《The Scars of Duke》


 Chapter 1

    The alleyway was a grimy stretch of brick walls, lined with graffiti and the stench of municipal trash. It just goes to show that not all of Neo-Veridian is pretty. I was just about to get out of the dump when a figure burst out, his face a mask of terror in the dim light. Behind him, a creature leaped, its shadow swallowing the alleyway. My pulse quickened, and a thrill of anticipation was already coursing through me. This was no ordinary beast. Its skin was a sickly green, and its eyes were glowing an unnatural red. I could already see the coins jingling in my pocket. I followed, my old sneakers squeaking in the narrow passage.


    This monster was faster than what I expected of it. It lunged, nearly a blur, but I caught it mid-pounce with a stunning kick. It flew across the alley, slamming into the bricks of the wall and sliding down on top of an overflowing trash bin. To my surprise, it landed on its feet, spun around, bared its razor teeth, and gave me one of the meanest stares I¡¯ve ever got, with its eyes narrow, and jaw crunching. Not bad, I think, as I braced for its next attack. In my head, I try to match it to the Hierarchy of Hostile Abnormals. It can¡¯t be higher than Tiger-Class; this was going to be an easy job.


    The job in question then makes a fatal mistake. It leaps, teeth ready to take my head off. Rookie, I think, as I duck and plant my fist into the Abnormal''s tough underside. It again took flight, this time toward the rooftops. I step back as it plummets to the concrete at my feet. These things are getting easier by the day. I grinned, feeling a surge of satisfaction.


    Then I remembered the would-be victim. I turned to face him. He was a thin man with a frightened and tired expression on his face. His clothes were torn and dirty, and he was leaning against the wall for support. He must have been running for a long time.


    ¡°H-h-how?¡± he stammers. ¡°You took it down so easy.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that strong,¡± I answer, while I pack up the remains of the Abnormal. ¡°Why was it chasing you?¡±


    ¡°I stumbled onto its nest yesterday. It started tracking me ever since.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense.¡±


    The man looks me up and down. ¡°Are you a Hunter?¡±  he asks. ¡°Where is your uniform?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Hunter,¡± I say. ¡°But I¡¯m a freelancer. I don¡¯t got a uniform.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyebrows twitch, and he seems to give me a pitying look. I know what he¡¯s going to say before he says it. ¡°Well,¡± he begins. If you ever want to get into real work, give us a call.¡± He holds out a card.


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    I took it, glancing at the name ¨CJack Thorne¨C and a cheap but generic-looking company logo. Can¡¯t be top-of-the-line, I think to myself.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, tucking it away without much interest. "However,¡± I began, "while I appreciate the offer, I prefer working for myself. "


    ¡°But the pay¡­¡± Thorne started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°The pay¡¯s fine,¡± I said, hefting the bag containing the Abnormal remains. ¡°Besides, dealing with these, well, lesser problems keeps me steadily at work. At a big guild, they only take bigger beasts, meaning less work. Now, please, excuse me,¡± I turned to leave, the squeak of my sneakers echoing in the alley. "Gotta go cash this baby in.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    I turn to face Thorne once more. He¡¯s looking at me more closely now. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    I blink. ¡°Samson,¡± I reply. ¡°Samson Duke.¡±


    Jack Thorne¡¯s eyes widen and he looks steadfastly at my face when he hears my surname. ¡°But that means you¡¯re¡­¡±


    Not right now, I think. I turn and leave as quickly as I can. I knew what he would say if I stayed.


    Emerging from the dark alley, the dazzling cityscape of Neo-Veridian stretches before me, with sunrays reflecting off of its behemoth glass buildings. I take a deep breath, pretty glad to be out of that stink of trash and have clean air.  Above me, an IronClad Air truck soars, making a soft humming sound, probably carrying important cargo in its neatly polished hull.


    Distracted by the truck, I almost don¡¯t see the fit young man, with the unmistakable uniform of the GWS Guild, that is sprinting on the rooftops. I stop walking to watch. He is running with his jaw set, face forward, and eyes fixed while he jumps from building to building with a practiced pace. I couldn¡¯t tell why until I heard a shrieking cry from so high up I had to crane my neck back to see what it was. A winged Abnormal was plunging from the clouds.


    As it approaches the Hunter, I get a better look at it. Its immense body was a canvas of scars, like a roadmap of its deadly encounters with Hunters and other monsters. Down its back, a knobbly spine protruded through its skin like spikes, and it¡¯s armed with claws that are like jagged swords. Anaconda-Class, I immediately think, already assessing this threat. The Hunter, however, seemed unfazed. As the Abnormal descended, he drew two devices. One lit up and out came a blade of what looked like blue light. The other was a grappling gun. He didn''t wait for the creature to land. With a deadly aim, he shot his gun upwards, meeting the creature in mid-air. The hook of steel caught on the Abnormal¡¯s clawed hand, and the Hunter used it to pull the monster towards himself. With a burst of speed, he rolled around the beast''s snapping jaw and then its razor talons to effectively slash off its wing, which was followed by a guttural roar that echoed through the city.


    I had to admit that this Hunter was skilled. And even though the combatants were out of sight, the sounds of their struggle ¨C the Hunter''s yells, the beast''s shrieks, punctuated by thuds and crashes ¨C suggested the fight would continue for some time. I continued on my way, a little disappointed I didn¡¯t get to see the battle. But after a few seconds, I go back to thinking about how much I¡¯ll get for taking down the smaller Abnormal¡¯s corpse now in my bag.

 Chapter 2

    I walk into the near-empty room. Jim, who is sitting at the counter, barely looks up. When he does, though, he smirks and raises his brows.


    ¡°Again, Mr. Duke?¡± he unnecessarily calls across the room. ¡°This is the third time this week, and it¡¯s only Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°That means I missed a day, Jim,¡± I joke. ¡°Also, try not to yell my name like that again. It attracts unwanted attention.¡± A few heads turn in our direction, and some ears twitch.


    ¡°I forget, Sam,¡± he apologizes. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s in the bag this time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say a Tiger-to-Grizzly-Class lizard.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get it?¡±


    ¡°Some lower-guild exec got tripped up on its nest yesterday and got hunted by it. Just happened to pass my way.¡±


    Jim nods. ¡°Speaking of¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start, Jim,¡± I interrupt, shaking my head. ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°But with your last name alone, you''d have your pick of the top guilds. Not to mention your skill.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. They only want to boost their rep.¡±


    Jim just shakes his head, his signature half-smile playing on his face. ¡°Alright, man. Here¡¯s your payout.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Jim. See ya tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I bet I will.¡±


    Back outside, things have quieted down. The sky seemed to clear itself of the few clouds that were in it, and there were no screams and yells from a fight with Abnormals, only light hums from the traffic both on the street and in the air. Smiling as I walk, I breathe in the cool air and enjoy the current peace of the city at night.


    I reach my house, but before I walk up, I see several cars parked in the driveway. My heart skips several beats and I shake my head. This can¡¯t be happening to me right now. I hesitate before going in.


    My family was here.


    ¡°Hey, Sam!¡± cried my sister, Bella. ¡°Dad was starting to think you wouldn¡¯t show!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± my dad adds. ¡°Where were you?¡±


    ¡°Working,¡± I mutter. What I really want to know is how they got inside and why.


    ¡°Working?¡± asks Brent, my older brother. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you finally picked up a job?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always had one,¡± I say flatly.


    ¡°Not sure what you were doing counts.¡±


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    I stamp forward. The impact shook the floor, causing a tremor to run through the room. ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Brent raises his chin with arrogance. ¡°I think you know what I¡­¡±


    Bella intervened. She stepped between us with such a fire in her eyes they seemed to glow. ¡°If you two don¡¯t stop now,¡± she starts. ¡°I will hurt both of you.¡±


    I immediately sit. Brent lowers his head. We both knew better than to argue with her.


    ¡°So,¡± I say slowly glancing around the room while avoiding making eye contact with Brent. ¡°Why are y¡¯all here?¡±


    My mother holds out a container. ¡°Brought you dinner,¡± she says. ¡°And we haven¡¯t seen you in days. You¡¯ve been avoiding us.¡± This was true, except I talked to Bella at her apartment just two days ago.


    ¡°That¡¯s mostly because last time, Dad tried (and failed) to recruit me to the Duke & Co. Guild again,¡± I say, my eyes shifting to him. ¡°Well, that aside, how¡¯d you even get in here?¡±


    ¡°You gave your neighbor your spare key,¡± answers Brent. ¡°After showing them some ID, they let us in happily.¡± I¡¯m going to need a word with my neighbors.


    Before I could think of any smart remark, both my entire family¡¯s cells started beeping. A Hostile Abnormal alert.


    All of my family members look at each other with wide eyes. Only the highest-class Abnormals triggered alerts like this. I call Jim.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Jim?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bad, Sam. A Dragon-Class. Escaped from the research facility.¡± Jim¡¯s usually unflappable voice had a sharp edge to it.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Sam, listen to me¡ª¡± Jim started, his voice strained. ¡°This isn¡¯t some two-bit bounty. This is¡­ this is different. I know you''re a better Hunter than you let on, but you need to stay out of this one.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The top Guilds are mobilizing all their Hunters, Sam. People are going to die, Sam. You could¡­¡± He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.


    I was touched for a moment. He was worried. About me. It was a rare thing. But there were lives on the line and I wasn¡¯t coung to stand aside. ¡°Jim,¡± I said firmly. ¡°If people are going to get hurt, I need to be there. You know that¡±


    Silence crackled on the other end.


    ¡°Jim?¡±


    A sigh. ¡°Bard and Yale.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    ¡°Yo, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Be careful, man.¡±


    I nod to myself. ¡°I always am.¡±


    After I hung up the call and filled in my family, I headed to a bright red control panel on the opposite wall. Once it read my biometrics, the wall slid open to reveal my weapons arsenal. There was no way I was going to face this thing unarmed. Inside there is a slightly armored jacket, a suitcase, and my oversized S.O.L.A.R.I.S. sword.


    ¡°Why do you need all that?¡± asked Brent. ¡°You''re not really going to Hunt are you?¡±


    ¡°You say one more word,¡± I say, heaving up my weapon. ¡°You¡¯ll be wishing you hadn''t¡±


    That shut him up. He muttered something about going to suit up himself, and left, the sound of his car engine quickly fading. Good riddance. The rest of the family (except my mother, because she wasn¡¯t a Hunter) followed soon after.


    Now that I had my real Hunting outfit on, I headed outside. With the press of a button, and many clicks and whirs, my ¡°suitcase¡± transformers into my Ironclad Razor board. I hop on and am instantly lifted into the skies. Even from a distance of a few miles, I can already see the destruction.

 Chapter 3 and Chapter 4

    CH 3


    A beast the size of a small building is smashing through structures, consuming everything in its path¡ªmetal, glass, and human beings alike. Steel bending and concrete wrenching are the loudest sounds, next to the screaming of civilians and cries and orders from the Hunters. I nearly don¡¯t recognize downtown Veridian. I swoop in to get a closer look.


    Getting closer, I got a pretty horrific view. The monster was a Frankenstein of Abnormals. Where its wings met its body, there was a zigzag of scars. Its teeth looked like razor swords rammed into its jaw. This beast was not natural; someone built it.


    I jump off my Razor and pull my S.O.L.A.R.I.S. off my back. The black metal hums to life, its edge glowing with an angry red color that casts faint shadows on surrounding debris. I land next to a team of Hunters in various Guild uniforms. It looked like a small army.


    Several Hunters turned to stare when I landed, their expressions ranging from confusion to outright hostility. A ripple of murmurs went through the assembled Hunters. ''A Freelancer?'' I heard one of them mutter. ''What''s he doing here?¡±


    The Hunters'' whispers faded into the background as I shifted into a combat stance, the S.O.L.A.R.I.S. feeling heavy but reassuring in my grip. I look up again at the beast. The sight of it made my stomach churn. This wasn''t some naturally occurring monster; this was a deliberate creation, a weapon. I let my anger build as I charge.


    I speed past the other Hunters retreating or wounded, and in moments I up to my enemy. I notice its eye seemed to lock onto me instantly as soon as I¡¯m within 20 paces. I duck under the monster to avoid its eyes. I lift my R.A.D.I.A.L. to deal what would have been a fatal blow to the its lower ribs, but the beast jumps upward and backward. Eyeing me again, it leaps and throws a punch. I jump on my Razor and lift into the air. I stare for a moment, confused. Abnormals don¡¯t box; but this one threw hands like the best of them.


    After dodging a few more attempts to knock me out the sky, I get an idea. I sacrifice my Razor, jumping of and letting my foe knock it out of the air. I¡¯m going to regret that later, I think. On my descent, I jam my S.O.L.A.R.I.S. into the side of the beast¡¯s neck. Using gravity and my own power, I leave a big gash in its flesh.


    Now on the ground, I step back, dumbfounded; the monster wasn¡¯t bleeding. It roared as thrashed, but there wasn¡¯t a drop of blood. I don¡¯t get to ponder it long. The Abnormal throws another haymaker at me, and, as I lost my Razor, I had to rely on my legs. I ran to my left, using my right hand to slash again with my sword. Again no blood. Instead I saw a shiny plate of metal, and a complex series of wiring.


    I stagger. This was not a monster; this was a weapon. The said weapon took advantage of my hesitation, and raised its fist. Instead of pummeling me into the concrete, it opens its hand, revealing a tube. There was a voomp, and the next thing I know a missile is launched my way. My eyes widened. I barely have time to get my S.O.L.A.R.I.S. in front of me before the impact.


    I¡¯m blown clear into a billboard for mattresses. My first thought is that it is ironic that the board was not at all soft. My head is swimming and I can¡¯t focus. A man in the red and white GG Guild uniform on his own Razor flys over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know why you came out here, freelancer,¡± he said. ¡°This is for professionals and outside your pay grade.¡±


    ¡°And you guys are doing a great job,¡± I reply, looking down. The man follows my gaze to where the ¡°professionals¡± were fleeing, leaving behind their weapons and the wounded. He scowls and leaves me to in on the retreat. I don¡¯t move. I can¡¯t. For a few moments I slip in and out of consciousness before my head nods. I get  one more look at the fake Abnormal before the world fades to black.


    CH 4


    I¡¯ve only ever been in the hospital on one other occasion. That was the day I fought my first Abnormal.


    It wasn¡¯t all that big or strong. It wasn¡¯t even an Angry-Dog Class (yes, the Hierarchy goes that low) and seasoned Hunters wouldn¡¯t bother themselves with it. I was only fifteen and had no weapon other than a broken blade I found in a junkyard. With no experience, no training, I was determined to kill a beast that night.


    That evening had been going well at first. I had just passed my Hunter¡¯s Exam with flying colors earlier that day, so my father was in a good mood. Even Brent was happy with me. Then, at dinner, my dad asked a question.


    ¡°So, Samson,¡± Dad began, a hint of expectation in his voice. ¡°When are you putting in your application to Duke & Co.? You know we¡¯ve got a spot waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± I said, picking at my food, ¡°I was thinking of starting with a smaller guild. Working my way up.¡±


    Brent¡¯s fork clattered against his plate. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°I want to earn my spot,¡± I said, meeting his gaze.


    A stunned silence fell over the table. Bella raised a brow. Dad¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You passed the Exam,¡± he said, his voice rising. ¡°You have earned it.¡±


    Confusion furrowed my brow. Why was he so insistent on me joining his Guild? I glanced around at my family. Bella was the only


    ¡°B-but,¡± I stammered, ¡°there are so many Guilds. Why should I work for yours?¡±


    Brent stiffened. ¡°That¡¯s the point, Sam. There are many Guilds.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in competition with them.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Dad blinked, a flicker of something like hurt in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯d betray the family business to work for some lower-class Guild?¡±


    My own eyes widened. How was choosing a different Guild a betrayal? Weren¡¯t they all dedicated to protecting Neo-Veridian? I shook my head, saying nothing, and continued eating.


    ¡°You start Monday.¡±


    My head snapped up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You start Monday,¡± Dad repeated, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t say I was going to¡ª¡±


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    ¡°You aced that Exam, Sam,¡± he said, his voice hard. ¡°You will not be taking that skill anywhere else.¡±


    My face burned. I gripped my silverware, my knuckles whitening. I opened my mouth to speak, but anger choked the words in my throat.


    I pushed back from the table, the scrape of my chair against the floor the only sound in the tense silence. If I can¡¯t take my ¡°skill¡± where I want, I thought, then I¡¯ll take it nowhere! I stormed out of the house, the cool night air a welcome relief from the stifling atmosphere inside. My anger burned, a white-hot rage that propelled me through the darkened streets. It was that anger that led me to that back alley, to that poorly fed Abnormal. I was stronger, faster, but blinded by fury. Some fighters thrived on rage, but for me, it was a humiliating defeat waiting to happen.


    Hence, my first hospital visit.


    ¡°Never thought we¡¯d see you on here again, Samson,¡± a voice next to me says.


    I open my eyes. When I turn, I see Bella sitting at the window, the midday sun streaming through the window behind her. I lie back flat. ¡°Me neither.¡±


    ¡°You were stupid to go out and fight that thing.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. So I guess the geniuses took care of it after I suffered a concussion?¡±


    Bella cringed. ¡°Don¡¯t be sarcastic, Sam. You nearly died.¡±


    ¡°Hyperbole.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, Samson.¡±


    I sit up again. ¡°So, what did happen to the thing?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It ran away after the Hunters did,¡± Bella answers. Her eyebrows knit together, and she cringes. ¡°Just looked at the retreat and retreated itself.¡±


    I frown. ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°No one knows.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± I whisper. Then I ask, ¡°Hey, Bell, do they know what that thing is?¡±


    ¡°You mean a very strange acting Dragon-Class?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No.¡±


    Bella¡¯s eyebrows knit again. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°It was a machine, Bell. That was no Abnormal.¡±


    ¡°That concussion is starting to mess with your memory it seems.¡±


    My eyes begin to narrow. It seems being knocked out gives you a short fuse. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Bell! That was a weapon built to destroy!¡±


    Bella¡¯s eyes widened just as mine narrowed. Realization flashed for a moment on her face, though immediately replaced by pure concern. ¡°If that¡¯s true, Samson,¡± she says. ¡°I think you should keep that to yourself for now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She pauses for a moment, searching for the right words. ¡°Well, if someone is creating beasts capable of mass destruction, they could create a beast capable of killing you. One almost did so already. I would rather you not let it out that you know about their little project.¡±


    I shake my head, dumbfounded. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s because of my concussion, but something didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°But, shouldn¡¯t we try to stop this guy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we shouldn¡¯t let them we¡¯re on to them.¡±


    I nod. I see, I thought. We¡¯ll play detective. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Then, remembering, I ask, ¡°Hey, where¡¯s my S.O.L.A.R.I.S.?¡±


    Bell tilts her head, confused. ¡°Your what?¡±


    ¡°Solid-state Optical Linear Assault and Retaliation Impact System. Built it myself. Now, where is it?¡±


    ¡°You mean that giant sword?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If you know where it is, I¡¯m going to ask you to bring it to me.¡±


    Bell becomes instantly interested in her sneakers. ¡°It¡¯s broken, Sam. Its blade cracked in two. ¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I was holding it when I was knocked out. How.¡± Not a question.


    ¡°You were only holding the twisted handle. They had to pry it from your hands. You know used it to block a huge impact, Sam. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s gone.¡±


    My shoulders slumped, and I was hit by a wave of disappointment. My regret over losing my Razor was only because of its price tag; my S.O.L.A.R.I.S. was practically my Hunting partner.


    I¡¯m not allowed to brood too long as a nurse walks in with my lunch tray in hand and politely asks Bella to leave me to rest. The hospital-grade food does little to mend my mood. I¡¯d rather feign sleep instead. Once the nurse was satisfied with my fake snores and left, I slowly opened my eyes. My mind raced. A machine, dressed up to be an Abnormal, my broken blade, and Bella¡¯s warnings. None of those were good signs. It just felt off somehow. A glance through the window in the door tells me that the nurse is off to help another poor soul. I stand.


    Looking around the room, I find the remote and turn the T.V. on. Nothing. I pick up my phone and open social media. All quiet, no videos, comments, nothing. I draw a long breath. Why was no one reporting this? Or am I, and now Bella, the only one who knew¡­?


    Finally discharged from the hospital, and I¡¯ve already made up my mind what I was going to do. I again walk into the now completely empty Freelance Office and walk up and lean on the desk.


    ¡°Got out alright, Sam?¡± Jim ask without looking up from his phone. ¡°Would¡¯ve thought they put you out your misery from how long you were in there.¡±


    ¡°Funny,¡± I reply. ¡°I¡¯d¡¯ve thought you would pick up a job that actually required you to do something in the time it took me to get out of there.¡±


    Jim looks me up and down. ¡°I see you¡¯re feelin¡¯ alright, so you¡¯ll understand my confusion that you don¡¯t have an Abnormal carcass with you.¡±


    I nod. ¡°I came in here for some other help, Jimmy. I assume you heard of a beast that was able to give me brain damage?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you''re still alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got that a lot since I got out.¡± I scan the room to make sure it was really empty. I lowered my voice. ¡°But did you know that ¡®beast¡¯ was a machine?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the concussion talking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. That thing didn¡¯t bleed, and under its flesh, I saw metal.¡±


    Now, Jim''s face becomes a mask of seriousness and concern. ¡°Swear?¡±


    ¡°Would I joke about this, Jim?¡±


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Jim looks around the room with unseeing eyes, his gears turning. ¡°That explains why it retreated from a battle it won. No beast would act like that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Jim shakes his head. ¡°But why would someone do this?¡±


    I rise to my full height. My teeth grind. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t give a damn why someone would. I want to know who?¡±


    Jim, catching on, smiles. His eyes twinkle with amusement. ¡°So, you needed someone without brain trauma to help you get to the bottom of this?¡±


    I smile back. ¡°I needed someone with connections. I already have the brains.¡±


    I get a raised eyebrow. ¡°Who?¡± Jim ask. Comprehension dawns on him before I can answer. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me you got¡­¡±


    ¡°A prize for you,¡± I laugh. ¡°I got Bella Duke already on the case.¡±


    Jim shakes his head, smile fading. ¡°This is going to be a disaster¡­¡±