Reborn- Apocalypse 2 Page 28

  "Maybe if Officer Martin was here, it would be different." Hatchel rubbed at his forehead, his gentle appearance twisted with frustration.

  According to everyone here, the only people that had any leads on Emissary Heron was Officer Martin of the Godfather Organization. The Emissary had first been introduced to them by the Stardust Branch of the Godfather Organization.

  Whether or not the Stardust Branch was fooled into thinking the Emissary was also a topic they had tried to resolve but…

  Officer Martin had left, leaving behind several subordinates that knew nothing.

  Officer Martin had returned to the Godfather Organization's inner territory to make a report, and, by all records, wouldn't return to the Stardust Coalition's home base for several days at least.

  The timing was conspicuous. There wasn't really any reason he needed to report anything in person, not when he could just send a message using the Godfather Organization's network. A B Ranked Officer in a Cluster Branch didn't exactly warrant a lot of importance.

  It was almost as if the man had been warned that they were coming and left a couple of days before their arrival.

  However… they hadn't even decided to come looking until very recently. It wasn't as if he could've been tipped off. All the clues pointed towards the Godfather Organization members being unaware that the Emissary was a fake, so it seemed incredibly unlikely that the two were knowingly in cahoots.

  That left them with the sole conclusion that the Officer had left of his own accord to make a report in person.

  And that meant they couldn't question him until he returned, effectively stalling their investigation.

  Of course, if the investigators had been aware that Officer Martin had reported in person at Micheal's suggestion, well... that might've caught their interest.

  Before Micheal and the Stardust Coalition parted ways, Micheal had subtly dropped the suggestion to Officer Martin, mentioning how the information Shigun provided to the Godfather Organization HQ was incredibly valuable. As a representative of Shigun, it was very likely they'd heavily reward him.

  And… as Micheal had expected, the draw had proven sufficient, and Officer Martin had left for the Main Branch. The Officer had seen the considerable power Micheal had displayed and no doubt greatly wanted to increase his own personal power.

  This subtle plan had removed the only possible information leak out of the easily-accessible picture. Micheal knew his identity would get out eventually, but all he was worried about were the immediate next few days. As long as he could stave off too much direct attention, everything would go perfectly.

  And so far… his plans had met with success.

  Number 10 stared at the Commander and then to the side, quietly whispering to herself.

  "That trashy piece of garbage. You sniveling, unworthy, murderous villain, how could you hurt my delicate sweet 14. I'll rip your fuc-" Number 10 abruptly cut herself off as she looked back up at the Commander.

  "What do we have, then?" Number 10's voice returned to its sweet and warm tone as she nodded at the man,

  "Anything at all?"

  "Most of what we've learned isn't notable. Heron is very strong, he was able to obliterate a Pseudo-Monster Class Morenkai with a single punch, he's a powerful A Ranker. He's intelligent, has keen senses." Commander Hatchel sighed as he shook his head.

  After a moment, however, he nodded slightly and continued,

  "Well, there is one thing a few of them have confirmed. Heron has, or at least had, a companion named Crane. She never stood out or did anything notable, but he isn't alone."

  When Number 10 heard that, her eyes narrowed behind her mask.

  "A companion? Why haven't I heard of this before?" She spoke the words slowly.

  "Look, Madam Fury, we are working with you as much as we can. The only reports I've read didn't mention any companion, only his own actions. I'll have our men review any and all reports that relate to him." Commander Hatchel held his hands in the air, trying to defuse the situation.

  "Alright. If this is true, then he isn't alone." Number 10 tapped on her Spatial Ring.

  She withdrew a nail file from it. Her nails were painted black, immaculately coated. She began to use the nail file as she spoke, her voice full of its ever-present warmth.

  "He may have shielded himself, but I refuse to believe everyone he knows is able to perfectly avoid detection."

  Before she could continue, however, something unexpected happened.

  "Sir! We've gotten word from the Captain-Commander!" One of the Arcadia warriors burst into the lounge, faintly out of breath. He held a smartphone in his hand, one of the men that worked as a communications expert.

  Number 10 glared at him, but remained silent, assuming his entrance had something to do with her case.

  "What is it?" Emissary Antler, who had been silent up to this point, stood up and waved the man over. The warrior rushed forward and privately began to whisper to the Emissary and to Commander Hatchel, his words containing a hint of urgency.

  After he finished his message, he stood still, waiting patiently for orders.

  Antler and Hatchel exchanged glances and then stared over at Number 10.

  "Well?" She waved at them impatiently.

  "We have to go." Commander Hatchel replied. He waved at the Truthseeker and the guard, and then immediately began barking orders.

  "Everyone! Wrap it up and prepare to move out! We are leaving in 5 minutes!" The Truthseeker and the Communications Officer had already rushed out, spreading word to the others.

  "What?!" Number 10 sputtered out loud as she heard this response. She took a couple of steps forward, her fists trembling.

  "How dare you abandon this investigation and hunt for such a vile crimin-"

  "Sorry, ma'am. It's not our call. The Captain-Commander has personally called us back." Commander Hatchel cut her off. He hesitated for a second before he added,

  "You might want to check in with your Director."

  Number 10's entire body was shaking with rage and confusion as she stared at him.

  By this point, the skyscraper was growing busy as the forces of the Angels Arcadia prepared to leave.

  "Give me an explanation, Commander." Number 10's voice was dangerously calm.

  It was the normally reticent Emissary Antler that stepped forward and answered her.

  "We've been called back because of the chaos that's broken out in the Main Cluster." He leaned his arms on the wooden table, his voice cold.

  "Chaos?" Number 10 stared at him in confusion.

  "Tens of millions of new men and women are pouring into the Main Cluster, and the number only seems to be getting larger. It's gotten far worse than what we expected and had initially prepared for a couple of days ago." Emissary Antler shook his head and went on,

  "We're leaving. The investigation is temporarily postponed. We will contact you all when we are willing to resume it."

  And just like that… The representatives of the Angels Arcadia filed out and left.

  Number 10 couldn't believe what she was hearing and seeing. Beneath her mask, her face was a seething mask of rage in its own right. She stalked out from the lounge area, quickly finding some of her own troops.

  Among them, one of them had the ability to set up a temporary long-distance communication array, so they could contact their own when not in normal range.

  In just a few minutes, Number 10 was on the line with one of the higher-ups, using a specially prepared smartphone.

  "…it's devolving into a bloodbath in some areas. Huge battles have already broken out as groups of criminals attempt to take advantage of the situation. It's absolute chaos up here." The speaker's voice was gruff and deep, making the man sound like a large, heavyset man.

  Just as the Angels Arcadia had said, something big was happening. The speaker was patiently explaining this all to Number 10.

  "What?! But it seems fine where I am!" She returned a response, stubbornly. She absolutely did not
want to give up on the investigation.

  "Your location is closer to the inner part of the Main Cluster. It's only the outer areas that are currently being swept up. I'm sure it'll spread in time." The speaker's voice was dismissive,

  "You need to return right now, Number 10. You can continue the investigation later. I'm glad you had the foresight to contact us." When using long range communication, it wasn't possible for the Nightrunners higher-ups to contact Number 10 first. She wasn't in an area with devices, satellites, or other things they could control and use to pinpoint and call her.

  "But we still hav-" Number 10 began, but was cut off.

  "That is a command, Number 10." The gruff speaker's voice was commanding, not giving even a little.

  Number 10 clenched her fists in response, not saying anything.

  "Besides." The speaker whispered quietly,

  "This is an excellent opportunity to expand my experiments. We just need to find a suitable head researcher as fast as possible. It's a shame what happened to Leila." The speaker sighed,

  "Now, are you going to obey your orders?" The man's voice contained a hint of steel.

  "Yes, sir." Number 10 replied, begrudgingly, her eyes flashing as she hung up the phone.

  She immediately began giving orders, organizing her team as they prepared to retreat.

  The various members of the Stardust Coalition watched as both major forces prepared to leave, and left, many of them feeling a hint of relief.

  "But I'm not going to give up that easily." She whispered quietly to herself as she stood in a hallway, watching her team pack all their tools up,

  "Emissary Crane, was it? Let's see if you can hide as well as your friend…"

  .

  Chapter 37

  "People like you that kill wantonly… you are the worst type of human trash." Asim's voice was harsh, his tone cutting as he took a step forward. His hand rested on the hilt of his saber, his entire body tensed as he prepared to attack in the drop of a pin.

  Behind him, the rest of his men and women stayed back and watched. General Asim's fighting style prevented allies from getting close. If he needed to defend himself, they would only get in the way.

  Several of them had hands on their guns or blades, readying themselves to act just in case.

  "Some of you Arabian bastards are a breed of vermin in your own right." Vladimir's voice was equally harsh. The man's eyes had a red luster to them that matched the red plate armor he wore. His team stood back as well, letting the two leaders confront each other.

  A couple of his men had looks of hesitation on their face, as if they wanted to say something, but Vlad's incredibly fierce aura was preventing them from cutting into the moment.

  How exactly this encounter had fallen to this level, neither side was quite sure.

  Their encounter had been random, two teams that were crossing routes. Asim had greeted the other team, introducing themselves and asking for directions to the Godfather Organization.

  They had already encountered a large number of people in the outer regions of the Main Cluster. Sizable numbers of people could be seen traveling atop the rooftops, hunting Morenkai or talking with other groups. The Fourth Wave had brought a huge number of people to the First Layer. Many of them, even from Asim's own Cluster, had left when the various Great Bridges opened up, off to explore or try to find a way out of this nightmare.

  Asim was a member of the Fourth Wave that had only been here a month and some change, just like Micheal. After learning about what all happened here, Asim absolutely could not bear to wait before searching for his little brother and had left as soon as the Great Bridge opened.

  In the time that he waited, he put his all into training his strength and Abilities, forming a powerful team that had his back.

  When he'd arrived, he was greeted with news from the Godfather Organization about his little brother's demise, but there was nothing he could've done about that.

  Alas… all of his training and preparation for the past month had ended up in vain, at least when it concerned his brother.

  After Asim introduced himself and his team to the Dragon Slayer Guild, as they called themselves, their encounter with the other group had quickly turned sour.

  The leader of the other team had done a complete about-face when he heard Asim's introduction and where he was going, becoming incredibly hostile. He had questioned what Asim wanted there.

  Asim wasn't really that sure himself. After learning of his little brother's fate, Asim had decided he wanted to make the First Layer a safe place. He wanted to eradicate the Morenkai, obliterating their existence.

  That wasn't something he could do with just his own small team. Thus, he decided to travel to the Godfather Organization and… talk to someone. He hadn't planned it beyond that point, he was still in his grieving process.

  He didn't explain this all to the man named Vladimir. He simply told him he was looking for someone within their organization.

  His response hadn't exactly been polite, but Asim was an emotional mess at the current moment and felt no need to guard his words. The hearing aids he wore were functioning, but seemed to have trouble clearly picking up Vladimir's words, making it hard for him to hear clearly.

  When Vladimir heard his response, the man nearly went ballistic. Words exploded between both powerful leaders and the tension of the moment rose to an extreme.

  And… here they were now.

  "If you have a problem with me, my men, or my race, you are welcome to let me know." Asim smiled gently while his eyes stared daggers at the huge mountain of a man before him. He took another step forward, holding his hands out to the side casually.

  "I'm right here." As he spoke, he tapped on his hearing aid, making sure it was functioning correctly.

  Vlad's hand slowly reached back to the spear that was perched on his back, not saying a word as he kept his eyes trained on Asim.

  When Asim saw this, his lips tugged his smile to a cruel smirk. It wasn't one of mockery, but rather, the expression his face gave when he was intensely concentrating.

  Everyone began to shift, the members of the Dragon Slayer Guild and the Arabian Knights both stepping back and readying themselves.

  It was a picture of a scene that was about to break out into combat.

  Vlad grabbed ahold of his spear.

  Asim grabbed his saber.

  They both took one last step forward, till they were only two meters apart.

  And then…

  "...thud."

  Both warriors froze as the sound of someone landing down caught their attention, audible to either leader. They both glanced off to the side, where a figure had just touched down.

  It was a man in a set of ornate robes, wearing a blank, mildly creepy mask on his face, with a large, scoped rifle slung over his back. The robes the man wore gave him the image of an important figure, while the mask added to that and made him look imperious.

  For a tense moment, there was silence as all sides stared at each other. The subordinates of either side didn't move, staring at the masked figure in confusion.

  "Huh?!"

  "What the…?"

  The two leaders were in the midst of stuttering out a response when a deafening explosion shook the air overhead. This explosion was then subsequently followed by two more explosions.

  Waves of fire, heat, and pressure slammed down onto the skyscraper rooftop, blasting into everyone present. The raw impact knocked everyone except for the masked man to the ground. Swords and guns were knocked from hands, men and women fell unconscious, and general chaos broke out.

  Throughout all of this, the masked man had stayed remarkably still. The sniper rifle had remained attached to his back and he made no noticeable movements. He didn't try to say anything out loud.

  Internally, however…

  'They're still pretty inexperienced, huh?' Micheal observed as he saw both leaders go down, wincing slightly as the pressure waves from the explosion washed over him. He
was prepared for it and able to resist it, and the explosions didn't happen directly over him, but they were still annoying.

  The two leaders had seen him appear, yet his abrupt attack still managed to take them both by surprise.

  An instant later, three small orbs flashed through the air and slid into his skin, emerging from the cloud of smoke that had formed overhead.

  The three round objects Micheal had pulled from his Spatial Ring were none other than a set of Repulser Grenades he'd picked up and kept just for a moment like this. Each one was able to detonate and send out a powerful shockwave. For people that weren't expecting it at close range, the blow was bound to stun and knock them down.

  It had been a simple matter of pulling the pins from the grenades and then sending his Life Orbs up in the air with a grenade pinned to each one.

  No one was paying attention to the side of the skyscraper. There were a few other groups visible on nearby skyscrapers, but this part of the Main Cluster was fairly dead at this time. The huge torrent of people flooding in from the Great Arrival hadn't reached this far yet.

  Only a comparatively small trickle of people had arrived over the past couple of days. The Great Arrival should be fully kicking into gear right now, as far as Micheal was aware, but that wasn't something to worry about. If anything, it would make his life easier.

  Micheal's Life Orbs could fly a bit more than 20 meters away from him, giving him a huge area of control. With the grenades attached to each Orb, all Micheal did was come up onto the roof and wait patiently for them to be close to detonation, out of sight.

  The moment he knew they were about to explode, he had his Life Orbs toss them up into the air and then start to return back to him.

  By the time his Life Orbs made it halfway back, the Repulser Grenades began to explode, one after another, knocking everyone to the floor.

  Micheal's eyes flicked to the left and right as he took in all the downed and stunned members of each team. None of the people here were ones Micheal recognized, meaning they likely weren't nearly on par with the two leaders out in front of him. Just because someone joined an organization early didn't mean they were bound to be extremely talented or destined for strength.