War: A Business

Chapter 18: Emergency

    I spend the whole night reading "The Fall of A Giant." during the trip back to our New Russian base.

   The book is about the causes of the economic, traditional,social, and nationalistic decline of America.

   When World War 3 ended, 3 former economic giants, United States, Russia and China entered a Second Great Depression including the world. Refugees from Canada, and the northern states came from a nuclear bombardment during the war.
Refugees filled the country causing overpopulation in many states.

  A civil political-party war between post-Russian occupied states, Neo-Marxist leaning states and unoccupied states because the occupied states were accused of treason by the unoccupied states and because of opposing political parties between the radical-left leaning occupied states and the radical right-leaning states of the unoccupied states. In return, the Blue States demolished their part of The Wall because they believe borders aren't necessary while the Red States tried to refurbish and expand The Wall around them to block the states despite the country is in a Second Great Depression.

  Years later, the two became two separate countries, the New States of America and the Liberated States of America. It is believed that the infighting and economic strife is one of the major reasons for the 'Fall of America'...

  "We have arrived." announced Kite as she interrupted me while I was reading a passage. I closed and stopped reading my book.

   My brother woke and stood up hugging his light payload rifle.

   Vince woke up too, with his hair curled up and a dazed expression

"You stayed up the whole night?" Vince asked.

"Yes." I answered while putting down the book that I read.

"Oh, that uninteresting book." my brother responded.

" Its only uninteresting because you read romance novels." I retaliated.

   All of the people in the dropship except my brother laughed.

"Really?" Kite questioned.

   A look of embarrassment is visible on my brother's face.

"Yes." my brother embarrassingly gulped.

"Well, here we are." Kite announced.

   The dropship descended to the mountain base.

   My boss is waiting outside the dropship. Its snowing outside.

    I remember when I woke up from a coma after two months. I saw a glowing streetlight outside the window. I saw a new beginning.

   I can almost see the glowing, yellow streetlight outside the dropship.

   We got out of the dropship.

"Jack, lets talk privately." my boss said.

"Sure." I said.

   We walked to the other entrance to the bunker in one of the buildings at the airstrip.

   "There is a dire emergency." my boss announced.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Remember the RavenClaw bases that we invaded?." he asked.

"Yes, boss." I answered.

"We can do that because the Global Peace law states that private military companies can fight with each other unless there is civilian casualties.
Someone is killing the civilians near our captured bases. Reports said that that 'someone' wiped out one of our regiments guarding the base. One of our bases was lost by this 'someone'. Investigate and eliminate the threat. Call close-air- support if necessary. Make sure to record evidence in-case if we've been summoned to the Global Court. You're the only one that can do it because of your superhuman skill. Based on the reports, that 'someone' had the same superhuman skill as you.
Good luck." he commanded.

"I will do my best, sir." I replied.

We hugged each other, like friends do.

"Call Vince." he commanded.

    I walked out of that building.I called Vince and I waited in the dropship.

    Later we took off with 1 surveillance UAV and 3 ground attack aircraft.

    Hours later we descended into a destroyed small city near the captured base. Craters everywhere, buildings were destroyed, and bodies were sprawled on the ground.

   I cant believe only one person can do this on his/her own.

  I called Vince and Francis.

  "Messenger, record everything. Phantom, provide harassing fire when needed. Wait for my signal."

  I armed myself with my combat knives. I checked if my shotguns and my combat throwing knives is with me.

   I walked aimlessly into the city, searching for the threat. Alone and exposed.

    Then, I saw him at the middle of the street, walking like taking a walk in the park.

   The giant rail-revolver looked familiar.

   The gray hooded coat looks familiar.

    The one who defeated me. My vision turned red.

   I charged at him with a maximum speed of Mach 6, thanks to my cybernetic legs.

  Within my reach, he disappeared in a blink of a eye, leaving an afterimage. He did not disappeared, but he ran to somewhere in speeds that I couldn't even keep track of. 

   I stopped. My mechanical legs are smoking, with the smell of burning metal.

    He is behind me. I can feel it.

    I swiped left at him with my combat knife in my right hand, but he simply blocked it.

What is he?

"Who are you!?"I shouted in
frustration.

  "I'm you, but stronger." he answered calmly. His voice is similar to mine, but with a unique, vague undertone. I cant even see his face under his hood.

  At speeds that shouldn't be even possible, he unsheathed his sword, similar to a katana, but longer and glowed bright red. and he scratched my face with his red katana with unbelievable speed.

My whole face seared in pain. My vision went blurry. I covered my wound to stop it from bleeding.

   The last thing that I saw was my heart being pulled out by his bare hands. He showed me my heart still beating.

   And he crushed it in front of me.

   In just a second.