"Things will never be the same again."
Gneiss Underwood never thought that he could have a shot of a normal life.
Growing up in an environment where everything defied sanity, guns and loneliness were his normal companions, if not danger and Death h...
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Number Twenty-Four
Krad hoped he misheard the young agent, but it was highly unlikely given the uncanny resemblance between the two. Dad. It was too much to be mere coincidence. No, he didn't trust coincidence or any sham related to it.
Krad's fist shot towards the man without preamble, sending the man sprawled on the floor with a bloody nose.
"Anong ginagawa mo?!" Rael went to grab Krad, only to be pushed roughly away.
Before the man could call for help or try something nasty, Krad pinned him down and went for his neck, his carotid, and exerted pressure against it, cutting off blood to the brain. The man tried to pry him off, but Krad was in control. In a matter of seconds, the man went limp like a rug.
"What are you doing?!" Rael screamed, pulling Krad off his father. "This is my –"
"It doesn't matter," Krad snapped, his glare making the boy flinch. "He's an enemy. Let's go."
Rael lunged for his father, shocking his companions, but Krad quickly went on his feet and held onto the thrashing boy. He barely managed to drag the rampaging agent away.
"Ang walang hiyang yan! He needs to pay! He abandoned us! He left us to starve! He is a good-do-nothing –!""
Krad was surprised at the sharp intonation and the unfamiliar language the boy used. He didn't understand the words, but Rael's ferocity told it all. Anger rolled off him in waves, a dangerous aura akin to that of a wild animal's. It wasn't affection he was showing; it was hatred.
"Back off!" Krad hissed, but Rael did something unexpected – he twisted his own arm just to get away from Krad, tearing a ligament in the process. He knelt in front of the man, seething, forgetting everything else. The enemies. Their mission. The escape. Krad was disappointed. Not wanting to further delay Faye's rescue, he gave a stiff nod to 04 and 09. Faye is more important. The Equations ran for the exit, leaving Krad the responsibility to look for 02... and look after the kid.
This wasn't part of the plan.
He punched Rael in the jaw, just enough to make him see sense. It was a hard task given that he was wearing gloves with metal knuckles.
"Leave him. He won't wake up anytime soon."
Rael responded with a guttural growl. "You don't understand –"
Krad heard footsteps rapidly approaching them. Without hesitation, he fired at the sources, bringing down a unit of three. More were coming. He knew it was dangerous – a foolish attempt – to cover for both Rael and the man, but it left him no choice. Rael is an asset; he's their healer. He couldn't abandon him.
