The Southeast Military Base

34:17

Now, seems like CHE5TER is preparing the next plan near the Great Walls again, alone in His office. If you look at the letter though, you could say that is starting to get forgotten, as it is simply so complicated to know what it means for them. He does look around it to try again and again, but it's not like the first time when He got it anymore.

And of course RY4N enters His office too, with rather a confused face, but not coming from what CHE5TER does.

[CHE5TER]-So you woke up, I see. Came to help or...?

[RY4N]-Yeah, something like that. I suppose we are still investigating the Great Walls, right?

[CHE5TER]-Mhm. I would say today and around three more days should be more than enough around that area. Then, we go back to help Mrs. M4EK0 from the collaboration you've started. More than seeing the situation around the whole city's outside area, we can't really do much.

But RY4N doesn't seem as he responds. The Great Leader doesn't mind that as He continues with His work and focuses a lot on His papers, but He wants to talk with His brother in the meantime.

[CHE5TER]-RY4N, what say we go tomorrow to visit Mr. AD4M together after I'm done with the paper work of the end of the month? I didn't visit him for some time now after I "went missing". Do you think you might join me?

But once again RY4N doesn't respond. So this time, CHE5TER got a bit curious and looks at His brother who was sitting in front of Him, staring at a dead space and thinking of something.

[CHE5TER]-RY4N!

[RY4N]-...Hm?

RY4N looks back in the end, but such a face that confused CHE5TER for good. He doesn't say anything, maybe because He doesn't even know what to say. But He searches in His pockets for His cigarettes and lighter, giving one to RY4N, or at least trying.

[CHE5TER]-...Here. Take a pause.

[RY4N]-No need. I'm not stressed or anything.

So He fails in giving one since RY4N pushes His hand back and refuses to take the cigarette.

[CHE5TER]-...Okay, then what is it?

[RY4N]-It's not like you tell me everything, right? I have my right to keep some secrets too.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* But at least I am paying attention no matter my secrets... You've become a weird person in the past months, RY4N. Why do you complain that I've changed when you did the same mistake as me?

[RY4N]-Maybe because you've changed more than anybody else that I know. It's alright to change some behaviours here and there, but why would you change yourself completely?

[CHE5TER]-...Alright then. Be it like you. Keep your secret. But at least try to focus on what I'm saying.

[RY4N]-I will.

They take a small pause from their conversation, rather because CHE5TER got a bit annoyed by his response and got back to His papers. But then, RY4N speaks again.

[RY4N]-...I have a small curiosity though.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* No, I didn't find anything about the letter. It's a dead end from what I've seen. I can't do anything about it anymore. I could bring it to Mr. AD4M and see what he can do if so...

[RY4N]-No, not that. I know already from your expression that you have no news regarding it. I was rather thinking about that... you are working with the crevaators, right?

The question got CHE5TER by surprise for sure, but He thinks rather that another fight will come.

[CHE5TER]-...Yes, what about them? You know for some time I assume since you told me that KYR4 informed you. And you also saw me in action too.

[RY4N]-Yes, but I had a different subject about them in mind.

[CHE5TER]-Alright... Then? What's up with them? I told you yesterday that I was with them too for a few minutes. Did it get to be a surprise all of a sudden or what?

[RY4N]-Not that, but... why did you exactly choose to work with them? Like... weren't they not worth the trust?

And of course CHE5TER doesn't really know how to respond here. More than saying the truth, there is nothing He can do.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* ...Alright. I will tell you what was the deal here this time. I heard about them for the first time eight years ago when I was officially titled the new ruler, when we got to our adult age. Because of the constant missions that I had as the Leader back then too, I simply overheard a conversation about this clan from the M soldiers. Since the crevaators weren't even known in our city, I began to search for some old documents regarding them and found out that they are specialised in secret information, something that helps us a lot. I went in the end to their area to see if I can somehow make a small collaboration with them and our base, but them being stubborn and not wanting to hear a child's empty words, they refused to work with me for a great time. But I did manage to somehow convince them and when they swore on not saying anything about what I was about to tell them, I let them all have access to our city in exchange of any type of information they find above from then on. It is why nobody truly wants to get close to their area, because they are citizens of the above, the only clan existent in the City of Above, until they've moved here completely some good months ago. I kept it a secret rather because they were so feared by the citizens of the underground for a great time, so I thought that maybe you would all get the wrong idea.

[RY4N]-...I heard that you are paying them with corpses though. What's the difference?

[CHE5TER]-It's their payment which I cannot change, RY4N. They do not want money since they do not know how to use them more than in trading, so they want something from what they can really benefit. It's not like I have to kill on my own for this payment. People die every day by whatever reasons, and those that are forgotten by the world get into my hands after all. Most of them are from the above, rarely is a day when I need one from my own city, and I refuse most of the times to do so.

[RY4N]-It's still a bit cruel, no matter the intention you have.

[CHE5TER]-That is not even the cruel part, Brother. It is cruel only when they force my hand and refuse to do what I asked them, refusing to make up for their mistakes.

[RY4N]-What do you mean?

[CHE5TER]-...

He makes a small pause, then gives a smirk.

[CHE5TER]-...Heh, that's their secret from now on. I swore on not telling it after all, as well as they swore on not saying anything about me. It was one of my trades years ago. It's a shame though that they've refused to be a part of the Council when I offered them a space. They could've changed their mistakes from the past this way...

So the conversation is put to an end, since neither RY4N nor CHE5TER seem to want to continue. They remain to work on the papers only, making RY4N even more confused about this clan.

The City of Above

49:42

Now, it looks like the mission is going on as all the members of the base are standing on the buildings from the above. Just like yesterday, everyone is kept in their position protecting the Strikers from far away, but this time, seems like RY4N learnt from that mission and brought with him his weapon, a sniper rifle, to look around the area of the walls too and see if he can look a bit at these creatures. But in vain since he cannot see anything outside because of the pure darkness and the tall walls.

[C0NNER]-So? Anything new, LUK3?

[/LUK3]-No, not really... Same story like yesterday. Hundreds or even thousands of glowing lights in pure darkness outside. They don't seem as they want to come closer at any costs because of the light though.

[/IZA4K]-You say it like you feel bad they don't.

[/LUK3]-I'm just getting bored, man! I'm standing here for hours to watch the area and nothing more! I can even fall asleep at this point!

[/IZA4K]-Just be grateful they don't! They could devour you in no time if they got any closer, you idiot!

[RY4N]-You guys sure like to fight, huh?

[/IZA4K]-I mean, LUK3 likes it for sure!

[/LUK3]-Oh, shut up!

[KYR4]-Okay then... Do we move to the next area or stay here for a few minutes longer?

[RY4N]-Just a bit to record everything on my paper and we can move on.

[KYR4]-Alright then.

And so he does. He writes everything he hears from his Strikers down, but most of them are similar anyway. It's just that he has to record every area to see if anything is different. In the meantime though, LUK3 can't help but make himself a fool again.

[/LUK3]-Hey, C0NNER! Tomorrow is a free day! You will come with us in the city, right?

[C0NNER]-I'm not sure. I have a few things to do first in my apartment and meet a few people after. I will be busy, and I don't really want to come with you either.

[/LUK3]-Oh, come oooon! It will be fun!

[KYR4]-Why do you insist so much every time you ask someone to go out with you, LUK3?

[/LUK3]-Hey, I was just asking the little guy!

[/IZA4K]-Yeah, and you were pretty much insisting in him coming with you.

[/LUK3]-Old man, I wasn't talking with you, alright!? Why do you have to speak?

[/IZA4K]-You are bringing that excuse again? You sure didn't get beaten up when you were a kid to know your place...

[KYR4]-Now you've noticed that, IZA4K?

[/LUK3]-But why do you guys have to bully me so often?? I was just asking someone to join us on a walk!! Why do you have to ruin the moment every damn time??

[C0NNER]-Oh, Brother...

He got a bit annoyed, that's for sure. Knowing that he is in a mission now and LUK3 still insists with his weird actions, C0NNER simply puts his head down to calm himself and take a deep breath. But as he raises his head back and looks around the city, he seems to got a bit perplexed of something.

[C0NNER]-...Hey, Master RY4N?

[RY4N]-Hm? Yes, C0NNER?

[C0NNER]-I... uh... see something happening down here. Can you come and take a small look?

[RY4N]-Huh?

He gets rather confused, and even KYR4 got curious as well hearing his words. They come closer to the part of the building C0NNER was sitting while he was pointing on a direction. And it seems as... he points at a figure that stands on one of the shorter buildings nearby, simply not moving.

[C0NNER]-Do you... know that guy? I mean, does he look any familiar to you or something? 'Cause I don't recognise him at all.

[RY4N]-No, I'm sure I never saw him before...

[C0NNER]-Then why do you think he stands on that building? Maybe he knows we are here and we've discovered ourselves?

[RY4N]-I don't... think so...

[KYR4]-Maybe he is one of M4EK0's people? I believe they have a mission now too, so they wander around the city pretty often on their own.

[RY4N]-...But he doesn't seem to wear the uniform they have at all.

[C0NNER]-Then maybe R4YMOND's? I know that most of them don't wear an uniform so they can look like simple citizens during their missions, right?

[KYR4]-Are you sure is one of his? I know that they usually stay on the ground to vanish in the city, not above the streets.

[C0NNER]-Do you have any better idea who might be or what, Officer?

[KYR4]-I was just asking, C0NNER. No need to get pissed off now.

RY4N moves his rifle from its initial position and begins to look closer to the figure, finding out his face. But again, it doesn't seem like he knows him at all.

[C0NNER]-...What do we do? Do we say we've got discovered and announce the other teams?

[RY4N]-It doesn't seem like it... The guy doesn't look towards our position at all. But he smirks so... confidently...

[C0NNER]-Why so?

[RY4N]-I'm not sure... Maybe he has a pl... Huh?

Yet before he could finish, it seems like RY4N noticed something off about the person in cause. And that is... the guy is holding a small device that emits the gas that disables their immunity, which took the young Officer by surprise for sure, as he stops looking through his rifle, paralysed.

[KYR4]-What? What is it? RY4N??

[/IZA4K]-Hm? What's happening, KYR4?

[C0NNER]-There is someone that we don't know on one building nearby and seems like Master RY4N saw something at him, but doesn't respond.

[/IZA4K]-"Saw something"? Saw what?

[KYR4]-RY4N! RY4N, what is it??

But he doesn't respond once again. KYR4 got a bit pissed off and started to move him around, but he seems paralysed for good. Yet C0NNER simply began to look at that figure too, ignoring what KYR4 does. And so, the show begins.

The figure that they saw was a simple citizen, an M born, maybe old enough, which has decided to end his own life after a long time of living. Since they are immortals, it is a pretty often incident that is happening with this race after all. Nobody wants to live forever, no matter the times. It is the same reason why this race has the highest chances of suicide at an older age than all the others. After all, some people simply do not see them as gifts at all, rather like curses.

But it is not this thing that made RY4N paralysed, more like it was the first time when he had a real vision too. As the person was falling, rather than seeing an unknown man, he looks like he saw someone that he knows instead of that strange figure, having the last breaths before dying for good. And when the man reaches the end of the path of Death, the red ocean seems to have in his vision his own brother, lifeless standing on the ground before the vision finally ends, where the true victim is bleeding out heavily and having the worst death of them all.

A slow and unbearable pain, as the body is slowly remaining without enough blood to help the organs function, the spine being completely crushed, making the victim unable to move, and suffocating slowly until the end of this torture. The internal organs are also affected, being displaced on the ground while the river makes its way out of the place in which was imprisoned. This is no quick death, rather a punishment from the gods on being a sinner. What the victim maybe thought that would be the best option... yet he dies in a few second after as he wished.

Maybe it is simply that moment which marked him for good, such an ugly vision that is not even the truth now shown to him replacing the reality, and the reason why he lives in fear when he doesn't know where his little brother is at all. He fears that it might happen again, he fears that he may not be able to save him again. He is simply afraid of his sibling's fate, the only family he has left, and what could've happened if it wasn't for him to see CHE5TER fall.

So all of the three people that saw the show stand a bit to process what just happened, as maybe it is the first time they witness a true suicide in this city. Sure, they hear about them every day since it is so common above them, yet it can be traumatising seeing one with your own eyes as well. But again, this is the military of these lands, they witness the greatest horrors of the world from a very young age, so no matter how cold-hearted you pretend to be, feelings are not something that you can easily avoid.

When they are done processing it, RY4N orders in the end to move to the next area, while he remains a bit behind to get his equipment and rifle on an easier way for him to carry and pack the documents he has with him. But before he takes everything and leaves too, he goes to the dead corpse remembering his part of the deal. Sure, he has some hesitation at first seeing the body of the forgotten being just standing there on the ground and nobody knowing about it, feeling a bit guilty, but he wishes to get some answers too.

As a consequence, he first puts himself on a knee and bows to the fallen being as a sign of respect, then begins to take what's left from it, placing it in a blanket quickly made from some Verha he had on him and covering it completely, while also making sure that nobody sees him, then carries it to one of the entrances of the tunnels quickly where he lets the body in peace for the moment, hiding it, then going back to his mission.