Post by Vapovile on Apr 13, 2022 14:33:22 GMT
The night was cold in the streets of Chicago, a light snow falling to the ground below. The streets were packed with people attending various bars, clubs, cafes, and less-than-legal establishments. Stepping out a gray car parked in a nearby garage, a tall man adjusted his black suit coat and looked toward a normal-looking brick building across the street, narrowing his eyes as he sized up his target.
“Agent Miyata on location, do you copy?” He said to seemingly nobody, but a voice on his earpiece responded. “Hey Alex, looks like I’m your support for this mission. Lucky, huh?” A feminine voice said over the earpiece half-sarcastically. Alex gave a chuckle and shook his head. “Skyler, you are one of the best supports we have. I’m happy my sister can help me out today.” He said supportively. A groan could be heard on the other side. “Alright alright, we actually have to do this at some point. Let’s go over the mission.” Skyler said, pulling up a file on her phone.
“That nightclub is the Royal Rhodes, named after the famed explorer Cecil Rhodes.” Skyler explained. Alex let out a sigh. “Yes, I gather that we are dealing with neo-imperialist slave traders.” Alex said, squinting at the club. He could faintly hear EDM music coming from inside, and the windows flickered with strobe lights.
Skyler continued. “Yes, you got it. They kidnap Hidden World species from remote regions and sell them on the black market to wealthy oligarchs. We have intel that says their leader, Luke Khosa, is in his office on the 3rd floor. We need you to use the invitation we purchased from an informant to get inside, find the office, and arrest him without starting an all-out brawl. There are hundreds of people there, ok? Most of them are dangerous.” Skyler explained.
Alex nodded, grabbing an old jacket from his car and slipping it on over his suit, making him look slightly more casual. “Thank you, Skyler. Keep me informed about the situation around me, and keep the drop-off location clear. He probably won’t be the only one I’m arresting tonight.” Alex instructed, Skyler nodding her head. “Drop off point is isolated and secure, just open your portals and we’re in business.” Skyler said confidently.
Walking across the snow-covered road, Alex approached the door and knocked. A tall man with multiple facial piercings opened the door, looking Alex up and down. “You got an invitation, sir?” He said mockingly. Alex wordlessly produced the piece of paper with the company seal on top, and his fake ID card matching the name on the invitation. The man studied the information carefully. He gave the two pieces of information back to Alex.
“Sorry sir, you just don’t seem like our usual clientele, ya know? Very…straight laced.” He said suspiciously. Alex gave a small chuckle. “I have to keep this look up during the day, unfortunately. Thank you, sir.” Alex walked inside and was immediately overwhelmed by the sensations.
A mixture of cigarette and marijuana smoke filled the air, with alcoholic vapors and sweat also being prominent smells. EMD music blared so loudly he could barely, and combined with the lights, it was a disorienting feeling. Alex felt nothing but contempt for everyone present. Everyone’s having this much fun, knowing this place is funded by the slave trade? What a cesspit of humanity… Alex thought to himself. If they had more warning about Luke’s movements, they could have organized a larger operation to arrest far more.
.Walking up the steps to the second floor, Alex looked around to see if he could find any areas that seemed guarded. Sure enough, there was a staircase with 2 strong-looking men with assault rifles standing watch. He had to deal with them quickly.
Alex walked up to the men, both of them training their guns on him. “Halt! No guests past this point. Get lost, punk.” The one on the right said, motioning with his rifle. Alex held his hands up to try and placate them. “Oh, my apologies. I was just looking for Mr. Goodbye, have you seen him?”
The guards looked at each other with confusion. “Mr. Goodbye?” The one on the left asked with incredulity. Alex then raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, an oval-shaped portal appeared to their right and chains erupted from within, wrapping around the guard on the right and pulling him through. The one on the left looked on with shock. “Hey, what are y-” He didn’t get to finish, when Alex ran forward and delivered a palm strike below his chin, making him bite his tongue and step back, allowing Alex to grab the man’s arm and deliver a judo throw through the portal, which quickly sealed itself.
“Well would you look at that, I think I found him.” Alex said flatly, his earpiece erupting with a girly laugh. “Having fun, are we?” Skyler asked, leaning back in her chair. Alex closed his eyes and began ascending the staircase. “It’s good to hit scum where it hurts the most; their pride.” He replied. Skyler rolled her eyes. “Yep, that’s Alex alright. Well, thermal scans are telling me there are three targets ahead. One’s probably Luke. Careful up there, alright?” Skyler instructed, Alex nodding in affirmation.
Cresting the top of the stairs, Alex saw an ornately decorated hallway, with various exotic artifacts no doubt stolen from countries far from America. “Looks like we got artifacts…make a note to send a crew to pick these up and figure out who they stole these from.” Alex instructed. The sound of typing could be heard on the other end. “Already on it, just focus on arresting this guy and we can clean this place out. This entire operation is getting shut down.” Skyler said confidently, Alex smirking. “Now that’s the attitude I want to hear, Skyler. Keep me posted.”
Alex finally saw a door that he assumed led into the main office. He noticed a camera, so they were aware of his presence. He stepped forward and pushed open the doors.
The office inside could only be described as gaudy. Gold and brass lined the room, as marble pillars rose up along the wall. The furniture was all clearly made from exotic materials, and the desk at the far end was polished to an immaculate shine. There was a middle-aged man with slicked-back brown hair sitting at the desk, wearing an expensive white suit and gold chain around his neck.
“Well well well, looks like we got one tough customer on our hands. Did you want us to change the song downstairs? How about Cee Lo’s famous song; fuck you?” The man clapped his hands at his own joke, Alex scanning the room. Skyler said there were three people upstairs. There didn’t appear to be any hiding spots in the room, so if he calls them…they should appear behind him.
“Agent Alex Miyata, HWIC. Luke Khosa, you’re under arrest for slave trafficking, extortion, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, and first degree murder. Surrender quietly, and there won’t be trouble.” He stated firmly. Luke leaned over his desk, as if to challenge Alex.
“So the HWIC continues to interfere with my business, huh? What do you care what we do with these backwater creatures who can’t even talk? We’re giving civilization to these savages.” Luke leaned back in his chair, putting a cigarette in his mouth. “Besides…it’s just business, kid.” He kicked the underside of his desk, and on cue, two men burst out from behind the door Alex came through.
Alex spun around to see a red-haired man smash his fist into the ground, sending a torrent of ice directly at Alex. He sidestepped the spikes, but the other man clapped his hands and sent a sound wave that knocked Alex off his feet. He quickly recovered, smiling at the display.
“So you have some Hidden World people of your own, huh?” Alex asked, Luke clapping his hands. “Of course, I’m not stupid you know. I wouldn’t come into a place like this with no backup.” He taunted. Alex stepped forward, holding up his hands in a fighting stance. On his arms appeared two silver gauntlets. He held out his left hand, and beckoned for his two opponents.
The ice mage struck first, launching a ball of ice directly at Alex. The HWIC agent stepped forward and smashed his gauntlet into the ball, shattering it into a shower of snow and ice. The sound mage readied his hands for another clap, but a set of chains appeared out of two tiny portals on the ceiling, which wrapped around his hands, locking them in place.
Alex dashed forward and caught the ice mage’s spike-covered hand, delivering a kidney punch that made the mage recoil enough for Alex to deliver a sharp right hook that send him sprawling. He then casually walked up to the sound mage, and another right hook, sent him asleep as well.
The HWIC agent unzipped his jacket and tossed it to the side, revealing his suit proper. He adjusted his tie and pulled out a set of handcuffs. Luke backed away, producing a revolver.
“Get the fuck back, you pig! I don’t know how you beat my men, b…” Luke looked over to see his two men getting pulled into two separate portals by several chains. It was at this moment that Alex grabbed his outstretched hand, squeezing it hard enough for him to let go of the gun.
Alex kicked the revolver away and in one motion, clipped the power-canceling cuffs onto Luke’s wrists. The HWIC agent stepped aside and tapped his ear. “We have the suspect in custody. Is the drop-off point clear of the other garbage I sent your way?” “Yes, we picked them up already. See you back at b…hang on a second…” Skyler noticed a strange aberration on her screen. The scene appeared still, but the air currents were swirling in an abnormal direction, quickly returning to normal.
“What’s wrong, talk to me.” Alex demanded, sounding slightly concerned. He watched the door carefully, looking for signs of activity. “It’s weird, I thought I saw something…” Skyler stared at the map intently. Her eyes then widened with horror at what she saw.
“Alex, there’s someone else in the room!” She cried out. Alex immediately dove to the right, grabbing Luke by the arms and pulling him down to the floor. Not a second later, the area where Luke had been standing now had a kunai sticking out of the wall. Luke looked on in horror. “Whoa, what the fuck is going on?!” He yelled in confusion. Alex scanned the room frantically, trying to find the attacker. His eyes caught the faintest glance of someone and tossed Luke out of the way like a ragdoll, just in time to see a katana slash the air where his head once occupied.
Before him was a figure, clad entirely in black and wearing a face covering that only showed her deep green eyes. He could tell it was a woman by her feminine figure, but he couldn’t observe further before she took a step forward to swing her sword at him. Alex held up his gauntlets and swung to deflect the blade, but she stepped forward to ram her elbow into his stomach. Alex doubled back, and unleashed a chain that pulled Luke out of the way of yet another kunai that no dauntedly was poisoned. The woman glared at Alex.
“Agent Miyata, Enforcement division! I don’t know who you are, but this man is in the custody of the HWIC! Leave us be while he is put under arrest!” Alex demanded, getting into a fighting stance. The woman squinted her eyes at Alex, then at Luke.
“...arrest? That’s too good for a man like this.” She spat. The woman had a noticeable Japanese accent, clearly still learning English. Alex opened his mouth to respond, but the woman appeared directly in front of his face. “Stay out of my way, cop.” She drove the hilt of her sword into his chest, knocking the wind out of Alex’s lungs as he was smashed into the wall. The assassin turned to strike at the slave leader…but he was gone. She scanned the area, and seemed to notice something beyond the wall of the office.
“Hmph…” The assassin said dismissively, taking a step and disappearing out of the office. Alex held his chest as he scrambled out of the room and toward the far corner of the catwalk where he dumped Luke’s body after pulling it through a portal. “Skyler, we need backup!” He demanded, Skyler furiously clicking at her computer. “I-I’m trying! Try to pull him into the room where you brought the others, at least then he’ll be safe and you can get out of there!” She said, now under pressure.
Alex ran through one of his portals and was immediately next to Luke, who looked terrified by this point. “Who the fuck is that bitch?! You better not let me die here!” He demanded. Alex ‘accidently’ grabbed Luke by the throat and brought him to his feet. “Ok, you need to shut up and follow my instructions. Got it?!” He yelled. The EDM continued to play over the speakers, Alex turning to see the woman’s figure walking along the catwalk toward them, brandishing her sword.
Summoning his gauntlets once again, the woman chuckled. “Is that all you have? Chains and some metal?” She asked mockingly. Alex’s face grew a smile. “Oh, they’re more than just metal.“
Flaring out his arms, two long metallic spear tips sprung forward from the backs of his gauntlet hands, now looking more like two-pronged claws. “I only bring these out when the situation calls for it. So congratulations assassin, you pushed me into lethality.” Alex said, going into a defensive stance. The woman chuckled. “Well, not like claws will help a worthless man like you.” She taunted, taking a step forward and thrusting her sword straight for Alex’s heart. Alex expertly sidestepped, delivering a palm strike to the blade. This threw off her concentration long enough for Alex to step forward and grab her extended arm…but somehow, her body appeared to get much faster and delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of his head, causing him to stagger back.
She was upon him once more, but this time…the assassin found herself ensnared by a chain around her legs. Her body was lifted upside down, but one slash from her sword severed the link. Now upside down, the assassin twisted her body and slashed downward, Alex getting out of the way just in time for her to completely sever the catwalk on which they stood. “Whoa…” He said with surprise, grabbing Luke by the hands and tossing him into a nearby portal, appearing on the catwalk across the way. Alex looked down at the now-silent crowd looking up at them.
“...this place is now under new management! Get the hell out!” He shouted at the crowd. The severed metal of the catwalk began to loudly buckle, making people take this order a little more seriously as they began to file out of the nightclub. Alex himself leaped off the catwalk and into the other, where Luke lay still as a board. “Now where is that assassin…” Alex asked with irritation.
Holding out his hands, Alex began to summon chains in a crisscross pattern around their current area. The sound of rustling chains told him everything he needed to know as he thrust his gauntlets up to meet the assassin’s blade, slicing vertically aimed at his head.
“Those chains…you merely wanted a tripwire.” She said, clearly impressed. Alex looked at her dismissively. “Hey, you’re catching on. Maybe you’re not such a dumbass after all.” He taunted, turning his clawed hand to point her sword at the ground as he grabbed her arm like he did before and slammed her body into the catwalk. She pulled her body into a backflip and landed in a 3 point stance, letting out an amused laugh.
“Dumbass, huh? Why are you protecting that man, hm? Do you know how many people have suffered at his hands?” She asked, pointing her sword at him. Alex stood defiantly. “Trust me, I want him to pay for his evil just as much as you. But we have laws for a reason. He is more valuable to us alive than dead, especially when it comes to this organization.” He explained.
The assassin twirled her blade dismissively. “The law…deferring responsibility to a bunch of out of touch people only concerned with keeping their own power, huh? Guess you really are as whipped as you look.” She taunted Alex, teleporting directly to his right and slashing at him with her sword, but being blocked by his gauntlets. She grabbed onto the railing of the catwalk to prevent herself from falling and hoisted herself up, delivering an axe kick to Alex’s shoulder blade that sent him staggering. He responded by grabbing her leg and pulling forward, dropping his body down and pulling the leg hard. He hears a muffled scream as they both hit the catwalk.
The woman disappeared, and appeared on the ground several meters further, one hand on her leg. “Hah, lucky shot. You boot licker.” She staggered to her feet. Alex rolled his eyes and rubbed his shoulder blade. “You left yourself wide open, you whore.” He responded.
The woman clearly smirked beneath her mask. “You would like that, wouldn’t you? What are you, a virgin?”
“You obviously aren’t, considering how far you spread your legs during that flip.”
“Hey, not my fault the only action you’re getting is sucking the HWIC president’s dick.”
This last comment led Alex to believe this assassin had no idea who anybody at the HWIC was, meaning she wasn’t anticipating him in particular. The two dashed at each other and clashed blades once more, Alex pulling his arm down to force her sword to the ground, but she responded with a sharp backhanded strike to the side of Alex’s head, sending him staggering. Sarah readied her sword to dash again…when she realized it was caught by a chain. Alex wobbled back to his feet and gave a sinister smile.
He snapped his fingers, and a dozen portals burst out of the air and launched chains at the assassin, with no possibility that her sword could save her this time. Got you now, you weasel… Alex thought, watching as the chains approached the assassin. A grin spread across her face as she looked up. Her eyes flashed a deep red.
With inhuman reflexes, the woman dove between the chains, weaving her body around the most miniscule of openings like a ballet dancer. The chains smashed harmlessly into the catwalk as she landed closer to her original spot, slashing apart the chain holding her sword with a kunai and raising it once more.
“Nice trick, cop. Almost woke me up back there.” The woman taunted. Her eyes gazed down at the club below. Most people had fled through the doors by this point. She readied her sword for another strike.
“How about we end this with style, shall we?” She asked sarcastically, pointing to the floor below. Alex shook his head. “If you wish to descend…I can assist.” Alex dashed forward and stabbed at the woman, who expertly dodged his strike and grabbed his arm, moving to throw him off the edge…when he blocked her twist with his own feet and threw the assassin over his shoulder and to the ground below. But before he could say a word…a single kunai embedded itself in his stomach, causing Alex to double over the edge as well.
To break his fall, Alex summoned a long length of chain that connected at opposite ends of the club and grabbed on as he fell, hoisting himself up and crouching down to keep his balance. “Hah…hah…” He panted, pulling out the kunai. He felt a wave of numbness wash over his abdomen. “Report, she is using knives tipped with paralytics. Send an antidote as soon as possible.” He instructed. His gaze then fell upon the other side of the chain, where the assassin was casually walking along the length.
“Fitting final location, hm? The lights, blaring music, pandemonium in the streets…both of our lines hanging on by this very thread.” She tapped the chain beneath their feet. Alex stood up and readied himself in a combat stance. He wasn’t overly confident fighting on a precarious location like this, as his sense of balance was likely far eclipsed by her’s.
“Sarah, by the way.” She called out to him. Alex cocked his head with amusement. “An assassin giving her name so casually?” He asked, Sarah twirling her blade. “You’ve entertained me greatly tonight, you piece of trash. So how about a simple way to decide this little contest?” Sarah pointed to the dance floor below the both of them.
“First one to touch the ground gets to decide that man’s fate.” She challenged. Alex grinned with excitement and began walking forward on the chain line. “I hope you like being on your back, because you’re going to be staring up at the ceiling soon.” He taunted. Sarah smiled and sprinted across the chain.
The two clashed weapons, Sarah flipping over Alex’s body and trying to kick the back of his head, but was met with his gauntlet. Another length of chain strung across the club, which Alex leaped to. Sarah looked at the new chain with amusement. “Running away, are we?!” The assassin taunted, landing on the new chain and severing it with her sword, leaping back to her previous perch. Alex grunted as he began to fall, but quickly extended a new chain for him to jump onto.
The two clashed with each other at blinding speeds, each bathed in the strobe lights of the nightclub. Chain links now connected many parts of the rafters, hanging like misplaced Christmas lights. Alex stood on a chain near the center of the room, slowly breathing into the air. His limp right leg and still arms clearly showed that the paralytic was spreading.
Sarah looked down at him from a nearby chain, breathing heavily. Bruises now littered both of their bodies after the constant exchanging of blows. Alex also breathed heavily, barely able to keep standing due to exhaustion and the venom.
“Hah…looks like you’re spent, Miyata. Ready to jump down there?” Sarah asked, giving a smug smile.
Alex waved off her taunt with his hand. “Lost all your stamina already, so you want me to give up? I expected more from you.” He countered.
Sarah stepped forward. “Not my fault you finished way too soon, like the bitch you are.”
“Least I didn’t cry out with that last thrust, you lightweight.” Alex made a thrusting motion with his arm. Sarah grinned further and crouched down.
“I like you, Miyata. But you’re going to have to be the bottom tonight.” Leaping off the chain, Sarah readied her sword to slash at Alex’s leg, aiming to knock him off his perch. But Alex only looked up with a confident smile.
“The best part of any evening, Sarah…” Alex snapped his fingers, the complex web of chains scattered around the room beginning to shift. “...is when you pull out a surprise.” The chains all crisscrossed each other, closing a gap that trapped Sarah’s torso between two links. Her red eyes flashed once more as she sliced apart the chains holding her, but two more links closed around her legs. Dozens of links closed around Sarah, and the furious slashing stopped when her hand finally got ensnared. Alex walked up to see his trapped victim hanging midair from her coffin of chains.
“I hope you’re ready for a pounding…” Alex pulled his glove taut with his teeth, looking at her with a confident stare. “...you slut.”
Leaping up, Alex closed all the portals, severing every chain in suspension and punching the coffin hard into the ground below. The metal crashed into the dance floor, shaking the building and causing the remaining onlookers to run out of the way. Alex landed on the dance floor and collapsed to one knee, his other completely numb by this point. But he limped forward toward the coffin. There was still one final task.
The coffin opened slightly, rising up to reveal Sarah’s arms behind her back. Alex reached into his coat pocket, produced a golden pair of handcuffs, and expertly clipped them onto Sarah’s wrists. With one wave of the hands, the chains around Sarah’s body disappeared into a cloud of magical dust. The assassin looked up at him from the floor.
“Well…you pounded alright.” She complained. Alex chuckled, collapsing on the ground in front of a pillar. The look of relief on his face was clear. “You’re strong, Sarah. I’m already starting to feel your venom seeping into my other leg.” He explained. Sarah seemed satisfied to hear this. “You’ll be fine, those knives were made to paralyze people long enough so we can kidnap them. You’re quite strong yourself, Alex.” Sarah complemented.
Glancing at Sarah, his expression turned to amusement. “You know, I noticed something interesting. On the outset, you were laser focused on killing the host exclusively. But as our battle went on…you passed up many opportunities to leave me and go after him. I wonder why…” He asked sarcastically. Sarah rolled her eyes.
“What can I say, I was having more fun fighting a jackass like you than killing that monster. Let me guess, you stashed him in a closet at some point in our fight?” Sarah asked, Alex nodding his head, waving his hand and opening a portal directly onto the pillar that shoved out Luke’s tied-up body.
“I will be arresting both of you tonight. You have the right to remain silent. But first…” Alex stood back up, and hobbled his way over to Sarah’s body. He then knelt down in front of Sarah’s face, gripped her chin with his hands…and pried open her jaw. He took several seconds looking inside while Sarah squirmed in confusion before closing it again. There was a mild blush on her face. “What was THAT for?!” She yelled.
Alex sighed. “You’re a captured assassin. I have to make sure you don’t have a cyanide tablet in your mouth.” He said in a business manner. Sarah spat onto the nearby dance floor. “If I had one of those, I wouldn’t need to bite it. A cop like you is just going to arrest me, charge me with attempted murder…then offer to reduce my sentence if I reveal my client, that about right golden boy?” Sarah taunted.
The Enforcement agent knelt down again. “Perhaps, but maybe we can torture that information out of you. Make you scream like a bitch more than you did tonight with me.”
“Oooo, scary. Which cop are you going to be; good cop, bad cop, or heli cop-turd?” Sarah countered.
“I’ll take on some extra time for these comments, you piece of trash.”
“Oh really? You going to whip me with these chains while you’re on your power trip? Compensating for something?”
“Now there’s an idea, you know how fond I am of chains. I’m sure it’ll make you sing.” Alex knelt down confidently to address Sarah face to face. Both were clearly smiling at this strident conversation.
“You want to hear a song? Here, I’ll sing a fucking opera for you right here.”
“You’re certainly fat enough to give a convincing performance, cow chest.” Alex watched as Sarah sat up on her knees, and stared at Alex intently. He stared back in a similar manner. The air in the nightclub could be cut with a knife.
Suddenly, both of them lunged at each other, and began rolling across the ground, doing a mix of kissing and lightly hitting the other. A confused Skyler kept inquiring on what was going on, but Alex had turned his mic off by this point. It wouldn’t be for another several minutes until the HWIC backup came, and by then Alex had both prisoners ready…him and Sarah hastily fixing their hair before people burst onto the scene. She gave a knowing smile as she was placed in a black car, and drove off into the night.
—
“You want to…what now?” Aria Miyata asked, looking at a formal request on her desk given to her by Alex. “I think it would be the best course of action…if we released Sarah Albane early, and give her probation on the condition that she join the HWIC Stealth Force. She is an incredibly skilled assassin, I’m sure you’ll agree.” Alex explained. Aria looked at him with confusion.
“So…this woman almost ruins our operation, nearly kills you…and you want her to not only walk free, but be given a job by us?” She asked with incredulity. Alex nodded his head. “After our interrogation, we discovered that she was hired to kill that vile man by a group of escaped slaves that had been through his system. I don’t think it would be morally correct to try and figure out their identities.” He cautioned. Aria sighed and leaned back in her chair.
“She does seem qualified…my concern is the safety of us and our agents, Alex. If you want her to join the Stealth Force, I want the Intelligence division to figure out every detail of her past, and let the Stealth Force decide if she can be trusted or not. How’s that sound?” Aria clasped her hands.
Alex nodded respectfully. “That would be great, Aria. Thank you.” He responded, before turning and walking out of her office…ready to visit a particular cell at the HWIC prison to tell its occupant the good news. A voice called out from behind him.
“Just to let you know, that stunt you pulled broke…numerous ethical rules.” Aria’s voice rang out across the hallway.
“Agent Miyata on location, do you copy?” He said to seemingly nobody, but a voice on his earpiece responded. “Hey Alex, looks like I’m your support for this mission. Lucky, huh?” A feminine voice said over the earpiece half-sarcastically. Alex gave a chuckle and shook his head. “Skyler, you are one of the best supports we have. I’m happy my sister can help me out today.” He said supportively. A groan could be heard on the other side. “Alright alright, we actually have to do this at some point. Let’s go over the mission.” Skyler said, pulling up a file on her phone.
“That nightclub is the Royal Rhodes, named after the famed explorer Cecil Rhodes.” Skyler explained. Alex let out a sigh. “Yes, I gather that we are dealing with neo-imperialist slave traders.” Alex said, squinting at the club. He could faintly hear EDM music coming from inside, and the windows flickered with strobe lights.
Skyler continued. “Yes, you got it. They kidnap Hidden World species from remote regions and sell them on the black market to wealthy oligarchs. We have intel that says their leader, Luke Khosa, is in his office on the 3rd floor. We need you to use the invitation we purchased from an informant to get inside, find the office, and arrest him without starting an all-out brawl. There are hundreds of people there, ok? Most of them are dangerous.” Skyler explained.
Alex nodded, grabbing an old jacket from his car and slipping it on over his suit, making him look slightly more casual. “Thank you, Skyler. Keep me informed about the situation around me, and keep the drop-off location clear. He probably won’t be the only one I’m arresting tonight.” Alex instructed, Skyler nodding her head. “Drop off point is isolated and secure, just open your portals and we’re in business.” Skyler said confidently.
Walking across the snow-covered road, Alex approached the door and knocked. A tall man with multiple facial piercings opened the door, looking Alex up and down. “You got an invitation, sir?” He said mockingly. Alex wordlessly produced the piece of paper with the company seal on top, and his fake ID card matching the name on the invitation. The man studied the information carefully. He gave the two pieces of information back to Alex.
“Sorry sir, you just don’t seem like our usual clientele, ya know? Very…straight laced.” He said suspiciously. Alex gave a small chuckle. “I have to keep this look up during the day, unfortunately. Thank you, sir.” Alex walked inside and was immediately overwhelmed by the sensations.
A mixture of cigarette and marijuana smoke filled the air, with alcoholic vapors and sweat also being prominent smells. EMD music blared so loudly he could barely, and combined with the lights, it was a disorienting feeling. Alex felt nothing but contempt for everyone present. Everyone’s having this much fun, knowing this place is funded by the slave trade? What a cesspit of humanity… Alex thought to himself. If they had more warning about Luke’s movements, they could have organized a larger operation to arrest far more.
.Walking up the steps to the second floor, Alex looked around to see if he could find any areas that seemed guarded. Sure enough, there was a staircase with 2 strong-looking men with assault rifles standing watch. He had to deal with them quickly.
Alex walked up to the men, both of them training their guns on him. “Halt! No guests past this point. Get lost, punk.” The one on the right said, motioning with his rifle. Alex held his hands up to try and placate them. “Oh, my apologies. I was just looking for Mr. Goodbye, have you seen him?”
The guards looked at each other with confusion. “Mr. Goodbye?” The one on the left asked with incredulity. Alex then raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, an oval-shaped portal appeared to their right and chains erupted from within, wrapping around the guard on the right and pulling him through. The one on the left looked on with shock. “Hey, what are y-” He didn’t get to finish, when Alex ran forward and delivered a palm strike below his chin, making him bite his tongue and step back, allowing Alex to grab the man’s arm and deliver a judo throw through the portal, which quickly sealed itself.
“Well would you look at that, I think I found him.” Alex said flatly, his earpiece erupting with a girly laugh. “Having fun, are we?” Skyler asked, leaning back in her chair. Alex closed his eyes and began ascending the staircase. “It’s good to hit scum where it hurts the most; their pride.” He replied. Skyler rolled her eyes. “Yep, that’s Alex alright. Well, thermal scans are telling me there are three targets ahead. One’s probably Luke. Careful up there, alright?” Skyler instructed, Alex nodding in affirmation.
Cresting the top of the stairs, Alex saw an ornately decorated hallway, with various exotic artifacts no doubt stolen from countries far from America. “Looks like we got artifacts…make a note to send a crew to pick these up and figure out who they stole these from.” Alex instructed. The sound of typing could be heard on the other end. “Already on it, just focus on arresting this guy and we can clean this place out. This entire operation is getting shut down.” Skyler said confidently, Alex smirking. “Now that’s the attitude I want to hear, Skyler. Keep me posted.”
Alex finally saw a door that he assumed led into the main office. He noticed a camera, so they were aware of his presence. He stepped forward and pushed open the doors.
The office inside could only be described as gaudy. Gold and brass lined the room, as marble pillars rose up along the wall. The furniture was all clearly made from exotic materials, and the desk at the far end was polished to an immaculate shine. There was a middle-aged man with slicked-back brown hair sitting at the desk, wearing an expensive white suit and gold chain around his neck.
“Well well well, looks like we got one tough customer on our hands. Did you want us to change the song downstairs? How about Cee Lo’s famous song; fuck you?” The man clapped his hands at his own joke, Alex scanning the room. Skyler said there were three people upstairs. There didn’t appear to be any hiding spots in the room, so if he calls them…they should appear behind him.
“Agent Alex Miyata, HWIC. Luke Khosa, you’re under arrest for slave trafficking, extortion, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, and first degree murder. Surrender quietly, and there won’t be trouble.” He stated firmly. Luke leaned over his desk, as if to challenge Alex.
“So the HWIC continues to interfere with my business, huh? What do you care what we do with these backwater creatures who can’t even talk? We’re giving civilization to these savages.” Luke leaned back in his chair, putting a cigarette in his mouth. “Besides…it’s just business, kid.” He kicked the underside of his desk, and on cue, two men burst out from behind the door Alex came through.
Alex spun around to see a red-haired man smash his fist into the ground, sending a torrent of ice directly at Alex. He sidestepped the spikes, but the other man clapped his hands and sent a sound wave that knocked Alex off his feet. He quickly recovered, smiling at the display.
“So you have some Hidden World people of your own, huh?” Alex asked, Luke clapping his hands. “Of course, I’m not stupid you know. I wouldn’t come into a place like this with no backup.” He taunted. Alex stepped forward, holding up his hands in a fighting stance. On his arms appeared two silver gauntlets. He held out his left hand, and beckoned for his two opponents.
The ice mage struck first, launching a ball of ice directly at Alex. The HWIC agent stepped forward and smashed his gauntlet into the ball, shattering it into a shower of snow and ice. The sound mage readied his hands for another clap, but a set of chains appeared out of two tiny portals on the ceiling, which wrapped around his hands, locking them in place.
Alex dashed forward and caught the ice mage’s spike-covered hand, delivering a kidney punch that made the mage recoil enough for Alex to deliver a sharp right hook that send him sprawling. He then casually walked up to the sound mage, and another right hook, sent him asleep as well.
The HWIC agent unzipped his jacket and tossed it to the side, revealing his suit proper. He adjusted his tie and pulled out a set of handcuffs. Luke backed away, producing a revolver.
“Get the fuck back, you pig! I don’t know how you beat my men, b…” Luke looked over to see his two men getting pulled into two separate portals by several chains. It was at this moment that Alex grabbed his outstretched hand, squeezing it hard enough for him to let go of the gun.
Alex kicked the revolver away and in one motion, clipped the power-canceling cuffs onto Luke’s wrists. The HWIC agent stepped aside and tapped his ear. “We have the suspect in custody. Is the drop-off point clear of the other garbage I sent your way?” “Yes, we picked them up already. See you back at b…hang on a second…” Skyler noticed a strange aberration on her screen. The scene appeared still, but the air currents were swirling in an abnormal direction, quickly returning to normal.
“What’s wrong, talk to me.” Alex demanded, sounding slightly concerned. He watched the door carefully, looking for signs of activity. “It’s weird, I thought I saw something…” Skyler stared at the map intently. Her eyes then widened with horror at what she saw.
“Alex, there’s someone else in the room!” She cried out. Alex immediately dove to the right, grabbing Luke by the arms and pulling him down to the floor. Not a second later, the area where Luke had been standing now had a kunai sticking out of the wall. Luke looked on in horror. “Whoa, what the fuck is going on?!” He yelled in confusion. Alex scanned the room frantically, trying to find the attacker. His eyes caught the faintest glance of someone and tossed Luke out of the way like a ragdoll, just in time to see a katana slash the air where his head once occupied.
Before him was a figure, clad entirely in black and wearing a face covering that only showed her deep green eyes. He could tell it was a woman by her feminine figure, but he couldn’t observe further before she took a step forward to swing her sword at him. Alex held up his gauntlets and swung to deflect the blade, but she stepped forward to ram her elbow into his stomach. Alex doubled back, and unleashed a chain that pulled Luke out of the way of yet another kunai that no dauntedly was poisoned. The woman glared at Alex.
“Agent Miyata, Enforcement division! I don’t know who you are, but this man is in the custody of the HWIC! Leave us be while he is put under arrest!” Alex demanded, getting into a fighting stance. The woman squinted her eyes at Alex, then at Luke.
“...arrest? That’s too good for a man like this.” She spat. The woman had a noticeable Japanese accent, clearly still learning English. Alex opened his mouth to respond, but the woman appeared directly in front of his face. “Stay out of my way, cop.” She drove the hilt of her sword into his chest, knocking the wind out of Alex’s lungs as he was smashed into the wall. The assassin turned to strike at the slave leader…but he was gone. She scanned the area, and seemed to notice something beyond the wall of the office.
“Hmph…” The assassin said dismissively, taking a step and disappearing out of the office. Alex held his chest as he scrambled out of the room and toward the far corner of the catwalk where he dumped Luke’s body after pulling it through a portal. “Skyler, we need backup!” He demanded, Skyler furiously clicking at her computer. “I-I’m trying! Try to pull him into the room where you brought the others, at least then he’ll be safe and you can get out of there!” She said, now under pressure.
Alex ran through one of his portals and was immediately next to Luke, who looked terrified by this point. “Who the fuck is that bitch?! You better not let me die here!” He demanded. Alex ‘accidently’ grabbed Luke by the throat and brought him to his feet. “Ok, you need to shut up and follow my instructions. Got it?!” He yelled. The EDM continued to play over the speakers, Alex turning to see the woman’s figure walking along the catwalk toward them, brandishing her sword.
Summoning his gauntlets once again, the woman chuckled. “Is that all you have? Chains and some metal?” She asked mockingly. Alex’s face grew a smile. “Oh, they’re more than just metal.“
Flaring out his arms, two long metallic spear tips sprung forward from the backs of his gauntlet hands, now looking more like two-pronged claws. “I only bring these out when the situation calls for it. So congratulations assassin, you pushed me into lethality.” Alex said, going into a defensive stance. The woman chuckled. “Well, not like claws will help a worthless man like you.” She taunted, taking a step forward and thrusting her sword straight for Alex’s heart. Alex expertly sidestepped, delivering a palm strike to the blade. This threw off her concentration long enough for Alex to step forward and grab her extended arm…but somehow, her body appeared to get much faster and delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of his head, causing him to stagger back.
She was upon him once more, but this time…the assassin found herself ensnared by a chain around her legs. Her body was lifted upside down, but one slash from her sword severed the link. Now upside down, the assassin twisted her body and slashed downward, Alex getting out of the way just in time for her to completely sever the catwalk on which they stood. “Whoa…” He said with surprise, grabbing Luke by the hands and tossing him into a nearby portal, appearing on the catwalk across the way. Alex looked down at the now-silent crowd looking up at them.
“...this place is now under new management! Get the hell out!” He shouted at the crowd. The severed metal of the catwalk began to loudly buckle, making people take this order a little more seriously as they began to file out of the nightclub. Alex himself leaped off the catwalk and into the other, where Luke lay still as a board. “Now where is that assassin…” Alex asked with irritation.
Holding out his hands, Alex began to summon chains in a crisscross pattern around their current area. The sound of rustling chains told him everything he needed to know as he thrust his gauntlets up to meet the assassin’s blade, slicing vertically aimed at his head.
“Those chains…you merely wanted a tripwire.” She said, clearly impressed. Alex looked at her dismissively. “Hey, you’re catching on. Maybe you’re not such a dumbass after all.” He taunted, turning his clawed hand to point her sword at the ground as he grabbed her arm like he did before and slammed her body into the catwalk. She pulled her body into a backflip and landed in a 3 point stance, letting out an amused laugh.
“Dumbass, huh? Why are you protecting that man, hm? Do you know how many people have suffered at his hands?” She asked, pointing her sword at him. Alex stood defiantly. “Trust me, I want him to pay for his evil just as much as you. But we have laws for a reason. He is more valuable to us alive than dead, especially when it comes to this organization.” He explained.
The assassin twirled her blade dismissively. “The law…deferring responsibility to a bunch of out of touch people only concerned with keeping their own power, huh? Guess you really are as whipped as you look.” She taunted Alex, teleporting directly to his right and slashing at him with her sword, but being blocked by his gauntlets. She grabbed onto the railing of the catwalk to prevent herself from falling and hoisted herself up, delivering an axe kick to Alex’s shoulder blade that sent him staggering. He responded by grabbing her leg and pulling forward, dropping his body down and pulling the leg hard. He hears a muffled scream as they both hit the catwalk.
The woman disappeared, and appeared on the ground several meters further, one hand on her leg. “Hah, lucky shot. You boot licker.” She staggered to her feet. Alex rolled his eyes and rubbed his shoulder blade. “You left yourself wide open, you whore.” He responded.
The woman clearly smirked beneath her mask. “You would like that, wouldn’t you? What are you, a virgin?”
“You obviously aren’t, considering how far you spread your legs during that flip.”
“Hey, not my fault the only action you’re getting is sucking the HWIC president’s dick.”
This last comment led Alex to believe this assassin had no idea who anybody at the HWIC was, meaning she wasn’t anticipating him in particular. The two dashed at each other and clashed blades once more, Alex pulling his arm down to force her sword to the ground, but she responded with a sharp backhanded strike to the side of Alex’s head, sending him staggering. Sarah readied her sword to dash again…when she realized it was caught by a chain. Alex wobbled back to his feet and gave a sinister smile.
He snapped his fingers, and a dozen portals burst out of the air and launched chains at the assassin, with no possibility that her sword could save her this time. Got you now, you weasel… Alex thought, watching as the chains approached the assassin. A grin spread across her face as she looked up. Her eyes flashed a deep red.
With inhuman reflexes, the woman dove between the chains, weaving her body around the most miniscule of openings like a ballet dancer. The chains smashed harmlessly into the catwalk as she landed closer to her original spot, slashing apart the chain holding her sword with a kunai and raising it once more.
“Nice trick, cop. Almost woke me up back there.” The woman taunted. Her eyes gazed down at the club below. Most people had fled through the doors by this point. She readied her sword for another strike.
“How about we end this with style, shall we?” She asked sarcastically, pointing to the floor below. Alex shook his head. “If you wish to descend…I can assist.” Alex dashed forward and stabbed at the woman, who expertly dodged his strike and grabbed his arm, moving to throw him off the edge…when he blocked her twist with his own feet and threw the assassin over his shoulder and to the ground below. But before he could say a word…a single kunai embedded itself in his stomach, causing Alex to double over the edge as well.
To break his fall, Alex summoned a long length of chain that connected at opposite ends of the club and grabbed on as he fell, hoisting himself up and crouching down to keep his balance. “Hah…hah…” He panted, pulling out the kunai. He felt a wave of numbness wash over his abdomen. “Report, she is using knives tipped with paralytics. Send an antidote as soon as possible.” He instructed. His gaze then fell upon the other side of the chain, where the assassin was casually walking along the length.
“Fitting final location, hm? The lights, blaring music, pandemonium in the streets…both of our lines hanging on by this very thread.” She tapped the chain beneath their feet. Alex stood up and readied himself in a combat stance. He wasn’t overly confident fighting on a precarious location like this, as his sense of balance was likely far eclipsed by her’s.
“Sarah, by the way.” She called out to him. Alex cocked his head with amusement. “An assassin giving her name so casually?” He asked, Sarah twirling her blade. “You’ve entertained me greatly tonight, you piece of trash. So how about a simple way to decide this little contest?” Sarah pointed to the dance floor below the both of them.
“First one to touch the ground gets to decide that man’s fate.” She challenged. Alex grinned with excitement and began walking forward on the chain line. “I hope you like being on your back, because you’re going to be staring up at the ceiling soon.” He taunted. Sarah smiled and sprinted across the chain.
The two clashed weapons, Sarah flipping over Alex’s body and trying to kick the back of his head, but was met with his gauntlet. Another length of chain strung across the club, which Alex leaped to. Sarah looked at the new chain with amusement. “Running away, are we?!” The assassin taunted, landing on the new chain and severing it with her sword, leaping back to her previous perch. Alex grunted as he began to fall, but quickly extended a new chain for him to jump onto.
The two clashed with each other at blinding speeds, each bathed in the strobe lights of the nightclub. Chain links now connected many parts of the rafters, hanging like misplaced Christmas lights. Alex stood on a chain near the center of the room, slowly breathing into the air. His limp right leg and still arms clearly showed that the paralytic was spreading.
Sarah looked down at him from a nearby chain, breathing heavily. Bruises now littered both of their bodies after the constant exchanging of blows. Alex also breathed heavily, barely able to keep standing due to exhaustion and the venom.
“Hah…looks like you’re spent, Miyata. Ready to jump down there?” Sarah asked, giving a smug smile.
Alex waved off her taunt with his hand. “Lost all your stamina already, so you want me to give up? I expected more from you.” He countered.
Sarah stepped forward. “Not my fault you finished way too soon, like the bitch you are.”
“Least I didn’t cry out with that last thrust, you lightweight.” Alex made a thrusting motion with his arm. Sarah grinned further and crouched down.
“I like you, Miyata. But you’re going to have to be the bottom tonight.” Leaping off the chain, Sarah readied her sword to slash at Alex’s leg, aiming to knock him off his perch. But Alex only looked up with a confident smile.
“The best part of any evening, Sarah…” Alex snapped his fingers, the complex web of chains scattered around the room beginning to shift. “...is when you pull out a surprise.” The chains all crisscrossed each other, closing a gap that trapped Sarah’s torso between two links. Her red eyes flashed once more as she sliced apart the chains holding her, but two more links closed around her legs. Dozens of links closed around Sarah, and the furious slashing stopped when her hand finally got ensnared. Alex walked up to see his trapped victim hanging midair from her coffin of chains.
“I hope you’re ready for a pounding…” Alex pulled his glove taut with his teeth, looking at her with a confident stare. “...you slut.”
Leaping up, Alex closed all the portals, severing every chain in suspension and punching the coffin hard into the ground below. The metal crashed into the dance floor, shaking the building and causing the remaining onlookers to run out of the way. Alex landed on the dance floor and collapsed to one knee, his other completely numb by this point. But he limped forward toward the coffin. There was still one final task.
The coffin opened slightly, rising up to reveal Sarah’s arms behind her back. Alex reached into his coat pocket, produced a golden pair of handcuffs, and expertly clipped them onto Sarah’s wrists. With one wave of the hands, the chains around Sarah’s body disappeared into a cloud of magical dust. The assassin looked up at him from the floor.
“Well…you pounded alright.” She complained. Alex chuckled, collapsing on the ground in front of a pillar. The look of relief on his face was clear. “You’re strong, Sarah. I’m already starting to feel your venom seeping into my other leg.” He explained. Sarah seemed satisfied to hear this. “You’ll be fine, those knives were made to paralyze people long enough so we can kidnap them. You’re quite strong yourself, Alex.” Sarah complemented.
Glancing at Sarah, his expression turned to amusement. “You know, I noticed something interesting. On the outset, you were laser focused on killing the host exclusively. But as our battle went on…you passed up many opportunities to leave me and go after him. I wonder why…” He asked sarcastically. Sarah rolled her eyes.
“What can I say, I was having more fun fighting a jackass like you than killing that monster. Let me guess, you stashed him in a closet at some point in our fight?” Sarah asked, Alex nodding his head, waving his hand and opening a portal directly onto the pillar that shoved out Luke’s tied-up body.
“I will be arresting both of you tonight. You have the right to remain silent. But first…” Alex stood back up, and hobbled his way over to Sarah’s body. He then knelt down in front of Sarah’s face, gripped her chin with his hands…and pried open her jaw. He took several seconds looking inside while Sarah squirmed in confusion before closing it again. There was a mild blush on her face. “What was THAT for?!” She yelled.
Alex sighed. “You’re a captured assassin. I have to make sure you don’t have a cyanide tablet in your mouth.” He said in a business manner. Sarah spat onto the nearby dance floor. “If I had one of those, I wouldn’t need to bite it. A cop like you is just going to arrest me, charge me with attempted murder…then offer to reduce my sentence if I reveal my client, that about right golden boy?” Sarah taunted.
The Enforcement agent knelt down again. “Perhaps, but maybe we can torture that information out of you. Make you scream like a bitch more than you did tonight with me.”
“Oooo, scary. Which cop are you going to be; good cop, bad cop, or heli cop-turd?” Sarah countered.
“I’ll take on some extra time for these comments, you piece of trash.”
“Oh really? You going to whip me with these chains while you’re on your power trip? Compensating for something?”
“Now there’s an idea, you know how fond I am of chains. I’m sure it’ll make you sing.” Alex knelt down confidently to address Sarah face to face. Both were clearly smiling at this strident conversation.
“You want to hear a song? Here, I’ll sing a fucking opera for you right here.”
“You’re certainly fat enough to give a convincing performance, cow chest.” Alex watched as Sarah sat up on her knees, and stared at Alex intently. He stared back in a similar manner. The air in the nightclub could be cut with a knife.
Suddenly, both of them lunged at each other, and began rolling across the ground, doing a mix of kissing and lightly hitting the other. A confused Skyler kept inquiring on what was going on, but Alex had turned his mic off by this point. It wouldn’t be for another several minutes until the HWIC backup came, and by then Alex had both prisoners ready…him and Sarah hastily fixing their hair before people burst onto the scene. She gave a knowing smile as she was placed in a black car, and drove off into the night.
—
“You want to…what now?” Aria Miyata asked, looking at a formal request on her desk given to her by Alex. “I think it would be the best course of action…if we released Sarah Albane early, and give her probation on the condition that she join the HWIC Stealth Force. She is an incredibly skilled assassin, I’m sure you’ll agree.” Alex explained. Aria looked at him with confusion.
“So…this woman almost ruins our operation, nearly kills you…and you want her to not only walk free, but be given a job by us?” She asked with incredulity. Alex nodded his head. “After our interrogation, we discovered that she was hired to kill that vile man by a group of escaped slaves that had been through his system. I don’t think it would be morally correct to try and figure out their identities.” He cautioned. Aria sighed and leaned back in her chair.
“She does seem qualified…my concern is the safety of us and our agents, Alex. If you want her to join the Stealth Force, I want the Intelligence division to figure out every detail of her past, and let the Stealth Force decide if she can be trusted or not. How’s that sound?” Aria clasped her hands.
Alex nodded respectfully. “That would be great, Aria. Thank you.” He responded, before turning and walking out of her office…ready to visit a particular cell at the HWIC prison to tell its occupant the good news. A voice called out from behind him.
“Just to let you know, that stunt you pulled broke…numerous ethical rules.” Aria’s voice rang out across the hallway.