that large explosion; it took out a third of the forest that Ume had created.


    ¡°What the hell is he thinking?!¡±One of the Mentors cried out.


    ¡°Calm down, they''re fine. That explosion could have been a lot bigger if he wanted.¡± Devin said.


    ¡°But Helena¡¯s kid was standing there point blank.¡± The same Mentor looked over at Helena, who didn¡¯t seem concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He can take a beating. Though that one¡¯s gonna hurt.¡± Helena started to laugh.


    Everyone else shivered. What the hell did she put him through that she was sure he could take a point-blank explosion.


    Kenji coughed as he looked up at the smoke cloud where the explosion had happened. He looked to his right and noticed that Watabe was near him. The two were separated from the others during the explosion. He remembered that Genkei was in the middle of that explosion and quickly rushed to his feet to charge in to see if Genkei was OK.


    ¡°Nobody move!¡±Watabe shouted loud enough for not only Kenji but Ume and Akiko, who were on the other side of the clearing created by the explosion.


    Kenji stopped dead in his tracks, then looked down in front of him. He saw a multitude of beads littering the ground. It was the same beads that had shocked other Recruits unconscious before. If he had taken another step forward, he would have stepped on those beads and been knocked unconscious by the resulting shock. The smoke cleared, and Zac stood beside a charred standing body. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Fucking Ouch!¡± The charred body shouted.


    In confusion, Zac tilted his head to the side before kicking the charred Genkei away. Zac cursed under his breath. Genkei being alive wasn¡¯t shocking; his being conscious was insane. Helena must be having a field day with that kid. Zac was fine, thanks to the Armor, but Genkei took that blast on with his bare body. Zac was going to turn towards the others when he heard the sounds of Genkei getting up. Zac turned to see a ghastly sight.


    ¡°That really hurt,¡± Genkei grumbled as his charred flesh began to peel away, and he began to heal almost instantly.


    ¡°He¡¯s using the stored kinetic energy to empower his healing?!¡± Kenji thought, as he looked at Genkie like a monster, and then smiled. He was learning so much today, it was exciting.


    Chasers gained the ability to regenerate to a limited degree, and this effect was supplemented by the Nano-machines. With their natural healing ability and Nano-Machines working in tandem, outside of instantaneous death, there were few things they couldn¡¯t heal from. Genkei could use stored kinetic energy to boost his natural healing or even boost the nano-machine output. In that case, he¡¯d be challenging to kill. No one had ever heard of a Stockpile Chaser having such an ability. Of course, such a Chaser was never made Helena¡¯s trainee.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he had developed that instinctively to survive that crazy woman,¡± Zac grumbled.


    ¡°What?!¡± Genkei shouted excitedly as he saw everyone staring at him like a freak.


    ¡°How did you heal that fast?!¡± Akiko shouted at Genkei in the clearing.


    ¡°Can¡¯t everyone?¡± Genkei was confused.


    ¡°No,¡± Zac said as he sent an uppercut at the detracted Genkei¡¯s chin.


    The power behind that uppercut sent Genkei into a flip. Anyone else¡¯s head would have been taken off. Zac noticed that Genkei instinctively absorbed some of the force behind the punch at the last moment. Helena had put him through the wringer over the past 48 hours for such instincts to be engraved in him already.


    Zac held out his hand at the airborne Genkei. The Armor surrounding his hand to his forearm shot out in liquid form splitting into five pieces that stapled Genkei to the ground with cuffs around his ankles, wrists, and throat. Zac knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to knock Genkei out, let alone kill him promptly, so it was best to take him out of the fight for the time being. Even if it came at the cost of some of his Armor.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Akiko¡¯s calm voice called out to Ume.


    ¡°GO!¡± Ume called out as a giant root formed an archway in front of Akiko, knocking those electro beads out of the way.


    Zac had spread out electro beads all over the clearing. However, there was a dead zone where he and Genkei were, but after blowing away the surrounding plant life and debris, it was too far for them to jump the distance needed without exposing themselves to retaliation. Zac had managed to perfectly isolate Genkei for the perfect amount of time to take him out.


    ¡°And what are you ready for?¡± Zac asked as he turned to see Akiko speeding through the archway of roots created by Ume.


    Akiko didn¡¯t say a word; the only thing that changed was the look on her face. It went from the tranquil stillness that Zac associated with Hachiman to a manic smile. Zac was momentarily taken aback as Akiko stopped just outside of her sword range and sent a horizontal slash,


    ¡°Do you know how hard I had to concentrate on getting this shit ready!!!!?¡± As Zac¡¯s eyes widened under his mask, Akiko''s fiery personality was manifested.


    That sword didn¡¯t have the range to hit Zac, but a line of superheated Plasma fired in Zac¡¯s direction. Zac ducked underneath it and felt the heat through his Armor as the beam of Plasma shot by him.


    ¡°Daggers won¡¯t be enough.¡± Zac thought to himself.


    The heat coming from that Plasma was on another level than before. Zac couldn¡¯t get close to it. He cursed under his breath as the Armor flowed off his body to form a vicious-looking glaive. Its blade glowed with green bioenergy. Akiko laughed excitedly and then charged in with a completely different fighting style. Previously she was calmer and more reserved; Zac felt like he was fighting a mini Hachiman. Now it was wild and unpredictable, like a flame caught in the wind, bursting into a wildfire.


    Her strikes seemed wild and full of openings, but every time Zac searched and found one, he could not capitalize on them. It was hard to go on the offensive. Each slash, no matter how long or short, had a beam of superheated plasma trail behind it. This stopped Zac from making retreating motions, limiting his defensive options. It also defeated the purpose of having a weapon with more extended reach, but he could not switch to a short weapon that would bring him close to the heat produced by that blade. He was now cursing himself for encircling himself with the electro beads.


    ¡°No choice,¡± Zac mumbled as he moved his body and positioned it in front of Genkei, who was still lying on the ground.


    He figured Akiko would be less inclined to use those plasma slashes. His assumptions would be wrong.


    ¡°Like I care!¡± Akiko laughed.


    She didn¡¯t hesitate; she increased the intensity as she sent out a torrent of slashes that formed a net of Plasma that left no room for Zac to maneuver.


    ¡°Crazy!¡± Zac shouted as he jumped into the air.


    He had no choice but to leave Genkei to his own devices. He looked down to see the net of Plasma break apart, and each individual slash raced towards the airborne Zac attacking from all sides.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±Zac muttered as he split the glaive in two. A second blade appeared on the split half. Zac¡¯s arms began to glow with bioenergy as he sent out a flurry of slashes to deflect those beams heading his way. After which, he looked in Kenji¡¯s direction and saw Kenji¡¯s hand motioning; he assumed Kenji was controlling those plasma blades. However, once again, his assumptions are off the mark,


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t Kenji. But this is!¡± He heard Akiko¡¯s voice and felt a wave of heat coming over his shoulder.


    As he was falling back towards the ground, so was Akiko, but at a much faster speed, heading straight towards him. Zac looked at the ground and saw a giant root where Akiko was standing before, and everything clicked. Akiko¡¯s Program: Flare, allowed her to increase heat values and control those bodies of heat. She wouldn¡¯t need Kenji to move those plasma beams as she pleased. But Kenji did influence her jumping momentum. Allowing her to jump higher and faster and change her flight path to such a degree.


    ¡°Very good!!¡± Zac laughed out in excitement as he crossed his blades in front of him to block Akiko¡¯s attack. Her plasma blade collided with Zac¡¯s weapons, and her momentum kept pushing them toward the ground. Kenji was still controlling her momentum and now controlled Zac¡¯s as well, as they both plummeted toward the ground. Zac looked over his shoulder at the rapidly approaching floor and heard Genkei¡¯s shout.


    Genkei bursts free from the binding by unleashing a powerful explosion of Kinetic energy. Seeing this, Kenji adjusted the angle of Zac¡¯s and Akiko¡¯s fall toward Genkei.


    ¡°Finish it, Genkei!¡± Watabe shouted out.


    Genkei laughed, and energy visibility began to form on his fist. This was their first win condition. Ume knew that Akiko and Genkei were the wildcards in this fight. Genkei¡¯s program''s power was easy enough for her to deduce, and Akiko had been oddly stoic. She figured she was gathering her attention to focus on a specific concept. She expected great things from the two, but Genkei¡¯s healing and Akiko¡¯s swordplay had far exceeded her expectations. They were the perfect shield and sword, respectively. In the beginning Ume hoped they would not hold the rest of the team back, but now she understood that they would be critical pieces moving forward. She smiled in anticipation.


    The sound of a large explosion took place as Genkei¡¯s fist collided with Zac¡¯s back. There was an upheaval of dust and shockwave that blew through the area. Watabe and the others looked on to see the results of the collision. Watabe¡¯s eyes widened when the dust cleared. Genkei was still in a punching stance, but a black spike was going through his hand, extending to the floor behind him. A mass of these black spikes went through different parts of his body, stapling him in place.


    Akiko was suspended in mid-air with spikes going through her shoulder and legs. In the middle of those interconnected spikes, Zac stood holding Akiko¡¯s blade. The Plasma that surrounded it was now gone.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    ¡°Crazy son of a bitch!¡± Akiko and Genkei exclaimed, respectively.


    ¡°Credit where credit is due. You almost got me.¡± Zac chuckled.


    He put on a carefree front but was just moments away from receiving a severe injury. However, escaping that predicament came at a cost. He had burned quite a bit of blood to produce the bioenergy to protect himself from that last Genkei attack and to form these spikes. Those spikes then retracted, turning into liquid and reforming into the Nano-Armor and covering Zac¡¯s face in his black mask yet again. He could feel the fatigue starting to overcome his body. One would never be able to tell through that cocky smile of his.


    Genkei and Akiko crumpled to the ground. Akiko couldn¡¯t heal at the ridiculous rate that Genkei could and had spent a great deal of energy; she was utterly spent. Genkei¡¯s healing was contingent on having energy stored to facilitate it. He had used nearly all of it to attack Zac just now, and Zac made sure to destroy the mechanism of that Block Break system with his spikes just now. The two were more or less out of commission for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°He looks fine, but we can¡¯t let up on him now.¡± Kenji thought to himself.


    Zac¡¯s use of the Nano-Armor had been cut in half by the exchange just now. The longer the fight dragged on, the more likely these two could recover. He looked over at the three remaining. Watabe stepped forward, stepping on the electro beads. As he did so, every single electro bead began to float. They fizzled for a moment and then fell back to the ground. Just like that, Watabe disabled every single one of them,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Was the only command that he uttered.


    At his call, he charged forward, and Kenji and Ume charged in behind him.

 Chapter 15: One of a Kind

    The three remaining members of Team Watabe charged forward; Watabe pointed behind him at Ume and made a simple hand motion. Without a word, Ume broke off from Watabe and Kenji, and with a wave of her hand, large roots began to grow in the wake of her footsteps. Zac threw Akiko¡¯s blade to the ground as he eyed this phenomenon carefully. Watabe wouldn¡¯t allow him to study Ume any further as an electrified dagger flew in Zac''s direction. If this was a little while ago, Zac would have slapped the dagger away or even caught it. That was off the table now.


    ¡°He disabled the Electro Beads; there¡¯s no guarantee that he won¡¯t be able to do the same to the Nano-Armor. He¡¯s learning fast.¡± Zac thought.


    Kenji waved his hand, and the dodged dagger returned to attack Zac, who dodged again. This was odd, Watabe should be able to control the dagger relatively well on his own, at least for this much. Granted that Kenji could increase the momentum and force behind it, it made more sense for Kenji to focus on his own attacks.


    ¡°Unless Watabe¡¯s prepping something.¡± It was then that Zac noticed that the other daggers that Watabe had were nowhere to be seen.


    Zac burned more blood as the eyes of his mask began to glow. Those eyes scanned the area and picked up on large amounts of energy gathering behind Watabe. Zac looked beneath him before quickly jumping to the side as a giant root exploded out of the ground.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Zac exclaimed. as


    Those roots were not after him. They quickly wrapped around Genkei and Akiko and dragged them  towards Ume, who waved at Zac before pointing in Watabe¡¯s direction. Zac saw that Watabe¡¯s daggers had all gathered in front of him. The daggers poured electricity into a single point and fired a giant bolt of lightning. Zac landed and burned more of his blood extending his hands out in front of him. A wall of bioenergy was formed to block the incoming lightning. The lightning curved around the shield at Kenji''s whims and crashed down on Zac from behind.


    The point of impact exploded with electricity as Zac¡¯s body flopped over on the ground. Watabe scoffed and then threw a dagger toward his left. Zac dodged out of the way, but the dagger nicked his cloak. Zac was revealed as his cloak¡¯s functions were disabled by Watabe. The Zac that was ¡°struck" was revealed to be a hologram.


    ¡°How did he track me?¡± Zac wondered.


    Program: Ion could track the natural electricity produced by the human body, but Watabe was not on that level yet. There was no way that he was tracking the signal of his cloak either.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Beads!¡± Zac deduced, and he dug into his back pocket.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Zac cursed as he threw out the electro beads from his pocket.


    ¡°Doumo arigatou gozaimasu!¡± Watabe spoke sarcastically as the thrown beads stopped mid-air and floated towards him. If Zac was even a few moments later, Watabe would have activated those beads against Zac¡¯s will, and taken him out before he knew what happened.


    Zac started to laugh as he saw the scene in front of him.


    ¡°Stall,¡± Watabe called out to Kenji, who nodded and charged forward.


    At the same time, roots came out of the ground and wrapped around Watabe. The roots borrowed into the ground disappeared from the battlefield.


    ¡°What the hell are they thinking?¡± Zac spoke out loud to himself.


    ¡°You should be more concerned about me!¡± Kenji shouted out as he closed the gap between him and Zac. As two pistols appeared in his hand.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zac smirked as his Armor produced a single pistol and a single dagger.


    Kenji pointed his left gun forward and pulled the trigger; Zac used his dagger to parry the gun to the side to avoid the shoot. While bringing his gun to Kenji''s forehead. Kenji tapped the side of the barrel with his right gun and slightly tilted his head to avoid the bioenergy that streaked by his face. With a fluid motion, that same gun then pointed at Zac¡¯s face. Before Kenji could pull the trigger, Zac''s dagger came to slice Kenji¡¯s wrist. Kenji jerked his hand up, leaning backward to avoid the slash. Simultaneously he brought up his free hand to fire another shot.


    In the skybox, Devin looked down at Zac and Kenji''s furious assault on each other. It was like watching a dangerous and elegant dance. One wrong move could result in an instant defeat for the other.


    ¡°Did you also teach him that armed fighting style?¡± Devin asked Franky.


    ¡°The kid was like a sponge, you showed him something once, and he instantly remembered it,¡± Franky responded.


    ¡°But you knew he¡¯d be fighting Zac today. Why teach him that?¡± Helena asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m best at. Besides, I said Kenji remembered it, not that he understood it. Who better to help him understand?¡± Franky shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re no better than Zac when using people,¡± Hachiman grumbled.


    ¡°Well, I learned from the best.¡± Franky chuckled.


    ¡°Looks like he got him. He lasted longer than I thought.¡± Devin smiled as everyone turned their attention back to the fight.


    Zac¡¯s dagger slit Kenji¡¯s wrist, forcing him to drop his gun. Sweeping  Kenji off his feet, Zac pointed his gun at Kenji¡¯s chest and pulled the trigger. Kenji¡¯s free hand reached out in front of him, causing the bioenergy shot to veer off course, striking his shoulder. Kenji fell to the ground looking up at Zac.


    ¡°You learned that style from Franky?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s more like you copied it; you don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re just going through the motions.¡± Zac corrected Kenji.


    ¡°You have a Program that controls the momentum of anything in motion, but at the moment, you need to use your hands to influence the motion. So why use two pistols? You¡¯d be better off with one until you can influence such things with just a thought.¡± Zac spoke.


    This was a fighting style that Zac had developed, and he had taught it to Franky. While Zac liked to use a dagger with a pistol, Franky preferred two pistols. With Kenji''s ability, it made no sense to use two pistols as he was now.


    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± Kenji asked as he got to his feet


    He knew he could feel the same bestial aggression coming from Zac, that he himself was emitting. Ever since he got these Nano-Machines, everytime he looked at Zac, he saw something he needed to conquer to overcome. He didn¡¯t know why or where these emotions were coming from, maybe it was a deep seeded sense of inferiority.


    They were both Taboo Children, but Zac seemed to be better than him in every way, save for one. Kenji could use a Program, so this was his chance to prove his superiority. This was also the change for Zac to maintain his own. He had done a fine job of that till this point. So why instead of establishing his dominance, why was he trying to help him?


    ¡°I¡¯m an Instructor. My job is to instruct.¡± Zac shrugged his shoulders.


    Kenji raised his eyebrow in disbelief; he hadn¡¯t really been teaching anyone anything, at least not in Kenji¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised. The others get their asses kicked and pick on their weakness as they go; there¡¯s no real reason to directly tell them anything. You are different. Everything comes so easy for you. So easy that you don¡¯t actually know how to learn.¡± Zac chided. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Kenji¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Zac¡¯s masked face. To this point, Kenji just observed and copied what he saw, he had been doing so until the moment this fight started. Zac was right; he hadn¡¯t learned anything; he just mimicked.


    ¡°Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but it has limits. Because imitations are rarely more than cheaper versions of the original.¡± Zac spoke to Kenji, who closed his eyes.


    He had similar thoughts, but had not acted on them. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have time. He copied things almost instantly, there was plenty of time to study what he copied and make it his own. He kept thinking there would be time later, but because of Zac¡¯s words he realized he was becoming more content with just being a mis-mash of copies.


    He let out a sigh and then picked up his pistols. One then faded into his body as he assumed a tactical shooting stance. Zac smiled under his mask as he looked at Kenji. He knew his time in the Nano-Armor was limited, but his job was to teach the kids not to win, and the one that needed the most help was standing right in front of him.


    The two of them resumed the ballet of gunplay. Their graceful moments unbecoming of the clunky and inelegant weapons that they wielded. With each passing second, Kenji became more attuned with HIS style. The rate of his growth was unnerving for everyone who looked on. Kenji paid them no mind, he was too lost in himself. He could feel himself becoming more skillful by the moment, and it was intoxicating. Every move Zac countered he saw why and immediately corrected his flaw.


    ¡°If I can copy and improve other¡¯s abilities, what¡¯s stopping me from doing the same with my own?¡± Kenji smiled with glee. However, that feeling of intoxication would not last much longer.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Kenji cursed as he pulled his trigger.


    Zac knocked Kenji¡¯s gun off course. Zac pulled with his left hand, and Kenji felt a sharp pain spread across his abdomen and face. He looked up to see a dagger guided by a green light in the air above him. Zac had dropped his dagger at Kenji¡¯s feet at some point during their dance. Before Kenji could figure out what was happening, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulders and legs. Zac had rattled off four shots within that lapse of concentration.


    ¡°Better,¡± Zac said in a pleased voice.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Kenji groaned as he fell onto his back.


    ¡°But there¡¯s still something missing.¡± Zac told Kenji.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kenji asked, confused.


    ¡°What you can do is ridiculous, unfair really. You are by far the most impressive individual I¡¯ve ever seen, from a pure physical standpoint. In a sense, your vessel is perfect, but empty. I can feel your desire to get better to get stronger, but there¡¯s no purpose, no drive to it.¡±


    Kenji looked at Zac confused.


    ¡°Let me ask you kid. What is the purpose of you getting stronger?¡± Zac asked as he squatted next to the down Kenji.


    ¡°To be better than!...You¡­¡± Kenji almost blurted out ¡°my father¡±, but didn¡¯t want to give the satisfaction to someone who wasn¡¯t even here. Zac could pick up on that and asked with a smirk,


    ¡°Why? Why do you need to be better than ¡®me¡¯? I told you before, we don¡¯t owe the world anything. But knowing the answer to that question. You owe yourself at least that much.¡±


    Kenji laid there in stunned silence as he thought. He wanted to be stronger than his father, so he wouldn¡¯t end up like him. Thinking about everything he knew, his father didn¡¯t want to be out of his life, he was just too weak to stay in it. He couldn¡¯t protect him and his mother by being by their side, so he had to abandon them.


    Kenji never wanted to be put in such a situation, that in order to protect the ones he cared about he would have to leave them. He didn¡¯t want it, and wouldn¡¯t allow it, not when he had all this power now at his fingertips. He clenched his fist as Zac smiled brightly at him.


    ¡°It seems you found your answer. Good. Keep that in mind when you do anything moving forward. Make sure everything you do is in service to that purpose.¡± Zac stood up while dusting off his clothing. Kenji felt the corners of his mouth rise into a smile. Hearing Zac compliment him for the first time felt good.


    ¡°It should be about time you guys finished, right?¡± Zac then looked at the area 10 meters to the left of their location. At that moment, a large bundle of roots emerged, and 4 individuals walked out. Watabe, Ume, and the revived Genkei and Akiko. While Zac had been using the Electro Beads to overload the Nano-machines, Watabe got the idea to use the Electro Beads to supercharge them without overloading them. This allowed the Nano-machine to increase Akiko¡¯s and Genkei¡¯s recovery speed.


    ¡°How long have you known?¡± Ume asked with a smile.


    ¡°The moment Watabe took control of the Electro Beads. Not like I could do anything to stop it once you guys went underground. I would have retreated if this was a life or death situation.¡± Zac shrugged.


    Ume began to giggle as she looked at her nonchalant sensei. Genkei placed his hand on Kenji¡¯s shoulder. Kenji felt an abundance of energy flowing through his body, and his wounds instantly healed. Kenji got onto his feet and looked over at Watabe, who nodded his head,


    ¡°Good work Kenji.¡± Watabe said.


    ¡°You say that, but I feel like he just let this happen.¡± Kenji felt a bit defeated, but was renewed with purpose.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use trying to compare ourselves to a freak of nature. Focus up!¡± Watabe smacked Kenji on the back.


    Kenji nodded his head in understanding. Watabe looked over at Zac and then asked.


    ¡°You asked us not to die on you. But I feel like you''re still holding back.¡±


    ¡°You are correct,¡± Zac confirmed.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, I could go at you fully with the intent to kill and still avoid killing you. However, this Nano-Armor is new and a prototype. There¡¯s the risk of malfunctions, me exerting more strength than needed, and me underestimating the output.¡± Zac explained.


    ¡°We¡¯d like to ask that you go all out then,¡± Watabe said sternly.


    ¡°Is that what you all want?¡± Zac asked as he looked at the rest of the Team.


    They all looked at each other and then nodded their heads in agreement. Zac then looked up at the skybox.


    ¡°Do it.¡± Devin¡¯s mellow voice echoed through the training grounds.


    ¡°Well, if the Boss says it¡¯s OK, then I guess there¡¯s no point in thinking about it.¡± Zac sighed. He then looked down at his hands and then over at the group of 5.


    ¡°Lucky for you, I have 6 minutes of use remaining in this thing. I¡¯ll give you 3 minutes to prepare. If you can survive 3 minutes, consider it your win.¡± Zac then took a seat where he was standing, and his mask unfurled to reveal his face, which was visibly tired.


    Watabe turned to face his Team and then let out a sigh,


    ¡°Sorry for being so willful. But it¡¯s imperative to see what he¡¯s like in a fight to the death.¡±


    ¡°He might actually kill us,¡± Kenji spoke up.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly sure why but when he looked at Zac, he felt a chill. Zac was staring directly at them without saying a word.


    ¡°Kenji¡¯s right. Look at him; he is prepping as much as we are.¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Good, we need this. Genkei come with me.¡± Ume said as she motioned for Genkei to follow her.


    Once they were a reasonable distance away from the others, large roots sprouted out of the ground. They began to beat Genkei across the chest. The blows from those roots could shred concrete, but looking at Genkei, it seemed he was having a delightful massage. Ume was not holding back; she wanted him to store as much Kinetic energy as possible. In her mind, Genkei was the key to their survival. He was a tank, and from what he did to Kenji just now, he could heal others with his stored energy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be getting ready as well,¡± Akiko spoke as she ran over to pick up her Katana. She then sat down in a lotus position and held her blade out with her eyes closed. Immediately Plasma surrounded the edge of the Katana. Watabe saw the others getting ready and turned his attention towards Kenji, who seemed to be in a staring contest with Zac again.


    ¡°Kenji!¡± Watabe shouted out his name.


    ¡°Ah, yeah?¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°Do you need to do something to prepare?¡±


    ¡°No, I just¡­ I just need to think.¡± Kenji looked down at the pistol in his hand.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Watabe didn¡¯t ask further and sat down.


    He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, all the Electro Beads he had disabled in the area sparked and floated towards him. Kenji had to back away as he looked at Watabe in shock. Countless little beads were orbiting around Watabe like tiny stars. Each of them started to spark back to life with each passing second. Watabe closed his eyes again as he thoroughly studied the Electro Beads. Kenji looked at Zac to measure his response, but he was unreadable.


    ¡°Team Leader,¡± Kenji called out.


    Watabe opened his eyes to see Kenji standing just outside of his cluster of Electro Beads.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Can I have some of your Electro Beads?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Are you trying to copy me?¡± Watabe asked.


    ¡°No, I have an idea,¡± Kenji said with a smile.


    ¡°Take as many as you need,¡± Watabe said with a larger smile.


    Kenji held out his hand and absorbed only ten of the Electro Beads. Watabe looked on in confusion for a moment until Kenji reformed the beads using Full Arsenal and began to fiddle with them. Watabe smirked along with Ume, who was watching from afar. Once Ume had found out what Kenji was capable of, she almost became disgusted with his actions up to this point.


    He was content with letting others mold him rather than using that endless potential to mold himself. Kenji was content to be a mishmash of cheap imitations. Rather than use everything he had to become something impossible. It was because he had no drive; he simply wanted to be. Talent only got you so far. Without desire, without passion, all the talent in the world was meaningless. However, she now saw the look in his eyes as he stared at those Electro beads in his palm. They were filled with determination and purpose. Now his possibilities were truly limitless.


    ¡°Good.¡± Ume mused.

 Chapter 16: 3 Minutes

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± One of the Mentors in the Skybox commented as they looked down at the sitting Zac.


    ¡°What don¡¯t you get?¡± Devin asked


    ¡°Zac said he had 6 minutes left in the Nano-Armor. I get it draws its power from the user just to work. So why not just deactivate it? Even if he¡¯s just sitting there, having that thing active is draining, right? Also, why make Nano-Armor like that anyway?¡± The Mentor rambled. Devin chuckled and responded.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. That Nano-Armor will never work for other Chasers. The Nano-Machinces in your body will take the foreign Nano-Machine of the Armor as a threat. The two will clash, more than likely destroying your body in the process.¡±


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s a way to program the Nano-machines of the Armor to mask their presence to prevent such a thing, and why have it fueled by the Bioenergy of the body? Burning blood seems extreme.¡± Another Mentor asked.


    ¡°Zac¡¯s body is odd, even when you compare it to Kenji, a fellow Taboo Child. He heals and recovers about 15% less effectively than Program Chasers. Which is substantially higher than a normal human.¡± Dr. Varma interjected.


    ¡°But still, there must have been a more effective power source.¡± Someone blurted out.


    ¡°Of course, but Zac is as paranoid as he is special. It runs on his Bioenergy and only his Bioenergy. So even if he dies, no one can activate it to study and possibly duplicate it. In fact, from what he told me. If he dies while wearing that Armor, each individual nano-machine will explode, disintegrating his body along with the Armor.¡± Devin stared at the Mentors who kept trying to pry into the creation of that Nano-Armor.


    He saw the greed in their eyes. Chasers always craved more power; it was like a drug. That Nano-Armor of Zac¡¯s was like a juicy steak laid bare before hungry beasts. However, Devin¡¯s words and demeanor dumped cold water on their thoughts. Only Zac and The Twins knew the ins and outs of that Armor. They¡®d be lucky if Zac shared a greeting with them; there was no way he would share his secrets. As for The Twins, they had an odd codependent  relationship with Zac, and the possibility of them sharing the secrets of the Armor the three of them made together was even less likely.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s all well and good, but that still didn¡¯t answer my first question. Why keep it activated instead of recovering?¡± The first Mentor asked again.


    ¡°Zac is a lot softer than you guys think. He doesn¡¯t open up to people often, but it¡¯s a profound thing when he does. I¡¯d been interested in him since we first met 4 years ago. Still, I always hesitated because I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready for something so¡­ intense.¡± Dr. Varma smiled.


    ¡°Oh god¡­¡± Helena groaned as she looked at Dr. Varma¡¯s smiling face. Dr. Varma cleared her throat and continued,


    ¡°Anyway, Zac had taken quite a liking to this batch of recruits. Even took a mentee for the first time. Imagine if he ended up killing them? He¡¯d be devastated. So he¡¯s giving them every advantage that he can.¡±


    Devin nodded in agreement, and everyone turned their attention toward Zac sitting on the ground. They could see the exhaustion on his face, and his breathing became hurried as the seconds passed. However, the hollow look in his eyes sent shivers down their spines. It was like they could see him killing off his own emotions.


    ¡°He''s ready,¡± Devin muttered to himself.


    Back on the training grounds, Zac wordlessly stood up. Watabe opened his eyes as the electro beads hovering around the area rushed towards him.


    ¡°Everyone ready up!!¡± Watabe shouted.


    Ume stopped pounding Genkei¡¯s chest, and the two jumped to Watabe¡¯s side. Akiko stood up as the plasma blade hummed with renewed power. The heat it emitted scorched the ground as it grazed over it. Kenji, who had been in deep thought this entire time, looked over his shoulder as he stared at Zac. He flinched as their eyes met. When they had locked eyes before , Kenji felt an instinctive competitiveness spring forth. This time there was a primal fear that gripped him.


    ¡°Be careful; he will kill us this time.¡± Kenji blurted out to the rest of the group.


    Watabe and Ume nodded their heads, they didn¡¯t have the same deep feeling as Kenji, but the look in Zac¡¯s eyes was too unnerving for them not to pick up on the change. Without warning, Zac performed an underhanded throw with his dagger toward the group. They all jumped out of the way in different directions. Still, as the dagger passed by, Watabe felt something and noticed a subtle glimmer trailing the dagger.


    ¡°Everyone, protect your vitals!!¡± Watabe shouted as he sent out a shock towards the glimmer. This shock disabled the cloaking around the black Nano-armor wire attached to the dagger. Just as Watabe shouted and revealed the wire. Thousands of thin spike pillars extending from the wire, threatening to riddle the 5 of them with holes. Watabe¡¯s electro beads formed a tight barrier around him held together through magnetism. The spiked pillars could not break their way through. Kenji extended his free hand to try and stop the spikes from extending, but he could only stop the ones approaching him; the best he could do for the others was slow them down slightly.


    However, that slight decrease in speed gave the group the time needed to respond. Ume erected roots in front of herself to avoid damage. Akiko sliced the incoming pillars with elegant precision. Genkei couldn¡¯t pinpoint and absorb the impact of all those tiny individual spikes; he wasn¡¯t that skilled yet. So he would just have to take the hit, crossing his large arms over his torso to protect his most vital areas.


    ¡°Is everyone ok?¡± Watabe called out.


    ¡°Never better,¡± Ume responded.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good,¡± Kenji confirmed.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Akiko chirped.


    ¡°I could be bett-¡± Before Genkei could give his sarcastic response, he was cut off by the hole that just exploded through his chest.


    ¡°Genkei!!!¡± Ume shouted as a black-clawed hand appeared.


    Zac had cloaked himself and stabbed Genkei through the back. Before they had a chance to process what was happening. Zac brought his gun up to the side of Genkei¡¯s head.


    ¡°No!¡± Kenji shouted as he jerked his free hand upward. Zac''s hand followed Kenji¡¯s motion as he pulled the trigger. Zac¡¯s shot was fired off into the ceiling rather than Genkei¡¯s head.


    Ume didn¡¯t waste this chance. A root sprouted out of the ground behind Zac, grabbing his hand that held the gun. The root then flicked Zac across the training ground, prying his arm out of Genkei¡¯s chest and sending Zac tumbling across the ground. The others quickly ran towards Genkei, who had fallen to his knees. Gripping the hole in his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine; I need a few seconds to regenerate,¡± Genkei said as he coughed up blood.


    Kenji and the others looked over at Zac, slowly getting up and dusting himself off. That entire opening was to take out Genkei as fast as possible. He was the shield and their healer, essentially the linchpin in their formation. So Zac should be pushing his advantage while Genkei is recovering.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he attacking?¡± Ume muttered. Then her eyes widened.


    ¡°Watabe check Genkei now!¡± She shouted.


    Watabe wasted no time and immediately placed his hands on Genkei¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Somethings wrong. I¡¯m not regenerating.¡± Genkei mumbled as he coughed up more blood.


    They all looked over at Zac, who was smiling darkly at them. The Nano-armor mask then covered his face.


    ¡°Kenji and Akiko, stall him. I¡¯ll protect Watabe while he tries to help Genkei.¡± Ume blurted out. Kenji and Akiko glanced at each other and charged forward.


    Zac¡¯s head tilted to the side as his cloak bent light around him, and he vanished from sight. Kenji¡¯s head then jerked in Ume¡¯s direction. Kenji and Akiko halted in their tracks and raised their guard.


    ¡°Look out, Ume!!¡± Kenji shouted.


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Ume immediately formed a barrier of roots around her Watabe and Genkei. A burst of Bioenergy clashed against the roots at that moment. Zac had ignored Kenji and Akiko and gone straight for Genkei again.


    ¡°He¡¯s earnest. He¡¯s trying to kill us¡­.¡± Akiko stuttered as everything finally sank in.


    She was sure under normal circumstances, Zac would have played around with her and Kenji, leaving Watabe and Genkei to their own devices.


    ¡°Watabe, I don¡¯t know how long they can hold him back. He¡¯s very determined to kill Genkei.¡± Ume reported.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing the best I can. I can only do so much off feeling. It¡¯s like the Nano-machines are at war with themselves.¡± Watabe said as he tried to determine what he was sensing inside Genkei¡¯s body.


    ¡°Get him off us!¡± Ume shouted.


    ¡°We¡¯re on it,¡± Kenji shouted as he extended his hand.


    He couldn¡¯t see Zac, but he could feel the charged particles of Zac¡¯s cloak. Kenji waved his hand to the left and tossed Zac off to the side. There was a thudding sound as the dirt kicked up. Zac rolled onto his feet as he came back into view. Akiko wasted no time. With a burst of speed, she was on Zac¡¯s right sending a slash at his side. Zac tried to jump away but was held in place by Kenji, halting his momentum. An annoyed grunt escaped from behind Zac''s mask. As he brought up his dagger to block Akiko¡¯s plasma blade. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The dagger was layered with dense Bioenergy and successfully blocked Akiko¡¯s initial attack. However, Akiko didn¡¯t stop; she threw a flurry at Zac. She was a Chaser, and she was positive that she had the advantage in speed.


    ¡°How?!¡± Akiko shouted in surprise.


    None of the strikes managed to break Zac¡¯s defense. And she couldn¡¯t even tell if she was pressing him, as his face was covered by that damn mask.


    ¡°Dammit.¡± She cursed as she disengaged.


    As she jumped away, Kenji rattled off 3 shots from his gun, and Zac felt the pressure holding him in place disappear. He leaped away from the shots but noticed the energy trailing him. Not only that, but there was something hidden within the energy. Zac leaped behind cover only for the three shots to curve around the debris to give chase. Zac came to a stop and slashing the energy in two


    When Zac slashed the energy, he aimed at the Electro Ball that he saw was hidden within. He was confident that Kenji knew he couldn¡¯t take him out with those shots. But the electro beads could cause complications with the Nano-Armor. The smartest thing to do would be to dispose of them. However, Kenji knew Zac would never fall for such a simple ploy.


    ¡°Got you!¡± Kenji said with a smile on his face.


    The electro beads were sliced apart, but as they were, six smaller electro beads fell out. Under Kenji¡¯s influence, the 18 miniature electro beads latched onto the shocked Zac. They then emitted an electric current before each exploded in kinetic energy.


    ¡°Ergh!¡± Zac let out a grunt as he flew into the air.


    Not missing this chance, Akiko appeared before him once again. She slashed down at him, sending out a flying plasma blade. Zac knew he could not avoid this in his position. Akiko could also control the flight path of the blade. He opted to receive the blow. The plasma blade managed to cut through the Nano-Armor, and leave a shallow cauterized wound on Zac''s forearm. He crashed to the ground, and Kenji increased the momentum of his descent. There was a small crater at the location where Zac hit, and before Zac could gather himself, roots wrapped themselves around his limbs.


    ¡°Create a false shell to hide smaller electro beads inside. I didn¡¯t know Franky¡¯s Program could alter the size of weapons he had absorbed.¡± Zac spoke.


    ¡°It can¡¯t do anything drastic. A few centimeters at best. So in most cases, there¡¯s no point. But for the electro beads, well...¡± Kenji explained with a smile.


    ¡°And you used Genkei¡¯s Program combined with Franky¡¯s to alter the properties of the electro beads, allowing Kinetic energy to be stored in them. Then you reabsorbed them to save its new state as a different weapon, so they could be used freely, without the need to re-incorporate Genkei¡¯s Program?¡± Zac asked.


    ¡°Damn, you figured that all out from seeing it once?¡± Kenji said with a shocked expression.


    ¡°Truly a great and undervalued Program. Very impressive execution. You created something unique. The first of many, I¡¯m sure.¡± Zac muttered.


    ¡°Do you yield, sensei?¡± Ume asked nervously. Zac¡¯s voice was too calm for her liking. Akiko and Kenji had done a fantastic job of stalling, but Watabe hadn¡¯t made any headway on helping Genkei, and there were still,


    ¡°Two Minutes remaining.¡± Zac¡¯s unconcerned voice rattled off.


    Ume, Akiko, and Kenji all tense up, as Zac has no intention of stopping until the time is up. The Nano-Armor split apart, exposing Zac¡¯s body as it shredded the roots. At that exact moment, black spikes exploded from the ground beneath Kenji and Akiko. They were forced to retreat but not before suffering some superficial wounds of their own.


    Those spikes returned to the ground, and Zac rose to his feet as the black Nano-Armor began to cover his body again. When Ume saw this, she was struck with a sudden realization. She then turned her head towards Genkei,


    ¡°It¡¯s the Nano-Armor!! It¡¯s invading his body, and the Nano Machines are fighting it off!¡± Ume relayed the information to Watabe.


    Watabe immediately understood what was going on. When Zac pierced Genkei at the start, he left a piece of the Nano-Armor inside Genkei. The Nano-Machines would immediately see the foreign Nano-Machines as a threat, wreaking havoc on Genkei¡¯s body. Destroying it faster than even he may have been able to regenerate. Watabe immediately began to seek out the area in Genkei¡¯s body that was the most chaotic. It didn¡¯t take him long. He couldn¡¯t sort out everything specifically, so he just needed to shut down those areas and let the nano-machines do the rest.


    There were a series of shocks that sparkled over Genkei''s body. But soon, 4 thin black bars were pushed out of Genkei''s open wound, and the hole in his chest began to heal. Those black bars wiggled to life and then shot into the ground.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Watabe said as he was just about to reach for them before they escaped.


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me if we get injured but anything produced by that armor, we run the risk of our own nano-Machines tearing us apart?¡± Genkei spoke as he fully healed and gathered himself.


    ¡°Seems like it. Oh no, shit!¡± Ume said as Kenji and Akiko were just injured not moments ago.


    Just as she said this, she heard Akiko shout in pain as she doubled over. Ume quickly lowered the root barrier, and Watabe and Genkei wasted no time. While Akiko was doubled over in pain, she looked at Kenji and saw him paralyzed in place, was he fighting off the invading Nano-armor? She didn¡¯t have time to think about what was going on with him; Zac was already heading straight towards the sitting duck that was Akiko.


    Wordlessly, Zac pointed his gun at Akiko, rattling off several shots. Akiko had the presence of mind to block her vital areas, but the shot pierced her arms, shoulders, and legs. Before she recovered, she let out another blood-curdling scream. Those shots were not just Bioenergy; Zac had added pieces of the Nano-Armor into those shots. The pain had become unbearable, and she fell to her knees. Akiko¡¯s head exposed, Zac took aim.


    ¡°No!¡± Kenji shouted as he finally came out of his stupor. And held out his hand, the Bioenergy stopped, and so did the shrapnel of Nano-Armor.


    Kenji made a jerking motion and absorbed the piece of Nano-Armor. At that moment, Watabe arrived in front of Akiko, and Genkei was next to Zac, sending a punch to the side of his face. Zac dodged out of the way, only for Genkei¡¯s punch to explode with kinetic energy that knocked Zac off his feet. Zac landed on his knee, sliding to a stop, and sprang towards Genkei. A large root sprouted in Zac¡¯s way, and he looked over at Ume in the distance.


    ¡°Dammit, they¡¯re far more coordinated than before.¡± Zac thought to himself.  The two of them worked annoyingly well together. Genkie was a powerhouse, and Ume was a fortress. Any opening he found was sealed tight by Ume, allowing Genkei to attack to his heart''s content.


    While Ume and Genkei stalled Zac, Watabe had already forced the pieces of Nano-Armor out of Akiko. As the pieces fell to the ground, Kenji motioned with his hand, and the pieces floated into his hand and were absorbed.


    ¡°That Program can absorb the Nano-armor without complications?¡± Watabe asked.


    ¡°Yes, it completely breaks them down before analyzing them. So there¡¯s no danger. Although, the first time was a bit difficult.¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°Good, then we don¡¯t have to worry. Akiko, you good?¡± Watabe asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Akiko said sternly. Blood flowed from her wounds, but she was still well enough to move.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zac found himself on the defensive. The sturdy and powerful Genkei, along with the malleable and brilliant Ume, proved quite the annoying combination. They were more wary of his Nano-Armor wounding them, so they were far more alert and defensive. It seemed they had put aside their pride and had simply focused on surviving for the next minute. Zac jumped out of the way as Genkei punched out another wave of kinetic force. The wave burst on the side of him, kicking up dust. Out of the dust, several strong roots sprang towards him. Zac dodged out of the way, but he saw several strains of energy curling around the roots as he dodged.


    He stopped himself from instinctively slashing the energy; it was a decision he regretted. There were indeed electro beads hidden within the energy, but they weren¡¯t Kenji¡¯s. The Electro Ball came to life and quickly surrounded Zac. They let out a jolt that momentarily stunned Zac. A multitude of electro beads sprang out of the dust and surrounded Zac. They sparked to life and formed an electric net around Zac. The dust cleared and showed Akiko standing there motionless, her wounds fully healed thanks to Genkei, and her Plasma blade humming with new life.


    Zac chuckled. Out of the group, Akiko had the most destructive power; if given time, there wasn¡¯t much she wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy, but she still needed time. Everyone had gathered together behind Akiko to protect her while she prepped. However, Zac had no intention of giving them that time. Zac¡¯s Nano-Armor began to recede and then enter the ground. As the Electric net Watabe had formed could not cover underground.


    ¡°Kenji, there¡¯s a mass of Nano-Armor, coming from all sides.¡± Watabe had memorized the signature of the Nano-Armor and shared the sensation with Kenji.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kenji confirmed as he stretched out both hands.


    The ground began to rumble, and the black mass was ripped out of the ground by Kenji as he picked it up on its approach. The mass of Nano-Machines raced towards Kenji under his command and was absorbed into himself.


    ¡°Itadakimasu!¡± Kenji shouted with a smile as he devoured more than half of what was left of Zac¡¯s Nano-Armor.


    ¡°Burn!¡± Akiko shouted as she thrust her Plasma blade toward Zac in the distance.


    A blast of plasma surged out, enough to envelope Zac¡¯s body whole. Zac saw the plasma heading his way and could already feel the heat. Half of his body had Nano-Armor, and that was all he needed. An eerily laugh escaped Zac¡¯s lips as the Nano-Armor turned Zac¡¯s right hand into a claw. Powerful Bioenergy surged into his palm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die on me, kids!!!¡± Zac shouted, much to the shock of everyone present, as he extended his palm. The blast of Bioenergy shredded through the electric barrier Watabe had created and raced towards the plasma blast. Everyone braced themselves for an explosion, but it never came.


    ¡°Times up.¡± Devin¡¯s voice echoed through the room. Akiko''s Plasma blast and Zac¡¯s Bio blast had vanished. In their place stood Devin. His hands were inside his finely pressed suit pants.


    ¡°Well done, kids. You managed to survive. Alright, everyone, you''re dismissed for the evening. At the same time tomorrow, we will be giving you all our final evaluation and discussing what comes next.¡± Devin spoke with authority. An authority that no one wanted or could deny.


    Even if they felt that things ended a bit anti-climatically, and many wanted to take another shot at Zac, none dared question Devin. They all gave their farewells and made their way toward the door. Only Kenji stopped to stare at Zac for a moment.


    Zac looked like he could barely stand, but somehow he felt that even if the entire recruitment class was to challenge him as he was, the recruits might win, but only after most of them died. Kenji chuckled to himself,


    ¡°What a crazy bastard.¡±


    After the recruits left, the Mentors made their way down to the training room, and everyone surrounded Zac.


    ¡°What the hell was that, Zac!? Even I knew the best target to kill first wasn¡¯t Genkei. With that opening move, you had any one of them dead to rights. A better target would have been Watabe or Ume. What? Are you playing favorites!!!? huh?!¡± Helena animatedly shouted.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Devin said with a smile. Several of the other Mentors nodded their heads in agreement.


    The others looked confused; they knew how brilliant of a tactician Zac was. They all understood that Genkei was the linchpin of their team, but he wasn¡¯t the engine that made that team go. Taking out Watabe or Ume was the best course of action. They were the heart and soul of that team. While they could still function with one of them leading, their effectiveness would be reduced. They are still recruits, and they don¡¯t know how to properly compartmentalize the death of an ally at the moment. Added to the fact that Watabe and Ume were blood relatives, the shock would be even greater. The team would have crumbled after that. If they could come to that conclusion, then indeed, Zac could have.


    ¡°They were the better targets? That depends on how you look at things. I promised to go at them with the intent to kill. I never said I would go at them with the intent to kill effectively. Besides, do you guys want those kids dead?¡± Zac shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°You really like them, don¡¯t you?¡± Devin smiled at Zac.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Zac snapped back.


    ¡°Oh, please look at the Nano-Armor; there¡¯s no way you¡¯d let it get like this if you didn¡¯t. The Twins are gonna be pissed.¡± Dr. Varma chided.


    ¡°Ah, hell¡­ The Twins, right. Well, shit.¡± Zac mumbled to himself.


    Everyone took pleasure at Zac¡¯s pained and frightened face,  as they followed Devin out of the training grounds.

 Chapter 17: The Chase Begins

    In a remote underground location in the Vosges Mountains in France, two individuals sat across from each other in a dimly lit white sterile room. One was a young man, no more than 25, in a well-tailored navy blue suit. He had fair skin with slicked-back light brown hair and emerald eyes. He reached for the cup of coffee on the table. Golden cufflinks caught the light. The cufflinks had two Adder snakes making their frame. In the crest''s center was the druid spiral.


    Sitting across the small coffee table was a young woman. An olive-skinned beauty with light brown eyes. She wore a gray pants suit with an oversized open trench coat draped over her shoulders. On its left lapel rested a crest pin shaped like a bouche shield. Its borders were fashioned with the visage of the intertwining of the deadly Oleander flower. At its center, two ornate daggers crossed.


    "The coffee here always tastes like shit." The young man grumbled.


    "It''s annoying getting the imported stuff here. So your delicate German taste buds will have make-due with store-bought." The young French woman responded.


    "How have you been, Stefan?"


    "It''s Mr. M¨¹ller. I''d prefer if you didn''t speak to me so casually,  Ms. L¨¦onie Laurent." Stefan snapped as he took another sip of the less-than-adequate coffee.


    "We''ve known each other for almost a decade, and you still act like this?" L¨¦onie commented.


    "Killing one''s mentor will have that effect on someone." Stefan chided.


    "Your mentor went too far; the same can be said for my father."


    "I''m well aware. I don''t condemn what you and Devin did. Doesn''t stop me from being more than a little upset about you killing my only father figure."


    "I concede to your point. Hopefully, we can grow past this eventually. So, what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. M¨¹ller?" L¨¦onie adjusted her sitting position.


    "I''m here to discuss what happened at the Akihabara Train Station."


    "Yes, I hear you lost quite a few Chasers."


    "Yes, and I hear you lost none." Stefan flared.


    "I got lucky, I suppose."


    "More like your American Boy Toy got lucky later that night."


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get nasty, Mr. M¨¹ller. From my reports, those Adders of yours were far more aggressive, particularly that Blaze Chaser. His aggression cost your people their lives and allowed my people to slip away. I won''t deny my relationship with Devin. However, business is business; Devin and I both understand that." L¨¦onie corrected Stefan¡¯s rude assertions.


    ¡°Bl?dsinn!¡± Stefan cursed.


    "Do you take me for a fool L¨¦onie?!"


    "I take you to be many things; a fool is not one of them, Stefan." L¨¦onie sighed.


    "Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. Devin had Suzuki Kenji with him. Even if he wanted to pursue my Chasers, getting that boy somewhere safe was smarter. I also presume that Suzuki Kenji is why you''re here?"


    "You are correct. That boy is a Taboo Child. Now Devin has his hands on two. Although I suppose that isn''t much of an issue to you." Stefan said with a frown as he calmed down.


    "That is where you are incorrect. There''s a reason Devin is no longer with The Oleander Boutique. He has a very different view of the world and the place of Chasers in it. I personally believe what my father and your mentor were doing wasn''t incorrect. They just took things too far."


    "And here I thought he left because he wasn''t interested in fashion. Speaking of, you should consider doing business with me. The Weaving Adders textile mills offer the highest quality fabrics. I''ll give you a good price. We work with several of your competitors already." Stefan joked.


    Each of these Chaser Organizations had a cover for their operations; Oleander''s cover came in the form of being a highly successful fashion company in the same vein as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or Prada. The Oleander Boutique was a relatively new fashion brand that had taken the world by storm. Weaving Adders on the other hand, owned some of the most prestigious and luxurious textile mills in the world.


    "And, if what you say is true, then you should understand how this is a problem," Stefan said.


    "I don''t. Zac is a Taboo Child as well. While extraordinary, even without a Program, he doesn''t tip the scales meaningfully. There''s no reason the same won''t be true for Suzuki Kenji." L¨¦onie reasoned.


    "I have information that says otherwise. Unlike with Zac, the Nano-Machines have taken root in Suzuki Kenji, and the results are astonishing. Even worse¡­" Before Stefan could finish his thought, L¨¦onie interjected,


    "Using Kenji as a base, it shouldn''t take long to figure out how to make them work for Zac. If that little freak gets access to Nano-enhancements¡­."


    "Correct, with Devin already keeping us in check almost by himself. Suppose you add an empowered Zac. Forget the current balance; what would stop The Renegades from completely taking over all operations." Stefan warned.


    "That''s not even mentioning Kenji, oh dear. How do you have this information, Mr. M¨¹ller? Don''t tell me you have an insider at Renegade Technologies?"


    "I wish that were the case. Devin is annoyingly thorough with what he recruits and employs."


    "And it can''t possibly be the U.N. The most important clause in the S.S.O.A.P Initiative was they would not get involved with disputes among the Chaser Organizations as long as we kept things out of the eye of the public."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "It''s not the U.N either. I¡¯ve come into contact with a rather old, rather powerful group. Our predecessors were aware of them. It seems they don''t like the way things are progressing." Stefan said with worry in his voice.


    ¡°Explain.¡± L¨¦onie demanded.


    "My Weaving Adders were established in China and control operations in most of Asia and Russia. Your Oleander Boutique handles most of Europe and South Asia. We collectively used to handle the Americas, but Devin and his Renegades have taken over operations there. But haven''t you found it odd? That no separate power presently or in the past has arisen in Africa or Australia? After all, both have some of the highest activity." Stefan asked.


    "Now that you mention it. That is quite the particularity. Never gave it much thought." L¨¦onie sat in contemplation.


    In the past, there was only one Chaser Organization. Naturally, disputes happened, and factions were formed. They split off from each other and fought for territory. Eventually, only two remained, the Oleander Boutique and the Weaving Adders. Even then, many individuals wished to break off and establish themselves elsewhere. The only one who was successful in recent years was Devin and his Renegades. However, even after recalling the Chasing Organization Secrete past, something stood out in L¨¦onie''s mind.


    "Any attempts to monopolize Africa or Australia were met with crushing failure. Even with Devin joining the power struggle, there has not been any real success in establishing solid footholds. Almost as if-"


    "There''s an organized driving force behind the activity there." Stefan interrupted.


    "Exactly." L¨¦onie agreed.


    "So is it an organization we are unaware of?" L¨¦onie asked.


    "More like The Original Chaser Organization that ours split from."


    Stefan saw the astonished look on L¨¦onie''s face and smiled. He had invested a lot of time and resources in discovering all this. L¨¦onie''s hostile takeover and rebranding of her father''s Organization were time-consuming; even if she wanted to look into such things, she needed more time. On the other hand, Stefan''s rise to the top was set in stone for a while. Replacing his predecessor was seamless, and the information left behind was substantial. He didn''t mind sharing with L¨¦onie because he was sure he couldn''t handle what came next alone.


    "Like human life itself, our origins began in the heart of Africa, as far as I can tell. Humans have been plagued with these paranormal threats since our birth. Near present-day Egypt, around 3100 to 3300 BCE, a tribe encountered a being that would later be recognized as Heka, the Egyptian God of Magic. This being ''blessed'' them with powers and taught them how to defend themselves. Not too long after that, Egyptian Civilization was formed."


    "Hold on. The God of Magic, really? Come on, Stefan, we aren''t a religious cult." L¨¦onie interrupted.


    "To be fair, I''d be more surprised if a religious cult wasn''t our origin, considering. However, you''re overlooking something; I believe it was Arthur C. Clark who said it."


    "Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. So not a god of magic, just someone or something with advanced technology or know-how. However, the first known human Civilization was in Mesopotamia; why wouldn''t this being start there?" L¨¦onie responded.


    "I assume they did try in Mesopotamia first. But there are a couple of issues. If Mesopotamia was already an active civilization, then if such a person appeared before them, well¡­."


    "Right, they could be labeled a heretic or even as one of the paranormal that hounded humanity at the time." L¨¦onie reasoned.


    "Not to mention Mesopotamia was destroyed by dust storms and prolonged winters. Also, much was lost of Mesopotamian culture; who''s to say this being or beings weren''t a part of their rise? However, their influence is more pronounced and easier to find in Egyptian culture."


    "Go on." L¨¦onie beckoned.


    "There''s not much more to say, really. This group in Egypt, or at least the earliest version I could find, began to fight against the creatures that threatened humanity. They spread beyond the borders of Africa as if chasing after these creatures. But they held strong roots in Africa and eventually established strong roots in Australia, long before British colonization. There were also signs in Aztec culture, but their traces completely disappeared after a certain point. Eventually, our organizations began to fracture into our current state."


    "You think whoever or whatever this Heka is, taught them how to create the original serum?" L¨¦onie sounded less than convinced.


    "I couldn''t possibly know what was originally used to empower our ancestors other than what they called ''the gift of magic.'' It also seems that Taboo Children were frowned upon by our progenitors; they disposed of any children conceived by Chasers. Which brings us to the present." Stefan sighed.


    "I was contacted by three of them."


    "What?!" L¨¦onie nearly jumped out of her seat.


    "It seems the fracture of the Original Chasers hundreds of years ago was allowed to happen. We had all but conquered the world and the creatures within, and our growth had become stagnant."


    "So they allowed us to fight against each other to give us a way to push our limits. It seems like Heka sees us as an experiment." L¨¦onie sighed.


    "You speak as if they are still alive." Stefan smiled.


    "It''d be odder if they weren''t; we''ve seen stranger things." L¨¦onie chuckled.


    "I have the same thoughts. They see us as an experiment for something, and it seems that Taboo Children are detrimental to their endeavors. I have to admit you''re taking all this rather well. I expected more pushback."


    "My father had notes on the subject. It detailed his suspicions, but nothing was specific¡ªmostly incoherent ramblings. What you have discovered paints a clearer picture," L¨¦onie explained.


    "So they allowed us to direct ourselves for so long, but now reveal themselves when a Taboo Child has successfully been injected with Nano-machines. They must want you to depose Kenji and Zac."


    "They only mentioned Kenji; it seems they have no intention of going after Zac." Stefan corrected.


    "Really? Interesting. Regardless, I see why you didn''t call Devin to this little meeting; he''d never be on board with killing that boy."


    "Are you?" Stefan asked.


    L¨¦onie went silent as she stared into her cup of coffee for what seemed an eternity. She tapped her finger on the coffee table and clenched her fist,


    "We don''t have much choice, do we? We don''t know our progenitors'' depths or their influence''s true reach. It''s clear they have eyes and ears everywhere that even we are unaware of. They may also control the present-day paranormal entities we have encountered, or at least know how to manipulate them."


    At L¨¦onie''s conjecture, Stefan''s eyes widened. He hadn''t considered that possibility. This expanded his thoughts further as he added,


    "Both the activity and strength of the paranormal have been increasing over recent years. Heka may be responsible for that recent phenomenon and their appearance from the very beginning."


    It made a certain amount of sense. If Heka saw humans as a giant experiment, they''d need to test them against something. Stefan and L¨¦onie both sighed at the implications.


    "It''s best to do as they say now until we can better arm ourselves against them. One Taboo Child''s life isn''t worth invoking their wrath and threatening everything we''ve built." L¨¦onie made her resolve known.


    "Devin won''t be happy." Stefan smiled.


    "As I said before, my love for Devin is one thing. This is business. Potentially humanity-altering business. So, what do you propose we do?"


    "Under the S.S.O.A.P Initiative, Taboo Children are listed as a paranormal entity. What do we do with Paranormal Entities, L¨¦o?"


    "We chase." L¨¦onie''s eyes darkened.

 Chapter 18: Graduation

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going on our first mission already,¡± Travis shouted excitedly.


    Team Michael and Team Watabe were strapped into an aircraft flying 24,000 meters above the Earth''s surface. While Travis was beside himself with excitement. Ume was more fascinated by the craft itself,


    ¡°Is this the aircraft you took to get to Finland, Akiko?¡±


    ¡°No, this one is bigger than that one,¡± Akiko responded.


    ¡°This one is also faster. The ones you used are on standby for private use for our Chasers. We use this one for Missions; it¡¯s twice as fast. We have another one we use for emergencies that¡¯s even faster.¡± Mawu, in a navy blue and gray hooded camo cloak, responded from the front of the craft.


    ¡°How fast is this exactly?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°We should arrive at the mission location in less than an hour,¡± Mawu responded.


    ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Micheal exclaimed.


    They left Japan about 30 minutes ago, and their destination was somewhere near the uninhabited regions of Canada. Watabe didn¡¯t care too much about such details; he was only concerned with the mission. So before Ume could ask any more questions, he asked his own.


    ¡°What exactly is the mission?¡±


    ¡°You are here to put down a huge pack of Skinwalkers.¡± Sitting next to Mawu, also in a navy blue and gray hooded camo cloak, Hachiman responded.


    ¡°Skinwalkers? Like, Like Werewolves?¡± Miko asked with a bit of trepidation.


    ¡°Oof, if a werewolf hears that¡­ they¡¯d be pissed.¡± Mawu chuckled.


    ¡°Skinwalkers are grotesque creatures who have the fortunate ability to transform and mimic all forms of life. From plant life to humans to prehistoric. What exactly they can do depends on their skill.¡± Haciman explained to the children.


    ¡°Yeah, you know those sightings of Chupacabra and Big-Foots? Those are young Skinwalkers failing to turn into something that looks like a thing.¡± Mawu added.


    ¡°How many can we expect?¡± Micheal asked.


    ¡°Our scout said 100-200, so it would be wise to expect at least twice that.¡± Mawu smiled.


    ¡°200? Is that a little much for our first mission? And they''re out in the middle of nowhere Canada. Do we need to go after them?¡± Izumi asked.


    ¡°Normally, Skinwalkers aren¡¯t much of a threat. They usually keep to themselves and only go around humans to fulfill their curiosity. However, the same thing always happens when they gather in groups like this. They take over a small human town, killing everyone there and killing whoever stumbles across them.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Kenji said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know; they¡¯re not much for conversation, especially with Chasers. They¡¯ve also become more aggressive over the past few decades. Doesn¡¯t leave much room for conversation.¡± Mawu sighed.


    Mawu saw the look on their faces and smiled. It was a large number, but these kids were severely underestimating themselves. It seems Zac beat the humility into them; in Mawu''s eyes, that was a good thing. It was better that they were overly conscious than cocky.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why you 10 are here, and the other 20 are still training. You¡¯re ready. Don¡¯t focus too much on the number. While Skinwalkers are potentially the most deadly to human society, they are one of the weakest creatures we deal with. Besides, me and Hachiman are here in case things go sideways.¡± Mawu comforted the teams.


    The two teams visibly began to calm down as Hachiman cleared his throat to get the children¡¯s attention.


    ¡°The mission is a simple one. We will drop about 1000 meters from the pack''s last known location. They are about 10 miles out from a small town and have been moving closer to the town over the past several days. Over eight people have been reported missing over the past week. Your job is to locate and eliminate the threat. Discovering their motive is secondary. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The two teams responded in unison.


    ¡°Before we arrive, I want to give you kiddies a word of advice. Many Chasers don¡¯t do this, and it¡¯s a terrible habit. Always, always always initiate your Programs before the mission starts. Could mean the difference between life or death.¡± Mawu warned. Hachiman nodded his head in agreement.


    ¡°Me and Hachiman here had ours initiated before we boarded this aircraft.¡± Mawu laughed.


    The recruits looked at each other with embarrassment plastered across their faces. Obviously, they all liked calling out their Program activation as a show of intimidation. Regardless of their impressive appearance, they were still a bunch of kids.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Mawu spoke.


    Everyone had been in silent contemplation over the past twenty minutes, and now the time had come. Mawu and Hachiman un-fastened their harnesses and walked towards the back of the craft; the others followed suit. The cargo door lowered to reveal them hoovering about 50 meters over a forest of trees. Hachiman stood next to a bundle of cloaks, and gear. Mawu smiled at the group of recruits, and began to speak,


    "Cloaks were worn since the first Chasers in ancient Egypt to hide their appearance from the world. Chasers are the silent protectors of humanity. We do not chase appreciation; we do not chase recognition; we chase away the darkness so humanity can chase its future."


    Mawu''s soft expression became stern as she continued,


    "We have been given a gift to chase and keep the monsters of the world at bay. But never forget we are not better than our fellow humans. Remain humble, and do not let your power go to your head. We chase away one kind of monster, but there are many kinds in this world. For the poor, their monster is poverty; for the sick, their monster is disease; for the hungry, their monster is starvation. We cannot solve these issues on our own. However, what we can do is protect humanity from things that wish to do it harm so that one day someone will find these solutions." Mawu smiled at the young Chasers before her; she walked up to Travis and rubbed the top of his head. He was oddly focused at the moment, and she won''t miss this chance to instill these ideals.


    "The other Chaser Organizations have forgotten this and seek to impose their will on humanity. This is why our Leader, Devin "The Renegade," left his former Organization to form his own. It is now our charge to keep the monsters at bay and the other Chasers in line. Hachiman, if you will?" Mawu motioned towards Hachiman, who turned around to show his back.


    Mawu pointed to the design on Hachiman''s back,


    "This is the insignia of The Renegades. In its center is an Ankh, a symbol of life. To the Ankh''s right is the Eye of Ra, representing the destructive power we wield. To the Ankh''s left, the eye of Horus, there to remind us that these destructive powers are to protect humanity, not rule over them. Encircling these three symbols is an Angelic Winged Dragon eating its tail. This is Devin''s envisioning of Ouroboros, a symbol to remind us that we are one with this world, a cog to help bring life through destruction." Mawu walked away, and Hachiman stepped forward.


    "Our aliases are not only to help hide our identities but to symbolize our rebirth into this new world and calling. Just like your birth, the person who brought you into this world will be the one to name you. The Anomaly couldn''t be here today but gave us names for each of you."


    The recruits, filled with wonder and pride, all reeled in trepidation. Zac was scary, skilled, and a little crazy as far as they were concerned; there was no telling what kind of names they would be getting. Mawu saw the looks on their faces and giggled,


    "The Anomaly is exactly that, an anomaly. However, no one takes their job more seriously. Your mentors helped you build your foundation over the past week and will continue moving forward. But no one has or will invest more time into your growth than him. He is like your father in this new world." Mawu gave that time to sink in.


    She could understand that they all found that hard to believe with Zac¡¯s demeanor, but they would understand that they could have no better guardian in this world.


    ¡°Cloaks worn today are all modernized to have function as well as form. They will protect against most modern firearms and extreme environments. However, The Anomaly poured over every bit of data and notes we left him and worked with the Twins to design Cloaks and gear specifically tailored to your needs. He had them coded to your ID so that only you could use them and instructions on how they function would be relayed into your subconscious as soon as you put them on.¡± Mawu informed them with a smile.


    Mawu herself started to understand what Dr. Varma mentioned a while ago. Zac was very invested in this group of recruits. Maybe he saw something in them, or maybe it was simply because this was the first group of recruits he looked over. Either way, they were luckier than they currently understood.


    ¡°When your name is called, step forward to receive your Cloak, gear, and a new name,¡± Hachiman commanded. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Chiba Ume.¡±


    As she stepped forward, Mawu handed Hachiman a cloak and two bangles. Hachiman held them out in front of Ume. She put on the black bangles and rubbed her fingers across the insignia on the cloak.


    ¡°You are given the name Sage and henceforth are a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡± Hachiman continued,


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Sage gave a simple response as she bowed.


    Outwardly it was all business as she grabbed her cloak; internally, she was as excited as any teenager. Not only did she love her alias, but these bangles were also made to the exact specifications she had talked about with Zac and had added functions she had never thought of. She placed the Cloak over her shoulders, zipping the front and extending her arms through the slits provided on the sides.


    As she pulled the hood over her eyes, an artificial shadow formed to cover the rest of her face. On the inside of the hood, a display of the world around her filled Sage¡¯s vision.


    ¡°I had concerns about wearing a hooded cloak, but I see practicality was not ignored,¡± Sage commented with approval as she walked towards the open cargo door.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Bloom¡± She never stopped her stride as she stepped out into the empty air 50 meters above the forest tree tops. A branch stretched out under her foot, followed by dozens more that acted as stairs for her descent.


    ¡°Hamura Miko.¡± Hachiman called out.


    ¡°Oh, wow!¡± Miko exclaimed in surprise when she saw what was on top of her cloak.


    There was something resembling a black spray painting mask resting next to a pair of matching gloves.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± She was extremely giddy as she wore the gloves.


    ¡°You are given the name Siren and henceforth are a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Siren was once again surprised by her new name. She bowed towards Mawu and then Hachiman.


    ¡°Ah yeah, The Anomaly said if you got too excited, to tell you, he wasn¡¯t thinking of the majestic sea temptress Siren. He was thinking of the loud blaring security horn.¡± Mawu chuckled.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Siren¡¯s mood dropped for just a moment.


    She quickly put on her mask, whose filters light up with a dark magenta color. She perked up again; this was her favorite color,


    ¡°Did he pay that much attention to us?¡± She thought to herself as she put on her cloak.


    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m going to pretend it¡¯s the first one.¡± Siren walked backwards towards the open cargo doors, shrugging as she brought her hood over her face.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Reverb.¡± She twirled on her toes as she fell from the aircraft.


    Soft sound waves released from her fingertips to slow her descent.


    ¡°Izumi Hayate.¡± Hachiman motioned for the next to come up.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Izumi asked as he looked at the folded sniper rifle on his cloak. Hachiman nodded in confirmation and then continued,


    ¡°You are given the name Mirage and henceforth are a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡±


    ¡°Sugoi!¡± Mirage nearly squealed as he bowed, quickly strapped the rifle to his back, and put on his Cloak.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Refract.¡± Mirage ran out of the cargo doors, vanishing as he jumped from the ramp.


    ¡°Hanabi Akiko,¡± Hachiman called out with a smile.


    Akiko looked at the three scabbards that belonged to Katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto blades resting on her cloak. Hachiman shrugged, knowing what she wanted to ask but not having answers himself. Akiko took the blade she had been using over the past week and placed it aside as she held the katan''s scabbard. She rubbed her fingers across the Renegade insignia on Katana¡¯s handle, and scabbard''s centers.


    ¡°You are given the name Amaterasu, namesake of the Goddess of the Sun, and henceforth are a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡±


    Amaterasu quickly armed herself with her blades after giving a deep bow to Hachiman and Mawu. She put on her cloak and noticed that there were extra slits to allow her blade handles to poke through. She chuckled a bit to herself; Zac even paid attention to where she liked to hold her weapons. Even the tanto blade on her lower back had a slit perfectly in place for it.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Flare.¡± Amaterasu smiled as she walked off the cargo ramp and gracefully descended into the forest unassisted.


    ¡°Takashi Genkei.¡±


    ¡°Thank god!?¡± Genkei shouted as he saw a training vest resting on his cloak.


    He immediately took off his shirt and ripped off the crazy contraption that Helena had made for him. Helena had no intention of redesigning it because, according to her, it worked as intended. As soon as Genkei saw that vest, he knew Zac must have made something far more rational. He quickly put the vest on his bare chest and saw the wristbands underneath. After equipping the wristbands that covered his large forearm, information rushed through his mind.


    ¡°These are incredible. I would never have thought of something like this.¡±


    ¡°You are given the name Hoarder and henceforth are a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡± Hachiman smiled.


    Hoarder bowed deeply to Hachiman and Mawu before putting on his cloak.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Stockpile.¡± His vest began to glow before he zipped up his cloak and ran towards the cargo ramp. He jumped off without a care.


    ¡°Patrick Finlay.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t have any brilliant equipment ideas for me, aye?¡± Patrick said, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°Your cloak is made a little different from everyone else. It is composed of a compressed weaved metal alloy that the Twins and Zac created. I would¡¯ve let you find out on your own, but I couldn¡¯t stand the sad look on your face.¡± Mawu said to Patrick, who perked up almost instantly.


    ¡°Pure dead brilliant!¡± Patrick quickly put the cloak on; before he could get too excited, Hachiman began.


    ¡°You are given the name Bumi and henceforth are a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡±


    ¡°Thank ye¡­ wait. Bumi?! What the hell is a Bumi?¡± Bumi asked, confused.


    ¡°The Anomaly said something about it being from an old cartoon. He wanted to call you Ginger Toph, but we talked him out of that.¡± Mawu explained with a chuckle.


    ¡°I suppose I should be thankful for that, aye? He¡¯s off his dafty head! Bumi?!!! Bumi?! Bumi? Aye, you know what¡ªgot a bit of base to it? Bumi! Aye, alright! It''s not bad. I¡¯ll give it a go. Initiating Program: Mound.¡± Bumi put his hood over his head as he stepped out of the cargo hold, only to be greeted by a mound of dirt that worked as an elevator.


    ¡°Travis Kane.¡± Hachiman beckoned.


    Travis hopped out with an energetic smile on his face. Soon his shoulders slumped. He looked at his cloak and saw nothing on it.


    ¡°I asked him not to make anything for you because it would just be a distraction. He agreed with my assessment.¡± Mawu explained with a laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, mama Mawu.¡± Travis sighed in defeat as he grabbed his cloak.


    ¡°You are given the name Manic and henceforth are a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡± Hachiman smirked at Manic, who seemed to be enthralled in his cloak.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ Initiating Program: Mind Matter!! WHOOOO!¡± Manic shouted as he jumped from the aircraft. A blue psionic umbrella appeared in his hands as he floated down towards the others.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how an Umbrella works,¡± Mawu mumbled to herself in disbelief.


    ¡°Watabe Ken.¡±


    Watabe stepped forwards without a word as he looked at his cloak folded in front of him. He was different from the others in the fact that Devin had given Watabe his old cloak. Watabe had no intentions of getting a brand new cloak.


    ¡°I assume it was redesigned to my specifications?¡± Watabe asked Hachiman. Who nodded in return.


    ¡°You are given the name The Conductor and are now a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡±


    ¡°Lead them well,¡± Mawu added.


    ¡°Thank you, and I will,¡± The Conductor said as he zipped up his cloak and then bowed to the two of them.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Ion.¡±  The Conductor¡¯s cloak began to flutter as tiny orbs flooded out from countless hidden compartments in his cloak. They made a protective shield around him as he lifted himself into the air and began to fly toward the ground.


    ¡°Micheal Stepton.¡±


    Micheal stepped forward and saw the two pieces of equipment lying on his cloak. One was a pair of gloves similar to Siren¡¯s. The other was,


    ¡°Is that a pair of high top Black Forces? The man¡¯s moving mad.¡± Micheal began to laugh as he took off his shoes and put on the gloves and shoes provided for him.


    ¡°You are given the name Shango and are now a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡± Shango responded as he put on his Cloak.


    ¡°Shango is the most powerful and feared God of the Orisha Pantheon in West Africa. It seems The Anomaly has very high expectations of you.¡± Mawu smiled.


    ¡°No pressure, yeah?¡± Shango smirked as he zipped his cloak.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Pulse.¡± The bottom of his shoes began to glow, and a small pulse was released.


    Shango''s foot rested on the air, and a small ripple in space acted as a foothold. After three steps, Shango had smoothly descended into the forest.


    ¡°Suzuki Kenji.¡±


    Kenji stepped forward and saw a familiar black mask resting on top of his cloak.


    ¡°No way!¡± He exclaimed.


    ¡°His exact words were, ¡®he already ate most of it, so he should finish his meal.¡¯ Plus, he and the twins are working on a better version, so don¡¯t feel too bad.¡± Mawu said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I don¡¯t.¡± Kenji chuckled.


    ¡°You are given the name Trigger and are now a Chaser. Welcome to The Renegades.¡± Hachiman nodded.


    ¡°Trigger? I thought he would¡¯ve gone with Isuel.¡±


    ¡°The Anomaly says he named you Trigger because you easily are.¡± Mawu teased.


    ¡°Tsk, right.¡±


    ¡°However. I think he¡¯s been paying attention to what you''ve been doing over the past week, and he¡¯s impressed,¡± Mawu comforted.


    At her words, Kenji looked back at the black mask resting on top of his cloak. Zac was stubborn; he wouldn¡¯t let Kenji have the rest of the Nano-Armor unless he felt he had earned it. Kenji understood that even if Mawu didn¡¯t say anything. Zac irritated the hell out of him when he first met him. Over the past 2 weeks, he felt Zac feeling a hole he didn¡¯t even realize he had. Something he still didn¡¯t fully understand. What he did understand is the pride at gaining  Zac¡¯s recognition.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Kenji whispered to himself.


    ¡°Thank You.¡± Kenji bowed to both Hachiman and Mawu.


    ¡°Initiating Program: Zero. Boot Up: Replica. Cycle: Full Arsenal and Ion.¡± Kenji extended his hand and touched the mask.


    It dissolved into dust and entered Kenji¡¯s body. He put on his cloak as he headed towards the cargo ramp. As he zipped up his cloak, the Nano-Armor spread over his body as he dropped from the aircraft.


    Kenji floated down into the mist of everyone gathered there. He looked up and expected to see the aircraft, but there was nothing visible there. While he was in shock at the aircraft¡¯s stealth, the others were in shock as they stared at that familiar black mask that covered his face. The Conductor walked over to Kenji and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    From the Conductor''s point of view, this question was far more vital than it appeared on the surface. He understood Kenji and had discussed some of his feelings with Devin. He understood that a bit of Kenji resented his biological father, and even more of him resented the situation he was forced into. He seemed to have been coming to terms recently, but he needed to make sure. The simple act of saying his name would speak volumes.


    Kenji turned to face The Conductor; pulling his hood over his masked face, he responded with confidence,


    ¡°Trigger.¡±

 Chapter 19: Monsters

    Trigger looked around at everyone there and noticed only 9, including himself; from the small details he could pick out from everyone present, he assumed the missing one was Mirage.


    "Where''s Mirage?" Trigger asked.


    "When Siren and I landed, we did some recon. We picked up a large group of organisms 2000 meters up ahead. The Conductor sent Mirage to scout ahead." Sage responded.


    "You guys hear me?" Mirage''s voice echoed in everyone''s minds.


    "We hear ya, mate. What you got for us?" Shango asked.


    "Yeah, it''s not looking good, folks. It feels like they were expecting us. I''m inside their camp, and it looks more like a miniature town, with a population closer to 600, maybe 900. They''ve constructed a 12-meter tall barricade. It looks to be made of some wood and scrap metal. There''s also a gate in front made out of steel."


    "A town. I thought Skinwalkers took over towns, not built their own. Are you sure they''re Skinwalkers?" Trigger asked.


    "Oh, I''m sure. I''ve seen 2 Chupacabras, a Yeti, three lions, a talking shrub, a cat that turned into a naked woman, and a bear walking on its hind legs with a duffle bag on its shoulder. And those are the least weird. And they''re building a town here. Maybe we should call off this mission?" Mirage asked.


    "We still need to find the reason for those eight missing people. Eight people don''t go missing from a small town in such a short time for no reason. Continued to scout." The Conductor commanded.


    "I mean, sure, but that doesn''t mean these Skinwalkers are responsible. I know we''re supposed to keep things like this from the public, but killing them just for that does seem right." Trigger commented. Siren nodded her head in agreement.


    "That''s not what I''m suggesting; I-" The Conductor began to speak but was cut off by Mirage''s concerned voice.


    "Ok, I''ve found the eight missing people, and there are more than 8."


    "Report!" The Conductor ordered.


    "I can''t get a good head count, but 20 to 40 people are being shuffled in and out of a mine shaft on the northeast end of town. They look roughed up and are being guarded by¡­ hell, I don''t know how to describe them. Big ass lizard people with wings."


    "Dragonkins!" Manic shouted excitedly.


    "Dragonkins? No, I suppose that makes sense, relatively." Sage spoke.


    There was no reason why skilled adults couldn''t become creatures of their imagination for their benefit, if the young could  turn into things that didn''t exist because of a mistake. Sage had looked through all records of creatures the Chasers had encountered. Dragonkin nor anything that resembled them was mentioned.


    "Well, whatever they are, they look like tough bastards. Also, none of the humans looked to be badly wounded. What do we do?" Mirage asked.


    "What do you mean? We complete our mission. They have human slaves and set up a defensive position; they knew we were coming. They have no thoughts of negotiating." The Conductor responded.


    "He''s right, mate. Go get an accurate headcount and make sure there ain''t no Skinwalkers among the enslaved people." Shango commanded,


    "On it." Mirage''s voice faded out.


    The Conductor turned towards the group and then said,


    "The chain of command is as follows: Me, then Shango. If neither of us is around, you will follow Sage''s and Siren''s commands in that order. Am I clear?"


    Everyone nodded their heads without argument. Over the past week, the different teams sparred against each other several times. During that short time frame, The Conductor''s ability to lead and judge the abilities of those around him became known. He naturally commanded obedience.


    "Let''s move." At The Conductor''s words, they ran through the forest in a V formation with The Conductor out front. They moved at speeds far surpassing anything a human could hope to achieve. As they sprinted through the forest, Sage spoke.


    "Three to our left, three to our right 80 meters. Marking."


    At her word, the overlay within everyone''s hoods highlighted six large trees ahead of them. These marked 6 Skinwalkers disguising themselves.


    "Trigger, Amaterasu, take them out." The Conductor commanded.


    Without a word, Trigger and Amaterasu sprang forward, and their top speed increased even further, thanks to Trigger''s ability. Claws that exuded a light blue glow formed on Trigger''s hand as he ripped through the three marked trees on the left. Only the sight of Amaterasu resheathing her blade was visible as the three trees on the right fell over. The six trees wiggled as their original forms were revealed.


    "Ergh!" Amaterasu groaned as she gazed at the Skinwalker''s proper form.


    They were grotesque things covered in mangled brown and black fur. They had fanged teeth, flat faces with two slits for noses, and long thin black tongues. Though in multiple pieces, their bodies seemed somewhat humanoid, with six fingers and toes, all with long claws and reverse-jointed knees. They were 3 meters in length. The ones killed by Amaterasu had been cleanly sliced in two, and their wounds cauterized; the ones killed by Trigger, on the other hand, dripped with yellow blood that gave off a rancid smell.


    "Gross," Trigger commented as he shook the yellow blood off his hands.


    The others caught up to the two and glanced at Sage, who crouched in front of one of the dead Skinwalkers Trigger had killed. Once she confirmed that she was finished, they took off again.


    "Guys! I got a total headcount; there are 63. I''ve marked them, so you should know when you see them. But I have no idea how to pick out the Skinwalkers from the humans." Mirage''s voice sounded over coms.


    "We have to check their blood. But we''ll have to do it after we get them all out of there." The Conductor said.


    "That may not be necessary," Sage responded, pulling out a small vial of yellow blood from her left bangle.


    "I need about 30 to 45 mins." She said as she placed the vial back into her bangle.


    "I doubt we''ll be done by then. So you''ll have plenty of time, yeah." Shango responded.


    "Great then, I''ll just continue scouting." Mirage mused as he ended communication.


    After a few moments, the group found themselves in visual range of the town, in the large clearing up ahead. They all looked at the 12-meter wall and steel gate in the front. They could see watchtowers out front while using the forest as cover.


    "So what''s the plan?" Siren asked.


    "Our objective was to eliminate the pack, but they have human slaves they could use as hostages. Things have changed." Trigger responded.


    "Why? We''re gonna kill all those gross things anyway, aye?" Bumi added.


    "Yes, but if we attack suddenly, they may kill the humans and make their escape." Siren reasoned.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. The only way in or out is that front gate. However, I can''t tell if they have any escape tunnels." Mirage spoke over comms. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "I can handle that, aye?" Bumi said with a smirk.


    "Be gentle, mate," Shango spoke.


    "You think I''m that bampot?! I know what I''m doing." Bumi chided as he pointed at Manic. He then placed his hands on the earth. After a few moments had passed, Bumi mused,


    "Oh, aye! I feel a few underground tunnels. A girthy one is heading out towards the western mountains."


    "That must be their escape route. Close it up." The Conductor commanded.


    "Aye, aye." Bumi bellowed sarcastically.


    A very gentle cave-in was fifty meters from the tunnel''s entrance. The young Chasers could not account for the Skinwalkers transforming into something that could burrow their way out through that cave-in; all they could do was hedge their bets.


    "Should we wait for nightfall to attack?" Amaterasu asked.


    "I don''t think that''s wise. They can turn into almost anything; we don¡¯t need darkness hindering our visual acuity." Sage responded.


    The Conductor silently leaned against a tree as everyone waited for him to decide. He had studied the movements and characteristics of all supernatural targets they could encounter. Everything he read about Skinwalkers said nothing about them behaving in this manner. When he heard they had set up camp, at most, he was expecting them to be gathering forces and not building a town and using humans as slave labor. If they attacked blindly, the Skinwalkers could have killed the humans. If they rescue the humans first, escorting 63 humans, with the possibility of some being Skinwalkers in disguise, poses an incredible risk. There was also the chance that all those "humans" were Skinwalkers.


    "Dammit¡­" The Conductor cursed himself.


    "Mirage, what are their long-range communications looking like?" The Conductor asked.


    "Doesn''t look like they have any or any modern weapons for that matter. I''ve been looking; I haven''t even seen so much as a walkie-talkie." Mirage responded.


    "They also aren''t a hive mind species. So what are you thinking, Conductor?" Sage asked.


    The Conductor looked over at Sage and came to a decision.


    "We''re going to split into two teams. Shango, Siren, Trigger, Amaterasu, and Manic will be the frontal assault team. Me, Sage, Hoarder, Bumi, and Mirage will be the rescue team." The Conductor started to give out orders.


    The assault team was filled with Chasers who could dish out devastating damage. On the other hand, the rescue team consisted of Chasers whose power could give the most Utility and support, which could be critical in hostage situations. Sage nodded in approval of the team spread, as it also took care to maintain the chain of command.


    "Mirage, if it looks like they are going to make a move on the humans before we get there, hold them off as long as possible." The Conductor commanded


    "Also, if you can manipulate what they see from where you are, that''ll be great. I''ll try to muffle the noise we make as much as possible." Siren added


    "Roger, that shouldn''t be a problem," Mirage responded.


    "When are we making our move?" Shango asked


    "As soon as Sage finishes whatever the hell she''s doing." The Conductor responded.


    "It''s ready. It''s a shame I don''t have the time or resources to make more. But this should be enough for our needs." Sage mused as she held up a small vial with a violet liquid moving inside it. She placed it back into her bangle and nodded her head.


    "At your mark, Shango." The Conductor


    A couple of men atop the 12-meter wall saw the cloaked figures entering the clearing. His eyes widened as he shouted out,


    "Man the gate!!! Chasers!!" However, as he shouted, no sound left his mouth. The terrified man looked over to see a cloaked figure with a glowing magenta face mask, wagging her finger in disappointment.


    "Alright, Siren, sing me a song. Hoarder, can you give her a beat?" Shango spoke.


    Hoarder chuckled as his fists began to glow with Kinetic energy, and he beat his fist into the ground. Siren let out a deafening scream. Both attacks sent out powerful shockwaves. The shockwaves produced by the Hoarders were lifted off the ground and coated Shango''s left hand. The shockwaves produced by Siren were ripped from the air and coated Shango''s right hand. Those shockwaves blended and amplified, forming a small orb of destruction between his hands.


    "Chase the lightning, mates." Shango chuckled.


    With a clap of his hands, a devastating thunderclap echoed. The next instant, the front gate was blown open, and the 12-meter wall surrounding it was reduced to splinters and scrap metal; the ground burst from the explosion''s shockwave, kicking up dust. The sounds of screams echoed as Skinwalkers patrolling the walls were blown away. Before the dust cleared, two figures zipped out of the dust, one with two glowing pistols in hand, the other holding a plasma-bladed katana in one hand and plasma-bladed Wakizashi in the other.


    With mechanical precision and inhuman speeds, Trigger shot a flurry of shots and a multitude of directions, every shot finding the head of a Skinwalker in all visible watchtowers. Some shots found their mark from impossible angles. While Trigger handled the watchtowers, Amaterasu quickly cut down the first wave of resistance. Amaterasu looked to her right to see another wave of creatures rushing toward them.


    "Chasers die!!" A Skinwalker who looked like a man but had the talons of a hawk rushed toward Trigger and Amaterasu.


    "Finally, my turn!!!" Manic shouted.


    Trigger turned to see Manic holding a giant blue, glowing Gatling gun. Trigger and Amaterasu glanced at each other before leaping into the air. A hailstorm of exploding psionic bullets mowed down the second wave of Skinwalkers before they could properly take action. Trigger and Amaterasu landed back in their original positions once the explosions stopped.


    "Let''s make more noise deeper in," Shango commanded as he ran past Trigger and Amaterasu. They nodded and chased after him, followed by Siren and Manic.


    Moments later. Shango''s group found themselves in the center of town. A group of 8 "Dragonkin" dropped from the sky to surround Trigger. They were all at least half a meter taller than him and armed with metal spears. It seemed the stronger warriors took the form of these Dragonkin as a form of status among the pack.


    "Your guns won''t be able to penetrate our skin, Chaser! We''ll make you pay for what you''ve done." The leader taunted.


    They chose to take him down first. Compared to the others they thought him to be the least impressive of the 5. The other abilities were admittedly more flashy, but the implication struck a nerve that Trigger wasn''t even aware that he had.


    "Is that right? Don''t blink." Trigger responded.


    Trigger drew his guns up and increased the speed of his draw momentum, making his movements impossible to track. He fired off two shots, and each shot''s speed increased past what was possible. Two "Dragonkins" had holes drilled in their chests. He repositioned his guns and rattled off another two shots. He repositioned and fired again, and again, and again, and again. Trigger finally stopped, but the 8 "Dragonkin" couldn¡¯t track anything happening. The leader looked at his team and saw them riddled with holes and looked down at his own body and saw his yellow blood spilling out of multiple wounds.


    "What happened?" He muttered.


    "You blinked." A metallic voice came from behind Trigger''s mask.


    The "Dragonkin" fell over dead and reverted to their true selves.


    "Can never get used to this smell¡­ !" Losing his train of thought, Trigger picked up movement behind him.


    He quickly whipped around and pointed his gun at the disturbance. He held himself back from pulling the trigger when he saw children cowering on the side of a trash can. Trigger let out a sigh,


    "Get out of here, Go!" He commanded the children as he began to walk away.


    He was aware of his mission, but he''d be damned if he was going to kill some kids. His mask and hood picked up hostile activity behind him as he walked away. He turned to see two giant venomous snake-like creatures lunging at him. His Nano-Armor came to life reflexively, sending spikes from his arms to penetrate the attacking Snake. The spikes retracted, and yellow blood oozed out of the snakes.


    "Idiot. Of course, they can turn into kids." Trigger thought to himself.


    Unfortunately, when they turned to their true forms, the bodies of these Skinwalkers were noticeably much smaller than those he had killed until now.


    "No¡­" Trigger''s mask disappeared from his face, and he used the side of the building for support as he threw up. Killing monsters was easy. If he had just seen these small hideous forms he would have had no issue killing them, but seeing them as children first, shook him to his core. Monsters or no, they were just children. He threw up again, as he looked over at the small bodies.


    Amaterasu and the others saw Trigger in the distance. They looked at the eight large dead Skinwalkers, saw two small ones, and instantly knew what happened. The 4 of them dispatched the Skinwalkers in their vicinity and made their way over toward him. Amaterasu was the first to arrive, rubbing Tigger''s back.


    "That''s rough, mate," Shango said.


    "You ok?" Siren asked.


    "Yeah¡­ I guess." Trigger stood up and then looked out at the town around him.


    He saw the looks of horror and hatred directed at him by some Skinwalkers. While others looked at him like they were ready to throw their life away if it meant they could take him with them. All of that was layered with the howls of anguish and rage of the Skinwalkers. Another group of Skinwalkers slowly began to make their way toward the group.


    "Why do I feel like the bad guy?" Trigger asked.


    "Because to them we are," Amaterasu said while holding Zac''s face.


    "They don''t see us freeing slaves. They see us killing their family and friends. To them, WE are the monsters." Amaterasu said with a concerned look on her face.


    It was clear that this was getting to her as well.


    "But that''s our job. Being the monster that monsters are afraid of, right?" Manic asked curiously.


    "I guess so." Trigger let out a sigh. This was the first time he¡¯d gotten jealous at Manic¡¯s chaotic yet simplistic train of thought. He then looked at Amaterasu with a forced smile.


    "Get your shit together." Amaterasu smiled, still holding his face.


    "Yes, mam."


    "Your breath smells like vomit." She whispered into his ear, with a smile.


    Trigger chuckled as the Nano-mask formed back onto his face.

 Chapter 20: Uninvited Guests

    ¡°Looks like they are handling their end of things fairly well,¡± Sage commented as she looked towards the center of the Skinwalker town. The Conductor¡¯s group made their way toward the northeast side of town when Shango blew the walls by the entrance apart.


    ¡°Siren has impressive control. I didn¡¯t think she could cut off the sound of such a large area. This makes things much easier.¡± The Conductor praised.


    Where they stood was eerily quiet, considering the carnage Shango''s group was causing. It could only be Siren taking extra care to muffle their sound waves. Mirage also did his job well, as the smoke and damage that should have been visible, even from the mines, were not seen. Only the tranquil appearance that the town always seems to have. The group remained just inside this illusion to freely scope out the mine.


    ¡°There have been no movements that suggest they suspect anything out of the ordinary,¡± Mirage informed the others over comms.


    Mirage had found a nice perch on one of the watchtowers that had been cleared out. He had a clear view of the mines and enslaved humans from his position.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been observing them; what¡¯s the best way to do this?¡± The Conductor asked.


    ¡°They rotate every 15 minutes. The next rotation should be happening in about 3 minutes. During every rotation, three guards escort the enslaved humans in and out of the cave. About 15 slaves come out of the mines at a time, and I¡¯ve been able to pick out 11 different guards. I¡¯d suggest taking out the two guards at the entrance. I¡¯ll set up an illusion to make everything seem fine. Then we ambush the first group. The next rotation will follow. We should be able to get the second rotation to safety as well. After that, I¡¯m not sure.¡±  Mirage suggested.


    ¡°Hmm. There are a couple of problems. Skinwalkers have a relatively strong sense of smell. They may not be able to pick up on the scent of blood this far away from Shango¡¯s group, but they¡¯d be able to pick it up from the mine entrance. Also, we don¡¯t know if there are extra guards inside. We also have to check for Skinwalkers hidden within the humans.¡± Sage responded.


    ¡°Ergh, you¡¯re right; things were crapped in there. I couldn''t go too deep.¡± Mirage confirmed.


    ¡°No worries there, aye? I can get in as deep as you need. It¡¯s a mine shaft.¡± Bumi chided.


    ¡°Even with that hood covering your face, I can see your gears turning, Sage. What are you thinking?¡± The Conductor smiled.


    If Sage were cooking up a plan, he would let her call the play. A good leader knows when to follow. Sage looked over at The Conductor and then towards the mine shaft. She opened her palms, and a handful of golden seeds released from her bangles into her open palms. She tightened her fist and then said,


    ¡°Alright, this is what we¡¯re going to do.¡± Sage began to lay out her plan for the others.


    At the mine entrance, two Skinwalkers taking the form of Dragonkin complained,


    ¡°It¡¯s so boring. I thought Chasers were supposed to be coming?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll be here, and what, are you in that much of a hurry to die?¡±


    ¡°Chasers don¡¯t seem all that scary to me, just squishy humans who got a little power.¡±


    ¡°Well, those squishy humans almost drove us to extinction.¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re afraid of us. We¡¯re everything they¡¯re not. Look at them! They can¡¯t go a century without killing each other by the masses. They have no unity; they don¡¯t even know what that means. The Chasers even fight among themselves; they¡¯re hopeless. That¡¯s why they try to destroy us whenever we come together; they''re scared.¡±


    ¡°Hate to admit it, but he¡¯s right.¡± A voice sounded in front of the two of them.


    ¡°See? Even they agree with me. Wait, what?¡±


    Before either of the two could process what was happening, roots sprang out of the cliff behind them and bound them to the cliff wall. The roots bound their mouths and tightly gripped their throats before their necks were snapped.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re good to go, Bumi,¡± Sage commented as the illusion surrounding her and Bumi vanished.


    ¡°Already on it, bonnie lass.¡± Bumi chuckled as he dived into the side of the cliff wall like a fish into the water.


    The two Skinwalkers'' bodies remained stapled to the wall as an illusion covered them, leaving their visage standing in their place.


    ¡°You have 1 minute Bumi.¡± Mirage reminded him.


    ¡°Plenty of time, lad.¡± Bumi chuckled.


    Bumi, of the three tasks, the first two needed to be done within that 1-minute time frame. He first needs to plant the seeds given to him by Sage through the mine shaft. The second task was to scope out the exact number of guards within the mine. His last task was to find exactly what they were digging up here. They could easily steal resources that they needed; there was no reason to mine iron or any other types of ore themselves or even while using slave labor. Sage concluded they must be looking for something. While Hachiman said figuring out their motives was secondary, there was no reason to miss this opportunity to gather data.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen 15 in total, and I¡¯ve planted enough seed to cover the entirety of this mine shaft.¡±


    ¡°Good, see if you can find what they were up to. Hoarder and I will take it from here.¡±  The Conductor responded.


    ¡°Aye, aye,¡± Bumi said as he explored deeper into the mine shaft.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Sage said.


    She looked into the mine and saw two ¡°Dragonkin¡± walking before a group of humans. The third was towards the back. When the two guards in front saw Sage standing there, they both stopped in their tracks, but before they could say anything, large five-petaled flowers started to bloom throughout the walls of the mine shaft. These flowers had a light red coloring with golden dots. Pollen shot out of the opened petals and filled the air. As soon as this pollen was breathed in, every Skinwalker began to crumble into the ground in pain. The three guards fell over, unable to maintain their forms. Within the group of humans, they were gauding, two crumpled over in pain as well, unable to retain their human forms.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to rescue you, hurry!¡± Sage shouted out to the humans.


    The 13 remaining looked at the Skinwalkers writhing in pain and quickly ran towards the exit. As they ran out, The Conductor and Hoarder ran in. The Conductor pulled out two daggers and sliced the necks of the down Skinwalkers that he crossed paths with. On the other hand, Hoarder ran over the downed bodies, pulverizing them with a single empowered stomp, never breaking his stride.


    ¡°Whatever she cooked up, it sure is nasty,¡± Hoarder spoke as he looked at the falling golden pollen that had spread throughout the mine by Sage¡¯s flowers.


    She had used the small blood sample, the bangles Zac had even her, and her powers to cultivate a plant that released pollen that had a painful paralyzing effect once it entered the bloodstream of Skinwalkers. She was sure she could cultivate enough to cover the entire town with more lethal pollen if she had more time and resources. However, she was satisfied with the preliminary effects.


    ¡°Yes, she made this mission a lot easier. I¡¯ll focus on getting the captives out of here, and you focus on cleaning up. Let¡¯s get this done before the pollen wears off.¡± The Conductor instructed.


    ¡°Will do.¡± Hoarder chuckled as his body glowed, and he sped through the caves with speed and agility that didn¡¯t match his large body.


    ¡°What are you standing around for? Let¡¯s move!¡± The Conductor shouted at the remaining enslaved people.


    They were all in shock, looking at several individuals on the ground who they believed were their friends turning into the creatures that had captured them. The Conductor quickly guided them out of the mines where Sage awaited them. She used her bangle to scan each person who walked out to check for abnormalities. Mostly Sage was worried about the pollen harming the humans. She hadn¡¯t had the time to test it properly.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Good, everything seems fine,¡± Sage commented.


    ¡°Who are you, people?¡± One of the freed humans asked.


    ¡°No one important. Just people doing their jobs.¡± Sage responded.


    ¡°Ah, lads and lassie, I¡¯ve got something here but don¡¯t know what the hell it means,¡± Bumi said over comms as he sent a visual feed of what he saw.


    Inside everyone¡¯s hood, a visual feed showed etching on a wall, strange markings, and images similar to Native American cave paintings. Both The Conductor and Sage spent plenty of time going through the culture and rituals of the creatures they could encounter. Still, neither of them quite understood what these markings meant.


    ¡°I can make out some of it, but I¡¯m missing some crucial details,¡± Sage said,


    ¡°Same.¡± The Conductor responded in kind.


    ¡°Excuse me, but do you have any information or may have overheard anything these creatures were talking about?¡± Sage turned towards the humans, still standing there in confusion.


    ¡°They said a lot of things. Most of it was about waking the Great Mother.¡± A young lady responded.


    ¡°I overheard a couple of them talking about using us as slave labor to dig something out of there.¡± Others responded.


    ¡°That mean anything to you, Sage?¡± The Conductor asked.


    ¡°Not a single clue. But I can infer the general meaning of the paintings from this information. The Skinwalkers believe that some powerful ancestor sleeps somewhere deep in these mountains. They don¡¯t know where and are just blindly searching.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose some Skinwalker got themselves a general location and used that to band all of the Skinwalkers they could find together.¡± The Conductor reasoned after hearing Sage¡¯s take.


    ¡°Ah, I think we found the leader! He¡¯s a big one!¡± Bumi said as the inside of the mine shaft started to shake.


    Moments later, Bumi¡¯s body sprang out of the mountainside and landed before Sage and the Conductor.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Hoarder?!¡± Sage shouted.


    ¡°Oh trust, he¡¯ll be here in a hurry. I suggest we move a bit, aye?!¡± The panic in Bumi¡¯s voice was evident as the quaking became more prominent.


    The Conductor instructed the humans to move as they trailed behind the hightailing Bumi. The mine shaft entrance exploded, and a massive Skinwalker roared out of the rumble,


    ¡°Ergh, your breath smells like ass, you ugly bastard!¡± Hoarder shouted as he was trapped between the massive Skinwalker''s jaws, prying its mouth open with his kinetic energy-infused body.


    The Skinwalker crashed head-first into the ground, hoping to crush Hoarder. When it pulled back, it saw Hoarder lying comfortably in the crater formed from the impact. The creature swiped its giant claws down at Hoarder, who punched to meet its claws. There was an explosion of power, and the Skinwalker was hurled through the air, crashing into the side of the mountain again.


    ¡°Is that the Great Mother?¡± Mirage asked, still observing from his perch.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no Mother here, aye? Not with that bawbag the size of Glasgow?¡± Bumi bellowed. As he pointed at the creature''s genitals.


    ¡°No, it must be an Alpha. Although it¡¯s larger than most confirmed Alpha Skinwalkers.¡± Sage responded.


    ¡°Chasers!!!!!¡± The creepy voice of the Alpha bellowed out as it pulled itself out of the rumble.


    ¡°Is it not enough?! Is it not enough that you drive my species to extinction? When we decide to make for ourselves and finally get news of the Great Mother, you choose to attack us, still?! WHY!?!¡± The Skinwalker shouted as it transformed into aa ashened pale, long gray-haired man.


    ¡°Why?! You stole us from our homes and enslaved us!! What do you mean why?!¡± One of the freed humans responded in rage.


    ¡°Heheheheh! You¡¯ve been enslaving your own kind since your inception, and you continue to enslave each other even to this day. We didn¡¯t think you¡¯d mind!¡± The Alpha responded.


    ¡°Well, shite¡­ he¡¯s got a point.¡± Bumi rubbed his head in defeat at the Alpha¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to defend the actions of humanity or have philosophical debates with you about our collective karmas. I¡¯m here to complete a mission. From the reports I¡¯m getting from the other team, there¡¯s not much of your pack left.¡± The Conductor spoke.


    ¡°So you have two choices. You leave with what¡¯s left of your pack, move back further north, and try again, WITHOUT slaves. Or this pack ceases to exist.¡± The Conductor gave the Alpha his ultimatum.


    The Conductor would attack the Alpha if the freed humans were not here. He saw that blow that it took from Hoarder. It would have reduced anything else into a bloody mist. However, this Alpha Skinwalker barely seemed phased. Just from its endurance alone, it was clear that even if the 10 of them worked together, it would be a hard-fought battle; adding the protection of the civilians on top of that made things dicey.


    ¡°Can you even make such a decision? I can smell the youth on you, and Chasers aren¡¯t known for showing mercy.¡± The Alpha responded.


    ¡°Our mission parameters were to find the missing humans and eliminate the Skinwalker threat. Complete annihilation of your pack was never specified.¡± Sage responded.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The Alpha stared at The Conductor, Sage, Bumi, and Hoarder and glared towards where Mirage was hiding.¡±


    ¡°That bastard can see me!¡± Mirage panicked internally.


    ¡°I see. Very well. Can I have your word that as long as we don¡¯t bother the humans, you won¡¯t interfere with our search for the Great Mother?¡± The Alpha asked.


    ¡°I can promise that you¡¯ll have nothing to fear from our Chasers as long as you and this Great Mother of yours aren¡¯t a threat to humanity.¡± The Conductor responded.


    ¡°YOUR Chasers?¡± The Alpha sighed.


    ¡°After so long, there is still so much dysfunction among your people. You pose the most danger to yourselves. We Skinwalkers, as you call us, were never concerned with you, just curious.¡±


    ¡°What about all the Human towns you¡¯ve destroyed,¡± Hoarder asked.


    ¡°Just as there seem to be good Chasers. There too can be those of us who stray from Mother¡¯s embrace.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, aye?¡± Bumi nodded his head.


    ¡°I will leave with what is left of my people. Our actions indeed caused this incident. I will take full responsibility.¡± The Alpha spoke as he stepped forward, transforming his body into a massive bird. With a flap of its wings, the sound of thunder echoed, and it settled down in the middle of the Skinwalker town.


    ¡°Holy hell!! There¡¯s a massive bird here! Do we kill it?!¡± Manic¡¯s voice shouted over communications.


    ¡°No, stand down. That¡¯s the Skinwalker¡¯s Alpha. He agreed to take the remaining Skinwalkers and head further north.¡± The Conductor commanded.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to let them go?! After everything they put us through? You¡¯re just letting them leave!!!¡± One of the humans shouted.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Sage calmly told the individual.


    ¡°Do you know what that was? That was a Thunderbird. It¡¯s supposed to be a myth, even by our standards, but he just transformed into one. If he can turn into that, that means one of two things. Thunderbirds are real, and he¡¯s seen one, or he can turn into anything he imagines that breathes. Neither of those is a favorable circumstance.¡±


    Sage walked up to the man and poked him in the chest.


    ¡°So, tell me. Should we fight something that could turn into a fire-breathing dragon while simultaneously protecting you? Or let the reasonable supernatural being go on his way; while he purposely doesn¡¯t push his obvious advantage?¡± Sage asked.


    ¡°T-the second one.¡± The man shyly responded.


    A large group of maroon and dark green cloaked figures looked up into the sky as they watched the Thunderbird carrying at least three dozen Skinwalkers, disguised as small woodland animals, fly overhead. One of the maroon cloaked figures held a Rose Gold crest representing the Orlenaders spoke,


    ¡°So They manage to deal with the Alpha? That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so impressive about it? They just talked their way out of things.¡± One of the Adders spoke from behind his dark green hood.


    ¡°The fact that the Alpha even considered their proposition speaks volumes for their skill. We should approach with caution.¡± The Rose Gold Oleander spoke.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just scared, Whiskey. Although I¡¯d be scared too if The Anomaly had lopped off my right arm.¡± The same green-hooded man laughed.


    At the sound of his laughter, the woman with the Rose Gold crest, called Whiskey, reached out her right hand and grabbed the man by the throat. She lifted him into the air.


    ¡°As you can see, my arm is back where it belongs, and I am very willing to snap your neck with it.¡± Whiskey threatened.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. We should cooperate to kill Suzuki Kenji, not each other. I apologize for my colleagues'' rude remarks.¡± A man in a dark green cloak with a Blood Red Weaving Adder crest on his right shoulder spoke.


    ¡°Very well. Keep your people in check, Pike ¡± Whiskey accepted the apology, releasing the rude Chaser from her grip.


    ¡°When should we make our move?¡± Someone within the group asked.


    ¡°After they evacuate the missing humans.¡± Whiskey spoke.


    ¡°Is that the best option?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°Admittedly, no. The best option would be to attack them while they are protecting those humans. However, we are Chasers, not monsters.¡± Whiskey responded.


    ¡°I agree. Also, separating him from his teammates will be easier if they aren¡¯t crowded together to protect the humans. We only want to kill Kenji. Those other 9 are extraordinary talents; it will be a waste if they die. So if possible, avoid inflicting fatal injuries if they interfere.¡± Pike spoke.


    ¡°We also need time to spot their babysitters. There¡¯s no way they sent those kids on a first mission like this without supervision.¡± Whiskey added.


    ¡°They arrived in a single aircraft; it won¡¯t be enough to carry those humans and the kids back. Since civilians take priority, we¡¯ll have an hour and a half minimum to separate him from the group and kill him.¡± Pike spoke.


    ¡°Looks like they are beginning to group up. Spread out in groups of three. Find the babysitters, and get ready to move in when the transport has taken the civilians away.¡± Whiskey gave the command.


    At her word, 30 cloaked figures dispersed, leaving Whiskey and Pike and one Maroon cloaked individual looking down from the cliffside that overlooked the destroyed Skinwalker town.

 Chapter 21: Bad Habits

    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Trigger asked as he saw Hoarder and Mirage walking towards them with the civilians trailing behind them.


    ¡°They decided to stay behind and look at those wall paintings. Bumi stayed with them to prevent a cave-in and scout ahead.¡± Mirage responded.


    ¡°Glad to see some of us found ways to pass the time, yeah?¡± Shango sighed as he called in the aircraft.


    ¡°Anyone seen Mawu or Hachiman?¡± Siren asked.


    ¡°Nope; I guess they had no intention of showing themselves unless things went south,¡± Trigger answered.


    Everyone looked up, and the aircraft revealed itself and landed in the middle of the town. Its cargo hold opened up to reveal a team of Renegade Chasers. The Renegade Cloak had scanning systems, making it difficult for others to fake being one of their Chasers. After confirming they were allies, Shango motioned for the civilians to board the ship.


    ¡°Nice work, kids. Didn¡¯t expect this many. We¡¯ll take the civilians, and another transport should be here in an hour for you guys. Take this time to do a sweep of the town. Particularly intact Skinwalker corpses, we can use them for testing.¡± One of the Renegade Chasers instructed.


    ¡°What are you going to do with the civilians?¡± Amaterasu inquired.


    ¡°Debriefing, and complete memory reconstruction. They should forget all of this, if only for their sanity.¡±


    They nodded in understanding. Secrecy aside, they''d be committed if these people told anyone what happened. Siren shook her head, as she didn¡¯t know what kind of story they could possibly make up to explain all these people going missing. It was part of the job she didn¡¯t have to worry about, and she hoped she never would.


    ¡°Who handles things like that?¡± Trigger asked.


    ¡°Mostly Dr. Varma and her assistants. She¡¯s a normie, but she¡¯s seen more shit than anyone. I don¡¯t know how she does it. Alright, let¡¯s pack it up. See you, kids, later; nice work today.¡± The Renegade Chaser complimented as the cargo door closed and the aircraft took off.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do a sweep then, ya? Move in groups of two, Siren you with me. Mirage find a cozy little spot to keep a lookout.¡± Shango gave his command.


    Immediately after, Trigger and Amaterasu went off on their own. Shango and Siren walked in the opposite direction as Mirage vanished.


    ¡°You guys leaving me alone with this lunatic?!¡± Hoarder cried as he pointed at Manic.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Lunatic; I''m Manic. Let¡¯s go find some bodies I didn''t blow up, HAHAHA!¡± Manic laughed as he wrapped his arm around Hoarder¡¯s broad shoulders, pointing to nowhere. Hoarder sighed. He knew there was no getting rid of Manic at this point. It was best if he tried to mitigate whatever shenanigans Manic tried to get himself into.


    Mawu and Hachiman looked at the rookies'' progress with smiles. They handled the situation exceptionally well, not just from an efficiency standpoint but also a diplomatic one. Many Chasers didn¡¯t understand that there was more than one way to deal with the creatures that threatened humanity. They may never be able to rid the world of those creatures completely, and honestly, perhaps they shouldn¡¯t even try. A peaceful resolution against the more civilized creatures was the best approach whenever possible.


    ¡°They did better than I¡¯d hoped. Us fighting a Skinwalker Alpha wouldn¡¯t have been ideal.¡± Mawu sighed.


    She and Hachiman would have needed to step in if it came to it. However, going up against such an old Skinwalker was dicey even with the two of them. There was no telling what forms that old thing could have.


    ¡°Hmm, I would have liked to test my blade against something that old. A pity. Perhaps next time.¡± Hachiman said.


    ¡°You are a battle manic, aren¡¯t y-¡± Mawu''s statement was cut off as she looked over her shoulder.


    Hachiman did the same as their cloaks picked up three individuals coming up from behind them. Mawu let out a groan.


    ¡°It seems Zac was right.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯d be more surprised if he wasn¡¯t. I¡¯ll go check on the surrounding area.¡± Hachiman said as he disappeared with a burst of speed, leaving nothing behind but a small gust of wind.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll handle this and call for backup.¡± Mawu relayed over comms.


    Moments after Hachiman left, three cloaked individuals appeared before Mawu. She scoped out the crest on their cloaks and chuckled,


    ¡°So Oleander¡¯s and Adders are working together? Are you that afraid of Kenji?¡± She asked.


    The three of them were taken aback. Mawu was already aware of why they were here.


    ¡°You seemed prepared, but you only assigned one supervisor?¡± The lone Oleander Chaser asked.


    ¡°I wonder,¡± Mawu said coolly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made contact! It¡¯s Hachiman!!! We need immediate back u- argh!¡± The three looked up at Mawu with trepidation.


    If Hachiman was there, she must be Helena, the only female in Devin¡¯s five-person squad. They were curious why she hadn¡¯t attacked yet. Helena was known for her quick temper and fiery attitude, but the cloaked figure before them was far too cold.


    ¡°Initiating Progam-¡± The three of them went to activate their programs at once. Each of them felt dread creeping up their spines. Unfortunately, the three became ice statues before they could finish their commands. Mawu walked toward the three of them,


    ¡°Such a bad habit. Your mentors failed you.¡± She crooned.


    She tapped one of the ice sculptures, and all three shattered into fine diamond dust. Mawu let out a sigh and then reported,


    ¡°We have interlopers; I don¡¯t know how many. The Oleanders and Adders are working together. Their target is Suzuki Kenji, aka Trigger. Requesting immediate assistance.¡± She then looked over at the highest cliff in sight. It would be from there if she had to choose a spot to run an operation like this. She would have to approach slowly. The three she encountered hadn¡¯t had the chance to relay she was here. She could use this to her advantage. An icy mist enveloped her, and she faded away like an illusion.


    Mawu, the namesake of the creator goddess of the Fon people in West Africa, represents the moon that brings the night and cooler temperatures. Mawu could decrease heat values and manipulate those cold bodies to her will. Possessing one of the most feared Programs, Program: Cold Snap.


    Back inside the mineshaft, Sage stared at another wall filled with paintings. Bumi was walking around with a bored expression as he stared at the ceiling. He then looked over at Sage,


    ¡°Are you not done yet?¡±


    ¡°I am not. You can go back to town if you¡¯re certain there are no other rooms to explore here.¡± Sage chuckled.


    ¡°Aye, but I¡¯d feel like a right bawbag if I left and a cave-in happened.¡± Bumi groaned.


    Sage was about to respond when she looked toward the mine shaft entrance. She sighed and said,


    ¡°We have enemies. You should return to the others, Bumi.¡±


    ¡°Are the Skinwalkers back?¡±


    ¡°No, Chasers, I¡¯m sensing 30 in total; three are near Mawu, and three others are near Hachiman. Three are heading this way, and six are heading towards town.¡± Sage relayed her information.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Bumi asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a massive forest; I¡¯ve been spreading my influence over it since we arrived. What the trees can see, so can I. However, three more Chasers may be outside of my range.¡± Sage explained.


    ¡°33 in total? That''s an odd number.¡± Trigger¡¯s voice came over comms.


    ¡°Not really; I¡¯ve studied the practices of the other Chaser Orgs. The Oleanders like to move in groups of five like us, and the Weaving Adders prefer groups of six. So in total, three groups of five from the Oleanders and three groups of 6 from the Adders.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming they are working together.¡± Siren added.


    ¡°Sensei Zac told me this before I left for the mission. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Worst case scenario, the Oleanders and Adders have decided to work together to kill Trigger.¡± Sage responded.


    After hearing her words, the comms were flooded with a resounding,


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Well, I have good news and bad news.¡± The Conductor chuckled.


    ¡°Bad news I¡¯ve just finished scanning for Nano-machine signatures, and there are 33 extra. The good news is, three of them near Mawu spontaneously vanished.¡± The Conductor chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, Mawu just reduced 3 of them to diamond dust. It seems these Chasers have¡­ bad habits.¡± Sage started to giggle.


    At that statement, smiles stretched across everyone''s faces. The Conductor called out for Bumi, who looked over at Sage,


    ¡°You¡¯ll be ok in here by yourself, bonnie lass?¡±


    ¡°Your concern is appreciated but not needed. I still have to study here and can provide detailed support from my position. Please go.¡± Sage assured Bumi.


    Bumi dived into the ground, and The Conductor floated into the air, surrounded by his tiny electro beads.


    ¡°Everyone act natural; they¡¯ll be on you soon,¡± Sage reported.


    ¡°Yeah, I have visuals. Six are coming in from the west. They¡¯ve broken up, two pairs each.¡± Mirage confirmed the situation.


    ¡°Bumi and I are en route.¡± The Conductor responded.


    ¡°No need to worry, mate. We can handle these, yeah?¡± Shango reassured. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Moments later, two enemy Chasers landed in front of Hoarder and Manic, who were in the middle of an argument. They wouldn¡¯t have needed Sage to tell them to act natural because Hoarder was using everything in his power not to throttle the scatterbrain lunatic that he was paired with. Manic seemed to have forgotten about the enemy Chasers the instant communications had ended.


    ¡°Could you focus for two seconds?¡± Hoarder shouted.


    ¡°One¡­ Two. Two seconds! But what was I supposed to be focusing on? Oh, look, another Skinwalker, oh no, that one only has half a face. Hmmm, maybe we should go check areas where I wasn¡¯t the one fighting them.¡± Manic rattled off.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying for 3 minutes!!¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe you should¡¯ve used your big boy voice. I can¡¯t be listening to you and focusing on nothing for two seconds; you¡¯re such a slave driver.¡±


    ¡°This little shit!¡±


    ¡°HEY!¡± The two enemy Chasers couldn''t take it anymore, interrupting them.


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± Hoarder shouted in frustration at the newcomers.


    ¡°Which of you is Suzuki Kenji?¡± The Chaser wearing the dark green cloak asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Suzuki? Is that a car?¡±


    ¡°Ask your mother.¡± Manic and Hoarder responded to the Chasers simultaneously.


    ¡°Screw these kids; we can figure it out after we beat the hell out of them.¡± The Chaser wearing the Maroon cloak spoke.


    ¡°Initiating Program~.¡±


    Before either of them could finish speaking, their mouths were clamped shut by psionic constructs in the shape of duct tape. Before the two could process what was happening, Hoarder clotheslined them with such force that their heads popped cleanly from their necks. He looked at the two dead bodies and then turned towards Manic,


    ¡°Is Suzuki a car? Really?¡±


    ¡°It worked, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    At the same time Manic and Hoarder encountered their Chasers, Shango and Siren ran into their own. Both wore dark green cloaks and stared at the two young Chasers. They saw Siren¡¯s petite body and the dark skin of Shango¡¯s exposed arms.


    ¡°Neither of you is Suzuki Kenji.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s obvious, innit?¡± Shango responded.


    ¡°And neither of you will live to see him.¡± Siren added.


    ¡°Is that right? Initiating Prog¡­ !!!¡± The Dark green-cloaked Chasers realized that no sounds were coming from their mouths.


    They looked at each other and then at Siren, who had her index finger on her face mask. At that moment, a slight pulse under Shango¡¯s feet propelled him forward, and he snatched the two Chasers off their feet by their faces. Shango stared at the two Chasers who were at his mercy,


    ¡°Sorry, mates, nothing personal. Business and all that.¡±


    The two were assaulted by a barrage of waves that pulsated through their heads, turning their brains to liquid almost instantly. Shango dropped the dead Chasers on the ground and shook his head.


    ¡°Thought it would be harder.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t get too cocky.¡± Siren chided Shango


    A similar scene took place at the same time in front of Trigger and Amaterasu. A dark green and a maroon-cloaked Chaser landed in front of the two of them. They wasted no time,


    "Which of you is Suzuki Kenji?¡±


    ¡°Trigger,¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°What was that?¡± The maroon-cloaked Chaser asked.


    ¡°His name is Trigger,¡± Amaterasu responded.


    The invading Chasers didn¡¯t need to hear anything else.


    ¡°Initiating Program~.¡±


    Before they could finish speaking, the Green Cloaked Chaser fell over in cauterized pieces as Amaterasu resheathed her sword before they could process her drawing it. The Maroon Cloaked Chaser fell to their knees, revealing a sizable hole in their head before falling over. Trigger¡¯s gun merged back with his nano-armor as he sighed at the dead Chasers.


    ¡°Am I worth all of this?¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amaterasu spoke.


    ¡°You are something they don¡¯t understand and won¡¯t be able to control. From what we¡¯ve been told, The Renegades keep the other two Chaser Organizations in check. If you live up to the expectations that everyone has for you¡­.¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡± Trigger said as he cut off Amaterasu¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s such a waste.¡±


    ¡°I agree, but you just can¡¯t let yourself be killed.¡±


    ¡°And I can¡¯t hold back either.¡± Trigger let out a sigh as he looked at Amaterasu.


    ¡°Hate to break up you two flirting, but we have six more coming from the north end of town.¡± Mirage''s voice came over comms.


    ¡°Just reduce their numbers; Bumi and I will handle the rest.¡± The Conductor commanded.


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Mirage chuckled as he aimed with his rifle.


    Mirage gathered light into the sniper rifle and pulled the trigger. A beam of focused light zipped out like a laser, and one of the approaching Chasers fell to the ground like a sack of rocks. Immediately the other five stopped in the tracks and took cover behind trees.


    ¡°Like it matters.¡± Mirage chuckled.


    He gathered more light into his gun and peered through his scope. He refracted light around one of the trees until he had a clear view of one of the Chasers taking cover through his scope. With a chuckle, he pulled the trigger. The beam of light followed the path of his vision, bouncing off each portion of refracted light, like bouncing off a mirror. The light beam pierced the second target''s brain as they slumped over.


    ¡°Two down.¡±


    At that moment, the four remaining activated their Programs and started to move towards the town again, dodging in and out of trees and weaving their positions. They couldn¡¯t pinpoint Mirage''s location, the beam of light moved too fast, and they were unaware of his ability to ricochet his light off the air. With their Programs active and them on the move, Mirage found it challenging to get a lock on to even one of them, but not impossible.


    ¡°Mawu was right. Always, always always activate your Programs before a mission. This probably would¡¯ve been much better for you guys if you had.¡± Mirage thought to himself.


    A third beam of light fired off while following a path of refracted light, bouncing around trees until it found its target. Other Chasers fell to the ground, their brains pierced by light.


    ¡°Three down. The others have Activated their Programs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The Conductor said emotionlessly.


    At that moment, Mirage saw the ground beneath the running Chasers rumble. Pillars of earth launched the three remaining Chasers dozens of meters into the air. The Conductor floated there well above the tree line, waiting for them. With a thought, thousands of tiny electro beads engulfed the three Chasers, all but their eyes were visible. Hands behind his back, The Conductor floated there, not bothering to look at the three Chasers he had bound. Instead, his head turned towards where Whiskey and Pike were standing. He grunted, and terrifyingly powerful electricity manifested from the electro beads encasing those Chasers.


    The three Chasers that The Conductor had bound were dead. The severe shock they received shutdown their bodies functions as well as the nano-Machines within them. By the time the Nano-machines reactivated, the bodies would have been dead too long for them to save these Chasers. They had been captured and killed quickly and cleanly. Whiskey and Pike looked at The Conductor with well-hidden fear,


    ¡°That boy¡¯s going to be trouble in the future.¡± Whiskey said.


    ¡°He¡¯s trouble now, and he¡¯s not the only one,¡± Pike mumbled, turning his attention towards a certain mineshaft.


    They had lost all contact with that group long before the events happening in the town occurred. Even more shocking was that the group was far more cautious than the others, having their Programs initiated before they entered. They could only assume they had died before they could relay any information.


    Deep within a dimly lit room in the mineshaft, Sage stood in deep concentration in front of a cave painting wall. She ran her fingers along the walls and began to talk into her right bangle,


    ¡°Log - Year: 2047;  Month: March 4; Time: 3:37 PM; Entry 3. These walls appear to speak of more than just the distant past of the Skinwalkers. There seem to be images of three powerful figures. If this is to be taken literally, they are viewed as a triumvirate of creatures viewed as Gods by all supernatural entities. This Great Mother must be one of them.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± A groggy voice called out from behind Sage.


    She looked over her shoulder to see the three Chasers that had entered the mine. All three of them were bound by thorned roots, each of those thrones releasing poisonous sap powerful enough to kill a Blue Whale. However, their nano-machines were in overdrive, expelling the poison. However, the sap was poisoning them almost faster than the nano-machines could cure. This left their bodies in a state where even the average human could kill them.


    ¡°What am I doing? Learning, obviously. Weren¡¯t you all sent here to do the same?¡± Sage chuckled as she continued to scan the walls.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Another asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they sent you here as the main force. You¡¯re far too incompetent. You¡¯re either relatively new recruits or disposable. You knew Kenji¡¯s existence, but I doubt you had solid intel on what he or any of us could do. We certainly didn¡¯t expose much during our mission today. So essentially, you are the scouting party. I¡¯m sure the main force will show up soon.¡± Sage¡¯s eyes remained glued to the wall in front of her.


    ¡°Knowing what you know, you don¡¯t seem nervous.¡± One of the bound Chasers commented.


    ¡°Why should I be? I figured something like this might happen when we came on this mission. If I had these thoughts, sensei no doubt had the same thoughts long before. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll handle it. Leaving me free to study these walls, and you.¡± Sage chuckled.


    ¡°You seem pretty confident in your¡­.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Sage cut off the Chaser. Her voice took a noticeably darker tone.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing, and it doesn¡¯t matter. I have no plans to kill you quickly, so don¡¯t worry; your stalling for time won¡¯t do you any good. Your communications won¡¯t be leaving this cave.¡±


    The Three Chasers¡¯ pale faces sparked with shock.


    ¡°Unlike the others who spent most of their time honing their powers. I did not need to. As soon as I received my Program, plant life felt like an extension of myself. When I breathed, they breathed. They move with my thoughts and desires like part of me. So instead, I spent most of my training sessions with sensei, reviewing countless situations I could encounter on missions. With that information, I cultivated 100s of new plant species to deal with said situations.¡± As Sage spoke, the roots on the roof began to wiggle.


    "He truly is a brilliant man." A root curled down, and Sage rubbed her hand against it.


    ¡°Like this lovely child, for instance. The same roots that blocked the entrance once you came inside. Its roots are harder than steel and have a unique composition that allows them to block electromagnetic waves. So unless the people you¡¯re trying to contact are right outside the mine, they won¡¯t hear you. So be silent little captives, and let the sap do its work. I also need to gather data on how strong a poison needs to be to kill a Chaser.¡± Sage then resumed her study of wall paintings.


    ¡°W-who is this senseii?¡± The leader of the three asked.


    Sage was a monster to the three of them. They didn¡¯t even get to see her before they were subdued and carried to her by these roots that seemed to have a mind of their own. She was so powerful, intelligent, and arrogant that they didn¡¯t understand how anyone could mentor such a Chaser. However, she spoke of her ¡°sensei¡± with deep respect. They had to know. Sage sighed,


    ¡°You all call him, The Anomaly.¡± Sage giggled.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± The three of them shivered.


    On the highest cliffside in the area, Whiskey, and Pike turned to look behind them. The wind blew an icy mist revealing Hachiman and Mawu standing before them.


    ¡°Hachiman, and you must be Mawu. Great.¡± Whiskey groaned.


    Hachiman was a terrible match-up for Pike, and Mawu was a terrible match-up for Whiskey. It was like the two of them were chosen to counter them specifically.


    ¡°Did The Anomaly suggest you two for this mission?¡± Pike asked.


    ¡°He did. He said you two were the most likely candidates for something like this.¡± Mawu giggled.


    ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t, given the terrain, he felt we¡¯d be able to give the best support. He is very thorough.¡± Hachiman added.


    ¡°He¡¯s not even here and pissing me off.¡± Whiskey fumed.


    Pike, Program: Hunter. Allowed the Chaser to perfectly and accurately track down any designated target. At the same time, making the user untrackable by normal or modern means. Not even the most advanced tracking systems could spot him. Once a target is marked, it can never escape his senses. It also allows its user to pinpoint all weaknesses and tells of their target, to help predict target actions. This allows for precise, swift, and accurate assassinations. Coupled with his mastery in a wide array of weaponry and killing arts; as well as his superior speed and strength even when compared to other Chasers, Pike was a nightmare for any target, be they monster or Chaser.


    Hachiman, Program: Breeze. Gives the user full awareness and control of  air currents and wind. No matter how much Pike wanted, he could not become intangible. He may be able to fool technology and eyes, but not the wind. Hachiman has spent more time than anyone honing his skills to their absolute limit. If there were flaws, Hachiman would welcome Pike to find them. He was the antithesis of Pike, and Hachiman saw Pike as nothing more than something to polish his fighting style against.


    Whiskey, Program: Torrent. Allows the user to generate and control all forms of water freely. While a powerful Program, it was rendered almost useless in the face of Mawu¡¯s Cold Snap. Mawu¡¯s relaxed, calm attitude also clashed against Whiskey''s fiery temperament, making it harder for Whiskey to contend with Mawu on a fundamental level.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ no choice. We¡¯ll have to hold these two off as best we can.¡± Pike grumbled.


    ¡°Agreed¡­ Pocket, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Whiskey called out to the individual next to her.


    ¡°Yes, mam.¡± Pocket¡¯s young feminine voice called out as they opened a flap on their cloak pocket. At that moment, dozens of Chasers poured out of that pocket. From how they moved, they all had their Programs activated and headed straight toward Trigger and the others.


    Pocket, Program: Storage. A Program specializing specifically in transport. Allows users to create spaces in pockets that can hold anything living or inanimate. The Chaser''s skill directly affects the size and volume of the spaces created.


    Hachiman wasted no time seeing the dozens of Chasers spilling out of Pocket¡¯s¡­ pocket. He quickly unsheathed his blade, sending a slash of intense cutting wind pressure that targeted the escaping Chasers. A giant wave of water intercepted the slash and exploded. That water immediately turned into ice shards by Mawu and chased after the leaving Chasers. A dozen could not escape and were snipped out of the sky before Whiskey could take control of the falling ice spikes.


    The sharp shards of Ice remained suspended in the air as they remained in a deadlock behind Mawu¡¯s and Whiskey¡¯s control. Even with the dozen Chasers that Mawu had just dispatched, there were still two dozen heading towards Trigger''s location. Mawu looked at the one they called Pocket and made a hand motion. Ice bound Pocket¡¯s feet as Hachiman appeared before them like the wind. Pike met Hachiman there¡ªa dagger holding off Hachiman¡¯s blade.


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    Hachiman and Mawu heard Pocket¡¯s child-like laughter as their left had reached towards another pocket.

 Chapter 22: The Fan

    The Conductor looked into the distance as he felt the appearance of dozens of foreign Chasers manifest themselves. He cursed under his breath as he saw the stream of Chasers heading their way. He flew towards the center of town dropping the three dead Chasers.


    ¡°Mirage.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I see them. I¡¯ll pick off as many as possible before they arrive.¡± Mirage said calmly.


    ¡°We have two dozen enemy Chasers heading our way from the south. They are going to be more competent than the last patch. We need to prepare.¡± The Conductor informed everyone.


    ¡°Just leave; they''re here for me anyway, right?¡± Trigger said.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± The Conductor responded.


    ¡°We will not give up one of our own just because The Adders and Oleanders don¡¯t know how to pick competent personnel.¡± The Conductor chided.


    Shango and the others nodded their heads in response. Before The Conductor could give out any orders, Sage spoke over comms,


    ¡°I can coordinate with Mirage and give you guys time to coordinate, and fortify your location.¡±


    ¡°Good, we''ll only need maybe 10 minutes.¡± The Conductor spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you 15,¡± Mirage smirked from his position.


    The Chasers poured into the forest after narrowly escaping the assault from Hachiman and Mawu. They coldly looked at the bodies of their fallen comrades and sped forward. Dark-green and maroon cloaks moved through the forest with speed and grace unachievable by any animal. Their speedy progress ended abruptly when the light in the sky vanished, and they found themselves in a world of darkness.


    ¡°Everyone stay calm. We believe one of the enemy Chasers has the Refract Program. They can also use it offensively, so be on your~¡± The Chaser in the Dark Green cloak was silenced as a beam of light shined through the darkness from an impossible angle piercing his head.


    ¡°Shit! Spread out, put on infrared, and head towards the town.¡± Another Chaser called out.


    Everyone split as they put on their goggles, only to find the forest they were in had changed entirely. Trees that were never there, nor even existed in this part of the world, had sprung in front of them.


    ¡°Dammit, burn it down!¡± Someone shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending word to the second group.¡± Others shouted.


    Someone shot a massive orb of fire into this forest maze, only to see the trees in front of them not catch fire, nor did the fiery impact destroy it. Instead, roots shoot out from the flames to bind that individual.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Bloom Chaser. She''s still in the mines. Should we send a group to get rid of her?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°Negative, we avoid her at all costs. We have no intel on her. She is in the mines, so her range is limited; we need to keep their attention on us and hope the 2nd group can get through.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is taking them so long?¡± Someone in the group asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading towards town now. Hachiman and Mawu, are a menace. Pocket almost lost their left hand, and Pike is in bad shape. We need to make this quick. We¡¯ll come in from the east. That should take us out of the Bloom user''s range. Try to break through and meet us in town. I¡¯m sure they are fortifying themselves.¡± The Leader of the second group reported.


    ¡°There¡¯s a second group coming your way. They¡¯re looping around from the east. There¡¯s about 30 of them.¡± Mirage informed The Conductors group.


    ¡°I sense them. We¡¯ll be ready by the time they get here. You and Sage focus on the first group.¡± The Conductor responded.


    ¡°Everyone to your spots,¡± Shango ordered, and everyone fanned out.


    Five minutes passed before the second group managed to get a visual of the Skinwalker town. The range of Sage¡¯s influence proved to be more than they had anticipated. While they were in no immediate danger, they were constantly harassed by random trees and roots. When they came within range to see the town gate, they let out a collective sigh,


    ¡°You gotta be shitting me. What¡¯s the deal with these kids?¡± Someone responded.


    In front of them stood a newly constructed town wall. This was far more sturdy in appearance and form than the former town wall. It was composed of solid stone and steel. Standing in front of the reconstructed steel gate was a lone hooded Bumi.


    ¡°How are you doing, lads and lassies? We¡¯re not taking guests now, so kindly fuck off.¡± Bumi waved the large group of Chasers off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there''s anyone else outside of the gate. Do we rush him and go over?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have much choice. The more time we waste here, the higher the possibility that Mawu and Hachiman will make their way here. We have the advantage in numbers and intel on their abilities, while they have nothing on us. Just be careful.¡± At this Chaser''s word, everyone charged forward.


    ¡°Aye¡­ don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn ya,¡± Bumi said as he clenched his fist.


    Instantly, the ground gave way, having 2 Chasers fall into a pit; sharp spikes were waiting for them at its bottom. Before they could gather themselves, the top of the pit closed off and hammered down like a piston. In that instant, two Chasers died. The enemy Chasers stopped momentarily, and then a maroon-cloaked Chaser stomped her foot on the ground. The next moment she motioned her finger upward, and spikes shot out of the ground in various locations.


    ¡°Avoid those areas. I¡¯ll deal with this guy.¡± She commanded.


    ¡°Aye, what¡¯s your name bonnie lass?¡±


    ¡°Dust.¡± The pale amber-eyed woman said.


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m Bumi. Dust love, let¡¯s dance.¡± Bumi chuckled as he didn¡¯t even try to stop the Chasers from running past him from jumping over the gates.


    ¡°Something is not right.¡± Dust thought to herself.


    The next moment she heard screams and the crackling of electricity. She saw tiny beads floating like nets over the gate and walls. Three Chasers were taken out of communication before they crossed the wall. In response, the Chasers that followed sent out attacks at the net of electro beads to create openings for them to jump through. Dust was still concerned. However, before she could further voice her concerns, a massive hunk of rock was blasted in her direction.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± She grunted as she extended her hand, and the rock was pulverized into dust at her will and was quickly reformed into stone spikes that she hurled at Bumi.


    ¡°HAHAHA!¡± Bumi laughed as he redirected the spikes at a Chaser jumping over the wall.


    That Chaser blocked the spike, but the force behind it caused them to crash into some of the electro bead nettings. Dust grunted in annoyance as she saw that Chaser fall to the ground, almost burnt to a crisp by the electricity given off by those beads.


    ¡°Where are you looking?¡± Bumi shouted as he sprang out of the ground, lunging at the woman.


    Dust backed away and closed her hand into a fist. Bumi was stuck with his ankles bound by the earth. Dust frowned as she sent a roundhouse kick to his face. The power behind that kick launched Bumi across the ground, taking chunks of earth with him. He rolled onto to his feet only to notice them sinking into the ground,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been using Mound for years. Let me teach you something.¡± Dust smiled.


    ¡°Oh, aye¡­ I''m all for learning.¡± Bumi chuckled as he dragged himself into the earth, prying himself from Dust¡¯s control.


    ¡°Bumi¡¯s going to have his hands full. Dust is a Mound Chaser.¡± Mirage spoke over comms and gave a quick update before returning to assisting Sage.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing more than expected. Given the terrain, holding down another Mound Chaser is more than enough.¡± The Conductor spoke.


    ¡°I can help too.¡± Trigger¡¯s frustrated voice came over comms.


    ¡°You are their target; exposing you will make everything more difficult. Stay hidden unless absolutely necessary. I¡¯d suggest you go to the mine shaft with me. But I know you¡¯d never go for that.¡± Sage spoke.


    Trigger was strong and finally motivated to do things that everyone expected him to do. Still, when it seemed to matter the most, he was forced to hide and watch.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Trigger cursed in frustration.


    Trigger had Cycled over to the Refract and Reverb Programs to hide his location. This is exactly what he didn¡¯t want. To help those he cared for by virtually leaving them to their own devices. He clenched his fists, his friends were strong, very strong, he¡¯d just have to trust in their abilities right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we got this,¡± Amaterasu spoke as she, Shango, and Hoarder stood in front of the invading Chasers heading toward the center of town.


    Siren and Manic were positioned on several buildings that gave them a clear view of the center of town. The Conductor floated above them all, overlooking the situation while surrounded by his barrier of electro beads. Once the Chasers arrived in the town center, they saw the 3 of them standing there. One of the several dozen Chasers stepped forward and asked,


    ¡°Where is Suzuki Kenji?¡±


    They received no response from the Shango and the others. That same Chaser continued,


    ¡°We have been instructed not to harm the rest of you; we only need to dispose of the Taboo Child.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t ask, and we don¡¯t care.¡± In that instant, Amaterasu had closed the distance between her and the man speaking. With a quick upward slash, the man¡¯s arm flew into the air as he tried to back away. Before he had time to respond, Amaterasu was again on top of him, not giving up her initiative. Others tried to jump in and help but were cut off by Shango on one side and Hoarder on the other. The man let out a pained squeal as his head flew into the air. There was smooth, cauterized flesh on his neck where his head used to be.


    The attacking Chasers stared at the blade in Amaterasu¡¯s hand. The blade was the perfect shape of a katana but gave off a light blue glow. They could feel the heat rolling off the blade from where they stood. The whispered popping and vibrations from the plasma blade sent shivers down their spines. They recoiled in shock when she unsheathed a second blade. They believed they had adequate intel to subdue a few fresh Chasers. They did not understand that the intel they got from the first wave was next to nothing regarding what these children could do.


    ¡°Let¡¯s scrap, yeah?¡± Shango brought all of them back to reality.


    Light pulsations emitted from his soles, and Shango charged forward into the group of Chasers in front of him. He found himself in the middle of five Chasers. Two sent punches his way. One from the right and the other from the left. He extended his arms casually. Their fists landed in his palms like soft cotton. The two of them then let out wails of pain, as the waves of impact from their fist were reversed and amplified by Shango. Resulting in the two attackers having every bone in their arm broken by their own assault.


    Shango didn¡¯t let up, he grabbed their fists and pulled them in, and elbowed each of them in the guts. They let out pained grunts as they were propelled into the distances. It all happened in a flash, but the other three knew close quarter combat was out of the question. They jumped away, and one of the others began to scream, sending out a destructive soundwave in his direction. Program: Shriek, a lesser version of Siren¡¯s Reverb. While Siren could control and manipulate soundwaves as a whole, this Chaser could only produce destructive sound waves via shouting.


    ¡°Could you shut up, mate?¡± Shango chuckled as he shot forward with unnatural smoothness and speed.


    His right hand extended, as those soundwaves contorted and wrapped around his hand. He clamped his hand around the man''s mouth, for just a moment, before he released him from his grip. The man was dead before he hit the ground, his innards destroyed by his own soundwaves. Shango extended his right hand behind him pointing his fingers like a gun. His gloves compacted the soundwaves he just stole around his fingers. It fired it off  and two other Chasers behind him were blown away by the resulting explosion. Shango smiled as he snatched the shockwave from the explosion out of the air, wrapping them around his fist amplifying them and firing it off again. Resulting in an even larger explosion. The enemy Chasers were too busy defending themselves to retaliate.


    Shango repeated the process several times, until he felt he wouldn¡¯t be able to control the resulting shockwave.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Alright mates. Are you ready?¡± Shango marched towards the Chasers on his side of the battlefield.


    The shockwaves he had accumulated, pulsated around his entire body. Each of his steps gave off the clap of thunder, as Shango struggled to control the massive amount of force he had generated. One Chaser saw Shango¡¯s struggling state and charged forward. This Chaser''s body became covered in dense powerful metal, and he leapt forward crashing into the pulsating space around Shango. However, to his dismay and the terror of everyone there, the pulsations shredded that metal body and Chaser into atoms.


    ¡°Oops!¡± Shango chuckled.


    As Shango went on the offensive Amaterasu responded in kind. She sprinted forward breaking the sound barrier; only the trail of light left by her blade could be perceived with normal human eyes. That light-blue light and the popping of plasma was the only indication that she was in the area. The Chasers did all they could to stop themselves from being slashed in two, they had no time to form a counter attack, all they could do was huddle together and defend themselves. Amaterasu, was knocked away by one of the bigger Chasers that caught her timing. She landed on her feet gracefully as she softly bounced to stabilize himself.


    ¡°Fire off!!¡± The Big guy who knocked her way shouted.


    At his word a barrage of attacks rained down on her. She gracefully dodged a stream of water, she sliced through what seemed to be an orb of acid. That orb was instantly burnt to ash once it made contact with her blades. She then twirled away from what seemed to be spikes made from calcium.


    ¡°Eat this!¡± Someone in a Maroon cloaked shouted from the group. And launched a giant orb of fire in her direction.


    They were aware that she had the Flare Program, but all reports said she used only her plasma swords. They could only assume for someone so new, all of her focus must be on maintaining those blades forms.


    ¡°Itadakimasu!¡± Amaterasu giggled. As she sheathed her plasma Katana in her right hand.


    She extended her palm increasing the heat of the giant fireball that was coming her way. Not only did she increase its heat, she condensed its size. She closed her fist over the orb that had been condensed to the size of nickel. She thrust her arm forward opening her fist, to unleash a massive wave of superheated plasma.


    ¡°You gotta be kidding me!¡± One of the Chasers shouted as they dived out of the way.


    While two of them managed to escape, the three others were not so lucky. There was nothing left of them except a 5 meter wide scorch mark left that trailed off into the distance.


    While Amaterasu and Shango were handling things on their end, a group of Chasers pouched on Hoarder, only for a barrage of psionic rockets to explode on top of them. They were all blown away, but none were too injured to continue. They heard the mad laughter of Manic off in the distance.


    ¡°Is he crazy? He just blew up his teammate.¡± One of the Chasers commented.


    The Hoarder then burst from the smoke caused by the explosion, not only perfectly fine but filled with unmatched energy.


    ¡°Keep it coming, you little psycho!¡± Hoarder laughed as he sent a knee to one of the Chaser''s faces, which nearly popped that Chaser''s head like a melon.


    ¡°Was already gonna!!!¡± Manic shouted as he continued to fire a barrage of psionic rockets at Hoarder''s location.


    Black Tendrils shot out from the Hoarders wristbands, at speeds exceeding those of the average bullet. These tendrils were powered by the kinetic energy that he had stored, and their power and strength and speed depended on how much of said kinetic energy was used. Hoarder''s flaw was he lacked long ranged options; this was Zac¡¯s solution to that. Those tendrils penetrated the fleeing Chasers. Once embedded into them, Hoarded pulled them back to him with a hearty chuckle, he sent a powerful sidekick at the flying Chaser. These Chasers realized that the best they could do was to run away from Hoarder. None of them specialized in capture, and any attacks would just be greedily devoured by him. They could try and wear him out by making him chase them, but he¡¯d never run out of energy with Manic¡¯s brand of support fire.


    Manic was constantly worried about friendly fire, so he could never go as wild as he liked, but being paired with the Hoarder, he didn¡¯t have to worry about such things. The Hoarder was free to attack unimpeded as Manic constant rocket barrage acted as a defense for Hoarder and a constant battery.


    ¡°Take out that lunatic!¡± One of the Chasers shouted.


    At her command, two Dark-green Cloaked Chasers leapt onto the roof where Manic was stationed and went to attack him. Manic didn¡¯t seem to be paying them any mind as he was purely focused on making big explosions. Before the two Chasers could get within 5 meters of Manic, they heard a slight buzzing sound and felt disoriented for a moment. During that brief flattering, the sharp sound of a whistle echoed and two pin size holes appeared in their heads, as they fell onto the rooftop, dead.  Even further back from Manic¡¯s position, Siren sat comfortably in a watch tower. Her job was simple, to babysit Manic while he went as crazy as he wanted.


    ¡°They¡¯re starting to break through on our end¡± Sage called out over comms.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine you¡¯ve stalled long enough. It¡¯s about time I did my part.¡± The Conductor sighed as he floated towards the south west part of town.


    The Conductor landed in front of the Chasers who had managed to break through Sages and Mirage¡¯s blockade, and were now flooding over the south west wall.


    ¡°This is as far as you go.¡±


    ¡°Just you?¡± One of the Chasers responded.


    The Conductor¡¯s cloak began to flutter as Electro Beads poured out. The beads that lined the upper portions of the walls moved in a great swarm and began to surge the area around The Conductor like a great wave. A dozen daggers flew out from his cloak and circled behind him like a halo. He snatched two of them and crouched into a low fighting stance, that was the exact copy of Zac¡¯s.


    ¡°Just me.¡± The Conductor began to cackle.


    The Chasers looked on at The Conductor with trepidation. They weren¡¯t aware that he had pushed his control of the Ion Program this far in such a short period of time. They wouldn¡¯t be able to get get past him without taking significant loses, unless,


    ¡°We all focus on taking this kid down. Then we resume the mission.¡± A Dark-green cloaked Chaser commented.


    ¡°A wise decision.¡± The Conductor¡¯s voice echoed as a curtain of electro beads floated behind him.


    He repelled himself off the electro beads giving himself a massive boost in speed, he zipped past the Chaser who just spoke, leaving a large gash in his neck as he passed. The Chaser managed to avoid the attack just barely avoiding having his head sliced off.


    ¡°Everyone spread out! Don¡¯t group together! Surround him!¡± That chaser shouted as he grabbed his wound, and watched The Condutor rebound off a wall towards him.


    The Chaser removed his hand from his neck to reveal that it was instantly healed and crossed his arms in front of himself to block The Conductors attack. The force of impact caused the Chaser to slide across the ground, his heels kicking up gravel as his feet dug into the ground. The Conductor¡¯s daggers dug into that Chaser¡¯s right arm while he grabbed The Conductor¡¯s wrist with his left. The Chaser smiled. If he locked The Conductor down here the others would be able to attack him freely. However, as that thought crossed his mind a large shadow over took them as a cloud of electro beads engulfed the two of them.


    ¡°Program: Patchwork. Can instantly heal wounds they touch, and as long as their own heart beats can recover from almost any wound.¡± Sage¡¯s voice echoed in The Conductor¡¯s ear over comms.


    ¡°Thank you for isolating yourself from the group.¡± The Conductor chuckled.


    The loud crackling of electricity filled the area, as the Patchwork Chaser¡¯s heart stopped.


    ¡°Your next target is 80 degrees to your right. She uses Program: Armory, can reinforce allies with a touch, increasing the hardiness of their skin to be several times more sturdy than steel. Looks like she is about to start her buffing.¡± Sage called out once again.


    The Conductor let out a grunt as a powerful blast of electricity exploded out into the area around him. All the Chasers in the area recoiled to avoid getting hit. As they all recoiled, the cocoon of electro beads that The Conductor formed around himself opened to his right, 80 degrees, and he instantly launched out at his target. He grabbed her by the throat and felt the sturdiness of her body. There was no way he was going to break her conventionally.


    ¡°Option 2.¡± The Conductor thought.


    A powerful shock left his hand and electrified the woman¡¯s body. Like Patchwork before her, her heart was shocked to a stop. The Conductor tosses her into a pile on top of the Patchwork Chaser.


    ¡°Next target 20 meters southeast of you.¡± Sage marked the next Chaser.


    While the enemy Chasers went through the nightmarish forest of Sage¡¯s and Mirage¡¯s creation, she had placed seedlings on them all. Once those Chaser¡¯s entered the town, Sage controlled those seedlings to bloom into flowers around the area where The Conductor stopped them. She used those flowers and the information she gained from stalling this particular group of Chasers to give The Conductor detailed support. Unlike the others, The Conductor understood this was going to be a long battle. They might be able to get a few easy kills in the beginning by using big flashy moves. However, it was best to conserve as much energy as possible. So while his actions weren¡¯t as eye catching, they were precise and purpose oriented.


    Taking out random Chasers would do nothing in the long run. The Patchwork and Armory Programs could make or break this situation, if they were left on the table. The Conductor just finished fighting off a group of Chasers in Melee combat as he commented,


    ¡°There¡¯s still too many of them.¡± The Conductor frowned as he took down another Chaser.


    ¡°Then we do what we can, until help arrives.¡± Sage sighed.


    ¡°To your left 15 meters.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± The Conductor waved his hand towards his left. A cloud of electro beads blocked the barrage of fire and water attacks that came his way.


    He brushed his hand to the side and the cloud of electro beads carried the attacks away with it. He leapt forward with his daggers in hand, the cloud of beads guarding his rear.


    The fighting had been going on for 30 minutes, and the effects were beginning to show. They had a quick and deadly start, but these Chasers weren¡¯t not weak nor were they incompetent. After getting a better understanding of what these kids could do, they stopped their aggressive approach, and made this a battle of attrition. If they weren¡¯t given the command to only kill Kenji, then several of these young Chasers would have already died. However, they would not be able to incur the wrath of The Renegade and The Anomaly. No one wanted a repeat of Budapest.


    ¡°Trigger, maybe you should leave. Things aren¡¯t looking good, mate.¡± Shango said as he was pushed back.


    He had all but exhausted himself with his display several minutes ago. He was mostly on the defensive now. The same could be said for Amaterasu as well. They were both powerful Chasers, but they hardly had the time to properly increase their stamina to the level they could maintain such feats for extended periods of time.


    ¡°Like hell, I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯m coming to help!¡± Trigger shouted over comms.


    ¡°No! Trigger, stand down!! Retreat towards Sage¡¯s location.¡± The Conductor commanded.


    As he gave out the command he was besieged by multiple Chasers. He deftly moved his daggers through the air to defend himself, and forced his attackers off of him. Just as he finished he heard Trigger respond,


    ¡°No.¡± He refused to leave them.


    ¡°Goddammit, Trigger!! Don¡¯t you understand that¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him do it.¡± Sage¡¯s voice called out.¡±


    ¡°UME!?¡±


    ¡°Ken? Let him do it.¡± Sage responded once again.


    ¡°Dammit! Everyone, group up. Shit has officially hit the fan. Let¡¯s see what our newest Zero Chaser can do.¡± The Conductor gave out the command.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡± Mirage commented.


    His position had been discovered several minutes ago, and he had been spending most of his time on the run from enemy Chasers. Although they had no chance to catch him, he could not provide the support he had been doing up to this point.


    ¡°Heading down now.¡± Siren responded.


    She was better off than Mirage, but her ability to provide support for Manic had diminished, once the enemy figured out their plan. She had spent most of her time defending herself from enemy approaches rather than supporting Manic.


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m coming.¡± Bumi grumbled over comms.


    ¡°Sorry love, looks like our date ends here.¡± Bumi chuckled.


    ¡°And where exactly do you think you¡¯re going, Bumi?¡± Dust asked.


    She currently had Bumi bound from the neck down in a layer of earth. It took most of her focus to keep him bound there.


    ¡°Where am I going? Wherever I damn well please, bonnie lass.¡± Bumi chuckled, with a wink.


    Bumi¡¯s cloak protruded metal spikes that burst out from his earthen prison. Those spikes performed a buzzsaw motion that broke him free. Dust shielded her face from the explosion of debris. When she looked again Bumi was already gone. She let out a dry chuckle.


    Bumi popped out of the ground next to Manic who had been forced from his perch, and Hoarder was acting as a shield at the moment. Amaterasu and Shango meet them there, followed by Siren and Mirage.


    ¡°We¡¯re all together, mate.¡± Shango called out.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not.¡± Sage corrected.


    Then a tree bloomed in the middle of the group, startling the enemy Chasers who quickly backed away. Sage walked from the center of the tree, and made a simple finger motion. At her command the leaves from the tree fell, and then shot out like bullets. The Chasers all went to defend themselves, none of them died, but almost all of them received deep wounds.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡± Sage commented.


    ¡°Alright Trigger,  I¡¯ll set the stage for you.¡± The Conductor called out.


    The Conductor scoffed, as he jumped into the air, and flew towards the other¡¯s location, using the multitude of electro beads as a foot hold. The metallic wave carried The Conductor through the sky and there wasn¡¯t much the Chasers on the ground could do about it other than give chase. The Conductor spotted the large tree deprived of leaves that had spawned into the middle of town. He snickered as he watched the Chasers gathering themselves.


    Everyone looked up to see the massive wave of electro beads and The Conductor riding on top and recoiled in shock. The Conductor  landed on the ground as the electro beads formed a protective net around the group.


    ¡°We can break through if we attack together.¡± One of the Chasers shouted.


    ¡°You won¡¯t need to.¡± The Conductor started to chuckle. Electricity poured out of the electro beads and was absorbed by The Conductor.


    As the beads expelled all of their charge they fell to the ground inactive. However, none of the Chasers dared to make a move. The visage of the charged Conductor was striking.


    ¡°Now.¡± He commanded.


    At his word, Sage made a hand motion and the leafless branches of the tree rapidly elongated and weaved themselves into a dome around the group. In the moment the dome formed, The Conductor had been picking out every electrical signal from the Nano-machine in every enemy Chaser. The Conductor began to laugh, becoming somewhat drunk on his own power. His 12 daggers began to rise as they were infused with all the electricity that The Conductor had accumulated.


    ¡°Die!¡± The Conductor shouted.


    Those 12 daggers shot out like lighting through the small gaps in the branch dome. Those Daggers locked into Chasers moving faster than most of them could see. Six Chasers died before they even processed what was happening. They managed to compose themselves after 4 more had died, and began to properly defend themselves. Many more were injured but no more deaths occurred, but many more were seriously injured, but those injuries were nothing to Chasers. At least normally.


    ¡°Good dammit.¡± One of the Chasers called out in frustration.


    They notice that their healing was being impeded by the invasion of The Conductors electricity. They¡¯d need a few moments for the electricity to subside before they could begin to heal properly. Lucky it appeared The Conductor was completely spent. Otherwise he¡¯d be able to manipulate that electricity to constantly interfere with their Nano-machines if not shut them down completely. This didn¡¯t do anything for the enemy Chaser¡¯s morale.


    ¡°Screw these kids. Enough of us have died already. Let¡¯s just kill them!¡± Someone shouted and fired a stream of fire at the branch dome.


    Unfortunately for them, those branches mended themselves faster than they could be destroyed.


    ¡°Dust!¡± Someone cried out.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already tried to uproot that tree. But the roots are massive, and unmovable. It doesn¡¯t help that Bumi is helping to anchor it.¡± Dust responded to the annoyance of everyone else.


    ¡°Hoarder, start battery protocol.¡± The Conductor sighed as he slumped against the tree, completely exhausted.


    ¡°On it.¡± Hoarder cried out.


    The tendrils on his wrist band extended and latched onto all of his allies present. He began to focus all the kinetic energy that he had gathered and saved, and began to pump it into his friends. Their wounds healed at a visibly faster rate, and their fatigue was slowly being restored. Hoarder wasn¡¯t completely used to healing others, and needed to take his time for now.


    ¡°Give us 5 minutes, Trigger.¡± Hoarder said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10.¡± Trigger confident voice came over comms.

 Chapter 23: Program Zero

    The enemy Chasers looked at the dome of woven branches. They could peer into the small gaps provided to see them recover. Even though they were young new Chasers, their creativity, and talent with their Programs were frightening. Many of them felt anxious.


    ¡°Are we just going to let them recover?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to get past those weird branches?¡± The Chasers argued.


    ¡°Let them. We aren¡¯t here for them anyway. We¡¯re here for Suzuki Kenji. Now is the time to spread out and search for him.¡± An Adder Chaser, who went by Cinder, spoke with authority.


    ¡°Dust, sweep the area, see if you can sense anything extra,¡± Cinder spoke again.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Trigger spoke.


    Trigger appeared on top of the large dome that Sage had created. He looked down at the Chasers that had all gathered there to kill him. His heart raced, and his body was shivering. However, beyond his expectations, he was not afraid. He was excited, thrilled! For some reason, every fiber of his being was screaming for him to exert his supremacy over these Chasers. Visions of Zac looking down on his recruitment class from those mounds of dirt, flashed his mind. His cool calm, and arrogant demeanor fresh in his mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re here for me, right? Well, here I am. Suzuki Kenji alias Trigger. Zero Chaser.¡± He proudly announced. Chuckling with a sarcastic shrug.


    Cinder''s eyes sharpened at the mention of Zero Chaser. The boy was far more of a threat than previously believed. A Taboo¡¯s Child-enhanced body further enhanced by Nanos, and he was a Zero Chaser? Cinder looked at Trigger with trepidation as he saw the boy¡¯s pupils turn into slits.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± Cinder¡¯s aggression bubbled.


    ¡°Cycle: Full Arsenal, Pulse,¡± Trigger whispered in response.


    His body instantly became covered in nano-armor. The enemy Chasers all acted when the mask appeared over Trigger''s face. They sprinted up the side of the dome and leaped at Trigger from all sides. The demeanor of the Chasers had taken a stark contrast from before. They were filled with aggression, and their intent to kill was palatable. It became self-evident that they were all holding backup till this point. This realization made Amaterasu incredibly nervous. Sage saw her anxiety and commented,


    ¡°You all have been so engrossed in your training that you haven¡¯t paid attention to each other  outside of our joint sessions. I have been keeping tabs on everyone. Let me assure you, Trigger is exactly what they feared he would be, an absolute monster. ¡±


    ¡°Slow,¡± Trigger spoke softly, entering into a fighting stance as his nano-armor manifested pistols into his hands.


    The Chasers moving at speeds beyond human comprehension, suddenly began to move in slow motion. Their bodies and even their minds failed to comprehend what was happening. Pulse can perceive and manipulate all waves. Including brainwaves. Allowing Trigger to slow the momentum of both their body and minds. Trigger then acted.


    On his own, his body was several times more powerful and faster than the average Chaser, adding the nano- armor''s ability to enhance that further, along with his ability to manipulate his momentum. This first wave of Chasers never stood a chance. He chuckled at the slow-moving targets as his pistols and body gracefully danced atop the branch dome. Once his dance had ended, the momentum of these Chasers resumed. Unfortunately, they fell over dead, sliding at Trigger''s feet.


    ¡°Holy shit, mate.¡± Shango blurted out.


    ¡°If he was this strong, why didn¡¯t you inform me in the first place?¡± The Conductor looked over at Sage.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would matter. Regardless of his strength, the smartest play was not to have him participate in the initial confrontation.¡±


    ¡°But you thought it was best now?¡± The Conductor asked.


    ¡°Reinforcements are taking longer than anticipated. Mawu and Hachiman seem to be struggling with the one''s leading this assault. Now was the right time.¡± Sage reported.


    ¡°Fine, but we will discuss what is and isn¡¯t necessary for a team leader to know when we return.¡± The Conductor frowned.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Sage nodded in understanding.


    Trigger looked at these dead Chasers and felt nothing. He felt more disgusted with himself for killing those skinwalkers. At least they tried to kill him to protect something they believed in. These Chasers wanted his life just to preserve their self proclaimed superiority,


    ¡°Disgusting things.¡± Trigger muttered to himself.


    ¡°What the hell is his ability?¡± Cinder asked no one in particular.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. Up to this point, Trigger''s use of his abilities have been very subtle.¡± Dust responded as she crossed her arms.


    ¡°H-he, just slowed down time. There¡¯s no way, man. There¡¯s no way we can stop that.¡± A random Chaser panicked.


    ¡°Shut up, idiot; there¡¯s no way someone can control time, not even Zeros.¡± Another responded.


    ¡°You say that, but The Renegade controls ~.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! He doesn¡¯t control time.¡± Dust shouted.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s my turn.¡± Trigger spoke as he jumped down from the dome.


    ¡°Light him up,¡± Cinder commanded.


    At his command, all the ranged Chasers fired off deadly fireballs, ice shards, chunks of earth, and beams of light at the falling Trigger.


    ¡°Cycle: Stockpile,¡± Trigger whispered.


    The barrage of attacks pelted Trigger to no avail. Still, none of them were any the wiser until Trigger sprinted out of the smoke glowing with stored kinetic energy.


    ¡°Everyone, brace yourselves!¡± Someone shouted.


    Many of them had seen that image earlier when Hoarder had gone on a rampage. Triggers rush through the Chasers, his guns firing off at his sides. Instead of the small energy streams they usually fired, they were empowered by the stored Kinetic energy. They were now firing off massive energy blasts. At the same time, he maintained his swift crisp moments. The Chasers did everything in their power to keep themselves alive and succeeded. However, Trigger''s target was never them in the first place. His glowing body zipped through the crowd of Chasers as he headed towards Cinder and Dust.


    With his movements further enhanced by the Kinetic energy, he was a blur of glowing light. He appeared in front of Dust and Cinder, in a blink of an eye, his pistols pointing at their persons. He let loose all the remaining stored energy, and massive twin blasts of energy engulfed them. Dust and Cinder were no longer visible when the blast of energy faded. In their place stood a sturdy steel wall.


    ¡°He may be a monster, but he¡¯s still just a kid.¡± Dust commented. As that Metal wall contorted and trapped Trigger in an orb of steel.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Cinder snorted as he placed his hand on the steel orb, and it began to fill with superheated smoke.


    Cinder, Program: Ember, allows the Chaser to produce, manipulate and turn into superheated smoke. Cinder wanted to suffocate Trigger to death, to burn his body from the inside out.


    ¡°He used Hoarder''s Program.¡± Dust said.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Cinder responded.


    ¡°He also displayed several other Programs.¡± Dust added.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Cinder responded again.


    ¡°How?¡± Dust questioned.


    ¡°Zeros make no sense. Do you expect a Taboo Child version of a Zero Chaser to make any? Besides, it doesn''t matter. He will die now.¡± Cinder responded with confidence.


    ¡°Cycle: Flare.¡± Trigger muffled voice was heard through the steel orb.


    The orb began to glow red hot, burning Cider''s hand, who quickly pulled away.


    ¡°Cycle: Flare? Oh, shit. Everyone down!!!¡± Dust shouted as she erected an earth wall around the glowing steel orb and then dived into the earth herself.


    The orb exploded with molten hot steel pieces that flew out in every direction. Thanks to Dust¡¯s warning, and quick action, many were saved from injury, and only a few received nickel size holes in their bodies. Luckily it wasn¡¯t anything fatal. Cinder, who had dived to the ground, looked over at the earthen walls that managed to help protect him and heard the faint whisper.


    ¡°Cycle: Mound.¡±


    ¡°Everyone move!!!¡± Cinder called out as he turned into a cloud of smoke and fluttered into the air.


    The scene of the earth being flipped over and the world being filled with his allies'' screams never came. Cinder looked around, confused, unable to find any trace of Trigger. He saw the ground tremble, and two figures emerged from the earth. Trigger had one hand around Dust¡¯s neck, and another attempted to point the barrel of his gun at her head. Dust struggled to grapple with Trigger; he was far more physically powerful than any Chaser she had ever met.


    She was caught off guard when Trigger suddenly appeared within the earth and had no time to respond by the time he grabbed her by the throat and pulled her out. It was taking everything she had to hold off his gun.  Cinder saw the scene and immediately took action. If Dust went down, things would become problematic for this mission and future relations with The Oleanders.


    His smoke body raced over towards the two of them. In an instant, he was on them, and he manifested a solid body and went to tackle Trigger. At the expected moment of impact, he dived right through Trigger¡¯s body, hitting only air. At that moment, he understood what he had just attacked was an illusion. Trigger had used Reverb and Refract to make a perfect copy of what he and Dust were experiencing.


    ¡°Cinder move!¡± Dust¡¯s muffled voice shouted from behind Cinder.


    Cinder looked over his shoulder to see Trigger¡¯s hand still around Dust''s throat, but his gun was pointed at him. Cinder dove forward as the shot was fired. While he avoided a fatal wound, he was still pierced through the shoulder. Cinder rolled onto his feet, holding his wound,


    ¡°Dammit! He can cycle between any Program he wants. What are the limitations, and what are the parameters of copying abilities. What¡¯s the arrgghhh!!¡± Cider screamed in pain as he noticed his wound wasn¡¯t healing.


    That last blast of energy was accompanied by what Trigger called a nano-bullet. It came in the shape of the electro beads but was composed of the nano-armor. Like Zac had done to them before, that foreign nano-tech piece will cause opposing Chasers¡¯ nano-machine to go haywire, trying to defend the host. Trigger, still holding Dust by the throat, re-aimed at Cinder and said,


    ¡°That¡¯s one down.¡±


    Before he could pull the trigger, he was swept away by a rush of water. As Trigger was carried away, Whiskey and Pike, now missing his left arm, landed next to Dust. Whiskey frowned as she saw the condition of everyone,


    ¡°Why the hell haven¡¯t you finished this boy yet?!¡± Whiskey shouted.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­.¡± Dust pointed in the direction where Whiskey water swept Trigger away.


    Heading back towards them was the same wave of water. Only now, on top of it, was Trigger riding a surfboard made of psionic energy. Whiskey frowned as she extended her hand to take control of the wave of water, but Trigger let off another round from his gun aimed at her before she could. She moved out of the way only to see that Surfboard of Psionic energy rocketing at her. She dodged out of the way again, only for the board to explode. Whiskey tumbled onto her butt. A tree trunk of a large tree stopped her momentum. As she gathered herself, a shadow loomed over her. Whiskey looked up to see the large wave of water was now upon them.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Whiskey cursed as she put her hands up last second to stop the wave of water in its tracks and force it back at Trigger. After the wave crashed, there was no sign of Trigger at all.


    ¡°Above you!¡± Pike shouted.


    Whiskey saw half of Trigger''s body protruding from the tree behind her. Whiskey cursed as she rolled out of the way in time to avoid getting shot. A wave of water appeared under Whiskey as she carried herself away from that tree and regrouped with the others.


    ¡°What the hell is he? And what¡¯s wrong with Cinder?¡± Whiskey asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Trigger, and he¡¯s just a lucky bastard.¡± Trigger grumbled to himself as he made a hand motion.


    The piece of nano-armor wreaking havoc on Cinder¡¯s insides was removed and quickly zipped across the air toward Trigger before the others could get a good look at it. Trigger couldn¡¯t risk them getting their hands on it and making something like this armor for themselves. Indeed, Cinder had been lucky, even if he didn¡¯t feel that way. Trigger had hoped to kill Cinder some time ago. But now that moment has passed.


    ¡°Where are Mawu and Hachiman?¡± Trigger asked as he looked at Pike''s missing arm.


    ¡°We were barely able to separate ourselves from them. Now Pocket is holding them off for us. Pocket won¡¯t be able to hold them for long, so we have to make this quick.¡± Whiskey said.


    However, she wasn¡¯t answering Trigger''s question so much as informing the others of what was happening.


    ¡°Report,¡± Pike said.


    At his word, the exhausted Cinder began,


    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly what his Program is capable of, but we do know his speed and strength far exceed most Chasers I¡¯ve seen. He can also use the abilities of other Programs, but we don¡¯t know how or what his limitations are. So far, I¡¯ve recognized the use of at least six.¡±


    ¡°Those guns of his are the most dangerous. A single shot to the shoulder put Cinder out of commission, and he can use multiple Program abilities at once.¡± Dust added.


    As the two gave their report, the other enemy Chasers gathered around. Even after all this time, there were still dozens of them remaining. Some of which Trigger believed he had killed. He grumbled under his breath as he started to understand how hard it was to kill a Chaser who was determined to live.


    ¡°Trigger, we¡¯re almost done.¡± The Conductor¡¯s voice entered Trigger¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Good, because I''m almost out of gas.¡± Trigger chuckled.


    He had put on a tremendous display, but this was the first time he had used the full extent of his abilities; it was mentally and physically taxing. Ten minutes had passed, but they weren¡¯t ready; it could only mean Hoarder underestimated the difficulty of simultaneously reinvigorating eight people. Trigger looked at Whiskey¡¯s group and then chuckled,


    ¡°Back to basics. Cycle: Full Arsenal, Ion.¡± He whispered as a singular gun appeared in his hand, and he entered a tactical shooting stance.


    Electricity arched off his armor as he prepared for his enemy to attack. Whisky and Pike looked at Trigger and smiled. They may not be able to see his face, but they saw the sluggish movement as he entered his stance; he was on the verge of exhaustion.


    ¡°We have about 5 minutes before they break free from Pocket¡¯s space. Hold nothing back. Kill him.¡± Whiskey commanded.


    That instant, a multitude of ranged attacks bombarded Trigger. He let out a deep breath as he extended his free left hand.


    Program: Zero, each one is completely unique, but each was head and shoulders above all others. These Chasers had seen what he could do with other Programs. They had yet to fully experience the dominance of his unique ability.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Trigger commanded in a gentle whisper.


    At his word, the momentum of everything within a 100-meter radius stopped. The wind became stagnant, the falling leaves halted in place, and soundwaves ceased to move, creating an unnatural and unnerving silence. At that moment, it was as if time had frozen from everyone but Trigger. He made a finger gun at the stalled attacks.


    ¡°Bang,¡± Trigger exclaimed softly.


    In that instant, time sped forward again. All the attacks rebounded back at their casters, moving faster than before.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Dust shouted as she quickly raised a wall of defense.


    The combined attacks shredded the wall of earth, and Whiskey immediately added a wall of water to defend against whatever was left over. When the dust cleared, they looked at Trigger to see him down on one knee. That stunt exhausted him. There was apparent terror in the eyes of every Chaser there. Even Trigger¡¯s teammates looked on in shock.


    ¡°Kill him now!!¡± Pike shouted.


    Trigger was at his most vulnerable, and they could not waste this opportunity. They all understood that if that boy lived past today, forget killing him, they¡¯d be lucky if he didn¡¯t retaliate. They still didn¡¯t completely understand what his Program did, but it was not something any of them could contend with.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± A voice echoed through the forest that made everyone stop in their tracks. Then from behind Trigger, a hole was ripped in space, and three figures walked out.

 Chapter 24: Mr. Cheong

    Trigger peered into the hole that had just been ripped in space; behind the three figures stood Dr. Varma, who gave him a wave and a thumbs up. Looking closely, Trigger was sure she was back in the lab in Tokyo. The rip in space closed, and Trigger looked at the three figures before him. In the middle stood Devin in finely pressed slacks, a turtleneck, and a long navy blue trench coat with The Renegade¡¯s Chaser chest on its left lapel.


    On Devin¡¯s right stood a man in an open black hooded cloak with a black mask that conformed to his face. The mask melted away to reveal Zac¡¯s smiling face.


    ¡°Not bad, kid.¡± Zac complimented.


    Trigger gave a giddy chuckle as he received Zac¡¯s compliment. Those were few, and far between and were something for him to relish. His chuckle stopped dead when he saw the man opposite Zac.


    There stood a Korean man in a fine-tailored suit. He was someone Trigger had never seen in person but recognized immediately. He shared the same hazel eyes as Trigger, and much of the same facial features.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Trigger said, less than enthused. It was like the word and its meaning died in his throat.


    ¡°Isuel, my boy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Trigger.¡± Trigger corrected, emotionlessly.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Mr. Cheong responded with a sad gentle smile.


    ¡°What, what are you doing here?¡± Whiskey asked in terror as she looked over at Devin.


    Devin¡¯s emerald eyes stared holes in Whiskey,


    ¡°We were well aware you would try something like this.¡± Devin scoffed.


    ¡°I was aware. You¡¯re whipped.¡± Zac corrected as Devin chuckled.


    ¡°Zac!¡± Whiskey seethed.


    ¡°Is that you, Lefty? Oh, would you look at that? There¡¯s a Righty now too.¡± Zac joked at Whiskey¡¯s and Pike¡¯s expense. Their annoyance was visible for all to see.


    The last time Zac and Whiskey confronted each other, Whiskey had her right arm lopped off by Zac. She was never inclined to share the details of the events. Even though Chasers could regenerate limbs with time, Zac was hardly the type to let an enemy forget about their failures.


    ¡°My name is Whiskey, Zac!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Lefty. And I¡¯m on the clock, sweetheart. So it¡¯s The Anomaly, but just for you, you can call me Nom Noms.¡± Zac chuckled.


    ¡°How¡¯s your brother, Whiskey?¡± Devin interjected.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine; thank you for not killing him and his team at the train station.¡±


    ¡°If it were anyone else, I would have.¡± Devin¡¯s cold voice sent shivers down Whiskey¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Yes, your bias is well documented.¡± Pike spat out.


    ¡°Your point? Everyone has bias. Like your biases against Taboo Children.¡± Devin chuckled.


    ¡°That thing needs to die,¡± Cinder shouted.


    ¡°You are free to try.¡± Devin made a simple motion with his hand. The Conductor and the others were teleported next to Trigger in that instant.


    The others looked at the three figures in front of them with excitement. Sage was the first to speak,


    ¡°Sensei, what took you so long?¡±


    ¡°I had to make a stop in Finland. Plus, you guys looked like you were handling yourselves just fine.¡± Zac chuckled.


    Sage nodded her head in understanding. She had assumed that their hoods also relayed the footage of what was happening in real-time; Zac¡¯s words confirmed her suspicions. Devin looked back at the children and then at Whiskey and her group.


    ¡°You are correct; Taboo Children are considered a threat by our mandate. However, there are three issues at play.¡± Devin smiled.


    ¡°What issues?¡± Pike asked in frustration.


    ¡°The first, while I recognize that Trigger is a Taboo Child, he is also a Chaser, and it appears his colleagues will not simply watch you kill him.¡± The Conductor and the others surrounded the tired Trigger at Devin¡¯s words.


    ¡°So to kill him, you¡¯d have to kill these children, and I can¡¯t allow that. Issue two, The Anomaly here is also a documented Taboo Child; where is this fervor to kill him?¡± Devin asked.


    Whiskey looked at The Anomaly with irritation. She knew why but was not bold or shameless enough to say it aloud. However, Pike was not the same,


    ¡°He¡¯s not a threat!¡± Pike spat out.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take your other arm, or maybe a leg?¡± The Anomaly responded with a sinister grin.


    ¡°Third, to recruit a certain someone, I promised to protect Trigger here until he could defend himself. So, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. I won¡¯t move a muscle; I won¡¯t attack. I¡¯ll defend Trigger and these children. So, by all means, proceed with your mission.¡± Devin placed his hands in his pockets as space rippled around himself and the children.


    ¡°Keep, Cinder, Dust, Whiskey, Pike, and the one they call Pocket alive. You can do what you want with the rest.¡± Devin¡¯s voice was slathered with disinterest over comms.


    At his command, Whiskey jolted in shock as she looked at Zac and the third man that had come with them. She had never seen him before. Cinder, who had been so focused on Devin, had hardly noticed him until now. Cinder audibly gasped and staggered backward several steps.


    ¡°B-B-B-B-B-Bone Collector.¡± Cinder stammered.


    ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Dust shouted in fear, when she heard Cinder.


    She thought this old monster had retired or had died. The Bone Collector was one of the Weaving Adders¡¯ most prolific and dangerous Chasers, and then 17 years ago, he disappeared. A realization washed over Dust¡¯s face, and she looked at Trigger. His mask was gone, and his hood was pulled back. He looked like the spitting image of The Bone Collector.


    ¡°Bone Collector. I would have named you Voodoo Daddy.¡± Zac pouted.


    ¡°Sensei, please,¡± Sage mumbled in embarrassment.


    Bone Collector looked at the shocked reactions from Dust and Cinder but saw the calm of both Pike and Whiskey. He smirked in derision,


    ¡°You two knew he was my son? Yet you still had the nerve to come for his life? Pike, you, of all people, should know better.¡± The Bone Collector stared Pike down, who turned his head away.


    ¡°Even more insulting, you didn¡¯t have the wherewithal to dispose of all these dead bodies? It seems I¡¯ve been too quiet lately.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Pike shouted as he looked around him.


    From the Skinwalker town to the mine shaft, countless dead bodies spread. Both Skinwalker and Chaser alike. Pike looked over at the Bone Collector and then quickly charged. His speed exceeded even what Trigger had shown up to this point as he went to attack the Bone Collector. Whatever was about to happen terrified him to his core. However, a black blur met him, and a fist bashed into the side of his face before he could make it even half the distance. Pike tumbled across the ground and finally gathered himself to see The Anomaly standing between him and The Bone Collector. A black mask instantly covered his face as the rest of his body became clad in new black-scaled nano-armor; the outline of those scales glowed an aquamarine color.


    ¡°Initiating Program¡±


    ¡°Nooooooooo!!!¡± Pike shouted out a panicked protest to no avail.


    ¡°Death March.¡± The Bone Collector crooned.


    As he looked into the distance, an eerie green mist radiated off his body. He took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes.


    ¡°So much death here. How lovely. Awaken.¡± His eyes opened and glowed a sickly green color.


    The area went quiet for just a moment before the wails of the dead filled the forest. The Chasers turned back towards the town to see countless Skinwalkers and allies rise from the dead. Many of them felt their scalps grow numb and almost descended into panic. Whiskey quickly shouted out to calm everyone down.


    Bone Collector, Program: Death March. Allows the Chaser to reanimate and control the bodies of the recently deceased. All reanimated Corpses will retain all their skills and abilities they had before death, including access to special abilities such as Programs.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°I tend not to like working with others. But I think I can make an exception in your case Anomaly.¡± The Bone Collector bellowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so honored. I¡¯ll leave those three to you. I¡¯m going to play with this back in town.¡± Anomaly said sarcastically as he shot out like a cannon blast.


    He was a streak of black and blue as he ran past Pike, picking him up by the face and launching him back towards the horde of Undead running towards them. The Anomaly thrived in chaos. Fighting Pike in the middle of a mini-zombie apocalypse, what could be more chaotic than that? Whiskey was taken aback by the speed The Anomaly just displayed. So was Trigger in the others,


    ¡°Sensei, calls it Dragon Scales. It is five times as effective as the nano-armor Trigger devoured.¡± Sage reported to the others.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s five times better, he shouldn¡¯t be that fast.¡± The Conductor commented.


    ¡°Sensei was never serious with us. He also likes to say, ¡®To find success in this world, the you of today, must be twice as great as the you of yesterday. While always thinking of how to deal with the you of tomorrow.¡¯¡± Sage smiled with pride as she watched the Anomaly.


    Whiskey had no time to concern herself with Pike at the moment. Devin had instructed them not to kill her, but she wouldn¡¯t watch those under her simply be killed. They still had a mission, and they had no escape anyway. The Chasers gathered here weren¡¯t even a fraction of their total forces. Most were expendable at the end of the day, but losing all of them, just for one Taboo Child, was unacceptable.


    ¡°Everyone go assist Pike. I, Dust, and Cinder will focus on the Bone Collector. If we take him out, those undead go with him. Devin isn¡¯t going to interfere, and The Anomaly left him here alone. The three of us will be plenty.¡± Realistically speaking, The Bone Collector¡¯s power came from controlling the dead; there were no dead in the vicinity, this was their best shot.


    Dust nodded and dived into the earth, and Cinder turned into a puff of smoke and shot off into the air. The rest all charged toward the Undead horde. They all had a renewed sense of confidence. There was no way The Bone Collector could control all of this Undead efficiently while dealing with the coordinated attack of three competent Chasers.


    ¡°Ergh!¡± Pike grunted as he received another punch to the face from The Anomaly. He reeled back and pressed forward himself. Thanks to his Program, he could predict and keep pace even while missing an arm. However, annoying enough, The Anomaly had fewer weaknesses and tells to exploit than Hachiman.


    ¡°This damned freak.¡± Pike cursed to himself.


    The two continued their furious exchange until Pike managed to kick the Anomaly away. At that moment, he was forced to avoid an attack from a reanimated Skinwalker who had turned himself into a bear. He pulled out a dagger and sliced the beast¡¯s head off, shouting in frustration. Quickly, he turned to see The Anomaly slicing the head off of one of the Chasers that had come to assist with the horde.


    ¡°Goddamn him!¡± Pike shouted and charged toward The Anomaly.


    The dagger in his right hand struck down only to be blocked by the two daggers in Anomaly¡¯s hands. With a chuckle, he kicked Piked away. As Pike landed on the ground, he shouted at the Anomaly,


    ¡°You proud, fighting a one-arm combatant?¡± He tried to goad him on.


    The Anomaly looked down at his left arm, which was fully intact, and looked over at Pike¡¯s lack of a left arm. He shrugged his shoulders, as he causal decapitated an undead that targeted him,


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. I won¡¯t use my left arm, or my Dragon Scales. If you don¡¯t use your Program?¡± Anomaly¡¯s suggestion was met with silence from Pike.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought¡­ idiot.¡± The Anomaly mocked.


    ¡°Now, come over here and give me that leg.¡±


    The two then resumed their intense melee.


    ¡°You wish to attack me head-on? And so haphazardly?¡± The Bone Collector smiled at Whiskey and the others.


    At that moment, Earth exploded around the Bone Collector¡¯s location. Steel tendrils came from the earth to wrap themselves around the Bone Collector. The tendrils were stopped in their tracks by bones protruding from the ground; the Bone Collector then jumped into the air. Those Bones trailing behind him. As he was airborne, Cinder¡¯s smoldering cloud of smoke attempted to rush over him.


    Those bones trailing behind him created a shield in front of him and a foothold. The smoke crashed into the bone shield, and an electrical blast shot off The Bone Collector¡¯s body. The cloud of smoke let out a cry and turned back into Cinder as they fell to the ground, unconscious. Bone Collector then turned his attention towards Whiskey,


    ¡°Damn you, you old fossil!¡± Whiskey shouted.


    She reeled back her arms as she created a vast sum of water. She pushed her arms forward to attack, but her body refused to move. As she struggled she stared up at The Bone Collector, who was floating towards her, two of his hands extended in her direction. She could see the shaking in his arms and knew he couldn¡¯t fully contain a Chaser in such a way. She grunted as she tried to overpower the influence The Bone Collector was exerting over her. She could feel her bones moving against her will and her blood growing heavy in her veins.


    She shouted as The Bone Collector grew closer; the Bone Collector shouted in return as they both exerted their wills. When Whiskey could feel herself gaining the upper hand, The Bone Collector was within arm¡¯s length. He quickly released his control and touched Whiskey¡¯s forehead,


    ¡°Sleep.¡± He whispered.


    Whiskey¡¯s eyes drew heavily, and her gathered water fell. The Bone Collector sighed and brought his hands down to his side.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Dust, aye?¡± Bumi asked, a bit confused.


    It had been a while, and Dust hadn¡¯t taken action. The Bone Collector nodded as if he had forgotten about the girl and made a hand motion. Out of the ground, Dust rose. She was bound in something similar to a stockade composed of bones. Dust glared at Bone Collector, who just scoffed in return.


    ¡°You Mound Chasers are all so odd. You control earth minerals, yet you go out of your way to do something as difficult as making and controlling metal. None of you take the time to learn to control Calcium.¡± The Bone Collector shook his head and walked back to Devin and the others.


    ¡°You children are The Anomaly¡¯s batch, so I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you anything, but do not follow the example of these young Chasers.¡± The Bone Collector turned to speak to Trigger specifically.


    ¡°What does he mean?¡± Hoarder asked.


    He felt their course of action was correct considering the circumstances.


    ¡°Death March is far more than briefly bringing the dead back to life. It has aspects of calcium manipulation, blood manipulation, electrical manipulation, and limited telepathic abilities. At its initial level, these are all done subconsciously and are fine-tuned toward the manipulation of the recently dead. But Bone Collector is one of the oldest active Program using Chasers. He¡¯s had plenty of time to hone his abilities.¡± Devin informed the children.


    ¡°But most importantly, the only people here aware of this are me, The Anomaly, and Pike.¡± Devine smiled.


    Sage started to giggle as well. When Pike made that slight at her sensei, she was a bit perturbed. She could only imagine how upset he was. However, it turned out he wasn¡¯t upset at all. His target was always going to be Pike. Regardless of how incredible the Bone Collector was, if Whiskey, Dust, and Cinder were fully aware of what he could do, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them on his own so quickly without the assistance of that undead horde.


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually work in teams, but a duo with The Anomaly was a pleasant change of pace. Speaking of. That was quite fast.¡± The Bone Collector mused as Zac landed in front of the group. On his shoulder was the unconscious Pike messing his right leg.


    ¡°I could say the same about you, old man.¡± Zac joked as he tossed the unconscious Pike at Dust¡¯s feet.


    ¡°But you two¡­ what the hell took you so long?¡± Zac looked towards the forest as Mawu and Hachiman walked out with annoyed faces.


    ¡°This thing is weird,¡± Mawu said as Hachiman tossed the unconscious Pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Storage Chaser like this. They can project their storage space outward to capture, defend, and sever pockets of space offensively. Hachiman almost lost his head. I was almost severed in two. This Pocket is quite impressive.¡± Mawu reported.


    ¡°Their ability is impressive but unwieldy. I could have killed them swiftly if we weren¡¯t instructed to keep them alive.¡± Hachiman complained.


    ¡°Speaking of, you can stop now,¡± Devin commanded The Bone Collector.


    ¡°Ah, right.¡± The Bone Collector looked over his shoulder and saw the remaining enemy Chasers still fighting his undead horde.


    ¡°Burst.¡± The Collector whispered.


    At his command, the blood of the Undead boiled, and their bodies exploded. The concussive force was enough to knock Chasers unconscious, and the robust bones of the Undead Skinwalkers and Chasers acted as shrapnel. Most of the enemy Chasers didn¡¯t have time to react to the sudden explosions and died instantly, shredded by those fractured bones. Those who managed to survive were lucky but were no longer in any condition to fight.


    ¡°Trigger, your dad is intense,¡± Amaterasu said.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Trigger was despondent.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Bone Collector,¡± Siren said sheepishly.


    ¡°Mr. Cheong is fine for my son¡¯s friends.¡± Mr. Cheong responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for everyone to head back.¡± Devin interrupted them, creating a tear in space that would lead everyone back toward the Tokyo branch.


    ¡°Yes, my son and I have much to talk about.¡± Mr.Cheong smiled at Trigger.


    ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± Trigger snapped.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m not going anywhere this time. So I can wait until you¡¯re willing to listen to my story.¡± Mr. Cheong smiled gently and then walked through the tear in space.


    ¡°Kenji, he¡¯s your dad, and this stuff is crazy, I don¡¯t think,¡±


    ¡°Akiko, Zac has been more of a father to me in the past 2 weeks, then that man has in 17 years. I waited all my life to even see a shadow of him, and then I decided to stop waiting. I outgrew him. So now HE can wait.¡± Kenji interrupted.


    ¡°Point taken.¡± Akiko sighed as she followed Kenji through the rift.


    ¡°Want me to stick around?¡± Zac asked Devin.


    ¡°No, you better head back too. I don¡¯t know how Stefan will react to the condition you left Pike in.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, it¡¯s not like his limbs won¡¯t grow back.¡± He scoffed and walked through the tear. Once Zac had left, Devin looked at the five Chasers lying before him, Dust being the only conscious one. He turned to her and said,


    ¡°Get me in contact with Ms. Laurent.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have her number?¡± Dust spat.


    ¡°This business, call her.¡± Devin¡¯s cold voice shook Dust.


    With a wave of his hand, the bone bindings disappeared, and Dust landed on her knees. She looked up at Devin with fear and then quickly called in,


    ¡°I need to speak with Ms. Laurent immediately. It concerns Operation Doomsday.¡±


    ¡°Doomsday? Ah, so dramatic.¡± Devin groaned.


    ¡°Is Devin there? Put me on broadcast.¡± L¨¦onie¡¯s voice came over comms.


    ¡°Devin my love, are you there? Did you kill everyone?¡± L¨¦onie¡¯s voice sounded more irritated than concerned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone. But the Bone Collector was upset that you were targeting his son.¡±


    ¡°Shit. How many survivors?¡± L¨¦onie sighed.


    ¡°Dust, Whiskey, Cinder, Pike, and Pocket. There are a few stragglers here and there. So tell Stefan the mission failed, and you guys need to come pick up your shit.¡± Devin responded.


    L¨¦onie was relieved; those five were some of the treasures of The Oleanders and Weaving Adders. They all could be replaced, but finding individuals of their skill level would take much work.


    ¡°Devin, there¡¯s more to this than you understand.¡± L¨¦onie tried to plead with him.


    ¡°Are you referring to Heka?¡± Devin inquired.


    ¡°So you know?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot of things. We¡¯ll discuss it over dinner.¡± Devin chuckled.


    ¡°Understood. Dust, evac will be there in 45 minutes. Hold tight; I will be coming personally after contacting Stefan.¡±


    ¡°Bye...¡± Devin gave a dry wave to Dust and then vanished from sight.

 Chapter 25: Deja Vu

    "Where the hell am I going, Ume?" A hooded figure shouted as he leaped over the rooftops of the bustling streets of Midtown Manhattan. Their navy blue and gray camo cloaks fluttered in the night sky as they moved silently over the brightly lit city streets.


    "I have no clue, and please, we¡¯re on the clock; it¡¯s Sage." A voice echoed inside the figure''s hood.


    "How do you have no clue? "


    "This is Midtown; there¡¯s not a patch of grass, let alone a tree. I¡¯m stuck using this weird device Sensei and The Twins created, ok."


    "Are you serious? Do you not know how to use it?"


    "Not really; I was just given a crash course for like 2 hours. Don''t worry; I''m a fast learner." Sage''s half-confident voice chuckled over communications.


    ¡°Look on the bright side, the target is a normal human, and I managed to narrow down her location to 4 general areas. I¡¯d say this is an amazing success.¡±


    The figure groaned, annoyed.


    ¡°We have a head start on our competition. So focus up and get to searching.¡± Sage responded.


    ¡°Why are we chasing after this woman again?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Desire Lea Hamilton. She is a brilliant Nanotech Engineer. It seems she is the first civilian scientist to catch up to Chaser technology. She is in the process of designing similar nano-machines that we use.¡± Sage reported.


    ¡°I see if she came that far on her own. Then giving her access to the knowledge we have...¡±


    ¡°Correct, she could make tremendous bounds in her research and further improve on what we have,¡± Sage confirmed.


    ¡°So we need to get our hands on her before the Oleanders or Adders?¡± The figure responded.


    ¡°The Oleanders and Adders know they won¡¯t be able to keep her, even if they get their hands on her. So their best bet is just to kill her.¡±


    ¡°Right, and our group was chosen for this because?¡±


    ¡°I insisted that it be given to us. If we are the ones to save Dr. Hamilton, she¡¯ll be indebted to us. That brilliant mind giving us preferential treatment when she joins us is ideal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sounding more like Zac every day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a compliment.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a world where that isn¡¯t a compliment, and you¡¯re one to talk. That snarky sarcasm oozing off you reeks of sensei.¡± Sage responded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Trigger, denied.


    ¡°And we went over all of this before. Were you not paying attention during The Conductor''s briefing?¡± Sage asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had a lot on my mind lately.¡± The figure sighed as he stopped to look at the overcrowded time square.


    ¡°Right. Have you talked to your father yet? It¡¯s been three months since Canada.¡±


    ¡°Talk to? No. We fought at the training grounds a few times, though.¡± Trigger responded.


    ¡°You fought and didn¡¯t say a single word?¡± Sage scoffed.


    ¡°Look, I already had this conversation with Akiko. I''m not having it with you. I haven¡¯t even told Mom that I¡¯ve seen him. Just drop it, alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine, but in this line of work, regardless of how strong your father is, he or we could die at any time. Better to air things out sooner rather than later. ¡± Sage informed.


    ¡°Yeah, Akiko said the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Of course she did,¡± Sage spoke with a twinge of annoyance.


    ¡°Look, he had 17 years to do anything to let me know he was there, anything! Why is it on me to make things happen? He was passive then, and passive now. I-I can¡¯t stand it.¡± Trigger sounded enraged and annoyed.


    ¡°I just need a little more time before I can stomach talking to¡­ hold up. I think I got something. I¡¯m moving in.¡± Trigger jumped from the building into the busy streets, his figure vanishing from sight before touching the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact the others,¡± Sage responded.


    ¡°Damn!¡± A young black woman, no older than 24, looked over her shoulder to notice the same four individuals trailing her since she left her lab. She had the wherewithal not to run home and instead head towards the most crowded place she could think of, to try and lose them. However, she was having no luck.


    ¡°They must be after my research. Who are they with? The UN has shown interest, but there¡¯s no way they would send someone to kill me, right?¡±  The young Doctor thought to herself.


    ¡°Dr. Hamilton.¡± A voice whispered into her ear. She looked around, trying to see where the voice came from.


    ¡°Keep looking straight. I¡¯m here to help.¡± The disembodied voice spoke again.


    ¡°I¡¯m just supposed to trust someone I don¡¯t see?¡± Dr. Hamilton responded, not knowing if the voice could hear her.


    ¡°Look ahead to your right.¡±


    Dr. Hamilton did as instructed, but she didn¡¯t see the person; she saw a transparent figure wave at her and then vanish completely.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Dr. Hamilton whimpered.


    ¡°Your research has made quite a few people aware of your brilliant mind. Some wish to use that mind; others wish to get rid of it.¡± The voice clarified.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Which group are you?¡± Dr. Hamilton whispered as she continued to walk through the crowd briskly.


    ¡°The one trying to keep you alive. Turn right.¡± The voice instructed.


    Without giving it much thought, Dr. Hamilton turned right. She didn¡¯t know why she trusted this voice, but it was better than simply walking around Manhattan without much of a plan. She doubted the authorities would do much of anything, and anything they did would be a temporary fix.


    ¡°How exactly are you going to help me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not alone; the rest of my team is on the way. We just need to keep you alive until we find an extraction point.¡± The voice answered.


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Dr. Hamilton questioned.


    ¡°You¡¯re about to enter something that¡­ shit! There¡¯s more here. Hurry, run down the alley to your left now!¡±


    Dr. Hamilton quickly ran to her left; as she entered the alley, she saw a small hooded figure standing there.


    ¡°Keep going, Doctor; I¡¯ll hold off these 4.¡± The small figure then tossed a handful of seeds as Dr. Hamilton ran past her.


    The Doctor heard screams and then looked over her shoulder to see a mini forest had grown in the middle of the alley. She didn¡¯t have time to ask questions; she just continued to move her feet as fast as they could take her.


    ¡°There she is!¡±


    Dr. Hamilton saw cloaked figures jumping from the rooftops above her. They were performing athletic feats impossible for humans.


    ¡°You gotta be shitting me.¡±


    ¡°And there you are!¡± Another gruff voice called out.


    Tendrils coiled out and wrapped the figures. The Doctor looked up to see the Hoarder¡¯s beefy cloaked self crouched on a fire escape, with the Doctor¡¯s would-be attackers dangling helplessly.


    ¡°Keep going, Doc.¡± He told her.


    ¡°Take a right out of the alley.¡± The voice called to her again.


    She didn¡¯t know how far and long she had been running, but she was exhausted. The adrenaline finally faded, and she noticed the sound of busy streets had disappeared. There were fewer and fewer people as she went. She looked around to find herself near the docks.


    ¡°Go down the alley to your right.¡±


    She followed the voice¡¯s instructions again.


    ¡°Slow down, Doctor¡± Dr. Hamilton looked behind her and saw a new group of six cloaked figures behind her.


    ¡°When did they get there? What are these people?¡± Both the ones chasing her and the ones helping her were impossible.


    ¡°We just want to talk?¡± The Cloaked figure said.


    ¡°The dead should remain silent.¡± A cold voice called out.


    The lights within a 4-block radius sparked at that moment and then went black. There was complete darkness. The next moment, popping and humming filled the darkness, and a stream of blue light streaked through the alleyway. The lights returned, only for the Doctor to see the six cloaked figures lying there unresponsive and a new cloaked figure sheathing a plasma blade.


    ¡°You should be fine now.¡± Amaterasu''s spritely voice comforted the young Doctor.


    ¡°Amaterasu, let¡¯s go. Trigger can guard her; we need to prepare the landing zone.¡± A cold commanding voice boomed.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Dr. Hamilton gasped as she saw The Conductor floating in the middle of the alley. He then whisked away while Amaterasu scaled up the side of the alley so fast that the Doctor could only make out a slight blur.


    ¡°Wait, who the hell is Trigger?¡± The Doctor called out.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Trigger.¡± Trigger said as he appeared next to Dr. Hamilton.


    ¡°Jesus!¡± Dr. Hamilton jumped in shock.


    Dr. Hamilton gathered herself as she looked at the "face" behind the voice guiding her. His face was covered mainly by that hood like the rest of them. A black mask still blocked the parts that she could see.


    ¡°Can you please tell me what''s happening?¡± Dr. Hamilton all but demanded.


    ¡°Long story short. Your Nanotech research caught the attention of an ancient order of monster hunters, who use similar technology to enhance our hunters. As you¡¯ve just seen.¡± Trigger explained.


    ¡°If you already have the tech I¡¯m researching, why come after me?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not just researching, are you? You¡¯ve made a breakthrough. You made a breakthrough on something that shouldn¡¯t exist for another 50 to 100 years, minimum. You¡¯re too brilliant for your own good, Doc.¡± Trigger responded.


    ¡°So, I stumbled on technology reserved for your secret superhumans, and now some of them want me dead?¡± Dr. Hamilton asked.


    ¡°More or less, but not us. You figured that much out on your own. We want to give you access to all our tech and research and see what you can do with it.¡± Trigger clarified.


    At this thought, Dr. Hamilton¡¯s eyes glowed. She saw what these people could do. She had made a breakthrough, but she¡¯d be in trial phases for years, and she wasn¡¯t even sure she could get even 30% of the results these cloak figures were exhibiting. It would be a dream if she could get her hands on their research and technology.


    ¡°Nothing is free; what will you want from me?¡± Dr. Hamilton asked.


    ¡°Psst, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just doing a mission,¡± Trigger responded.


    The Doctor was caught a bit off guard. How big were these organizations, to the point that this superhuman knew nothing outside of the scope of the mission? She sighed, she had no idea what she had gotten herself into, but there was no going back now.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to go missing or something, am I? I don¡¯t think my dad can handle  me disappearing.¡± Dr. Hamilton asked.


    ¡°Nothing so dramatic. We have relatively normal lives surprisingly. You know, outside of fighting monsters, and superhumans empowered by nano-machines.¡± Trigger jokes.


    ¡°So monsters are real?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that one took me by surprise too. The superhuman stuff was whatever. Because you know, sure, technology and all that. But the whole vampires and Bigfoot being real, that¡¯s the part that gets you.¡±


    Dr. Hamilton started to chuckle a bit as she looked at Trigger. She could feel that he was very young, still a teenager. It was shocking that someone so young was already involved in such things. Although she supposed she couldn¡¯t talk. She received her Doctorate at the young age of 19, and made a world altering breakthrough not longer after.


    Dr. Hamilton took the opportunity to fill her curiosity about the monsters in the world,


    ¡°So vampires are real?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°Werewolves?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Chupacabra?¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh, technically yeah.¡± Trigger, didn¡¯t feel it necessary to go into detail about skinwalkers.


    ¡°Leprechauns?¡±


    ¡°They are literally just Dwarves, so yeah.¡±


    ¡°So Dwarves are real. Are Dragons?!¡± She said her face was visibly excited.


    ¡°Tsk! That one¡¯s tough. They definitely did exist, but we¡¯re not sure if they still do. They have so many abilities. So if they do exist and want to hide, nobodies finding them¡­ it¡¯s complicated.¡± Trigger answered. That was the one he was curious about himself, but he couldn¡¯t find any definitive information on them in the Renegade Monster database.


    ¡°Fascinating, what about-¡±


    At that moment 11 cloak figures appeared at the end of the alleyway, making her lose her train of thought. Five wore maroon cloaks with the Oleanders crest on their shoulder, and the other six wore dark-green cloaks bearing the Adders crest.


    ¡°Renegade, hand over the Doctor, and we can all go on our way.¡± One of the figures spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will,¡± Trigger responded without turning to face the enemy Chasers.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll just kill them both.¡± A maroon cloaked figure responded as they jumped forward, blasting out a large orb fire.


    ¡°Why does this feel so familiar? Stay behind me, Doc.¡± Trigger chuckled as he turned to face the fireball.


    Dr. Hamilton looked to be in a panic until she saw the calm in Trigger¡¯s body language. She watched as Trigger extended his palm, and that fireball dispersed, leaving a gust of wind behind. That gust of wind blew the hood off Trigger¡¯s head, revealing his masked face. The 11 Chasers stared at that mask and panicked,


    ¡°Shit! Run!¡±


    ¡°Too late. Stop.¡± Everything in the area went still. Those retreating Chasers froze in their tracks as Trigger drew his guns. At that moment, In that lonely dark alley, near the docks of Manhattan, faint sounds of gunshots rang out.

 Book 2, Ch 1: Blessings

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day this beast of a man would finally settle down. Of course, I guess I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised to see the woman who managed to tie him down.¡± Devin chuckled as he smiled at Zac and Shalia. He then looked out over the fine dining rooftop restaurant he rented out to host this engagement party for the couple.


    Among the formally dressed crowd of guests were the Renegades, including Zac¡¯s ¡°Tiny Tots,¡± who had only joined their ranks some months prior. Within their ranks sat Kenji, too distracted by another guest to pay too much attention to Devin¡¯s speech. In the seat next to Devin at the head table sat an elegantly dressed L¨¦onie Laurent, leader of the Oleander Boutique. She made eye contact with Kenji and fluttered her fingers at him playfully.


    ¡°You gotta be shit¡¯in me,¡± Kenji mumbled under his breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Zac and Devin wouldn¡¯t allow her here if she was a threat.¡± Akiko said as she placed her hand on Kenji¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s just weird,¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°To Zac and Shaila!¡± Devin finished his speech.


    Kenji reflexively raised his glass at the end of Devin''s speech along with everyone else. Once Devin had sat down, Shaila stood up, her elegant black dress hugging her figure,


    ¡°I have another piece of news to share with everyone here.¡± She smiled and started to hold her stomach.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡± Zac stood up quickly,


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a dad. God help us all.¡± Shaila started to laugh.


    ¡°Congratulations!!¡± A loud roar burst from the crowd.


    However, Kenji looked over at Devin and L¨¦onie and saw that the smile on their faces seemed¡­forced, for lack of a better word. Before he could focus too much on them, he found himself swept up in the festivities of the engagement party.


    ¡°So we finally meet Mr. Suzuki.¡± L¨¦onie¡¯s sultry voice made its way into Kenji¡¯s ear. He looked over his shoulder to see the olive beauty staring at him.


    ¡°Wish I could say it¡¯s a pleasure.¡± At Kenji¡¯s words, Akiko and the other members of Team Watabi and Team Micheal turned to face L¨¦onie. They all tensed up, clearly not giving her the warmest of welcomes.


    ¡°Are you seriously still upset about that? Really? That was ages ago.¡± L¨¦onie dismissed their concerns.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a year, love,¡± Micheal responded while sipping his drink.


    ¡°Well, someone I planned on killing, surviving even a day is already a lifetime. So from where I¡¯m standing, it was ages ago.¡±


    Everyone tensed at her words, and she simply chuckled as she put her hands up in defeat.


    ¡°No need to get worried, kids; I have no intentions towards Kenji anymore. Devin wouldn¡¯t allow me to be here otherwise. I just came over to bury the hatchet, as it were. Nothing personal, business and all that.¡± L¨¦onie stretched out her hand to shake Kenji¡¯s


    ¡°Leave my kids alone, you French witch,¡± Zac grumbled as he smacked L¨¦onie ¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°Zac, as charming as ever. You¡¯d think you¡¯d be more appreciative of me supplying you and your lovely fiance with the finest clothing money can buy.¡± L¨¦onie frowned as she looked at the gray and black with gold trimmings fine tailored suit at the Oleander Boutique, supplied for Zac.


    ¡°Please, be happy I¡¯m wearing this shit. You know I make it look good.¡± Zac flashed her a cocky smile.


    ¡°Whatever the good Doctor sees in you aside from your overbearingly handsome mug, I¡¯ll never know. But congratulations nonetheless, on three counts, or so I¡¯ve heard.¡± L¨¦onie spoke, not denying Zac¡¯s words.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve heard? Me and Devin are going to need to have a long talk.¡± Zac responded.


    ¡°By all means, please do. It will do us both good to know whether he¡¯s in a relationship with me or you.¡± L¨¦onie abruptly turned around, walking back towards Devin, but not before looking over her shoulder to wave goodbye to Kenji.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her too much kids. She is disturbingly good at separating her business and personal life. If you learn anything from her, learn that.¡± Zac told them.


    They all began to shower Zac with their own congratulations. After talking to all his Tiny Tots, Zac walked towards the open patio. He motioned for Kenji to follow him. Over the past months, Zac and Kenji had become rather close. It was shocking to them at first, considering the way they constantly bumped heads. As time passed, it seemed natural. They were the only two Taboo Children and had similar upbringings.


    Even though his real father was back in his life fully, Kenji seemed to use Zac as a replacement for him out of spite. Even though Zac knew this, he didn¡¯t shy away from Kenji¡¯s openly childish actions; in fact, he embraced it for unknown reasons. Even Ume, who was oddly attached to Zac, embraced their dynamic.


    ¡°Congrats,¡± Kenji said as he saw Zac leaning against the railing before him, holding his drink.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks, kid.¡± Zac sighed, as he looked at the lights of Downtown Seattle.


    ¡°You, don¡¯t seem too excited.¡± The apprehension in Kenji¡¯s voice is evident for anyone to hear.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, kid. I¡¯m TOO excited. Things seem to be going a little too well.¡± Zac spoke as he took a sip.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Blessings come in threes; at least, that¡¯s what they say. But bad shit starts to happen when things are going too well. So, I like to throw away a blessing if too many pile up.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Kenji started to laugh at the nonsense coming out of Zac¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°That Dr. Hamilton, your team recruited 2 months ago. She¡¯s really something else. She made a breakthrough.¡± Zac looked at Kenji without saying a word.


    Kenji¡¯s eyes widened,


    ¡°You mean?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯ll be able to get Nano¡¯s at the end of the month, give or take.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m thinking about not taking them.¡± Zac let out another sigh as he took a sip of his drink again.


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    ¡°What? WHY?!... Right, throwing out a blessing.¡± Kenji said as he slumped his back against the railing. He looked at Zac with disbelief. This was what Zac wanted for the longest; Kenji doubted that Zac actually believed in such a superstitious practice. However, if he had to give up something between his future wife, a child, or power, that was an easy choice. At least to Kenji,


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple, right?¡±


    ¡°And why can¡¯t it be? I thought I wanted power. That was right until Shaila said she was pregnant. Then suddenly, Nanos, Programs, and all that shit became worthless.¡±


    ¡°A normal life is starting to look good, huh?¡± Kenji jokes.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far, but¡­ getting a Program means one thing. More responsibilities, which means more time away from my kid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. More than fair.¡± Kenji said as he thought about his own situation and then looked at Zac, whose father died before he was born. Even if he was Zac, anything could happen in this line of work, and given who Zac is, they would be more likely to give him more dangerous assignments.


    ¡°There¡¯s a couple other reasons if I¡¯m being candid.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to share; I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t hit a wall yet.¡± Zac then remained silent.


    Kenji stood there in shock,


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me, I haven¡¯t hit a wall yet. I¡¯m getting faster and stronger every day, with no signs of slowing; in fact, I¡¯ve noticed an increase in my progress lately.¡± Zac responded.


    ¡°In the not-so-distant future, you may be the only one who can keep up with me, at least physically.¡±


    ¡°Have you told Devin?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told anyone.¡± Zac chuckled.


    ¡°What¡¯s the other reason?¡±


    ¡°I want to see where the wall is. If there even is one. I want to see how far we can go without the Nano¡¯s. So I have a proposition for you, Kenji.¡± Zac finished his drink, placing it on a table beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Devin always had an image of what he wanted me to be. But now I have other priorities and a more interesting goal. So¡­ you be what they think I should be. While I¡¯ll become what you could be.¡±


    Kenji gazed at the serious look on Zac¡¯s face. His intentions were obvious; Zac wanted to overtake other Chasers with his body and brains alone. However, he also recognized that when everything was said and done, he would not be as powerful as Kenji.


    If he was to believe what Zac was saying, then the task presented before him was more significant than he could have imagined. Kenji let out a deep breath,


    ¡°No pressure, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, pressure makes diamonds.


    ¡°Yeah, well, technically, pressure also makes black holes.¡± Kenji retorted,


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. But in our line of work, both are pretty good.¡±


    Kenji smiled for a moment before a thought ran through his mind. He looked at Zac with questioning eyes but didn¡¯t dare to ask,


    ¡°Just say what¡¯s on your mind, kid, damn. At this point, what are you still holding back about?¡± Zac snapped with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°Fine, ah¡­ are you sure not taking the Nanos is a good idea? What if you know?¡±


    ¡°What, end up in the same situation as you and your dad, or like me and mine?¡± Zac finished his thought. Kenji nodded his head affirmatively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might end up like that even if I take the Nanos. All I know is that I want to create a world where that little thing can grow up happy and healthy. And with everything I don¡¯t know, this is the best path¡­ I think.¡± Zac started to chuckle to himself.


    Kenji¡¯s eyes widened. This was the first time he heard Zac be unsure about anything. Kenji was staring out into the city lights when he felt Zac¡¯s hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Being a parent is hard, the hardest thing you¡¯ll ever do. So maybe give your dad some slack, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, how would you know? Your kid¡¯s not even born yet!¡± Kenji slapped Zac¡¯s hand away. His sudden statement visibly annoyed him.


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve been raising 30 kids for 7-ish months. Technically speaking, that¡¯s like 18 years worth of experience. Not to mention you guys are the worst type of kids¡­ teenagers.¡±


    ¡°Zac seriously¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Teenagers suck, overly emotional jackasses, all of you.¡± Zac retorted.


    ¡°Zac! Would you do what he did?¡± Kenji asked.


    He stared at Zac sternly. He didn¡¯t know what drove his father to make the decision that he made, and he didn¡¯t want to know. As far as he was concerned, there was no excuse for not making any contact with him at all after all those years.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your father¡¯s full story, so I don¡¯t know. If he felt what I¡¯m feeling right now, then I know he did what he thought was best. But I probably wouldn¡¯t have gone about it the way he did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my point-¡±


    ¡°BUT!!!¡± Zac cut off Kenji before the teenager could rant on.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your father; you''re not your father. Neither one of us experienced what he did. Even with all those powers, abilities, and skills, at the end of the day, he¡¯s only human.¡± Zac stared at Kenji.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to forgive him; I¡¯m not even telling you to understand him. Just listen to his story, kid. You owe that much to yourself. I wish my dad was alive to tell me his story.¡± Zac sighed as he turned his attention back toward the city.


    Kenji responded with silence as he stared at Zac¡¯s back. Everyone in and outside of the Renegades looked at Devin as the driving force. But the more time passed, the less that seemed to be the truth. Zac seemed to have just as much weight on his shoulders, if not more, and he wasn''t the only one. If Devin was the heart, Zac was the brain, as for who was the soul,


    ¡°Look at you boys standing out here being all serious. If I didn''t know better, I¡¯d think you were an adult.¡± Dr. Varma said as she smiled at Kenji.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you¡¯re a real Doctor.¡± Kenji retorted.


    Shaila let out an exaggerated gasp while she playfully clutched the pearls around her neck. She then chuckled as she walked towards Zac with a drink in hand. Zac kissed the hand holding the drink before taking it for himself.


    ¡°I am a real Doctor. I will let you know I was quite the celebrity in academic circles. 18 years old with multiple PhDs. I¡¯m just not a licensed physician. Thanks in no small part to a vampire attacking me and my parents, during my residency. I managed to survive, my parents not so much.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know,¡± Kenji said as he looked away


    ¡°Yeah, well now you do. It¡¯s not all bad; looking for that bitch, led me to Zac and Devin. That was a lifetime ago.¡±


    ¡°How old are you guys?¡±


    ¡°26¡±


    ¡°27,¡± Zac and Shaila responded, respectively.


    Kenji snorted under his breath. They sounded like old veterans in their 40s at least, and with the way this hidden world worked, he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if they were older, even though they both still looked to be in their early to mid-20s.


    ¡°So it was just the 3 of you in the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Yep, and then we found The Twins. Then I got my revenge, but by then, I had gotten attached to our little group, so I stuck around. Not too long after that, we started the Renegades.¡± Shaila explained.


    ¡°Found The Twins?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Ah, right. The Twin''s story isn¡¯t too different from mine, but it¡¯s not mine to tell.¡± Shaila gave Kenji a soft smile.


    ¡°Jeez¡­ is everyone¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Life shit? Mostly yeah. Everyone in this org, hell in life, has a story. So you can¡¯t have all the answers based on just yours.¡± Zac said.


    ¡°Oh, is this about his father again? Kenji, you know one of my PhDs is in psychology. My doors are always open.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a therapist.¡±


    ¡°Everyone in this organization needs a therapist, sweetie; that¡¯s 50% of my workload. Well, closer to 70% now that you brought Dr. Hamilton.¡± Shaila said half-jokingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°Good, you should.¡± Shaila patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Now, we should head back in. The main event that is about to start.¡±


    ¡°What event?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Zac¡¯s mom. She¡¯s on her way up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, shit!¡± Zac grumbled to himself.


    ¡°So, be extra careful about Chaser stuff; we already told everyone else. And why are you more nervous than me? I¡¯ve never met her.¡± Shaila warned the two.


    ¡°She¡¯ll just be happy I¡¯m settling down. With who hardly matters.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow, thanks. I feel so special.¡± Shaila groaned as she pushed the two of them back towards the main room.


    Kenji was more interested to see what kind of woman could raise someone like Zac. Regardless of how extraordinary he was, just holding a conversation with him was difficult in some regards. He wanted to meet the woman who reigns in such a person and learn a few things from her.

 Book 2, Ch 2: Zacs Mom

    Zac walked out the doors and moments later returned. When he reentered, an older woman in a form-fitting lavender dress was on his arm. She looked similar to Zac in several ways. Still, the most obvious was that oddly vantablack hair and their dark violet eyes. However,


    ¡°Is that his mum or sister? Is Zac sure he¡¯s not adopted? That bonnie lass is pale as a banshee¡¯s tits.¡± Patrick folded his brawny arms as his thick Scottish accent rang out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ignorant, yeah, she¡¯s Creole,¡± Micheal responded.


    ¡°What in a Skinwalker¡¯s bawbag is Creole?¡±


    ¡°Ah, bruv, alright mate, listen up.¡± Micheal began to explain to Patrick.


    Kenji tuned in to listen because he was also unfamiliar with the term. He just assumed Zac was of mixed ethnicity. Listening to Micheal¡¯s explanation, he looked at Zac¡¯s mother. She was more than a few shades lighter than her son, and her skin also seemed a bit pale on top of that. He had heard that she suffered from some sort of chronic illness, but he wasn¡¯t aware that it affected her so visibly. However, her illness did nothing to diminish her presence or hide the fact that,


    ¡°She¡¯s gorgeous,¡± Akiko commented as she stood beside Kenji.


    ¡°I wonder how old she is? She looks like she is barely older than Sensei.¡± Ume added


    ¡°No kidding, I wonder what her skincare routine is?¡±  Miko joined the girls in her fascination with Zac''s mother.


    ¡°You hardly need a skincare routine anymore.¡± Kenji shook his head. He doubts they would have to worry much about aging thanks to their nanomachines.


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m still curious.¡± Miko pouted.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ she seems stuck up.¡± Genki snorted.


    Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. He puffed up his chest proudly and continued,


    ¡°What?! Yeah¡­she¡¯s elegant and pretty, but look. She hasn¡¯t even registered anyone else here. Like we¡¯re all beneath her. I¡¯ve seen plenty of stuck-up women like her in high school and university. I bet she comes from money.¡± Genki crossed his arms, assured of his assumption.


    ¡°She has no family and runs a flower shop. She raised Sensei alone since he was born in a relatively modest suburban home just outside the city limits.¡± Ume responded, looking at Genki with a deadpan expression.


    ¡°Whatever, maybe her family cut her off or something. I''m right about this.¡± Genki was stubborn in his assessment.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Was the only response given by Watabe.


    Everyone else seemed to concern themselves with meaningless observations. However, Watabe felt something else going on with this woman. On the other hand, Kenji had an even deeper feeling; something was screaming in the very core of his being that made him want to bow in respect to the woman as she walked past them. It was more profound than the respect he felt one should pay towards his elders; it was akin to paying respects to a ruler.


    ¡°Well, everyone, this is my mother, Nina Zym.¡± Zac finally introduced his mother as he brought her to the front table.


    ¡°So you are the people who¡¯ve been keeping my son away from me?¡± She looked out at the room full of people with a gentle smile, her velvety voice instantly capturing the room''s attention.


    She had a natural commanding aura about her. Even her simple gestures demanded everyone''s attention. Even Travis¡¯ non-existent attention span locked on her every motion.


    ¡°For the longest time, it has just been me and my little Keta. But I knew since he was a little boy that he was far too special for me to keep all to myself. As much as I would have liked to do just that. I knew the world would come to see what I saw one day. Now I look out on a room full of people here to support my baby boy, and I could not be happier.¡±


    Nina looked towards Shaila and motioned for her to come to her. After taking Shaila by the hand, she looked back toward the room of people,


    ¡°I look forward to getting to know all of you tonight. Especially you, young lady. So don¡¯t let this old woman stop you kids from having fun. Go on and play.¡± She giggled as she walked off with Zac and Shaila toward the patio and waved off the rest of them. Some people went to follow so they could introduce themselves to her.


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ so stuck up.¡± Izumi joked as he placed his hand on Genki¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, shut up!!! I¡¯m sure I¡¯m right; she comes from money!!¡± Genki, mesmerized by Nina, snapped out of it with help from Izumi¡¯s chiding remarks.


    On the patio, Nina was doing her best to converse with Shaila between the many individuals who came over to greet the woman who raised ¡°The Anonly.¡± None were fool enough to mention or even hint at such a thing. She was lovely and cordial to all of them except for two,


    ¡°Good evening, mam. I¡¯m glad to see the dress I sent fits you so well. Though I am ashamed to admit it could not do your beauty justice. I am L¨¦onie Laurent, a pleasure.¡± L¨¦onie stretched out her hand to greet Nina.


    ¡°One must admit their faults if they are to improve. Nina Zym,¡±  Nina¡¯s voice, which retained its smoothness, had every ounce of warmth drained from it as she took L¨¦onie¡¯s hand, before grabbing it.


    ¡°You¡¯re that boy¡¯s partner, are you not?¡±


    ¡°If that boy in question is Devin, then yes, mam,¡± L¨¦onie responded.


    ¡°Hmmm, well, I shouldn¡¯t expect him to have much taste in women.¡±


    Zac and Shaila¡¯s snickering could be heard from behind Nina¡¯s stern expression. Nina was taller than the average woman, but so was L¨¦onie. But at this moment, even with all her abilities and confidence, L¨¦onie felt so small before her. However, she would not be so easily dominated,


    ¡°I see your son gets his looks and mouth from you.¡±


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    ¡°He gets his claws from me too, would you like to see?¡± Nina responded with a smile.


    That smile sent shivers down L¨¦onie back,


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass, thanks.¡± She pried her hand free of the woman and began to walk away.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t stand there, Devin, go after her,¡± Nina replied mockingly to Devin, who chased after L¨¦onie, but not before clearing his throat and saying,


    ¡°Always nice to see you, mam.¡±


    ¡°So I take it you don¡¯t like Devin?¡± Shaila asked with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, dear. I don¡¯t know what you kids get into, and I don¡¯t want to know; you can do what you want. But I know it¡¯s a very unsavory type of work.¡±


    Shaila sighed at Nina¡¯s words. Most of those who worked within the Renegades had no families or weren¡¯t very close with them. However, Zac and his mother were extremely close; it would be odd if she didn¡¯t suspect anything. Shaila flinched in surprise when she felt Nina¡¯s hand touch her face,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your situation, but I know the only reason my son is dealing with whatever you do is because of Devin.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been my best friend for almost a decade, mom.¡± Zac cut in.


    ¡°And I¡¯ve been telling you for almost a decade that you need better friends.¡± Nina snapped back, much to Shaila¡¯s delight. It was nice to see someone who beat Zac in verbal jousting.


    ¡°Take care of him, sweetheart. My son is incredible, which I¡¯m sure you already know. But he has certain blind spots that make him incredibly stupid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mam.¡± Shaila smiled.


    ¡°Good girl. Speaking of impressionable children, it seems your ¡®Tiny Tots¡¯ are here.¡± Nina turned around to greet the mass of 30 teenagers who had come to greet her.


    ¡°You all must be the Tiny Tots, the group of interns my sons are looking after, yes? He¡¯s told me so much about you all.¡±


    Zac rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away in embarrassment.


    ¡°Has he really? Do you really, Keta?¡± Kenji teased the embarrassed Zac.


    ¡°Yes¡­ so much so I bet I can guess all of your names.¡± She smiled at them like a happy grandmother among a sea of grandchildren.


    She pointed out each of them one by one, accurately guessing their names. Once she named 28 individuals, he focused her attention on Kenji and Ume,


    ¡°And you two must be Ume and Kenji.¡± She smiled at the two of them before leaning in and whispering to the two of them,


    ¡°He talks about you two the most.¡±


    Ume smiled confidently as if that should be obvious. Kenji on the other hand looked over at Zac, who was trying his best not to make eye contact with any of the Tiny Tots.


    ¡°So you got any embarrassing stories about Mr. Zac?¡± Travis said with excitement.


    ¡°Hmmm, embarrassing stories? Ah, yeah. Well, when Zac was 11, we went to a Swap Meet for fun, and he¡­¡±


    ¡°OKAY!! That¡¯s enough of that. Time for you kids to head back inside.¡± Zac interrupted his mother''s story, much to the dismay of everyone there. He then began to shuffle the children from the patio area.


    ¡°Ah, lame!!! What did you do at the Swap Meet? Oh I know, you traded for something stupid, and when you found out how stupid it was you cried!!¡± Travis rambled off his theory.


    ¡°You¡¯re not too far off actually, good guess.¡± Nina giggled.


    ¡°I knew it, what was it! What was it?!¡±


    ¡°Bye Travis.¡± Zac pushed Travis inside.


    ¡°Why do they get to stay?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk to them for a bit.¡± Nina answered. Travis looked defeated, as Zac closed the door.


    Zac rested his back against the closed door and sighed. He then gave his mother an incredulous look. Nina, giggled,


    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s the same look you gave me at the Swap Meet.¡±


    ¡°I was 11 you should have¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you learn more through failure.¡± Nina interrupted him.


    Zac shook his head in defeat as Kenji looked over at Nina. Now he was curious about what happened, but from the look on Zac¡¯s face Kenji knew that was never going to happen.


    ¡°Why do you wanna talk to these kids?¡± Zac asked.


    ¡°Because you trust them. I don¡¯t know why and for what reason, but you trust them. So I want to judge them.¡± Nina responded.


    ¡°Judge them?¡± Shaila asked.


    ¡°Yes. I admit, my son¡¯s ability to choose impressive colleagues is admirable. Take Devin for instance. He¡¯s a wildly successful businessman, no doubt thanks in no small part to my son here. At least Devin had good enough sense to see his value, where others shied away from him.¡± Nina smiled at Zac but Kenji could see a bit of sadness in her eyes.


    ¡°However, his ability to discern character leaves much to be desired. I don¡¯t like Devin¡­ but you dear, you¡¯re alright.¡± Nina smiled at Shaila.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying sensei¡¯s judgment of character is faulty? And why don¡¯t you like Mr. Val¨¦ry?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Not faulty, he¡¯s hmmm¡­ how should I put this? He¡¯s weak to affection. He knows it too, that is why he acts the way he does. And as far as my distaste for Devin Val¨¦ry. Call it mother¡¯s intuition.¡± Nina said nothing more, as she stared at Ume for a moment.


    Kenji looked at Zac, as he saw the man in question roll his eyes at his mother¡¯s suggestion. Kenji started to chuckle a bit, what he mother said made sense, Zac seemed to be needlessly abrasive at times. Like he put up an intentional wall, so much so that most of the other Chasers didn¡¯t seem to close to him at all, in fact most seemed terrified of him. The same could be said for the Tiny Tots in the beginning,


    ¡°Luckily, we were too stupid to be scared away, I guess.¡± Kenji mumbled while chuckling to himself. Nina picked up on Kenji¡¯s chuckle and then gave him the same look he gave Ume. It felt like Nina¡¯s placid stare burrowed into the core of his being, before she let out a soft chuckle of her own.


    Nina believed the phrase ¡°eyes were the windows to the soul¡±, and had gotten a knack for reading individuals as such. What she saw when she looked in Shaila¡¯s eyes, was understanding, warmth, strength, and a desire to support. She could tell that this woman truly loved her son. What she saw when she looked into Ume¡¯s eyes was curiosity, and respect for her son. She saw a desire to please, and a search for recognition. A typical relationship between a mentor and mentee, one where the mentee held the mentor in the highest regard.


    What she saw when she looked into Kenji¡¯s eyes was, a desire to overcome, a desire to defeat, but boundless respect, and a willingness to learn. She saw a healthy rivalry. Nina thought back to the first time Zac introduced her to Devin.


    What she saw from that boy was a deep seeded need, a desire to tame and subdue. It was not the feeling of looking at a friend, but a possession. What was even more disturbing was its hidden nature, as if he was trained to do so. It disgusted her. Even though that feeling has faded in subsequent meetings, Devin being around her son still made her uncomfortable.


    ¡°Seems he did a little better this time around. Kenji and Ume, look after my son in the future, and help anyway you can.¡± Nina let out a sigh of relief. These 3 did seem to be a decent enough lot, as did most of the ¡°Tiny Tots¡±. They all seemed to have genuine affection for her son.


    ¡°I would have done so, even without your request, mam.¡± Ume responded with a bow.


    ¡°I guess, I can help him out. As long as he asks nicely.¡± Kenji blushed in embarrassment.


    ¡°Thank you. Now if you two don¡¯t mind, I would like to spend the rest of the evening getting to know my future daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯ll even watch the door to make sure no one bothers you guys if you want.¡± Kenji volunteered.


    ¡°That would be lovely, thank you.¡± Nina responded.


    After Kenji and Ume left, Nina turned her attention towards Shaila.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s just the three of us, tell me sweetheart, how did you and my son meet?¡±


    Shaila looked over at Zac and then sighed. They had talked about the lie they would tell beforehand, but Nina ''s presence seemed to weigh on Shaila more than she thought. She let out another sigh,


    ¡°Well, it happened sometime after my parents died in an incident, and ¡­¡±


    Shaila weaved the first of hopefully many tall tales that she and her husband would tell her future mother-in-law.

 Book 2, Chapter 3: New Order

    ¡°Dr. Varma, are you kidding me?!!¡± Dr. Hamilton shouted as she looked at Shaila, infuriated by what she just heard. She tossed the black tablet in her hand onto the table before her while massaging the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°You know I didn''t attend the engagement party because I had a breakthrough, right? A breakthrough I was excited to work on, to help your husband, right?! Now you¡¯re telling me he doesn¡¯t want to take them?!¡± Dr. Hamilton berated Shaila as she pointed to a large vast in the corner of the large laboratory the two women found themselves in. Inside that vat, countless nanomachines moved within, looking like luminescent aquamarine water.


    Shaila approached the clear vat and placed her hands on its glass surface. Inside was what Zac had been waiting for for nearly 7 years. Yet now, he wanted nothing to do with it. She touched her belly and turned back to Dr. Hamilton.


    ¡°Future husband, and I didn¡¯t know he would change his mind either. But I still appreciate the effort.¡± Shaila, apologies.


    Shaila understood why she was so upset. She had dedicated the last several months to this with little sleep. Hearing the person that this was for no longer cared would make anyone upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; no one asked me to work myself to the bone. To be honest, I probably would have anyway. Plus, in attempting to make things compatible for Zac, I¡¯ve gotten some inspiration for ground breaking improvements.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s walk and talk; we don¡¯t want to be late.¡± Shaila motioned for Desire to follow her.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Dr. Hamilton asked as she picked up her tablet and walked after Shaila.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t checked your mail, have you? We have a meeting in 30 minutes for Essential Personnel.¡±


    ¡°So everyone involved with the Cleaners?¡± Dr. Hamilton asked.


    ¡°We call ourselves Chasers. Remember that you¡¯re one of us now. And yes, I''m sure Devin called the meeting to share your progress and announced that Zac would be taking Nanos,¡± Shaila explained.


    ¡°Does he know Zac''s intention of not taking them?¡±


    ¡°No, Zac went to tell him the same time I came to tell you.¡± As soon as Shaila answered her question, the building began to shake. Dr. Hamilton looked around nervously. Earthquakes weren¡¯t very common in Seattle. She looked over at Shaila, who sighed,


    ¡°Seems like Devin isn¡¯t too happy about the news.¡±


    ¡°That was Devin?!¡± Dr. Hamilton shuttered as they walked through the empty white hall. This was the main branch of Renegade Technology, comprising multiple buildings, making a sizable complex. Where Doctors Varma and Hamilton currently were was a building on the other side of the complex where Devin¡¯s office was, and in the underground levels. Feeling the effects of Devin''s ¡°not being too happy¡± from here validated some of her initial fears.


    The hidden power of human potential displayed was shocking. Dr. Hamilton walked on eggshells, trying to avoid most of the workers, thinking that the random passersby could accidentally kill her by sneezing. Even though most visible workers were ordinary humans, and knew nothing of the proper interworking of this place.


    She was endlessly happy that most of her interactions stemmed from Dr. Varma. It helped her to ease into the new world,


    ¡°Devin is almost more invested in Zac taking those Nanos than Zac was.¡±


    ¡°They seem pretty close.¡± Dr. Hamilton reasoned.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not so sure that¡¯s why he¡¯s upset.¡± Dr. Varma sighed.


    Dr. Hamilton looked at her and saw a contemplative look on her face.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just thinking out loud.¡± Dr.Varma commented as another vibration rattled the building. The second was a little more powerful than the first, which made Hamilton shudder. They entered the elevator, and Shaila let out a sigh,


    ¡°Enough about those moody men; tell me how you have been settling in.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been keeping to myself mostly, just focusing on my research.¡± Dr. Hamilton replied.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Dr. Hamilton raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ well, look. I¡¯m not trying to tell you how to live your life, but can you do me a favor? And try to get to know your coworkers? It helps having someone to talk to in this line of work. The amount of people you can actually talk to about this stuff is very limited.¡±


    ¡°Noted¡­¡± Dr. Hamilton begrudgingly agreed.


    She wasn¡¯t too outgoing, to begin with. Still, she felt infinitely more isolated now that she was surrounded by all these superhumans. The only person she had any connection to in this was Dr. Varma,


    ¡°Speaking of getting to know coworkers. When is the Wedding?¡±


    ¡°We want to have the wedding and the honeymoon before I start to show. And having a winter honeymoon sounds romantic, so my official wedding date is December 28, 2047.¡±


    ¡°In a little over 2 months?! Is that enough time? There¡¯s so much you have to plan.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. I already sent exactly what I want to L¨¦onie. She¡¯s handling the dresses, too.¡± Dr. Varma stated as she walked out the open elevator doors and headed towards a private shuttle.


    ¡°Ms. Laurnet? Isn¡¯t she an enemy?¡±


    ¡° ¡®Enemy¡¯ is a strong word; the Orlenders, Adders and the Renegades have different outlooks but work towards the same goal. And this has nothing to do with Chaser work.¡± Shaila finished before she walked into her personal shuttle,


    ¡°Take us to the main building,¡± Shaila told the unmanned shuttle. The doors closed behind them, and the shuttle drove them towards the main building.


    ¡°This will be a wedding sponsored and designed by the Orlender Boutique. By the request of the young Owner of Renegade Technologies; she¡¯ll need to put her best foot forward, to maintain her brand''s image.¡± Shaila chuckled to herself. The idea of getting a dream wedding on the dime of a woman she couldn¡¯t stand made it all the sweeter.


    Dr. Hamilton just shook her head. This secret word was already confusing enough; all this extra intrigue and pettiness seemed over the top. Were they so bored with their work that they had time for this?


    ¡°OK, but what about getting the guest list together?¡± Dr. Hamilton asked.


    ¡°Guest list? Aside from Zac and the Twins, I don¡¯t have a family and haven¡¯t made many friends outside of Chaser circles. The only ¡°guest¡± will probably be Zac¡¯s mother. The rest are just Chasers and Chaser adjacent like ourselves. So basically, my wedding will be a mandatory work event.¡± Dr. Varma started to laugh, but Dr Hamilton could see the sadness hidden within her eyes. Dr. Hamilton didn¡¯t want to dwell on it too much. So, she changed the topic,


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    ¡°Things are gonna be pretty tough without you around here.¡±


    ¡°Nah, you¡¯ll be fine; you¡¯ll be able to cover most of my duties while I¡¯m away. That¡¯s why you need to get to know your coworkers to make better use of them.¡± Shaila responded,


    ¡°All the bioengineering and Medical problems, sure. But I have no background in Psychology.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been training 3 Chasers whose programs aren''t the best fit for fieldwork in that area. Between the 4 of you, you should have all the basics covered. If something unexpected happens that you can''t handle on your own, just give me a call. I''ll walk you through it.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to interrupt your honeymoon.¡± Dr. Hamilton mused.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine; the month I¡¯m away will be a test run. I plan on taking an extended leave of absence when the baby comes. If you guys do well enough, maybe I can retire altogether.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, hold up. All that talk about getting to know my coworkers, and whatnot. You¡¯re just trying to set me up as your replacement, aren¡¯t you? So you can dump all your workload on me?¡± Desire accused.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shaila gave a shamelessly deadpan response that caused the both of them to break out into laughter.


    The shuttle finally came to a stop; before either of them could get out of the shuttle, several Chasers came running towards them.


    ¡°Dr. Shaila, it¡¯s Zac and Devin, their fighting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. Let them argue, why are you telling me?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean physically fighting; it looks serious!¡± The man explained.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Shaila didn¡¯t ask any more questions as she jumped off the shuttle and ran into the building, her lab coat fluttering behind her. Desire now understood those vibrations from earlier weren¡¯t just Devin throwing a fit, but were the shockwave of the two men fighting each other. However, Zac, as weird as he was, should not have been able to take on such a devastating attack.


    Dr. Hamilton was only stunned momentarily before she charged forward, trailing after Shaila. Unfortunately, her first time in the main building was under such rushed circumstances. She would have liked to take everything in. The things on the inside seemed at least 15 years more advanced than current technology, which had already made great strides since she was a child.


    Everything in her private lab was technology beyond what she had thought possible, but was streamlined for her work. Things here catered to a more casual audience. Just in the lobby alone seemed like a technological wonderland. She cursed a bit under her breath as she entered the elevator with Shaila and saw the most natural-looking Automaton she had ever seen, walk past as the doors closed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to play with the toys¡­ after I¡¯ve killed Devin.¡± Shaila could see the disappointment on Desire¡¯s face.


    Dr. Hamilton nodded her head in understanding. No doubt Shalia felt the same way she did about the situation. Zac was freaky, but Devin was the most powerful living Chaser, and it wasn¡¯t even close; at least that¡¯s what Desire had heard. Shaila then spoke to the elevator.


    ¡°Dr. Shaila Varma ID#:345984683, Testing Floor.¡±


    The Testing Floor was where the Chasers in each branch spent most of their time. If the two of them were fighting, that would be the only place in the complex that could facilitate such a clash. Dr. Hamilton looked over at Shaila to see her frantically typing her finger on her folded arms with an irritated face. As they made their way down, the tremors became more apparent.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why aren¡¯t you in there stopping those two? I know you feel those shockwaves.¡± Shaila shouted as she stormed out from the open elevator doors to see Mawu, Duendes, and their team standing there with several others, cluttering the hallway,


    ¡°You think we¡¯re happy about this? They kicked us out before starting their little lovers¡¯ quarrel.¡± Duendes frowned.


    ¡°Kicked you out? The Testing Floor is its own underground facility; there¡¯s plenty of space.¡± Dr. Hamilton inserted herself.


    ¡°And don¡¯t we know it, Doc,¡± Duendes responded, seemingly just as upset as Shaila.


    ¡°Look, Devin burst through the doors and was looking pissed, and Zac was trailing behind him with his usual smug grin. Devin told everyone they needed the space and ported all of us out. We didn¡¯t have much say in the matter.¡± Mawu explained.


    ¡°Just go back in,¡± Shaila responded.


    ¡°About that.¡± Duendes moved to the side, and everyone else followed suit, clearing a path down the white hallway. Franky, Helena, and Hachiman stood at the end of the corridor, guarding the double doors that lead to the Testing Floor proper.


    Shaila made her way through the hall, heading straight towards the trio. Franky, who stood in the middle, rubbed the back of his neck,


    ¡°Oh, boy¡­ here we go. Look, Shaila, I can''t let you through.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking, and it¡¯s Dr. Varma. I didn¡¯t spend all that time getting PhDs for a toady to act familiar. Move!¡± Shaila was clearly having none of this.


    Franky instantly shut his mouth as he was at a loss for words at Shaila¡¯s sudden outburst. He had never seen her like this before. He slumped his shoulders and moved out of the way. Hachiman stepped forward and then began to speak,


    ¡°I can not allow you to interfere in an honorable duel against two¡­¡±


    ¡°Hachiman, shut up. Speak another word, and I swear to whatever god you believe in, I will make sure you never pick up a sword again.¡± Shaila interjected. Hachiman''s eyes widened in shock before he cleared his throat and tried to straighten himself before moving out of the way.


    They had all forgotten, because of Shaila¡¯s usual soft and laid-back demeanor, that she was one of the founders of the Renegades. Not only that, but no one alive had a better understanding of the Nanos coursing through their marrow than she did. She was the one who created the Renegades batch of Nano¡¯s by reverse engineering Devin¡¯s and improving them. On more than one occasion, she had brought disrespectful Chasers to their knees with a simple swipe across her datapad. Shaila looked over at Helena, who put up her hands and moved out of the way,


    ¡°Hey, I wanna see what they''re doing, too. I¡¯m right behind you, Doc.¡± She giggled.


    At the exact moment they moved out of the way, Shaila felt the vibrations come to a stop. She cursed under her breath and quickly busted through the doors. On the other side, what she saw was like a war zone. Upheaved earth, half-destroyed buildings, signs of several automated security systems having been destroyed.


    ¡°Geez, this will take at least a few days to fix,¡± Duendes complained.


    ¡°Only a few days?¡± Dr. Hamilton muttered to herself.


    The damage she saw here, especially to this high-tech equipment, should take months at least, not days.


    ¡°Yeah, the Twins are going to be pissed.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they always?¡± A couple of the Chasers joked.


    This was the second time Dr. Hamilton had heard of the Twins duties here; the first was when she was introduced to her private lab. These Twins were responsible for all these marvels she saw and apparently were in charge of repairs.


    ¡°Why are they trying to kill each other?¡± Shaila heard one of the Chasers ask.


    Before she could respond, they came across an area far more damaged than the rest. Clearly, this was where most of the fighting had taken place. There was almost nothing left in a single piece. It was a surprise that their fight didn¡¯t drastically affect day-to-day operations. The site in the middle of the destruction was even more surprising to the group.


    There was a black-cloaked figure holding a spear pointed at Devin, who looked bruised and battered with one knee placed firmly on the ground. The cloaked figure noticed the many pairs of eyes and turned to face them. A familiar faceless black mask folded away to reveal Zac staring at Shaila,


    ¡°What¡¯s up, babe?¡±


    Everyone stared at the two of them in shock for a moment before Shaila broke the silence,


    ¡°What¡¯s up babe?! You scared me half to death.¡±


    ¡°What? Did you think I was going to lose?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did!! Why do you think I ran here? So I could beat the shit out of Devin.¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± Both Devin and Zack exclaimed in unison.


    Zack had his pride crushed by his future wife, while Devin was hurt that one of his best friends seemed ready to hurt him.


    ¡°One friend crushes my pride, and the other my feelings?¡± Devin pouted playfully.


    He stood up from his position as all the wounds on his body instantly healed. If it was for the dried blood and tattered clothing, one would never know he was in a fight.


    ¡°Ah, Zac, Devin¡­ What the hell happened?¡± Franky asked, still stunned by what they had all just witnessed.


    ¡°Exactly what it looks like. I wanted to test something, and Zac kicked my ass¡­ what?¡± Devin asked, shocked by everyone¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything at the meeting. It starts in 15 minutes, by the way. You all should already be heading there now. Shoo shoo!¡± Devin waved them off as he looked to see Dr. Hamilton among the crowd.


    ¡°Ah, Dr. Hamilton. Exactly who I wanted to see. I got your notes, but I would like you to explain in detail. Do you mind explaining it to me, while I get changed? Make it as concise as possible; like I said, we only have 15 min.¡± Devin began to walk away, with Dr. Hamilton trailing behind him. She turned around to wave goodbye to Zac and Shaila.


    ¡°So you beat Devin? Even if he didn¡¯t use his Program¡­ how¡¯d you pull that off?¡± Shaila asked. She could tell from the look of the battlefield this was a purely physical fight.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting stronger, Sha¡­ and it¡¯s not slowing down,¡± Zac said with a smile.


    ¡°Well damn¡­¡± Shaila smiled

 Book 2, Chapter 4: Overclock

    The Tiny Tots stood in the Japan Branch¡¯s Test Floor in the middle of the training field, looking up at the ceiling. Around them were other older members of the Renegades who were in charge of looking after Chaser operations in the Japan Branch.


    Among them was The Bone Collector, who kept his distance from the rest of the group. The Tiny Tots were the only active Chasers currently at the Japan Branch. Finding suitable recruits seemed tricky; a new batch hadn¡¯t come through since their initial class. The Renegades took the quality over quantity approach, only looking for the best.


    The Canada situation playing out the way it did seemed to validate their approach, and they were not in a rush to fill the Japan Branch¡¯s numbers. The ¡°Tiny Tots¡± would be enough for the moment, especially with Kenji¡¯s steadily rising abilities emerging.


    ¡°What do you think the meeting is about?¡± Travis asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they better make it quick; I have class in 45 minutes.¡± Patrick raged.


    ¡°We were all told to sync our schedules, Patrick. No one told you to go rogue and deviate from what we all agreed upon.¡± Ume berated him.


    ¡°Excuse the hell out of me, bonnie lass! But I¡¯ll be damned if you expect me to be at University earlier than 10am.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet; it looks like things are about to start.¡± After Watabe commented, the artificial sky faded to reveal a meeting room.


    Kenji stared at the people positioned on a round table in the center of the meeting room. At the top sat Devin with Zac and Shaila on his sides. Behind him stood Dr. Hamilton, and around the table were the core members of The Renegades. Of course, Franky, Hachiman, and Helena were closest to Zack and Shaila; next to them sat Mawu and Duendes, the Mentors of Travis and Micheal, respectively. Kenji had seen the other mentors before but had no meaningful interactions with them. The rest of the Chasers present in the room stood around the table.


    ¡°Thank you all for attending this meeting on such short notice. Especially those in inconvenient time zones.¡±


    ¡°Why do we have to be up at 3am for this¡­ stupid Devin.¡± Another scene appeared in the sky box to reveal two black-masked figures. These were the technological backbone of the Renegades, The Twins. As such, the Renegades went to great lengths to protect their identities.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, but the Tiny Tots are still in University; we had to schedule it around a convenient time for them.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm, fine. A child¡¯s education is important¡­ I guess.¡± Another of the twins spoke.


    Their voices were distorted, but from their attitudes alone, Kenji couldn¡¯t imagine them being older than he was, maybe even younger. Although that could just be another layer of subterfuge to hide their identities.


    ¡°Back to the point of this meeting. I¡¯d like to introduce Dr. Desire Lea Hamilton. She has been spending the last few months figuring out how to make Nanos work for The Anomaly, and she was successful.¡± Everyone¡¯s reactions were to be expected.


    Some were excited, some had worried expressions, and others were just at a loss for words. However, Kenji and Ume seemed unsurprised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised yet; I have even more shocking news. Zac has no intention of receiving them.¡± The Chasers became even more rowdy.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining, I always thought you getting a Program would make you lose your edge, but why? It can¡¯t just be because you¡¯re going to be a dad.¡± Mawu was the first to respond.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to that. But first, I¡¯ll let Dr. Hamilton explain what she discovered.¡± Devin motioned towards Dr. Hamilton.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯ll just get straight to the point. As you all know, Nanos didn¡¯t seem to work on The Anomaly because they disappeared or were destroyed before they could complete their work. I initially found this implausible until I examined how your Nanos differed from the prototypes I had created.¡±


    Dr. Hamilton tapped her datapad, and a screen appeared on the wall behind her. What it showed was an illustration to help describe what she was saying.


    ¡°What I discovered shocked me. While it may not surprise all of you, your Nanos act as a lock and key to your abilities, what you call Programs. It was something I would have never been able to think of; the technology available would not allow for it. When initiated, you show superhuman abilities; when inactive, you''re just slightly stronger than the strongest humans, more or less.¡±


    ¡°What was your approach to Nanos then?¡± Shaila asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. My intentions for the Nanos were to draw out the individual''s potential and have the Nanos dissolve into the subject''s bloodstream. However, what you Chasers have is far more complex and admittedly smarter, if only for safety reasons.¡±


    If things progress like Dr. Hamilton envisioned, then yes, it would be impossible for enemies to replicate her technology. Still, it meant there would be superhumans left walking around unchecked. The Chaser''s approach was outside of what she thought possible with current technology, to turn on and off abilities, even against the subject''s will. However, it came with clear limitations.


    ¡°The Renegade Nanos unlocking the hidden potential within humans to act as a lock and key, while effective, causes a more explosive reaction. My nanos worked to make the hidden potential truly the subjects. Thus leading to a more stable awakening.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good, but it risks having individuals with unchecked power.¡± Duendes pointed out.


    ¡°You are correct, so I simply reprogrammed the Renegade Nanos. To accomplish what I initially envisioned, while simultaneously having the Nanos remain. It was something I couldn''t have dreamed of before.¡± Dr. Hamilton''s tone became more excited as she touched her pad, and another image popped up.


    ¡°Using the samples from both The Anomaly and Trigger that were provided, I found success after reprogramming the Nanos. The Anomaly''s samples showed clear change. Albeit at the expense of the Nano¡¯s still being destroyed. However, the change was permanent. And re-applying additional Nanos to serve as their original security function would be possible.¡±


    ¡°This all sounds wonderful, but he doesn¡¯t want them, so what was the point?¡± Franky asked.


    ¡°What if I told you I could apply this principle to all of you?¡± Dr. Hamilton said with a smile on her face.


    ¡°She¡¯s saying she can make it so we no longer need to initiate Programs, that we¡¯d always be at 100%,¡± Ume said within the crowd of Tiny Tots, looking up at the screen. Not seconds later, Dr. Hamilton verified Ume¡¯s assumption.


    ¡°What if I told you initiating a Program will be a thing of the past? The Nano¡¯s would no longer serve as a lock and key for your abilities, but more as a regulator?¡± Dr. Hamilton smiled.


    Everyone went into a frenzy once again. A Chaser was their most vulnerable before initiating their Program. Even an average human could kill them if they were caught efficiently unawares. Dr. Hamilton gave everyone time to gather themselves. Once everyone had calmed down, she touched her datapad again and continued,


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. During this process, I had another breakthrough. If we go in this direction with the Nanos, these marvelous little machines will be underutilizing their full potential. Since you will no longer need to initiate Programs, we can reprioritize their original functions to enhance your Programs. Something I will be calling Overclocking.¡±


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    ¡°So, in layman''s terms. Instead of controlling our powers, the Nanos will serve to temporarily increase abilities. So an actual regulator, not just metaphorically.¡± Dr. Shaila explained.


    ¡°Precisely!!¡± Dr. Hamilton was getting gittier by the second.


    ¡°You say an increase in abilities, and temporary. What exactly are we talking about here?¡± Hachiman asked.


    ¡°Nearly 100% increase across the board. We are not only talking about power but also capabilities. I looked through your files, and this is the best example I came up with.¡± The image behind her changed to show Mawu and Akiko.


    ¡°As you see here, these are code names Mawu and Amaterasu. Their Programs work on the same spectrum, just on opposite ends. They both deal with the control of heat values. Mawu decreases heat values while Amaterasu raises them. When these two ¡°Overclock,¡± not only will the speed and degree they can affect heat values change, they also should be able to encroach on each other''s abilities.¡±


    ¡°So while ¡°Overclocking¡± I¡¯ll be able to raise Heat Values like Amaterasu?¡± Mawu asked.


    ¡°You may not be able to do so at the same degree as her when Overclocked, but you should be comparable to her base abilities.¡± Another clamor echoed throughout the main meeting room, and all branches tuned in.


    ¡°To summarize, with the new Nano processing, you will no longer need to initiate your Programs; you will be at your current 100% at all times, and you¡¯ll be able to ''Overclock'' your Programs on top of that.¡± Shaila dumbed things down for all those watching.


    ¡°You mentioned ¡°Overclocking¡± would be temporary. How temporary?¡± One of the standing Chasers asked.


    ¡°In theory, the Overclocking lasts as long as needed. In practice, it¡¯ll last as long as you can handle. You must understand this is a 100% increase in all aspects, including your senses and cognitive abilities. That sudden blast of stimulus could be difficult to handle. So it would depend on the individual.¡±


    Everyone went silent for a moment, most of them filled with more excitement than when they were first granted their Programs.


    ¡°Are there any more questions?¡± Dr. Hamilton asked with an excited smile.


    ¡°Just one¡­ with these upgrades, I can only assume The Anomaly will be removed from fieldwork, correct? He really will be a liability at that point.¡± A female Chaser who was standing spoke.


    Half the Chasers sitting at the table looked at the woman like an idiot. The other half just shook their heads. She wouldn¡¯t say that if she saw what they saw before coming here. The Anomaly, on the other hand, just chuckled.


    ¡°We knew you guys would have these thoughts. Ungrateful little bastards.¡± The Anomaly spoke.


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor. I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± Devin said as Dr. Hamilton moved behind Shaila.


    Devin rubbed his finger across the meeting table. A holo pad appeared on the surface of the table. Devin¡¯s fingers rattled across the holo pad, and he wordlessly moved out of the way as the screen behind began to play a scene.


    Devin and Zac stood in the middle of a field training field. The video didn¡¯t have any audio, but it was clear that Devin wasn¡¯t too happy with Zac at the moment and that Zac didn¡¯t seem to care. Devin slowly undid his tie and rolled up his sleeve; the next instant, they were engaging in a melee brawl that was impossible to follow with the human eye and challenging for even the high-tech recording equipment to keep up.


    The fight continued until Zac activated his Dragon Scale, Nano Armor. When the clash between them had finished, it ended in a familiar scene for those sitting at the table. Zac pointing a spear at the neck of a down Devin. Clearing his throat, Devin ended the video. Zac seemed to hold the upper hand during the entirety of the short fight.


    ¡°What you just saw was The Anomaly overpowering me, both with and without my Program activated. He has informed me that he has not reached the limits of what a Taboo Child is capable of. In fact, he is improving at a faster rate as time goes on.¡± At Devin¡¯s words, the Chaser from before blushed with embarrassment.


    She knew full well that even if she was capable of Overclocking, she wouldn¡¯t be able to last half as long as Devin had. Devin didn¡¯t use any of his abilities, but even still the physical abilities The Anomaly displayed were too ridiculous and overbearing.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t hit a wall and wants to continue to explore his limits.¡±


    ¡°Forgive my question, but you seemed rather upset at that time. Is there a reason besides the potential waste of Dr. Hamilton¡¯s time?¡± Mawu asked.


    ¡°Ah yes, well, I suppose it''s time I told you all.¡± Devin sighed as he looked over Zac.


    ¡°I created the Renegades not simply to police the other Chaser Organization. I had the goal of completely overtaking them and assimilating them into the Renegades. The key to that possibility was ¡®The Anomaly'' gaining a Program.¡± Everyone looked over at Zac, who didn¡¯t seem to be too surprised. However, the look on Shaila¡¯s face told a completely different story.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Shaila rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, visibly annoyed.


    ¡°While ¡®The Anomaly¡¯ has no desire to obtain a Program, we no longer need him to, and as you¡¯ve seen, he¡¯ll be more than an asset without them. We will have a substantial advantage along with the improvements Dr. Hamilton made with our Nanotechnology. Most importantly, we have Trigger.¡±


    Everyone in the Japan branch looked over in Kenji¡¯s direction. Kenji looked over in the direction of his father to see his reaction, but there was nothing in that man¡¯s eyes that he could discern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.¡± Kenji thought to himself.


    ¡°Trigger is still a kid,¡± Duendes said.


    ¡°And yet only 2 people in this room can compare to him. Don''t forget I was around his age, when I killed the former leaders of The Adders and Oleanders.¡± Devin responded.


    ¡°Not to mention there are several other Tiny Tots who will be a substantial addition to our fighting force, especially once they can Overclock.¡± Devin continued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of the kids getting involved in your war, Devin.¡± The Anomaly interjected.


    ¡°Then you should take the Nanos yourself. Then we¡¯ll have no need to involve them.¡± Devin responded.


    Zac gave Devin a glare and then put his hands up in defeat. At the end of the day, whether the kids would be involved or not was up to Devin. He no longer had the right to interfere now that he gave up the chance to take in the Nanos.


    ¡°No need to get so worked up. We may be able to consolidate them without much bloodshed. Especially if we convince the Oleanders first. So, are there any more questions?¡±


    ¡°When do you plan on starting this¡­conquest,¡± Helena said excitedly.


    ¡°Dr. Hamilton, how long will it take to enact the upgrades?¡± Devin asked.


    ¡°I will need to run a few more tests, which should take about a month if I¡¯m being thorough, which I will be. Also, I¡¯ve been informed that some of you don¡¯t have the Renegade Nano Machines. I¡¯ll need to go through the process of replacing the Nanos.¡±


    ¡°Including Devin and The Bone Collector, there should be only 6.¡± The Anomaly interjected.


    ¡°Ah well, then I should be able to get everyone upgraded before the wedding.¡± Dr. Hamilton said with a smile.


    She was more excited about being able to attend the wedding without having to worry about completing this work rather than the work itself.


    ¡°I will also refocus my priorities to assist Dr. Hamilton.¡± Shaila offered.


    ¡°Having another pair of competent eyes and hands would be greatly appreciated. With Dr. Varma''s help, we should be able to get everything done well before Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We will make official plans to subjugate the other organizations, after Zac and Shaila return from their honeymoon. If you have any further questions, contact me privately. Meeting adjourned.¡±


    Once the meeting was over, everyone left to go about their business. Several Tiny Tots rushed off to University, with Patrick leading the pack. Kenji stayed behind until the training field was empty, and he stared up at the ceiling that had long since changed back to its artificial sky. There was so much to process.


    They expected too much from him. First, it was Zac, and now Devin wanted him to be the face of some war. A war that Kenji didn¡¯t even think was necessary. Why do all the organizations need to be consolidated? Things had worked fine until now. That would also mean having to work with people who wanted him dead. He didn¡¯t understand, or he didn¡¯t want to understand. He hadn¡¯t even had his 18th birthday, and all of this was thrust into his lap.


    He gripped his fist so tight his knuckles turned white. Where was his father in all this? Was he content to let his son be used as a tool of war? Before his irritation thoroughly boiled over, he felt the gentle touch of a familiar hand on his clenched fist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try and take everything on yourself. Even if no one else is there to help, I am.¡± Akiko spoke into Kenji''s ear as she grabbed his hand.


    He smiled at her, nodding, and turned to see his father staring at him in the distance. He stared back at his father, waiting for him to do anything. All he got in return was a blank stare as his father turned around and walked toward one of the buildings on The Testing Floor. Akiko could feel Kenji gripping her hand tighter,


    ¡°Give him a chance, Kenji. You haven¡¯t made it easy for him to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°You sound like Zac.¡±


    ¡°Then I must be right. Sensei Zac is rarely wrong about most things.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re starting to sound like Ume.¡± Kenji chuckled.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s too much.¡± Akiko threw Kenji¡¯s hand away and started to walk out of the training grounds.


    ¡°Hey, wait up¡­ I was just kidding!¡± Kenji laughed as he continued to chase after her. He reached out to grab her hand, the heavy feeling and pressure plaguing him just moments ago faded away like nothing.

 Book 2, Chapter 5: Bright Home

    ¡°Om Esha Ekapadi Bhava Iti Prathaman '''' Zac, dressed in a hand-embroidered beige gold Zari Jacquard Sherwani with red cuffs, spoke as he took a step around a fire placed in the middle of a lavishly adorned Mandap. Its entire structure was created from nature. Intricately woven purely for an assortment of flowers. The soft greens of the flower''s stem magically melded with the various shades of the delicate yellow, pink, and red flowers. Those soft petals descended like snow.


    ¡°Dhanam Dhanyam Pade Vadet,¡± Shaila responded, following Zac in his step, her henna-tattooed hand holding his hand tightly. The veil of her artfully embroidered red and beige gold Rasa Lehenga gently blew in the sea breeze, accompanied by dancing petals. The sounds of crashing waves and the setting sun''s light illuminating their faces made them believe they were the only two there.


    ¡°The couple prays to God that they will provide each other with food and nourishment. Promising to look after the family''s welfare together,¡± The Pundit translated the meaning of their vows for the large crowd that gathered for this scenic Kerala beach wedding.


    ¡°Om Oorje Jara Dastayaha,¡± Zac said, taking his second step.


    ¡°Kutumburn Rakshayishyammi Sa Aravindharam,¡± Shaila responds


    ¡°They pray for a healthy life and vow to protect each other¡¯s happiness.¡±


    The Pundit continued to interpret the sacred vows for the crowd.


    ¡°Om Rayas Santu Joraa Dastayaha¡± Zac took his third step.


    ¡°Tava Bhakti as Vadedvachacha,¡± Shaila continued with him. The smile on her face grew by the second. The Pundit speaks,


    ¡°The gods are invoked to bless the couple with spiritual strength. They promise to love each other solely and vow to remain faithful.¡±


    Taking the fourth step, Zac spoke again,


    ¡°Om Mayo Bhavyas Jaradastaya Ha.¡±


    ¡°Lalayami Cha Pade Vadet.¡± Shaila takes her step.


    ¡°They offer gratitude for completing each other and bringing sacredness to their lives. They promise to please each other in every way possible..¡±


    ¡°Om Prajabhayaha Santu Jaradastayaha. '''' Zac smiles as he takes his fifth step.


    ¡°Arte Arba Sapade Vadet.¡± Shaila gripped Zac¡¯s hand tighter.


    ¡°They promise to love and honor each other, always.¡±


    ¡°Rutubhyah Shat Padi Bhava,¡± Zac spoke as he took his sixth step.


    ¡°Yajna Hom Shashthe Vacho Vadet.¡± Shaila responded.


    ¡°Zachary and Shaila  promise to stay together and share all the joys and sorrows in life.¡± The Pundit looked towards Nina, who sat under the Mandap; a picture of Shaila¡¯s deceased parents was next to her on a stand. She wore a faint, unreadable smile.


    ¡°Om Sakhi Jaradastayahga.¡± Zac took the seventh step.


    ¡°Attramshe sakshino vadet pade.¡± Shaila took the seventh step with him.


    ¡°The couple seek blessings from God for a relationship enriched with loyalty, duty, and fidelity, for eternity.¡± The Pundit smiled at the couple, who were still so engrossed in their own world that he wondered if they even noticed his presence, let alone all their guests.


    The two of them took their seats under the Mandap. Shaila sat on Zac¡¯s left, signifying she was closer to his heart. As they sat, Nina walked towards the couple, presenting them with Kansar, a sweet made from crushed wheat, sugar, and ghee. She smiled as the two fed each other their first meal.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!!¡± Miko''s sobbing voice caught the attention of the rest of the Tiny Tots in the area.


    ¡°I want to get married someday.¡± Miko continued to sob.


    ¡°Yeah, Micheal. She wants to get married someday.¡± Watabe started to chuckle as he looked at Micheal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you start, bruv.¡± Micheal sighed as he looked at Miko, seemingly beside herself, sobbing on his arm.


    ¡°She really is beautiful today,¡± Akiko said with a sigh.


    Dr. Varma was always an obvious beauty, but she was always working and busy. Outside of today and the engagement party, none had ever seen her with ¡°her hair down.¡± Today was the happiest and most relaxed any of them had ever seen. While at the same time,


    ¡°And Zac has never looked more nervous.¡± Kenji started to chuckle.


    It was apparent that Zac was excited, but every move he made was far more stiff than his usual smooth and carefree self.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how much he cares for her. He wants to make sure everything is perfect. I think it¡¯s cute.¡± Akiko giggled as she watched Zac awkwardly place a necklace of black beads around Shaila¡¯s neck.


    ¡°He should take special care. He is an extraordinary individual who has found his equal. I can¡¯t imagine how hard that must be. Especially with so many undeserving wanting to hang on his arm.¡± Ume spoke from the other side of Kenji. Her words seemed benign, but Akiko could feel the hostility laced within them.


    ¡°Ah, right. What¡¯s her deal?¡± Akiko wrapped her arm around Kenji¡¯s as she whispered into his ear.


    Kenji shrugged. There was no point in figuring out what was going through Ume¡¯s head.  Outside of himself and Zac, she always seemed to have that same attitude with everyone else. Their attention was called back to the ceremony as Zac placed a red powder on the parting line of Shaila¡¯s hair. As this was happening, Nina placed an ornate broom on the floor. The Pundit then spoke,


    ¡°Zachary and Shaila have decided to conclude their ceremony with the jumping of the broom. Their action symbolizes the sweeping away of the old, welcoming in the new. Now everyone, please count ''1, 2, 3, jump'' with me now."


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    At the sound of the crowd shouting ¡°jump,¡± Zac and Shaila jumped over the broom together. They then shared a kiss as everyone in the crowd began to shout and applaud. Zac and Shaila, still in their own world, practically ran down the aisle, leaving the sight of everyone else.


    ¡°If I can have everyone¡¯s attention. The lovely couple would like to invite everyone present to their reception. If you¡¯d just take a peek over there.¡± L¨¦onie pointed over towards a large white tent on the beach. There were already signs of caterers walking in and out, and the sounds of music were already beginning to echo from within.


    ¡°We have provided enough food, drink, and music for you all to dance the night away. Please enjoy.¡±  She smiled and then walked down the aisle herself, but not before being joined by Devin as they made their way towards the reception hall, followed by the rest of the guests.


    The reception had been going on for quite some time. Kenji had never seen half of the Chaser so happy and carefree. The only sour note to everything was that none of them could get drunk with their new Overclock upgrades. This fact didn¡¯t stop Genkei or Patrick, two of the few Tiny Tots of legal drinking age in India, from trying.


    On the other hand, Dr. Hamilton spent most of the night drunkenly, half apologizing and half berating the Chasers for not being grateful. She seemed to be enjoying herself. Miko spent the night sobbing and stuffing her face. Izumi was never too far from the dance floor and never found a dance partner he didn¡¯t like.


    If Micheal wasn¡¯t spending his time trying to help Miko get her shit together, his time was monopolized by Watabe, who spent most of his evening talking to prominent members of the Renegades and Oleanders that surprisingly were present. Ume was never too far away from Nina.


    They were in deep conversation for most of the evening. However, at the moment, Ume was discussing with Shaila during one of the few instances that she and Zac were separated. Travis had been missing for most of the night.


    Kenji spent most of his night with Akiko. Luckily or unluckily, his father did not attend the ceremony, so he could fully enjoy everything the reception offered. He and Akiko found themselves staring out onto the moonlit ocean. Akiko looked over her shoulder at the large reception tent. She could hear the party still going, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any signs of it slowing down.


    ¡°Never expected to see all of them like that. It¡¯s almost like they''re getting married.¡± Kenji commented as he turned his attention to Akiko,  her hair and his light green sheer dress blowing in the sea breeze, detracting him from his initial thought.


    ¡°They¡¯re like a symbol. Marriage and having kids are typically things Chasers won''t experience.  I totally get it. After all, I want us to have the ability to get married, too.¡± Akiko giggled.


    ¡°U-us? I ahhhh, I¡¯m not even 18 yet. I don¡¯t think I''m ready to talk about marriage.¡±  Kenji stammered.


    ¡°What?! No, you goober. I meant the general us. All of us. Not me and you. We¡¯ve been dating for about two days. I''m not crazy.¡± Akiko shook her head as Kenji laughed at himself. They had only been officially dating since the conclusion of the Canada incident.


    ¡°Anyway, they¡¯ve been doing this longer than we have, and Zac and Shaila symbolize what we can have... eventually. So everyone¡¯s happy, even some of the Oleanders.¡± Akiko grumbled a bit under her breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s just weird. I get them being excited for Dr. Varma, but Zac never seemed too popular among the Chasers.¡± Kenji folded his arms and thought.


    ¡°For one, it¡¯s Dr.Varma-Zym now. Secondly, is that how you see it?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Sensie Zac, Dr. Varma-Zym, and Mr. Devin have a solid dynamic. Everyone loves Shaila, everyone respects Zac, and everyone fears Devin. That trinity they have is the reason all this works so smoothly.¡± Akiko responded.


    ¡°Think you mixed up Zac and Devin.¡± Kenji chuckled.


    ¡°Really, you think so? Well, I guess that makes sense from you and Zac¡¯s point of view. You two Taboo kids only interact with a select group of people you deem worthy.¡± Akiko laughed as she looked at Kenji¡¯s annoyed face.


    ¡°But take it from this extroverted yet lowly regular human. Everyone respects Zac and, apart from Shaila and Zac, is terrified of Devin.¡± Akiko said as she rubbed her hands against the goosebumps, raising her exposed arms. Reflexively, Kenji took off his suit coat and draped it over her shoulder.


    ¡°So seeing the two people you love and respect the most find happiness¡­ is awesome, what¡¯s not to be excited about.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I usually am.¡±


    Kenji laughed at her confident smile and leaned in as Akiko closed her eyes.


    ¡°Yeaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! WOOOOOOOO!!!¡± Kenji and Akiko¡¯s heads snapped in front of them.


    Zipping past them was a barefoot Travis, still fully dressed in his suit from the ceremony, on a dull neon blue psionic skimboard. He rode back from the breaking waves and continued skimboarding off into the night down the beach. Splashing Akiko and Kenji as he boarded past them.


    ¡°Well, it looks like you guys found Travis. Maybe Patricia can finally relax a little bit.¡± Shaila approached as the three watched Travis and his board flip into the sea in the distance.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine.¡± Shaila sighed as she texted Patricia, aka Mawu, letting her know what Travis was up to. Patricia had been looking for Travis since he disappeared halfway through the reception.


    ¡°Akiko, if you don¡¯t mind, can I steal Kenji from you for a few minutes?¡± Shaila asked.


    ¡°No, go ahead. I¡¯m going to try talking to Zac¡¯s mom.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡± Shaila and Kenji wished her luck as Akiko visibly tried to pump herself up.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±  Kenji broke the momentary silence.


    ¡°Nothing important. I just wanted to give you something.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one getting you gifts on your wedding day?¡± Kenji jokes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect gifts from first-year college students and teenagers, ok? Even if you¡¯re better off than most.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Ume give you the Mandap?¡± Kenji raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°My husband¡¯s mentee can control plants. How could I not take advantage of that to have a flower Mandap of any bride''s dream?¡± Shaila laughed as she handed Kenji a small jewelry box.


    Inside the box was a very plain-looking bracelet. Hanging on it was a small cube, not much larger than a typical pearl.


    ¡°Looks pretty cool. What is it? Can''t it just be a normal bracelet, right?¡± Kenji said as he looked at the hanging cube.


    ¡°You are correct. Hopefully, you¡¯ll never have to find out what it is. Just keep it on you. Also, if you hear it beeping, you have about 30 seconds-¡±


    ¡°What? Is it going to explode?!¡± Kenji held the bracelet out in front of him with a weary expression.


    ¡°Let me finish¡­ You have 30 seconds to get somewhere private or at least be surrounded by people you trust. I gave one to Ume, too.¡± Shaila said with a smile.


    ¡°Right¡­ ok. What, does it have some kind of secret message?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, hopefully, you¡¯ll never have to find out.¡± Shaila sighed.


    ¡°Before you go, I have a question for you.¡± Kenji stopped Shaila from walking away.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°How does it feel to be Dr. Varma-Zym?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°After my parents died, I never thought I¡¯d be truly happy again, and yet, this is the happiest I¡¯ve ever been. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Shaila paused.


    ¡°Just that what?¡±


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t the happiest I could be.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­your parents.¡± Kenji sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing everything in my power to ensure I can be there every step of the way for this little one.¡± Shaila smiled as she rubbed her belly.


    ¡°See you later, Kenji.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy the rest of your night, Doc. And congratulations.¡± Kenji waved goodbye to Shaila. Who smiled back at him before disappearing back into the reception.


    Kenji looked down at the bracelet he had just received, then stared at the moon.


    ¡°Alright, no more running.¡±

 Book 2, Chapter 6: Mistletoe

    Having finally resolved to confront his parents, Kenji found himself kneeling at the dining table of his childhood home in Kyoto. Around him was a house full of moving boxes. Since his father had returned to his and his mother¡¯s lives, and Kenji could defend himself, his parents decided to stop living off the grid and fully use their resources. The first step was moving into a luxury apartment in the Akasaka area in Tokyo.


    This would bring his parents closer to his University, and the apartment was within walking distance from the Japan Branch of Renegade Technologies. He was asked to come over to help with the move by his mother, but he knew it was just an excuse to get the three of them under the same roof for once. This worked fine for Kenji as he had become determined to learn everything about his parents.


    ¡°It seems we have a lot to talk about.¡± Kenji¡¯s mother sighed as she knelt across from Kenji.


    She tucked her wavy light brown hair behind her ears as her light brown eyes looked at Kenji with concern. She then looked behind Kenji to see Cheong Yu-jun, The Bone Collector. He walked past Kenji and knelt beside his wife. She held his hand with a smile, turning back to Kenji,


    ¡°You look so much like your father.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, but could we get to the point?¡± Kenji snapped.


    ¡°Watch how you talk to your mother, Isuel.¡± Yu-jun frowned.


    ¡°Not you pretending to be a father. And my name¡¯s Kenji.¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not, nor is it Isuel.¡± Kenji¡¯s mother interrupted.


    ¡°And my name isn¡¯t Suzuki Cho. It¡¯s Roratha Murmus. And your name is Aiono Murmus.¡±  Roratha told her son.


    ¡°That sounds Latin but wrong,¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mytherian, the language said to be spoken by the gods,¡± Roratha responded.


    ¡°Mom¡­ what are you?¡±


    Kenji¡¯s mother took a deep breath and closed her eyes.


    ¡°I''m Persequion. Or, as your current lot calls themselves, a Chaser. Persequion are the original Chasers who follow the true will of Heka. Or at least we were supposed to.¡±


    Kenji stared at his mother silently and then looked over at his father. He was more confused now than when they started this conversation. He had heard the origins of Chasers from Mawu during his Chaser ¡°Graduation¡±; they originated in Egypt.


    ¡°Heka is the name of the Egyptian god of Magic. Mytherian isn¡¯t anything like Egyptian. Nothing you''re saying is making sense.¡± Kenji asserted himself.


    ¡°Heka is not the true name of the being that blessed the first Persequion; it was a name we gave them, since they never deemed us worthy enough to tell us their name. Heka is also the name we gave ourselves when we began to fragment.¡±


    ¡°Fragment?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°We were simply the Persequion. However, as with most things, ideals, conflicts and selfish desires superseded purpose. The Renegades, Adders, and Oleanders are all just fractured pieces of the Persequion. To show that we remained true to our purpose, we named ourselves Heka and remained hidden from the world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all very interesting, but it doesn¡¯t explain why Dad had to disappear. Is Heka that against Taboo Children as well?¡±


    ¡°Heka is the reason you were hunted at all.¡± Yu-jun interrupted.


    ¡°What?¡± Kenji looked at his father more than at his mother.


    ¡°The Fractured Chasers have aversions to Taboo Children but had no real intention to hunt them. They simply want their power for themselves.¡± Yu-jun clarified.


    ¡°Right.¡± Kenji didn¡¯t need to hear anymore, if they couldn¡¯t have him, it was best to kill him. It was this mindset that put Dr. Hamilton¡¯s life in danger.


    ¡°But I¡¯m guessing it was a little different in my case?¡±


    ¡°Correct, you are the first Taboo Child to reach adolescence, let alone teenage years,¡± Roratha answered.


    ¡°Second, you¡¯re forgetting about Zac,¡± Kenji said.


    ¡°Right, Zachary Zym¡­ we¡¯ll circle back to him. For now, we¡¯re talking about us.¡± Rorathar quickly refocused the conversation and then continued,


    ¡°I was born into Heka; most of us are at this point.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you all Taboo Children then? I thought,¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re the next best thing.¡± Rorathar corrected.


    ¡°Before we were granted Nevilara Mystara or the Blessing of Magic, we are trained from the age of 5 until the age of 20. Our parents will then pair us with suitable partners. We have until we reach the age of 25 to sire children of our own. At the age of 25, we will then ingest the Blessing of Magic.¡± Rorathar explained.


    Kenji looked shocked. They trained them to be soldiers and then arranged relationships for them strictly to produce more soldiers. Kenji then looked at his father and knew he wasn¡¯t part of Heka because of the Nano Machines.


    ¡°Do I have a brother or sister out there somewhere?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°No. There were no suitable mating prospects for me in my developmental group. I was far and away the best, so I was slated for greater things.¡±


    ¡°Mating prospects¡­ alright, what do you mean?¡± Kenji continued wrapping his mind around this.


    ¡°It is deemed that individuals like myself are better off taking Nevilara Mystara as soon as possible; we are then inducted into a special unit within Heka known as the Theronites.¡±


    ¡°So Theronites are prohibited from having children?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Anyone who has taken the Blessing is incapable of having children. In return for the abilities we gain, we become infertile.¡± Rorathra smiled at Kenji.


    ¡°So we are called Taboo Children because¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, not because you are the product of a Chaser, but because you should not exist. That was the original meaning of Taboo Children.¡± Yu-jun answered.


    ¡°The advent of Nano-machines made it possible for empowered Chasers to reproduce. Something that was naturally taken care of by the design of the Blessing. As such, Taboo Children took on a different meaning, but their existence was still frowned upon, as we could not predict the consequences of their existence.¡± Kenji¡¯s mother explained.


    ¡°But I thought the serum, Nevilara, whatever¡­ the Blessing of Magic had severe side effects, not just making you infertile,¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°After The Fracture, we found ways to reduce the side effects of insanity and degradation to almost nonexistent levels. It still happens occasionally, but those cases are very few and far between. We also managed to increase its potency.¡±


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    ¡°How much are we talking?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°When I met your mother, I was already considered one of the best Chasers alive. I would barely be above average to those in Heka.¡± Yu-jun said with a frown.


    ¡°How about now?¡±


    ¡°With the upgrades, I can hold my own against the best they have to offer.¡± Yu-jun had a confident smirk on his face. Kenji¡¯s mother looked at him and then at Kenji,


    ¡°You still won¡¯t be able to handle the Theronites yet. Don¡¯t get too cocky.¡± Rorathra said as she rubbed Yu-jun¡¯s hand.


    From the sounds of things, his mother was more dangerous than his father. That would explain how she could repel someone like Devin, but he still didn¡¯t understand something.


    ¡°How did you and dad meet? And how was I born? And you say you¡¯re a Theronite; what exactly are they?¡±


    ¡°The term ¡®Persequion¡¯ in Mytherian represents the chasing of truth through the darkness to illuminate the future. Theronites are an elite group of Persequion who enter into an oath to wait for and to protect Auranthos¡¯ Threnos.¡± Kenji listened to his mother''s words with confusion. She smiled at him and then said,


    ¡°Just know that Auranthos¡¯Threnos is a being that will lead us in a time of great crisis. Our job is to train and hone our skills in anticipation of their coming. While Theronites can¡¯t have our own children, we are encouraged to seek talented children to adopt and bring into Heka. Many Theronites have at least a dozen adopted children.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that has something to do with how you meet Dad?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Yes. When I was 28, I went on my first excursion to find a talented child to adopt. I didn¡¯t find any orphans that caught my interest, but what I did find was your father.¡±


    ¡°Was it love at first sight or something?¡± Kenji scoffed.


    ¡°No. I got careless, and he spotted me jumping across the rooftops of Seoul.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was meeting some old friends in town when I spotted your mother. I thought she was an enemy Chaser stalking me and intercepted her.¡±


    ¡°I then proceed to almost kill him.¡± Rorathra giggled.


    ¡°What stopped you?¡± Kenji got more invested in the story.


    ¡°I thought killing such a handsome face would be a waste. So instead, I told him to forget me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t listen.¡± Yu-jun chuckled.


    ¡°The next 3 years was a game of cat and mouse between your mother and I.¡±


    ¡°And he was a rather tenacious cat. But I enjoyed his desperation just to hold a fleeting conversation with me.¡± Rorathra looked at Yu-jun, elated.


    ¡°One thing led to another, and I got swept up in a romance I was not looking for. 2 years later, the impossible happened. I got pregnant.¡± Rorathra smiled at Kenji.


    ¡°Neither of us know how.¡± Yu-jun saw the confusion on Kenji¡¯s face.


    ¡°I can assume this wasn¡¯t the best news for Heka,¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± His mother answered, much to his surprise.


    ¡°I was among the most talented and skilled Theronites to grace Persequion history. Some saw it as a sign and thought you might be the person we''d been waiting for. Others thought you were an abomination, the product of the Fractured Chasers¡¯ ill-begotten hubris and technology.¡± Rorathra shook her head.


    ¡°I saw it for what it was, using me and my child as a tool for a pointless power struggle. I saw where the wind was blowing, and the side that wanted you to be born was not winning, so I broke my vow, becoming an Oathbreaker, and fled.¡±


    Kenji hung his head as he looked down at the dining table. He could piece the rest together himself. She must have met up with his father. The 9 months of her pregnancy were more than likely spent on the run. There was one thing he was curious about,


    ¡°How did you free yourself from the Adders?¡± Kenji asked his father.


    ¡°The leader at the time owed me a favor he could never repay, so I just settled for him wiping my kill code from the Adders database.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you became an Oathbreaker and had Heka on your ass. Why separate after I was born.¡± Kenji sighed.


    ¡°It was my idea?¡± Rorathra spoke, much to Kenji''s surprise.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I know how Persequion move and their blind spots. None of the average Persequion would be fool enough to approach me, even with a child. Also, Theronites only make moves on a sure thing. There aren¡¯t many of us, and our primary objective is to wait and protect Auranthos¡¯Threnos. So your father fluttering in and out of blindspots, that I provided, without any clear sign of me, would keep them at bay.¡± She responded.


    ¡°So Dad was a decoy? And you were the last line of defense?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Yu-jun nodded.


    ¡°So how did the Chasers find me, or even know I existed, if Heka couldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I believed Heka was deeply rooted in the Chaser''s organizations. The blindspots Heka has, the Chasers most likely covered. Your mother now believes they have been embedded within the Chasers since The Fracture to observe us Chasers closely.¡±


    ¡°Ok, so Heka tipped them off? But I thought Devin and Zac found us first, and they were completely independent at that time. So how¡­¡± At that moment, the bracelet Shaila gave him began to beep. Everyone looked at the flashing cube hanging from his wrist.


    ¡°Is this place secure?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rorathra answered with certainty.


    Kenji took a deep breath, not knowing what to expect; the beeping from the cube became rapid and stopped. Light green lines spread over the cube and then split apart to form a transparent screen before him. On that screen was Shaila smiling.


    ¡°Well, this is awkward¡­from the timestamp, only a few weeks have passed since I gave you this. Ah well, just means I¡¯m too smart for my own good.¡± Shaila spoke.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°I was just getting to that.¡± The Shaila on the screen responded.


    ¡°An interactive A.I. a very advanced one, even her personality has been emulated,¡± Yu-jun commented.


    ¡°You are correct, but enough of that; I have something important to tell you and not much time. If you¡¯re seeing this, it most likely means I died.¡± Kenji¡¯s eyes widened, and his breathing picked up.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way, there¡¯s no way Zac would let that happen.¡± Kenji frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, so don¡¯t be surprised if Zac is dead, too. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Shaila¡± became visibly distraught for a moment.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Kenji placed his hand on his head when everything sunk in. He now had hoped that Zac died because he didn¡¯t know how he could handle his pregnant wife being killed.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Kenji¡¯s eyes narrowed, his sorrow now replaced with rage. He refused to believe that the two of them had died in an accident.


    ¡°Certain recent events have left me less than confident with the leadership of the Renegades. Some things just didn¡¯t add up. I would use this Honeymoon to relay my concerns to Zac while we were away from prying eyes. However, I also felt very uneasy recently. I feared that we may be targeted on the very same Honeymoon. It seems I was correct.¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Kenji asked again, his anger beginning to boil over.


    ¡°If my speculations and investigations are correct, they call themselves Heka.¡±


    Kenji looked over at his mother, who closed her eyes and sighed. She figured that may have been the case.


    ¡°The data I have collected is stored within each of these cubes; only when 5 of them are brought together, will everything I gathered be revealed. After this initial message, each cube is useless until combined.¡±


    ¡°Smart, but where are the other 4 pieces?¡± Rorathra asked.


    ¡°Kenji, you and Ume must find Zac, if he''s still alive, and the twins.¡± Kenji nodded his head in understanding.


    ¡°A final piece of advice. I never thought I¡¯d have to say this, but¡­ don''t trust Devin.¡± The screen went blank, and the cube pieces were reassembled on Kenji¡¯s wrist. At that moment, a message blared in Kenji¡¯s and Yu-jun¡¯s minds,


    ¡°All Renegades, report to your Branch¡¯s Testing Grounds ASAP. Use for all emergency transports has been approved.¡±


    Kenji and his father looked at each other. Rorathra saw the look on their faces and then smiled,


    ¡°You¡¯ve been called in? Go, I¡¯ll be here when you return. There are many more things to share.¡±


    Kenji nodded his head. The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable Devin¡¯s existence became. He was independent but had more accurate information about his existence than Heka or the Chasers. He somehow managed to get his hands on Zac as well. All he knew about him before was that he was a recruit of the Oleanders. A simple recruit rose that far that fast, even managing to kill the former leaders of the Adders and Oleanders?


    ¡°None of it made sense.¡± Kenji thought to himself.


    None of this dawned on him before. He assumed Devin was just a cut above the rest, mainly because Zac didn¡¯t seem wary of him. However, Nina, Zac¡¯s mother, made her dissatisfaction with Devin widely known, and there was much to say about a mother¡¯s intuition. As Kenji headed towards the door, followed by his father, his mother wished them good luck,


    ¡°I pray for your success and the safety of your friend.¡±


    ¡°Love, you don¡¯t know The Anomaly very well. If that man is alive, do not pray for his safety; pray for any family and friends you have remaining in Heka.¡± Yu-jun chuckled as they walked out the door, and Kenji trailed behind him.


    Kenji and Yu-jun left, and Rorathra closed the door behind them,


    ¡°You don¡¯t know him well either; he¡¯s not a man at all.¡± Rorathra sighed.


    ¡°Seems the storm is approaching. Are we ready?¡± Rorathra thought to herself.

 Book 2 Chapter 7: Sleipnirs Wild Ride

    ¡°Kenji! Kenji!¡± Akiko called out Kenji, and his father entered the Japan Branch Training Ground. He and his father were the last to arrive. Kenji looked around and saw the concerned looks on everyone¡¯s faces. It didn¡¯t seem anyone knew what was going on. Kenji felt the cube on his bracelet give off a strong vibration and looked over to see Ume looking at her bracelet as well. Kenji and Ume made eye contact, and Ume gave Kenji a knowing nod.


    ¡°Kenji, tell me you have some idea what¡¯s going on. Ume seems to know something, but she¡¯s not sharing.¡± Genkei''s boisterous voice echoed through the area.


    ¡°I told you, let¡¯s wait and see what Devin says.¡± Ume folded her arms, looking visibly upset.


    Kenji chuckled; he couldn''t tell what was going through her mind, but he had a general idea. He was having many of the same thoughts and was sure she probably pieced together far more than he had. Kenji narrowed his eyes at the fact Devin wasn¡¯t there. If his thoughts were correct, he was sure that Devin would show himself here. Was he wrong in his assumption?


    ¡°It seems everyone is here. Good.¡±


    Everyone looked over their shoulders to see Devin walking into the Testing Grounds. On his side was L¨¦onie, and behind them were the individual mentors of the Tiny Tots.


    ¡°What is she doing here, Devin?¡± Ume asked, dropping all pretense of respect.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be getting to that; we have a lot to talk about this evening,¡± Devin responded, picking up on Ume¡¯s apparent displeasure with him.


    He walked through the crowd, heading toward the center of the Testing Ground. He tapped the watch on his wrist a few times as a platform rose out of the ground, and several drones floated around the area as they started to broadcast the Devin to the other branches. L¨¦onie joined him on the stage as the mentors and upwards of 100 other members of the Japan Branch found themselves a place to stand within the crowd of Tiny Tots.


    ¡°Good evening, good morning for some of you. I have urgent news, as I¡¯m sure you have probably surmised.¡± Devin took a deep breath and continued,


    ¡°There''s good news and bad news. The good news is, The Oleanders have agreed to join the Renegades.¡± At Devin¡¯s announcement, there was noticeable chatter among the crowds watching. However, most of the Tiny Tots simply stared in disbelief.


    The 3 organizations had clashed several times before the Tiny Tots had joined their ranks; however, what they did to Kenji was the first overtly hostile act that any of the organizations had committed against each other. It left a bad taste in their mouth that they were now supposed to forget that any of that ever happened. They all stared at Kenji and his father, who both had the same disdain on their faces.


    ¡°What exactly does this joining entail?¡± Ume asked from within the crowd.


    ¡°We will be handling information gathering and talent acquisition as always. Daily operations like the Oleander Boutique fashion brand will remain under my control. All mission approvals and distributions will be handed over to the Renegades. Essentially, we will function as additional branches for Chaser business.¡± L¨¦onie explained as Ume narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for you, and what¡¯s in it for us? Other than Devin not having to watch his girlfriend getting killed.¡± Kenji was the one to ask this question.


    The aggression in his voice was a shock, but they could understand his attitude towards L¨¦onie.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for you? Access to our facilities, bases, data, and information network we have built for countless decades. The Renegades are clearly exceptional, but your organization is barely 5 years old, if that. What you gain by absorbing the foundation the Oleanders have built is priceless.¡± L¨¦onie smiled and continued,


    ¡°What we gain is equally as priceless. As you so aptly pointed out, we get to retain our traditions and our lives. Not to mention those fancy new nanites of yours.¡± L¨¦onie giggled as the statement caused an uproar from all branches.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind, Devin?¡± While plenty were upset about the decision, Yu-jun was one of the few bold enough to state his objection.


    ¡°Have you?¡± Devin responded with a chilling tone.


    His usually vibrant pale blue eyes turned into a deathly stare. However, Yu-jun did not back down as he locked eyes with Devin.


    ¡°Answer my question, boy,¡± Yu-jun said coldly.


    Devin¡¯s dead eyes quaked for a moment, as too did the air around Yu-jun. L¨¦onie grabbed Devin¡¯s arm, who instantly calmed down. He cracked his neck and then said,


    ¡°They are not receiving the know-how; they are replacing their nanites with ours. This means my Successor and I will ultimately control their members. Thus, they will be subordinated by every aspect of the word.¡±


    ¡°Except for L¨¦onie there, who would still be a Zero; what¡¯s to say she won¡¯t go rogue as soon as she¡¯s gotten what she wants?¡± Kenji jumped in.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little late for that concern; I¡¯ve already received my upgrade. It was one of my conditions for the Oleanders'' full surrender and cooperation.¡± There was another burst of objections from the crowd, and even Watabe¡¯s emotionless face began to start to show some concern. L¨¦onie waved her hand to quiet the rabble.


    ¡°You all see me in a rather negative light, fair enough. You call me many things behind my back and to my face. Most of it is probably quite accurate, but know this.¡± L¨¦onie looked at Devin with a smile and then back at the crowd.


    ¡°I made a promise to Devin after we killed my father. That if he could find a better path than mine, I would follow him whenever, wherever. I may be many things, but I assure you I am not an Oathbreaker.¡± L¨¦onie stated as she stared directly at Yu-jun and Kenji.


    Their eyes widened, and Kenji''s anger began seeping over as he nearly growled. Akiko turned towards Kenji and asked,


    ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°I''m fine, just pissed off,¡± Kenji responded. Akiko nodded her head in understanding.


    Devin looked around the Testing Grounds and then at the screens in the artificial sky. He waited for anyone else to speak their objections. After none came, he continued,


    ¡°We will begin integrating the Oleanders at the end of the month. Once fully integrated, L¨¦onie and I will take Helena, Franky, and Hachiman to The Adders and negotiate their surrender. If all goes well, we may be able to end all of this with the least amount of bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°What does sensei Zac think of all this?¡± Ume, who had been holding herself back, spoke up.


    The eerie tension could be felt throughout the grounds after Ume asked her question. Knowing everyone thought of it, Devin replaced Zac with L¨¦onie on his usual team. Also, Zac and Shaila, two founders, were absent and were not mentioned this entire time. It was true that they were still on their honeymoon, but given the importance of this announcement, there was no way the two of them wouldn¡¯t be involved. And their honeymoon would be over in time for Zac to participate in the negotiations with the Adders.


    ¡°Well, that brings us to the main point of this impromptu meeting and some¡­ tragic news.¡± Devin sighed.


    He tapped the interface above his watch face, and a larger screen appeared in the middle. On the screen was a snowy landscape with a deep groove that looked like an animal large beyond imagining had swiped its claws through the area.


    Trees were toppled over or reduced to splinters. Still, even more shocking, some areas sported gashing holes with unnervingly smooth surfaces. These holes were not created by any known force but seemed more like they had portions of themselves erased. The camera panned to show a mostly destroyed building in the background.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Akiko spoke up.


    ¡°This is where Zac and Shaila were enjoying their honeymoon in the Lapland region of Finland until today,¡± Devin answered.


    ¡°Finland? That¡¯s Oleander territory. Did they attack just before you finished this little treaty of yours?¡± One of the Tiny Tots chimed in.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t us; I didn¡¯t even know they were in Lapland. Even if I did, I have some morals and am not a fool. I wouldn¡¯t go after The Anomaly while he¡¯s honeymooned with his pregnant wife. From what I heard, he got more powerful than ever, and I¡¯d rather not enrage that.¡± L¨¦onie responded.


    ¡°On the contrary, L¨¦onie was the reason this was brought to my attention so soon. According to the Oleanders. Strange readings were coming from Zac and Shaila¡¯s location. L¨¦onie reported these strange readings as soon as she was made aware of them, and I went to investigate myself; this scene is what I found, along with¡­¡±


    Devin once again fiddled with his watch, and the screen changed. The image now on screen was Dr. Hamilton standing in the room holding a tablet, with tears rolling down her face. Beside her was a coroner, and in front of them was the lifeless pale body of Shaila Varma-Zym.


    Everyone went silent. Ume bowed her head as she clenched her jaw. Akiko covered her mouth as tears almost instantly streamed from her face. Everyone had similar reactions. There was no one among the Renegades who did not adore Shaila.


    ¡°Was it the Adders?¡± Someone offered to finally break the silence.


    Everyone was filled with sorrow and rage; they all needed a target, something, or someone to vent their frustrations.


    ¡°It was neither the Orleanders or the Adders. I believe this was caused¡­ by Zac himself.¡± Devin turned his face away from the crowd as everyone entered a frenzy. The look of disgust on Ume¡¯s face could paint a thousand words.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?!¡± Kenji snapped.


    ¡°I understand this may be difficult to understand, but let me¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshite! What in the bleeding fookin¡¯ hell is this bampot talking about, huh?! Cankerous glassy-eyed son of a whore! I dare you to say that again! Ya, lavvy heid bawbag! ¡± Patrick shouted and continued to spew out a rant of obscenities. Until Micheal managed to calm him down. Most of the Tiny Tots wanted to do the same. Still, none could match the variable torrent of colorful swears Patrick could produce per second. Devin shook his head at Patrick¡¯s outburst.


    ¡°Let me explain.¡± Devin sighed.


    ¡°I was the only person who knew where Zac and Shaila would be having their honeymoon. I took them there to ensure they couldn¡¯t be tracked; they also checked in with me every night around 7pm WST. Around 4:30pm WST is when I received the information.¡±


    ¡°And?!¡± Kenji snapped.


    ¡°I can bend space to my will; I can be anywhere in a blink of an eye. I was on the scene so fast it would have been impossible for anyone to flee without me noticing. All that was there was this mess and Zac holding Shaila¡¯s dead body. He gave her body to me, apologized, and ran faster than anything I¡¯ve ever seen. His eyes were cold and lonely.¡± Devin recalled the moment in vivid detail.


    He then sucked in a deep breath like he was gasping for air, tears clearly forming his own eyes.


    ¡°Maybe there was a monster or something, and you¡¯re just not as fast as you think, " Genkei said.


    ¡°I wish that was the case. But regardless, this is my fault. There¡¯s something I''ve been keeping from you all for a very long time. Zac is not a Taboo Child. He¡¯s not human at all.¡± Devin said as he let out a deep breath.


    ¡°Son of bitch!¡± Ume shouted; her usually composed self could not hold back.


    This bastard wanted to blame the death of his Shaila and their unborn child on a man who was not present to defend himself. Kenji was in a similar position as Ume. If he had not heard the message from Shaila, he would have believed everything Devin had said without question. He still didn¡¯t understand what Devin could gain by telling this story.


    ¡°Dr. Hamilton, if you please?¡± Devin asked as he knew this would all be hard for them all to believe. Dr. Hamilton wiped the tears from her eyes and composed herself as she began,


    ¡°O-once, Shaila¡­ Dr. Varma-Zym died, and I was instantly granted access to hidden files. In one of those files was extensive data regarding Zac, The Anomaly. The further you look into his chart, the more obvious it becomes that he¡¯s not human, not even close. Dr. Varma-Zym obviously knew.¡± Dr. Hamilton finished. She would typically go into great, strenuous detail, but she wasn¡¯t all there.


    ¡°Shaila and I both knew Zac was not human since the first time the nanites failed him, and we tried to figure out why. However, Zac seemed to have no idea.¡±


    ¡°So you decided to keep a monster around? What the hell were you thinking?¡± A woman from the New York Branch shouted over the screen.


    ¡°That monster has done more for humanity than you ever will.¡± Mawu was the one who spoke up as she glared at the woman on the screen.


    ¡°I had contemplated killing him then and there. However, he lived his life as a human and did everything in his power to preserve human life. He embodied being a Chaser better than most.¡± Devin folded his arms.


    ¡°I see; that¡¯s also why you wanted to give him nanites¡­ to put a leash on him,¡± Yu-jun said as clarity came over him. Everyone heard him and turned their attention towards Devin.


    Kenji¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered Devin''s upset at the news of Zac not wanting the nanites. Zac was also becoming stronger at an astronomical rate, to the point that Devin would struggle to keep up if things kept going the way they were. Kenji¡¯s breathing started to pick up as all the pieces fell into place. He looked over at Ume, who was biting her thumbnail.


    She was already a step ahead of him and probably thinking about what her next move should be.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say leash. There¡¯s a good chance he could have been a Zero, but it would have been nice to have something that could regulate his power so something like this wouldn¡¯t happen.¡± Devin corrected.


    ¡°So what happened, and what is he?¡± Duendes asked.


    The only ones aware of this secret before coming into this meeting seemed to be Devin, L¨¦onie, and Dr. Hamilton; everyone else was thrown for a loop.


    ¡°As far as what he is, we don¡¯t know. He¡¯s like nothing we¡¯ve ever seen and unlike anything ever recorded. As far as what happened. I can only guess that he awakened his abilities and could not contain the outburst fully. I can only imagine that whatever his species is, they live in reclusion until they can control themselves.¡± Devin answered.


    ¡°Like his mother.¡± Someone gasped.


    They had all noticed how Zac¡¯s mother seemed to look at them like children or ants. They also saw how much reverence Devin and L¨¦onie paid her. It went beyond what one would show to an elder.


    ¡°Are we just going to let her walk around freely?¡± A young Asian man in the crowd asked.


    ¡°If you want to hunt that thing down, then by all means. We¡¯ll be sure to tell your family you died bravely.¡± L¨¦onie waved off the foolish man.


    ¡°Zac and his mother lived a benign existence until Zac was mistaken for a Taboo Child. Mrs. Zym owns a successful flower shop and doesn''t have so much as a parking ticket, let alone a mysterious disappearance associated with her. The fact that Zac is involved with Chasers can be attributed to a tragic accident. Which is what I see this entire situation as.¡± L¨¦onie further emphasized her point with a genuinely sad expression.


    ¡°Convenient,¡± Ume muttered.


    Everyone looked at Ume, who stared at Devin, annoyed. Everyone knew how much Ume cherished Zac, so this news must have shocked her. Watabe moved over and touched Ume''s shoulder to try and get her to calm down. It was rare that she so outwardly showed her emotions, which never ended well for the person in question.


    Ume slapped Watabe¡¯s hand away as she kept her gaze on Devin.


    ¡°You have something to say, Ume?¡± Devin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sage or Ms.Chiba for you,¡± Ume responded coldly, much to the shock of everyone there. Watabe sighed and backed away. There was no stopping her once she got like this. It was best to let her vent.


    ¡°Yes, I have plenty to say, most of which would fall on deaf ears. So, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°I assure you that Zac is indeed not human. Whether you wish to accept that or not is¡­¡± Devin began to speak but was cut off,


    ¡°Whether or not Sensei is human is irrelevant to me. All that matters is his goals and competence. He aimed to create a world where his child could live safely and freely. And his competence is without question. It is the latter point that makes your story unbelievable.¡± Ume offered.


    The idea of Zac getting so lost in his newfound power that he would kill Shaila by mistake, who was pregnant with his child, made no sense.


    ¡°Not to mention most creatures, regardless of how mindless, always instinctively protect their young,¡± Kenji added.


    ¡°Precisely. Your story doesn¡¯t add up.¡± Ume mused.


    ¡°Or maybe you think too highly of Zac, Sage. Everyone has their limits.¡± Someone within the crowd called out.


    ¡°Of course, you would think that. You¡¯re only human.¡± Kenji mocked.


    Most of the Tiny Tots started to chuckle; even Watabe had a smirk on his face. The news of Zac not being human clearly meant little to them. It could be because, unlike most Chasers, the Tiny Tots group was chosen mostly from children with stable lives. None of them experienced the horror of monsters killing their loved ones.


    There was no initial bias against cryptids. To them, Zac, not being human, made things make a little bit more sense in a world that progressively became more confusing. It was a happy surprise rather than a gut-wrenching betrayal.


    ¡°So what is your take on this then?¡± Devin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple story you often hear. Someone who has too much and yet wants more,¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Speak plain.¡± One of the Chasers on the screens overhead spoke.


    ¡°Devin found a tiger cub and thought to raise it. The tiger grew beyond his expectations and means to handle.¡± Ume smiled.


    ¡°So he thought, ¡®damn, that¡¯s a tiger,¡¯ and decided to cage him or put him down. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Kenji finished with a smile.


    ¡°How dare you say that to me. Zac was my best friend!¡± Devin snapped, and the entire space began to shake.


    ¡°Was? Well, that¡¯s interesting. But you said it yourself: you were the only one who knew their exact location and the only one who could get there in such a short amount of time. That¡¯s the only thing that makes sense to me. Everything is just too convenient for your purposes. Unless¡­¡± Ume teased.


    ¡°Unless what?¡± L¨¦onie interjected.


    ¡°Unless there¡¯s a 4th party involved, that¡¯s not The Renegades, Weaving Adders, or Oleander Boutique?¡± Ume smiled deviously.


    ¡°Sage, you are out of line. We knew Zac and Shaila longer than any of you. I understand you''re upset about everything, but throwing around crazy theories to preserve your image of Zac isn¡¯t helping anything.¡± Franky blurted out.


    ¡°Whatever, what are your plans for Zac now?¡± Kenji said as he shook his head at Franky, disappointed in his mentor.


    ¡°What kind of question is that? He¡¯s a monster who took the life of his own wife and child. We hunt him like all the rest.¡± A random voice in the crowd spoke. But before anyone could pinpoint that person''s location, roots shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around the man.


    The sounds of his scream echoed as everyone turned to see a pillar of thorny roots digging into the man¡¯s flesh. Ume¡¯s dead eyes stared at the man who was holstered into the air with only his face visible.


    ¡°Say that again, I dare you.¡± All the Tiny Tots and their mentors also looked at the holstered man. But there was not a trace of concern on any of their faces. They all waited for the man to repeat his statement, most sharing Ume¡¯s sentiments. The man apologized through his screams.


    ¡°Release him, Ms.Chiba,¡± Devin commanded.


    With an annoyed grunt, Ume released him very aggressively. The roots ripped themselves free of the man, taking chunks of flesh. There wasn¡¯t an inch of the man¡¯s body that was not gravely wounded. By the grace of having the upgraded Nanites, his life was saved, but those vicious wounds were filled with potent poison, and it would take him months to fully recover.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with Zac. I want to give him time to process what¡¯s happening before we bring him in.¡± Devin sighed.


    ¡°You said he may not have control, and he¡¯s extremely emotional. What happens if more lives are lost.¡± Duendes said sternly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Zac would put himself in a position where that would be possible. If what Devin says is true, Zac will isolate himself. Until he comes to grips with everything.¡± Mawu added.


    ¡°That¡¯s if he is even in his right mind. He just killed his pregnant wife. I don¡¯t think any man could be stable after that.¡± Franky mumbled.


    ¡°Still saying he¡¯s a man is laughable.¡± One of the mentors chuckled.


    ¡°ENOUGH OF THIS FARCE!¡± Ume shouted and then started to walk towards the exit. Many of the Tiny Tots grabbed her arms to try and stop her, but she simply slapped their hands away.


    ¡°Sage! Where are you going?!¡± Devin asked.


    ¡°To find sensei. So I can hear his side of this fantastical tale that everyone is content to shovel into their maws,¡± Ume responded.


    ¡°I have not given you permission to do so.¡± Devin retorted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission; Article 4 Section 3, paragraph 2 of the Renegade rules and regulations, state, and I quote, ¡®Chasers who have made significant contributions to the organization, are entitled to extended leaves of absence lasting no longer than 1 year.¡¯ end quote.¡± Ume stopped as she looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°Team Conductor brought in Dr. Desire Lea Hamilton, who enhanced our current nanites and introduced the Overclocking protocol. My team and I have contributed more than enough to facilitate a leave of absence. Consider this my notice.¡± Ume then walked out as the doors slid close behind her.


    Devin sighed as Zac and Shaila created those Rules and Regulations. Kenji looked at the closed door and then balled his fist. He then turned his attention over to Akiko who nodded her head,


    ¡°Go¡­ you need to find him.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, go, I¡¯ll hold things down until you return,¡± Yu-jun said as he smiled at his son.


    Kenji turned to walk towards the door.


    ¡°And where are you going, Kenji?¡± Devin frowned.


    ¡°You can consider this my notice too. I¡¯m going to look for Zac.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that, Kenji.¡± Devin glared.


    Kenji started to laugh as he turned to face Devin with a cocky smirk on his face that was reminiscent of Zac; he held out his arms and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s Trigger¡­ and you think you can stop me?¡±

 Chapter 8: Stifling of Tears

    ¡°Excuse me? What was that?¡± Devin asked with an incredulous look on his face.


    ¡°I asked if you think you can stop me from leaving?¡± Trigger chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this kid.¡± Franky tried to reason with him.


    Before he could continue, Devin jumped off the stage, holding his hand up as he walked past Franky, who shut his mouth. Only once did Franky see that look on Devin¡¯s face, which was back during the Budapest incident. From Franky¡¯s point of view, this was one of the worst days in Devin¡¯s life; these kids getting caught up in their feelings wasn¡¯t helping anything.


    ¡°I can not let you leave, Trigger. I fear your presence will aggravate Zac¡¯s delicate state of mind.¡± Devin reasoned.


    ¡°Oh, and Ume¡¯s won¡¯t? Please don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what this is.¡±


    ¡°What is it then? Please enlighten me¡­¡± Devin nearly growled.


    ¡°Your favorite pet got off the leash; now you¡¯re trying to ensure your second favorite doesn¡¯t get loose. You can track Ume¡¯s nanites, but not mine. One of the perks of being a Zero.¡± Trigger grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t track you. But, I can control space; you can¡¯t escape me. No one can.¡± Devin frowned.


    ¡°Well, Zac clearly did.¡± Trigger jabbed.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!¡± Devin shouted, and space shook.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear what I said?¡±


    ¡°I did, and I¡¯d be quaking in my little Boot Up if I was someone else. But you know, I¡¯ve wondering for a while if I can copy other Zero¡¯s abilities. Let¡¯s find out. Replica.¡± Trigger''s eyes glowed as he scanned both Devin and L¨¦onie.


    ¡°Would you look at that? Looks like I can. Those are quite the abilities you two have.¡± Trigger chuckled as a mist covered his body and turned into nano armor. That black faceless mask enveloped his face. But before he could make any further moves, Devin bellowed,


    ¡°Boot Up: Black Out!!¡±


    Devin¡¯s Black Out, upon activation, releases a pulse of energy that rapidly spreads in a 4-kilometer radius. This pulse of energy deactivates all forms of electronics. Even Nano-Machines, which possessed the most advanced form of EMP protection. In times past, this Boot Up would stop Chasers from using their Programs. While that was no longer a concern thanks to Dr. Hamilton¡¯s upgrades, Black Out could still eliminate Trigger¡¯s ability to Overclock and disable his Nano-armor.


    Unfortunately, Black Out did not distinguish between friend and foe. The energy wave shot out and spread over every Chaser, shutting down their nanites and all the Electronics in the Testing Grounds. However, before that energy engulfed Trigger, Watabe flicked up his index finger, and Micheal lazily tilted his head. That wave of energy arched around the two of them and everyone one of the Tiny Tots.


    Like most things that existed in reality, that wave of energy was composed of charged particles. It was easy enough for Watabe to manipulate it, with the Ion Program. There was no need to mention Micheal; a wave of energy was still just a wave and fell prey to his Pulse Program. Their abilities had increased rapidly over the past half year, largely thanks to Zac¡¯s guidance.


    All of the Tiny Tots could say the same. Their mentors helped them, but they felt more like an afterthought to most of them. Zac was the only one who invested significant amounts of time into them.


    ¡°Ken, Micheal¡­ what are you doing?!¡± Devin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sensei, but I believe you are overstepping,¡± Watabe answered.


    ¡°Ya, mate, you¡¯re not following your own rules,¡± Micheal added.


    ¡°See ya!¡± Trigger chuckled as he teleported away.


    ¡°Subdue them; it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ll listen to reason. I¡¯m going after Kenji.¡± Devin grumbled as he vanished.


    After Devin vanished, the Mentors and other members of the Japan Branch began to encircle the Tiny Tots. Mawu was the first to speak,


    ¡°Come on, kids, we don''t want to hurt you, so just take it easy, ok? Just until things cool down.¡±


    The Tiny Tots'' laughter echoed through the dark Testing Ground, sending chills down some Mentor''s back. Only the emergency lights lit their aggravated faces. Shockingly, Travis was the first to speak,


    ¡°Sorry, mama Mawu, but you guys aren''t in a position to reason with us.¡± All the Mentors were put on their guard as Manic spoke.


    They realized that all the Tiny Tots, not just Trigger, were shielded against Devin¡¯s Black Out by Micheal and Watabe. They had the number advantage, but all the Tiny Tots could Overclock.


    ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯ll have to discipline these naughty children.¡± L¨¦onie sighed as she smiled at the Tiny Tots.


    At that moment, the entire group was brought to their knees by an unseen force. Watabe struggled to look up at L¨¦onie, now floating in the air.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Genkei cried out.


    ¡°G-gravity! She can control gravity.¡± Akiko surmised.


    The only response they got in return was L¨¦onie¡¯s giggle. Her giggle was cut short when she noticed someone still standing on their feet within the group of Tiny Tots. Yu-jun had been standing with the children during the events. He glared at L¨¦onie as he stood comfortably in her field of significantly increased gravity. He manipulated his own bones and blood to nullify the added weight placed on them. L¨¦onie¡¯s eyes widened when Yu-jun spoke,


    ¡°Initiating Overclock¡­ Kneel.¡± The Bone Collector''s raspy voice echoed, and he raised his hands only to lower them slowly.


    With this motion, everyone, excluding the Tiny Tots, felt their bones creak and bend against their will; their blood grew heavy like mud in their veins. They all found themselves prostrating in The Bone Collector''s direction. Even L¨¦onie fell from the air and found herself struggling to stand.


    ¡°Devin and I need to have a long conversation when he returns.¡± The Bone Collector grumbled.


    ¡°Sorry, but he¡¯s quite busy. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll just have to make do with me.¡± L¨¦onie said as she sprang towards The Bone Collector, having freed herself entirely from his control.


    ¡°Then come, Gladiolus!¡± The Bone Collector shouted at L¨¦onie, aka Gladiolus. He knew even with her ability to Overclock currently disabled, this was an uphill battle. Even through all this she still constrained The Tiny Tots with her Gravity.


    Trigger stood on top of a roof in the dark streets of Tokyo. Black Out had undoubtedly done a number on the city. The chattering sounds of panicked civilians and car horns spread through the night sky. Trigger sighed as he looked over his shoulder to see Devin appearing behind him.


    ¡°You really are persistent, aren¡¯t you?¡± He moaned in annoyance.


    ¡°You may have copied my ability, but you can never copy my experience. There are several-¡±


    ¡°There are several nuances that you could never perceive without countless hours of, blah blah, blah, yap, yap. Yeah, I heard this all from Franky. But I learned something else from Zac.¡± Trigger interrupted, his distorted voice mocking from behind the faceless mask.


    ¡°And what was that? His smart mouth? Because you certainly got that down pat.¡±


    ¡°No, work smarter, not harder.¡± Trigger started to chuckle


    ¡°Hmmp, some things can only be overcome through hard work,¡± Devin grumbled.


    ¡°Eh, maybe, but superpowers aren¡¯t one of them; for instance, thanks to having Pulse and your ability to manipulate space, I figured out how you can track me every time I teleport.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    At his statement, Devin¡¯s eyes narrowed. Trigger had picked up on what had taken him years to understand in moments. When one bent space to transport themselves, there was a very slight wave of disturbance emitted from the location you were at and the place you were going. It was extraordinarily subtle, but with Pulse, that subtle irregularity stood out like a sore thumb.


    Devin, who stood 5 meters in front of Trigger, sent out a punch; that punch denied the laws of space and threatened to hit Trigger in the back of his head. Trigger turned lazily to avoid the strike and then teleported off again, his laughter echoing in Devins''s ears. Devin clenched his jaws,


    ¡°That boy¡­¡± Devin thought to himself.


    He instantly picked up on the space disturbance and teleported towards it. Trigger still had not attempted any long-range teleportations; it seemed he was still getting familiar with the power. Devin knew he¡¯d have to reign Trigger in before that happened, or he¡¯d never be able to catch him.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Devin cursed as he appeared where he thought Trigger would be, in the sky high above the Tokyo skyline. However, no one was there when he arrived, and he felt multiple spatial disturbances. Before deciphering what was happening, he quickly extended both hands to his sides.


    A barrier of bending space formed around him as countless nano bullets appeared out of thin air and crashed against his barrier.


    ¡°You gotta be kidding me!¡± Devin growled.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Trigger appeared within the barrier next to Devin, sending a powerful punch towards Devin¡¯s face, faster than Devin could keep up with. Devin was rocked by the punch as he tumbled through the air before he stopped, using the space beneath his feet to stabilize himself in the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re Overclocked?¡± Devin finally realized as he spit out some blood.


    ¡°Duh¡­ wait, are you not? You cocky bastard!¡± Trigger chuckled as he shook his fist. Punching that man¡¯s face hurt like hell, even with the Nano-Armor. What was he made of? That punch would have taken off a Werewolf''s head but barely tickled Devin.


    He thought things were a little too easy up till this point. He knew Devin wasn¡¯t trying, but he didn¡¯t expect him to completely disregard him enough to not even Overclock. Trigger didn¡¯t know why, but he was a little annoyed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have discovered or what you''re up to, but nothing you and Ume do will change anything,¡± Devin said as he folded his arms. He seemed far more confident now that he understood Trigger was Overclock.


    This made Trigger tense up like Devin had already determined his limits and was now toying with him.


    ¡°What are YOU up to Devin?¡± Trigger asked.


    ¡°Everything I do is for the betterment of mankind. Regardless of your thoughts, Zac has always been my best friend.¡± Devin frowned.


    ¡°More like pet number 1.¡± Trigger snapped back.


    ¡°What, are you jealous, Number 3?¡± Devin mocked.


    Trigger¡¯s eyes widened behind his mask. Before he could process what Devin had said, the sounds of broken glass filled his ears as space shattered around him. Those shattered pieces of space instantly reformed into binding and wrapped around Trigger¡¯s arms and legs. Devin walked through the air towards Trigger, his hands firmly in his finely pressed suit pants as his trench coat fluttered in the wind. Trigger tried to teleport away, but these spatial bindings wouldn¡¯t allow him.


    ¡°Reboot: Black Out.¡± Another advancement of the upgraded nanites. Zeroes could use their boot-up sequences as much as needed. Although each subsequent use put quite the strain on them. The energy wave exploded again; this time, Trigger could do nothing to avoid it. His Nano-Armor fell off like sludge, and his Overclock was forcefully ended.


    ¡°Clench your teeth,¡± Devin said as he lifted his right hand from his pocket to send an air-quaking punch to the side of Trigger¡¯s face.


    Trigger glared at Devin as his mouth filled with blood. Devin¡¯s dead eyes stared back at Trigger, and he mocked,


    ¡°What? Did you think you were Zac? You thought you actually stood a chance against me? Stop this nonsense, or do I need to get more violent?¡±


    The only response Devin received was bloody spit splashing his face. Devin wiped the blood away with a handkerchief pulled from his trench coat,


    ¡°Classy. Just taking you back won¡¯t accomplish much; you¡¯ll just run for it again. I can¡¯t waste my time watching you 24/7, either. What to do, what to do?¡± Devin thought out loud.


    ¡°Just let me go find Zac! What are you so afraid of?¡± Trigger asked.


    ¡°Him killing you,¡± Devin responded flatly.


    ¡°Why would he kill me but not Ume?¡± Trigger asked.


    ¡°Why indeed¡­ and who knows, maybe he will kill Ume,¡± Devin responded cryptically.


    Trigger didn¡¯t understand everything, but he did understand that Ume was disposable as far as Devin was concerned.


    ¡°Ume''s that much of a threat to you?¡±


    ¡°Threat? No. Inconvenient? Absolutely! Soldiers don¡¯t need to think, just follow orders, and she is far too willful.¡±


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    ¡°Everything I do is for the preservation of mankind. Everything!¡± Devin glared at Trigger and his na?ve thoughts.


    ¡°Maybe putting you into an artificially induced coma until things have settled down will do the trick.¡± Devin mused.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Trigger bellowed.


    ¡°Oh, do you like that idea?¡± Devin asked curiously.


    ¡°Eat a dick! STOP!¡± At Trigger¡¯s words, everything went quiet. The clouds stopped their movement, the wind died, and even the thoughts running through Devin¡¯s mind paused momentarily. Then, out of thin air, Sage appeared above the ¡°paused¡± Devin. She blew a fist full of pollen into Devin¡¯s face as she free-fell past back towards the ground.


    Everything unpaused, and Devin instantly gasped for air as the pollen entered his lungs. His concentration was broken, the spatial bindings shattered, and Trigger, not missing his moment, disappeared from sight, but not before flipping Devin off.


    Back at Test Grounds, Trigger and Sage noticed that the bracelets Shaila left them gave off a higher vibration the closer they were. Trigger never had any thoughts of escaping Devin on his own. He knew even if he could now bend space, Devin could do it better. But what if Devin couldn¡¯t think properly? Would he still be able to keep up?


    Trigger knew Sage had developed lots of nasty little poisons. That pollen being one of them. The pollen was a hallucinogenic poison she designed to work even on Chasers. Trigger followed his cube''s increasing vibration to close the gap between him and Ume without alerting Devin. Once trapped, he used Pulse to pinpoint Sage and teleport her to his location for assistance.


    ¡°You''re welcome!¡± Sage shouted as Trigger appeared next to her free-falling body. He grabbed her by the waist and teleported them to the ground before making two more large ¡°jumps,¡± taking them well out of the city limits of Tokyo.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks. Thanks for not staying still for two damn seconds!¡± Kenji moaned as he released Ume and sat down.


    They found themselves in a random forest. Kenji took a deep breath as he tried to catch his breath. Devin was far more terrifying than he thought.


    ¡°Be happy that I managed to piece together what was going on. Speaking of, what the hell? You teleported me 2 kilometers above the skyline without warning. What if I didn¡¯t react fast enough, huh? What if¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, come on. I knew you were ready for anything the moment you stopped moving.¡± Kenji responded.


    Ume nodded her head; Kenji having to make an escape was one of the possibilities she had considered, and his being able to copy Devin¡¯s spatial ability was also something she had considered. Still, it was somewhat disorienting nonetheless.


    ¡°How long will that pollen last?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Devin won''t be able to think straight for a few days to a week if we''re lucky. Leaving us to escape without worry for the time being.¡± Ume responded.


    ¡°You know he can track my teleports?¡±


    ¡°Logically speaking, someone who can bend and control space should be able to pick up on spatial disturbances. I also would assume those disturbances will fade and heal themselves rather quickly. Otherwise, space would have collapsed by now.¡± Ume rambled off her hypothesis, and Kenji nodded as if he understood.


    ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± Kenji wondered.


    ¡°We need to find sensei. The easiest way to do that will be to find the Twins.¡± Ume folded her arms.


    ¡°Right, the twins.¡±


    The Twins rarely stayed in the same place too long, and only Zac and Shaila knew where they were at any given time. And only 4 people knew what they looked like, 3 now that Shaila had died. Ume was one of those 3.


    ¡°You know where they are?¡±


    ¡°I know where they could be. And with these cubes and your ability to teleport, it shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± The vibrations emitted from the cubes had stopped once Kenji and Ume had made contact. One could only assume once they were within a certain range the tracking function of these cubes would stop.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going,¡± Kenji said as he stood up.


    ¡°Ok, the most likely spot they¡¯ll be, especially with all this going on, will be their lab in Helsinki, Finland,¡± Ume said as she held out her hand.


    ¡°Which way is Helsinki?¡± Kenji asked as he grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Ume sighed, having only realized that Kenji was new to this power, so he couldn¡¯t just spirit them away to any location on Earth. Ume sighed and just pointed. Kenji nodded his head, and the two of them disappeared.


    Devin appeared back at the Testing Ground, holding his head with an irritated expression. The two of them managed to get the best of him, but there would not be a second time. He looked up to see the Tiny Tots surrounded. To the side, L¨¦onie was standing over Yu-jun, who was on his knees and subdued. From the look of L¨¦onie¡¯s clothing and the surrounding area, they had quite the fight.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. From the look on your face, it looks like Kenji got away?¡± L¨¦onie commented.


    ¡°They caught me off guard,¡± Devin responded.


    ¡°They? I see¡­¡± L¨¦onie got the general idea of what had transpired from Devin¡¯s unfocused eyes.


    ¡°So what¡¯s our next move?¡± Hachiman asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to look for Zac. The fastest way to find him would be to find The Twins.¡±


    ¡°Zac was the only person who knew where to look for The Twins at any given time,¡± Helena said.


    ¡°No, Ume also knows. We need to track her now. They already have too much of a head start.¡± Devin said.


    ¡°No, you need to rest. We can handle this.¡± L¨¦onie said as she looked at Devin, he was in no condition to do anything.


    ¡°Yeah, go take a rest. I¡¯ll talk to Dr. Hamilton and keep track of Ume''s location.¡± Franky said.


    Devin reluctantly agreed and started to walk out of the Testing Grounds. As he walked past the Tiny Tots and The Bone Collector, he said,


    ¡°All of you are suspended from active duty until further notice. Assign Chasers to keep an eye on them. If they do anything other than live like a civilian without my permission, take it as an act of aggression and report to me immediately.¡±


    ¡°I would like to put in for my leave of absence,¡± Genkei said with a smile.


    ¡°Fuck off, kid!¡± Devin said as the door closed behind him. The sounds of the Tiny Tots giggling echoed in his ears.

 Book 2, Chapter 9: Snowfall

    Kenji plopped himself on a nearby bench in the busy streets of Helsinki. He had spent the last 2 hours continuously teleporting himself and Ume across Asia and Europe and was now completely spent. Ume looked at him and chuckled,


    ¡°You have 5 minutes to rest. This is Oleander territory, and there''s no doubt they¡¯re looking for us.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? They wouldn¡¯t be able to stop us before, and now they don¡¯t even have the Upgrades; what''s there to be afraid of?¡± Kenji let out a deep breath and leaned forward.


    ¡°I would like to avoid as much conflict as possible. Especially while we¡¯re searching.¡±


    Kenji waved his hand in understanding as he focused on recovering.


    ¡°So where exactly are we going, and what do The Twins look like?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to an antique shop two blocks from here, and if you see them, you¡¯ll know it¡¯s them.¡± Ume giggles.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, how have other people not found them by now?¡±


    ¡°Because they stand out, it¡¯s easy for them to hide. If I didn¡¯t tell you, you couldn¡¯t spot them either. They take the hiding in plain sight strategy to the extreme.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Kenji hopped off the bench, cutting his break short.


    The looks he was getting from the civilians walking past them were putting him on edge. In reality, they were all probably just curious, as he and Ume had been speaking Japanese since they arrived.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; the sooner we find the Twins, the sooner I can rest,¡± Kenji responded.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Ume motioned for Kenji to follow her through the busy Helsinki streets.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to reach the antique shop in question. Kenji raised an eyebrow as he read the sign,


    ¡°Scrap Heap? That¡¯s quite the name for an antique shop.¡±


    ¡°Well, it works; it¡¯s actually quite the well-known spot. Come on.¡± Ume guided Kenji through the rustic wooden door. The chime of a bell signified their avail. The little antique shop did have more people browsing through than Kenji had expected. The old man who sat behind the counter smiled at Ume¡¯s arrival,


    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up a specialty order?¡± Ume said as she spoke fluent finnish.


    ¡°Good to see you again, Ms. Chiba. I have been informed that you are allowed access to the top shelf. Please help yourself to the back.¡± The elderly man opened a back door, letting Kenji and Ume enter.


    ¡°What¡¯s back there? And what''s the top self?¡± A curious customer asked as she brought up an old wristwatch that had caught her attention. The older man didn¡¯t answer her; he just gave her a gentle smile.


    The back room looked like your average storage. Ume led Kenji over to a closet,


    ¡°Close the door behind you,¡± Ume commanded.


    Kenji did as asked and cleared his throat as he found himself in tight quarters with Ume. She looked up at him with a smile,


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited.¡±


    She tapped the wall next to her, and a green interface appeared. After a few taps of her finger, the small closet expanded to the size of an elevator. In the next moment, ¡°the closet¡± descended into the earth. The speed of the descent momentarily caught Kenji off guard. By the time he regained his composure, the closet had stopped.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Where is here?¡± Kenji said.


    ¡°One of 80 labs located worldwide that belong to The Twins. Most Renegades aren¡¯t allowed into the actual labs; at most, they go to storage to request and pick up orders.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re different?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m different. I¡¯m sensei¡¯s only real mentee.¡± Ume said with a proud smirk on her face.


    ¡°Right.¡± Kenji chuckled.


    His chuckling stopped when the lights came on. Calling this a lab was generous at best. There was junk everywhere: busted guns, half-completed gear, and scrap metal. He could barely make out several work tables under the piles of junk. There were knocked-over shelves and chairs everywhere.


    Blast marks were on the white walls, and several lights dangled precariously from the ceiling. The only place in the lab that seemed untouched was the giant computer in the back of the room.


    ¡°Looks like someone got here before us and ransacked the place,¡± Kenji commented.


    ¡°What?! Oh, you mean the mess. No, it''s always like this.¡± Ume responded as she hopped over a pile of junk as she made her way towards the computer.


    ¡°Always?!¡±


    ¡°Always. This one is pretty clean compared to their other labs. They like to play with their toys before giving them away.¡± She finally made her way to the computer,


    ¡°Greetings Ume, why is the sky blue?¡±


    ¡°It just is stupid; not everything needs a reason for existing,¡± Ume said with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°Shut up, it¡¯s the passcode,¡± Ume said to Kenji before he could ask.


    ¡°Open up, Top Shelf. ¡° Ume commanded.


    ¡°Permission has been granted to open Top Shelf.¡± The A.I. voice sounded.


    ¡°OI! Ume, is that you?! Look, it''s Ume!!!¡± A feminine voice called out.


    ¡°I can see that idiot!!¡± A masculine voice responded.


    The Twins'' voices clamored as their blurred-out faces popped on the computer screen. They pushed each other out of the way as they tried to get a word in. They expected Ume to look for them here first and had set up everything beforehand.


    ¡°Hey, is that the Kenji guy you¡¯re crushing on?¡± The male Twin asked


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re not supposed to call out a girl¡¯s crush, stupid.¡± His sister responded.


    ¡°Where are you two?¡± Ume asked, trying to quickly change the topic, as Kenji uncomfortably looked at some unfinished work from the twins as he tried to ignore their conversation.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the site where everything happened.¡± The Sister responded.


    ¡°By everything, you mean?¡± Kenji was the one to ask this time.


    ¡°Yeah, where Shaila died.¡± The Brother responded solemnly.


    ¡°Send us the coordinates. We¡¯ll meet you there.¡± Ume said.


    ¡°Yeah, sure, but we left you a signal scrambler. It should be on the left side of the computer; put it on.¡± The sister spoke.


    Ume looked over at the left side table and saw a pile of junk; she shook her head. She was sure it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find the scrambler there.


    ¡°We really need to work on your organization skills.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± The Twins asked, confused.


    ¡°Never mind, I found it, and this is more than just a signal scrambler.¡± Ume eyes widened as she placed a bracelet around her wrist. The information about its functions flowed into her mind as she put it on. The Twins just chuckled in response.


    With this, she knew it would be close to impossible for the Renegade to keep track of her position as they had been. And because she took her leave of absence, she had a year to work with before she would be labeled as a traitor. That left her with plenty of time and freedom. As for the added function, she was sure it would come in handy sooner or later.


    ¡°You guys need to get a move on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Oleanders are in the shop.¡± The Twins commented.


    Kenji frowned as he didn¡¯t notice them being followed. Of course, they wouldn''t be Chasers if they couldn¡¯t properly stalk their prey. Kenji looked over at Ume, and who sent the coordinates to Kenji,


    ¡°Are you ok with your shop being compromised?¡± Kenji asked.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine; the Oleanders are part of the Renegades now. So they would come and visit eventually¡­. Buuuuuuuuut!¡± The sister said.


    ¡°They came without prior notice, so we need to send a message!¡± The Brother chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go, Kenji!¡± Ume chimed in. Kenji nodded his head and teleported the two of them away.


    Back in the shop proper, the Oleanders had shuffled the civilians in the shop out and locked the door behind them. The 5 Chasers spread out through the shop and looked at the smiling elderly shopkeeper.


    ¡°How may I help you fine youngsters today?¡± The kind shopkeep asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here for you, old man. Where are Ume and Kenji?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can not give you the location of valued customers. Can I perhaps interest you in some antiques? The shop is filled with all sorts of wonders.¡±


    ¡°Subdue the old man, we¡¯ll go check the back.¡± The leader commanded.


    One of the Oleander changed towards the old shopkeeper as the other 4 raced towards the door leading towards the back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t resist, old man; I don¡¯t want to have to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, aren¡¯t you a fine young man? But there''s no need to worry about me.¡± Before the Oleander could adequately respond, the old man reached out his hand. He grabbed his assailant by the neck, slamming him against the countertop in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the back area is restricted to approved personnel only.¡± The smiling old man pointed his free hand towards the Chasers, who were still in shock, watching their college being subdued by the old man.


    The shopkeeper''s extended palm transformed into a plasma arm rifle, his eyes glowed red. Four rapid plasma shots blasted out, knocking the 4 Chasers against a nearby wall.


    ¡°Intainting Customer Service Protocol.¡± The Old man''s robotic voice sounded as the shop windows darkened and shutters dropped. Protective barriers sprang up to cover the merchandise, and several automated guns sprang from the walls, their laser pointers trained on the recovering Chasers. All the while, the previously subdued Chaser struggled under the shopkeeper''s grip.


    Everyone walking past the locally famous Scrap Heap just assumed the shop closed early for the day; no one could hear the chaos inside.


    Back at his high-rise luxury apartment in Seattle, Devin was still struggling with the effects of the pollen. At the moment, he was having a very vivid nightmare about what happened with Zac and Shaila,


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t what I wanted. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be¡­¡± Devin muttered in his sleep as L¨¦onie looked over him with a worried expression,


    ¡°Vicious little bitch, what kind of poison did she make?¡± L¨¦onie patted the sweat off of Devin¡¯s forehead. She got a call on her phone, and she forwarded the call to the communication system in Devin''s room. A screen appeared in front of her,


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°We are getting an urgent report from the Oleander team, tailing Ume and Kenji.¡± a Renegade communication operative relayed.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Patch them through¡­¡± L¨¦onie commanded.


    ¡°Yes, mam!¡±


    ¡°OI! Is that Leo?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is; why do you always ask obvious questions?¡±


    ¡°Why are you always such an asshole, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe if you weren¡¯t such a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Look here!!¡±


    ¡°Twins!!! A pleasure, as always. Why are you on this transmission?¡± L¨¦onie interrupted the Twin''s usual antics. Their blurred faces snapped back towards the screen, eerily.


    ¡°Heh¡­ you¡¯re no fun.¡± The sister¡¯s voice took a very dark turn. That playful nature instantly turned cold emotionless.


    L¨¦onie sighed; she had never met them in person but had interacted with them on more than one occasion. She always felt they were far more sinister than just a pair of bickering children. With their background, there was no way the world''s ugliness hadn¡¯t affected them.


    ¡°Your goons came looking for trouble at one of our establishments. You may be new, but you should know the rules for Chasers. You don¡¯t come without a reservation.¡± The brother spoke, his voice just as cold as his sisters.


    ¡°Are they dead?¡± L¨¦onie asked.


    ¡°No, whether we like it or not, you and your crew are a part of the Renegades now. We don¡¯t kill our own, no matter how much we might want to.¡± The Sister responded.


    ¡°Yeah, GRAMPS just put them out of commission for a while.¡± The Brother added.


    ¡°Gramps?¡±


    ¡°Yes, G.R.A.M.P.S. It stands for Giga Ridiculously Armed Mechanized Portable Shopkeep. It''s a new toy we made to watch our bases. We had Zac battle-test them. Results were amazing.¡± The Sister giggled darkly.


    ¡°Lucky you for, it¡¯s programmed not to kill humans, unless told to by one of us. So come pick up your shit!¡± The Brother chuckled.


    ¡°Wait before you go.¡± L¨¦onie injected before they could hang up.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We know you¡¯re looking for Zac. We all want to find and bring him in before he does more damage. So why can¡¯t we just work together?¡± L¨¦onie asked.


    ¡°Wish we could believe that.¡± The Sister responded.


    ¡°And even if we did. What makes you think we want to stop him?¡± The Brother responded.


    L¨¦onie sighed as the Twins'' true colors became more apparent to her.


    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret your decision.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± The Twins quickly ended the call.


    L¨¦onie turned her attention back towards Devin, who was starting to wake up. As he sat up, she asked,


    ¡°Did you hear all that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±


    ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°Same as always, we must get to Zac for his own sake. I¡¯m willing to bet the twins are at the place where I found Zac and Shaila.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were the only one who knew where Zac and Shaila went on their Honeymoon?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much you can hide from those little brats. I¡¯ll also bet that we can no longer track Ume either. This will be our only chance for a while; we must get there.¡± Devin forced himself out of bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re in no condition to,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!!! Sorry, I¡¯m fine. I need to go there, Leo.¡± Devin looked at her with pleading eyes,


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m coming with you. But first, we need to prepare properly this time.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ you take the lead since I¡¯m not at 100% right now.¡±


    ¡°Just like old times.¡±


    ¡°Just like old times.¡± Devin smiled.


    Kenji teleported the two of them towards the location given to them by the twins. When they arrived, Kenji gasped at the destruction that had taken place. Seeing it on screen was one thing, but seeing it in person like this put everything into perspective. Kenji looked at the scarred ground and the battered treeline, then saw two figures in the distance ahead of him. Those two figures turned around to face the approaching Kenji and Ume,


    ¡°They''re The Twins?¡± Kenji asked, confused.


    ¡°They¡¯re The Twins,¡± Ume said, holding back a rare genuine chuckle.

 Book 2, Chapter 10: Unveiling

    Kenji¡¯s head tilted as he saw The Twins running towards him. Ume looked at his expression and started to chuckle to herself. The two of them looked nothing like twins at all. There was a pale-skinned young, energetic woman with a head full of long red curls, a face full of freckles, and bright green eyes. Her petite frame bounced towards them.


    Walking next to her was a tall, dark-skinned male. His long dark curls slightly twisted and flopped over to the right side of his head to show off the design shaved into the left front side of his head. His light brown eyes had a more stern expression. Both of them had baby faces, And, upon further inspection, had several similar features.


    ¡°What? Never seen twins before?¡± The young woman asked as she poked Kenji in the chest. Kenji stammered, not knowing what to say or if he should say anything.  The Twins laughed,


    ¡°Dad was giga Jamaican.¡±


    ¡°Mom was super Irish. You get 2 chances to guess which we take after.¡± The brother and sister responded, respectively.


    ¡°Okay, that makes sense.¡± Kenji finally understood what Ume said earlier; he wouldn''t have given them a second glance if he had seen these two walking around in public. Other than the two of them being eye-catching, the word "twins" did not spring to mind when he saw them.


    ¡°Kenji, these are Roisin and Zidane Reid. Twins, this is Suzuki Kenji.¡±


    ¡°Hello, and I prefere Trigger, these days.¡± Trigger waved,


    ¡°Cool, s¡¯up?¡± Both of the twins responded nonchalantly.


    ¡°Lovely, now that the children are here, let¡¯s return to work, Zizi,¡± Roisin said with a smile as she turned back towards the destroyed forest, waving a strange device that looked like an over-designed remote.


    ¡°Right, right.¡± Zidan pulled back the sleeve of his winter coat, and a virtual screen popped up in front of him.


    ¡°Did you guys find out anything of value?¡± Ume asked as she trailed behind the two of them.


    ¡°Of value? Not really, we just confirmed what the four of us already knew.¡± Zidane said.


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Trigger asked.


    ¡°Devin¡¯s full of shite!¡± Roisin cursed as she looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°How so? Is Zac human or¡­¡± Trigger tried to infer.


    ¡°Oh, not that. Zac is 100% not human; we¡¯ve known that for years. But honestly, who gives a shite about that?¡± Zidane chuckled.


    ¡°No, we mean him going crazy for no reason.¡± Roisin corrected.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ume inquired.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly, but there was a fight here, and it wasn¡¯t another monster. There were humans here. Zac didn¡¯t just lose control; he got pissed¡­ I¡¯m sure you can probably guess why.¡± Roisin said as she stopped scanning.


    ¡°Someone killed Shaila.¡± Trigger clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Right in front of Zac¡­¡± Ume clenched her fist.


    ¡°Exactly, at least that¡¯s what we think. Based on everything we¡¯ve gathered from the debris.¡± Zidane added.


    ¡°Only Zac will be able to tell exactly what happened.¡± Roisin chimed in.


    ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± Trigger responded.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s moping around here somewhere; we already told him we¡¯re here to help him. So he should be back soon.¡± Zidane said.


    ¡°Wait, you already found him?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Duh¡­¡± The Twins responded, almost insulted by the implication.


    ¡°You know that device we made for tracking targets? You know the one where you just need a DNA sample and a general location, and it literally gps¡¯ you to the target?¡± Roisin said.


    ¡°Yeah, the so easy a monkey can use, device that you and Zac struggle with for some reason¡­ that thing?¡± Zidane added with a smirk.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Ume¡¯s annoyed voice answered.


    ¡°Weeeeeell, we just made a new one specifically designed to track Zac; we found him instantly; it was so easy¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, super easy.¡± The Twins started to laugh.


    Trigger started to laugh as he looked at Ume¡¯s face. Seeing Ume on the receiving end of this kind of treatment was a nice change of pace. No one was able to keep pace with her mentally, except Zac and Shaila, and it seemed the Twins were even a step faster than her. He understood why she spent most of her free time around them.


    ¡°According to said device, Zac is returning right now. I¡¯ll give it about 30 seconds.¡±


    ¡°30 seconds?!¡± Trigger was shocked.


    If Zac was that close, he was sure he¡¯d be able to pick up on his presence at least a little. Trigger then looked over his shoulder. The snow kicked up behind him, and a masked, cloaked figure stood in the midst of that snow. That mask peeled away to reveal Zac¡¯s haggard face.


    ¡°Hey, kids,¡± Zac said lifelessly.


    ¡°Sensei, are you alright?¡± Ume asked with a concerned look on her face.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, stupid question.¡± Ume lowered her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, kid.¡± Zac rubbed the top of Ume¡¯s head as he walked past the group to look at the destruction that he had caused.


    ¡°Zac, what happened?¡± Trigger asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure The Twins and Devin told you everything, right?¡± Zac said without looking at the two of them.


    ¡°About you not being human, yeah, but what happened¡­¡±


    ¡°With Shaila? I killed her; it''s my fault.¡± Zac''s dead eyes looked over his shoulder. The four of them looked at him shocked, and Trigger frowned,


    ¡°Zac, please¡­ what happened?¡±


    ¡°We were attacked by people calling themselves Theronites. I assumed they were after me and led them away from Shaila. Turns out they were after our baby¡­ fill in the rest.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you killed her, stupid!!!¡± Roisin blurted out.


    ¡°Then I guess you lack imagination,¡± Zac said as he sat in the snow and slumped against a downed tree.


    The four of them knew there was far more to the story, but from Zac''s current state, it was clear he wasn¡¯t keen on sharing. Trigger, on the other hand, was in shock when he heard the name Theronites. Now he understood why Devin was so sure that Zac would try to kill him. He took a deep breath and then said,


    ¡°You were attacked by Heka¡­¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°What is Heka, Trigger, and how do you know?¡± Ume said with a frown on her face.


    Trigger explained what his mother had told him about the Persequion and Heka and then looked over at Zac, saying,


    ¡°My mother is a Disavowed member of the Theronites, an Oathbreaker. I found out right before Devin called us in.¡±


    Ume placed her hand over her mouth in contemplation, and The Twins looked towards Zac, who was still sitting with a blank expression on his face.


    ¡°HEHEHE HEHEHEHAHAHAAHAHA!¡± Zac began to break out into hysterical laughter. Ume broke out of her concentration and stared at Trigger with concern. It was hard to tell what state of mind Zac was in, so there was no telling what he could do.


    The snow kicked up in the blink of an eye, and Zac loomed over Trigger.


    ¡°Sensei!¡±


    ¡°Zac!¡± Ume and the Twins called out in panic.


    The pupils of Zac¡¯s dark purple eyes turned into sinister slits, and he placed his hands on both of Trigger¡¯s shoulders. He stared into Kenji¡¯s eyes, and a familiar arrogant smile stretched across his face,


    ¡°Thanks, kid.¡± That''s all Zac said as he turned around and faced the other three.


    He seemed to have been rejuvenated in an instant.


    ¡°I finally have a target.¡± Zac chuckled.


    Ume and the Twins let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Fuck¡¯in Devin¡­ seems my mother was right, as usual,¡± Zac said with an annoyed groan.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°Devin is a very aggressive individual. There were only two times that was not the case. With my mother and Trigger¡¯s. I always assumed that was out of respect for me and The Bone Collector. But no, it was because he knows who and what they are. He¡¯s been playing me like a fool for a very long time. My best friend¡­ my biggest blind spot. I wonder how many secrets he''s been keeping from me.¡± Zac snorted.


    ¡°Did Shaila leave you anything like this?¡± Trigger asked as he and Ume held up his bracelet with the cube hanging from it.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± The twins responded in tandem.


    Zidan had a cube hanging from his left ear, while Roisin moved her hair to reveal the cube from her right ear. Zac looked at the cubes and smiled,


    ¡°She didn¡¯t leave me anything like that, just this¡­¡± Zac pulled a necklace from under his tattered skirt, which was shaped like a teardrop, and had a purple shine to it.


    As soon as he revealed the necklace, the cubes began to react; they all broke apart, and their pieces floated toward the teardrop. The teardrop necklace detached itself from Zac and floated in the air before them as the cube pieces formed a frame. The teardrop filled the frame with light, and a purple image of Shaila¡¯s face appeared,


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you guys all together.¡± Her voice visibly shook Zac, and inhaled deeply his breathing trembling,  before clearing his throat.


    ¡°I have a lot to tell you, and there isn¡¯t much time. So listen closely.¡± Shaila¡¯s image quickly continued.


    ¡°First, Zac, my love. I¡¯m sorry for keeping what you are a secret for so long, but your mother never told you, so I assumed she wanted you to live as a human as long as possible. Talking to her, that became more obvious.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I?¡± Zac asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re unlike anything recorded in any record. Only your mother could know.¡±


    Zac took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Trigger looked at Zac, clenching his fist, and then looked at the sad expression on the ¡°Shaila¡± on the screen.


    ¡°Speaking of Devin. After having a conversation with your mother laced with underlying meanings, it was clear she knew exactly the type of person Devin was.¡±


    ¡°Explain¡­¡± Zac groaned, his emotional state becoming more unstable.


    ¡°I started digging after Devin declared that he intended to overtake The Oleanders and Weaving Adders. He hid it very well, but with the Twins'' help, I got my hands on some of his correspondents.¡± Zac looked over at the Twins at her words.


    ¡°She asked us to make a device that could hack anything and reconstruct deleted or long destroyed data, in a matter of seconds. We didn¡¯t know what for, and we did it during a lunch break. We didn¡¯t give it much thought.¡± Zidane explained.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I managed to access everything and everyone he¡¯d ever communicated with. To the point, the most interesting information involved talks about you, me, and Trigger.¡± Shaila¡¯s voice turned dark.


    ¡°And he was talking with a group calling themselves Heka.¡±


    Everyone went silent and looked over at Trigger, who had explained to them everything he had been told by his mother. Devin was born into their ranks if he was in contact with Heka.


    ¡°It looks like you guys have already figured some things out that I hadn¡¯t. Good, then maybe you¡¯ll be able to fill in some of the holes.¡±


    ¡°If Devin is a part of Heka, then he has been a part of them since childhood. That means by the time he entered the Oleanders as a recruit.¡± Ume started,


    ¡°He was under Heka¡¯s orders.¡± Trigger finished.


    ¡°And he just happened to meet Zac¡­ an unknown super cryptid living as a human? No shot.¡± Roisin inferred.


    ¡°Correct. From how the correspondence was worded, although coded, so admittedly, some things could have been lost in translation. Heka knew of Zac¡¯s existence before they met and mine as well.¡±


    ¡°No offense, but why are you so important?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°None taken¡­ Heka believes I descend from some great line of humanity and was waiting for a chance to get their hands on me. They didn¡¯t talk about it much, nor what its importance was. All I know is that Devin wanted all three of us.¡± Shaila said as she looked at Kenji.


    ¡°Number 3¡­.¡± Trigger muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Zac asked.


    ¡°When I was running away from Devin, I confronted him about you being nothing more than his favorite pet. In response, he mocked that I was jealous of being #3. I¡¯m guessing 1 and 2 were you and Shaila.¡± Trigger staggered back for a moment.


    Zac, who had been out of it for most of the time, hadn''t even realized that Ume and Trigger had to hightail it out of Renegade headquarters to reach him. He chuckled at his own incompetence and at the absurdity of the situation. After gathering himself, Zac spoke,


    ¡°Everything was manufactured. The Oleanders and Adders thinking I¡¯m a Taboo child, the ¡°vamps¡± killing Shaila¡¯s parents, and us finding Kenji and his mother. Everything was set up.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Zidane asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s what I would have done. If I wanted to possess us, I¡¯d make us feel indebted. I always thought Devin was a naive idealist¡­ hehehehehe, well played.¡± Zac chuckled.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Shaila¡¯s image confirmed Zac¡¯s suspensions.


    ¡°Wait, is Devin responsible for what happened to Shaila?¡± Ume asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Trigger was the first to respond.


    Everyone looked at him, a bit annoyed.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to defend the guy alright, but he seemed genuinely upset. Beyond that, my mom told me that Heka isn¡¯t cohesive. I can see a faction of them wanting Shaila¡¯s baby dead. Can¡¯t you?¡± Trigger reasoned, and all of them bowed their heads.


    Trigger was correct; Shaila was from some great human lineage, and Zac was some mysterious, powerful cryptid. The more zealous of Heka could have seen it as some sort of abomination and would rather see that lineage end rather than be defiled by monster blood.


    ¡°But¡­ Devin was the only one who knew where Shaila and Sensei were having their honeymoon.¡± Ume''s eyes narrowed as she brought up this fact.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too worked up. We know too little right now.¡± Zac was the voice of reason. Trigger looked into his eyes and saw a frightening calm.


    Moments ago, Zacs was teetering on the edge of madness, and before that, he was in a bottomless pit of despair. Trigger didn¡¯t know whether he was emotionally unstable or he had found his footing at this moment. He also didn¡¯t know which one was more terrifying.


    ¡°Do you have anything else for us?¡± Zac asked.


    ¡°Just a couple of things. First, I know what you¡¯ll do, Zac¡­ and I¡¯m totally on board.¡± The Shaila construct smirked,


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Second, I couldn¡¯t pinpoint any of Heka¡¯s bases.¡±


    ¡°And I doubt they¡¯re still staying anywhere my mom knows.¡± Trigger offered.


    Zac and the others nodded; it seemed everyone was on the same page on what was happening next.


    ¡°But, the old adage might hold true, especially considering what you are. ''The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'' Happy hunting, my love.¡± Shaila''s image winked at Zac before cutting off. The frame returned back to their individual cubes and made their way back to their respective owners. The teardrop necklace floated back into Zac¡¯s hand. He stared at the teardrop device blankly for several quiet minutes, before closing his fist around it.


    ¡°Did you two help her make this?¡± Zac asked the Twins.


    ¡°Nope, this was 100% her.¡±


    ¡°Crazy impressive.¡± The Twins responded.


    ¡°So we¡¯re going after Heka, right? What¡¯s our first step?¡± Trigger asked.


    ¡°You seem excited, kid,¡± Zac smirked,


    ¡°Of course, those bastards ruined my life and have apparently been trying to kill me for years. What they did to you and Shaila¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but are you sure you¡¯re comfortable working with a monster?¡±


    ¡°Zac, I always thought you weren¡¯t human anyway; this makes me feel like I wasn¡¯t completely crazy. Besides¡­¡±


    ¡°Who gives a shit about that anyway?¡± Ume butted in.


    ¡°Exactly!!!


    ¡°Exactly!!!¡± The twins blurted out.


    Zac started to chuckle. It was the first honest chuckle he had in the past day.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± Trigger said.


    ¡°Well, first, Devin and I must have a long overdue heart-to-heart.¡± Zac turned his head over his shoulder; at that moment, Trigger also felt a slight disturbance in space. His head snapped in the same direction.


    Five people appeared in the snow in front of Trigger¡¯s group. Devin stood in the center with L¨¦onie and Franky on his right and left, respectively; next to Franky stood Helena, and next to L¨¦onie stood Hachiman.


    ¡°It didn''t take you guys long to find my replacement,¡± Zac smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s an upgrade,¡± L¨¦onie commented.


    ¡°Shut up, bitch.¡± Zac growled.


    "Lovely..." Leo muttered.