Chương 38: ⁕ Thunderstorm Alert

A heavy rain poured upon a small Middle Eastern village near the ocean. Above the village, a small hill overlooked the town with a massive imperial military settlement atop. The rainwater repetitively splashed against War's helmet but he didn't seem to be bothered. He watched apathetically atop the helicopter landing pad as the village below him began to experience mild flooding. Soon, War was joined by Death who made his presence known by tapping War's shoulder.

[Death] - "Does something bother you, War? "

Said Death in a concerned voice.

As if nature knew of the two men's status, all sounds seemed to subside to prioritize Death's voice over the splashes of the rain.

[War] - "Famine has perished. The fire of chaos was extinguished abruptly amidst my domain above the earth. "

Said War in a neutral voice.

[Death] - "Well... what a tragedy. It would appear times have changed. We are no longer the Gods we used to believe we were. We are nothing but antiques in the face of human progress. "

[War] - "So be it. Allowing things to run according to their fate is the best decision for us all. "

[Death] - "Don't give up, brother. As long as we follow the path of our prodigy, we and humanity will be saved. "

Said Death as he padded War's shoulder.

[War] - "Fate is inevitable. All paths are but illusions which lead to the same result. "

Said War as he drew a cross upon his helmet.

[Death] - "We will break that illusion. Have faith, brother! You might not trust yourself but you can trust me. I know this is our time to avenge the past. "

Said Death with a determined voice before walking back into the base.

[War] - "You can run from my replies but you can't run from the truth. Ignorance will not grant you victory. "

Death stopped for a second to consider War's words before ultimately deciding to continue on his path. As the flood under War's eyes grew more severe, people began to climb onto their houses to avoid the rising water level. Even as many people were swept away by the water and screaming for help, War simply watched and allowed fate to take its course.

"Great warrior... we meet again. "

Said the voice in War's head.

War turned to see his horse standing beside him. As he approached to pet the animal, its white body began to glow with a blinding shine.

"Usually, I will not discuss with you in such a direct manner but I have been made aware of a transgressor in the natural order of my kingdom. "

Said the voice as War kneeled down to show his submission.

[War] - "What are your commands? "

"Darkness has overstepped its boundaries and disturbed the balance of this world. I order you to attack the Allies and break their strongest warrior. Do not kill, only break. Once this is done, the natural balance of this world will be restored. "

Said the voice before everything returned to normal.

War, still in a pool of sweat on the floor, immediately got up and mounted his horse. In tandem with its master, the animal immediately activated its symbiotic ability and turned its flesh into clouds and smoke. With a single jump, War and his horse pierced through the dark clouds and flew across the globe.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a bus full of civilians drove into a secret Allied facility. When the bus opened its doors, a large group of impoverished Latin-American children stepped barefoot onto the cold facility grounds. As they were ushered by white-coat scientists deeper into the facility, Dunkel suddenly appeared on the scene.

[Dunkel] - "So, Doctor Floyd, how many test subjects are we having for today's experiment? "

[Floyd] - "54, as you asked. "

Said Floyd as he handed Dunkel a digital notepad.

[Dunkel] - "I suppose you made sure these won't be missed by anyone. "

Said Dunkel as she scrolled through the list.

[Floyd] - "All relatives were either missing or casualties of war. These orphans were written out as missing or dead, so there won't be any loose ends. "

[Dunkel] - "Haha... You know, I recently developed a new appreciation for wars. It's the perfect excuse to acquire test subjects which were normally impossible to acquire legally. On top of this, who would know or give a fuck when it's a government-founded operation. God bless the CIA and the Allied government. "

Said Dunkel with a tone of enthusiasm.

[Floyd] - "Exactly, science and progress shouldn't be held back by morals and ethics. Big fishes eat smaller fishes, that's how things should be. "

Said Floyd with a slight grin.

Suddenly, Dunkel's earpiece began to vibrate as an indication of a pending call.

[Dunkel] - "Hold on a second now, Floyd. "

Said Dunkel as she stepped away and pressed on her earpiece.

[Dunkel] - "Doctor Dunkel, genius, scientist extraordinaire, mother of modern bioengineering and three noble prices winner, who's calling? "

Said Dunkel in a confident voice.

[Admiral Jack] - "Dunkel, I need you to come here with Arthur immediately. We have some serious problems. "

Said Jack in a trembling voice.

[Dunkel] - "What's the issue? "

[Jack] - "We are under attack again, for fuck's sake! Why do you ask such an obvious question, fuck! "

Said Jack as fear and panic filled his face.

[Dunkel] - "Alright. Same deal as before, right? I get half the recognition and reward. "

[Jack] - "Yeah, yeah, whatever, just hurry up! "

Yelled Jack before ending the call.

[Floyd] - "So? Got a call from Doctor Josef Mengele? "

Said Floyd with a tone of sarcasm.

[Dunkel] - "Yeah, yeah, continue the experiment without me. Record the process and result, so I can approve it when I come back. Remember, no impersonating Marion Sims. We are an establishment with integrity, not a house full of savages like unit 731. "

Said Dunkel as she rushed past Floyd.

Dunkel soon arrived inside a large luxurious room full of cushioned beds and canapes. At the centre, Arthur played with three beautiful escorts while they had caviars and expensive wine.

[Dunkel] - "Come on, Arthur, we got work to do. "

The three women immediately stood up and stepped aside as Dunkel approached Arthur.

[Dunkel] - "You've had enough time to rest, so it's time to work. "

Said Dunkel while Arthur tried to reach for the women.

[Arthur] - "You interrupted something here, doctor. "

Said Arthur with an annoyed look on his face.

[Dunkel] - "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you after this. I always keep my promise, so you can rest assured. "

Said Dunkel with her arms crossed.

[Arthur] - "Fine, but don't count on me to do overtime. "

Said Arthur as he reluctantly put on his shirt.

Meanwhile, a massive cloud peppered Admiral Jack's headquarters with a violent thunderstorm. The thunder roared angrily as it illuminated the dark sky while bolts of lightning unleashed destruction against the earth. Above a plane hangar, War sat motionlessly on his horse as military personnel and vehicles surrounded him.

[War] - "I advise those who understand your own vulnerability in the face of certain death to stand down. No harm will come your way if you allow nature to take its course. "

The way War's voice was heard by every single man no matter the distance or the surrounding noises compelled many to lower their weapons. The soldiers understood that they stood as ants in the pathway of an invincible giant. In the end, almost all of the base's men retreated out of sight, leaving only scattered equipment and abandoned tanks around where War stood.

Inside the command room, Dunkel rushed in and stood beside Jack in front of the massive screen which showed the base's exterior.

[Jack] - "Did you bring him with you, our super weapon? "

[Dunkel] - "Yeah, he should be there soon. "

[Jack] - "Let's hope he can deal with this creature. "

Said Jack with a concerned look on his face.

As War waited for his opponent's arrival, Arthur suddenly appeared in the sky behind War. Without hesitation, Arthur descended upon War at supersonic speed with his fist extended. However, as soon as he punched his opponent, Arthur's fist only went through a mist of gas and cloud.

[War] - "So you are the Allied Forces' strongest warrior. How pathetic, you chose to dishonourably strike your opponent from the shadow but you still missed. "

Said War as his voice echoed in the rain.

The illusion in front of Arthur immediately dissipated into the air, leaving Arthur wondering where was the real location of his opponent. Suddenly, War materialized in front of his opponent but as Arthur went in the offense, a sudden sensation caused him to stop. To Arthur's horror, the rainwater began to move into his nose and mouth, leaving him no opportunity to breathe.

[War] - "Show me what you can do, warrior. "

Arthur gagged intensely trying to use his ability to get the water out of his lungs but all he managed was to rip off some of his flesh while not a single drop of water exited his system. As the massive amount of water filled his orifices, his eyes became bloodshot while a mixture of water and blood exited his ears. As his consciousness began to fade, War approached him with a glowing substance around his hands.

[War] - "Not very impressive, not at all. You make me feel embarrassed as if I'm torturing a toddler who barely knows how to spell. "

Said War as he pressed his left hand against Arthur's chest.

Somehow, despite having ruptured eardrums, Arthur can still clearly hear everything War is saying.

[War] - "You know what is this glowing substance around my hands? This is water but compressed so much that it turns into plasma. Now that you know what I'm going to do, what will you do to stop it? "

Said War as Arthur stared back at him with an expression of terror.

In desperation, Arthur tried to push himself away from War but he was immediately slammed back toward his opponent by a wall of solid rain.

[War] - "No will to resist, no warrior's honour or spirit. I pity the likes of you. However, it would be easy to break you as well, so thank your fortune that it will be over quick. "

Said War as an expression of disgust filled his face.

Arthur desperately lifted using his ability a massive shipment container to smash War but the rain immediately drilled through the object until nothing of it was left.

[War] - "May fate show you mercy. "

In an instant, War unleashed the compressed water around his hand toward Arthur's chest. Despite Arthur's defence, the pressure caused his crystals to instantly shatter into tiny droplets before disappearing into the rain. The remaining energy that was not absorbed by Arthur's ability ended up breaking all of his ribs and sternum and caused Arthur to spew out all of the bloodstained water in his stomach and lungs.

However, War's mission was not yet over as he immediately commanded a mask made of water to be constructed around Arthur's face. Every time Arthur came close to passing out, War would withdraw the mask and allow him a few breaths of air before resuming the process. Meanwhile, inside the command room, every single officer looked away as the sheer brutality of the scene caused many to feel major discomfort or the urge to puke. Among all the personnel present in the room, Dunkel was the only one who showed no sign of illness as she watched the torture without a reaction. In fact, she was more concerned about her own interests and safety than Arthur's agony.

War has seen the worst humanity can offer throughout history and know which methods of torture yielded the best result in breaking a person's mind. After finishing with water torture, War grabbed Arthur and set him flat on the ground. Immediately, the rain turned into sharp needles which flayed Arthur's skin and body until it became something unrecognizable. During all this time, Arthur simply rolled in pain on the ground and was unable to scream as his vocal cords were destroyed earlier as water exited his throat.

[War] - "Do not worry, you will not die but you will remember this day for the rest of your life. "

Said War as he raised Arthur in the air.

In a swift motion, War slammed Arthur on his knee and spit his spine in half. With this final act, War stared into Arthur's eyes and identified the look of terror and submission he was looking for. Satisfied with his work, War allowed Arthur's body to remain in plain sight for all to see before climbing onto his horse which materialized before him.

[War] - "Unbelievable! To think that this fool defeated both Conquest and Famine... "

Whispered War as he threw a look of disgust at Arthur's mangled body.

A realization suddenly hit War as he turned his head and stared at the Allied base behind him.

"What if he isn't who I am looking for? What if... "

Thought War as a panicked expression appeared on his face.

"You have done well, great warrior. Leave it be, you have done your part. "

Interrupted the voice in War's head.

[War] - "But... he is not the transgressor! "

"Yet you are just the executioner. You are neither the judge nor the jury. "

[War] - "I understand. Fate has its ways. "

Said War before disappearing into the rain.

Soon after War's departure, the weather slowly cleared before the sunlight illuminated the earth once more. Medical personnel rushed toward Arthur with a bodybag but were beyond shocked to find him still alive and breathing. Without losing another second, they immediately carried him into the facility to administer care for his injuries. Meanwhile, Dunkel and Jack both breathed a sigh of relief as they were thankful that War didn't come for them after dealing with Arthur. What purpose did War's action serve? Only time will tell as fate unravels its plan.

While Arthur was hospitalized for his injuries, Kadyn and the rest of her team celebrated their victory against Famine. Since they were the B-team of the Allied Forces when it came to crystal users, their victory was barely spoken of within the Allied military. However, since they were never after fame or money, they were content with the limited reward and recognition they received for their effort.

[Dane] - "Alright ladies and gents, place yerself, we are gettin' a group picture. "

Said Dane as he raised the digital notepad in his hands.

[Kadyn] - "Is this really ok? I mean we are still in bandages and connected to IV fluid. "

Said Kadyn as she readjusted herself supported by her walking cane.

[CT] - "Come on, it simply means that we are brave and fearless. "

Said CT as she placed herself beside Kadyn and placed her hand on her friend's back.

[McCree] - "Raise the camera a little more so we can get CK in the picture. "

Said McCree as he pushed himself into the frame in his wheelchair.

Senju also arrived on the scene with a brand new set of armour and cybernetic enhancements. Unlike his previously gloomy self, Senju this time showed his enthusiasm by putting his hand behind Kadyn's head and mimicking the ears of a rabbit using his fingers.

[Dane] - "Alright then! Three... Two... One... "

With a click, Dane captured Kadyn's entire team in the frame. All of them showed a smile of sorts despite their injuries. CK, especially, showed the thumb up in the back despite being almost confined to his hospital bed due to his wounds.

[Dane] - "Well, ain't this great? Enjoy the cake and drinks for now. I wish all five of y'all a swift recovery. "

While everyone gathered toward the cake with their plate, Kadyn sneakily turned and gazed at Mike's coat which hung by her bedside.

[Kadyn] - "The six of us. "

Whispered Kadyn with a bittersweet smile.

To be continued...

*EXTRA

- Profile: Arthur

- Ability: Same as Mike but a lot weaker since Arthur had trouble mastering his ability compared to Mike. In fact, since Arthur was a completely different person, it was only by pure coincidence that he managed to inherit some of Mike's power. "

- ABILITY STATS:

Power - B

Speed of the ability - C

Speed granted by the ability - B

Range - C

Durability of the ability - A

Durability granted by the ability - B

Precision - C

Potential - S