Operation: Extermination

Chapter 12

         "And?" Jaden leaned against the counter, crossing his arms expectantly.

          "I found pictures and witness reports. I know who's doing it," Scott handed him a pile of papers, shoving them into his hands roughly as if disgusted by them.

         Jaden blinked slowly as he shuffled through the papers in his hands, "No way..."

         Val snatched the papers from him, flipping through the pages of witness reports. They all seemed to say the same thing- tall man, blond hair, eyes white and glowing like tiny stars. Dark skin and a lanky but muscular figure. She found a picture amongst the chaos, though it was only a silhouette. Even so, she recognized the confident way the shoulders were raised, the lifted head, and the hair style- short on one side and long on the other.

        "Zin 705," she crumpled the papers in her one hand and tossed the ball to the floor angrily, "Why would he be decapitating- oh. Please tell me it's not because what I'm thinking."

        "The decapitations began yesterday, right after we blew up the hospital," Flare sighed wearily, brushing a purple strand of hair back from her eyes as she set her wrench on the arm of the couch, "And Zin's doing them for the EE."

      "They've already found a new way to collect their brain pieces," Krell whispered in horror, "Only this time they have to kill a lot more because they don't know who's compatible until they're dead."

        "What have we done?" Fleck looked horrified, sitting down hard on the arm of the couch.

        Jaden scowled, a deep hatred lighting his eyes, "We can't change what we've done. We need to go with the flow, so now we stop Zin."

        "Why? So they can come up with an even more gruesome way to kill people?" Val stood up abruptly, anger flashing in her golden eyes, "We should stop dancing around the problem and take it out at the source!"

         "And how would you propose we do that?" Jaden snapped, "Run into their HQ and take down as many people as possible before they wipe us and reuse us for their conquest to rule the world?"

       "That's a stupid plan."

      "That's my point!"

         "I say we go after Crewel," Val smashed her fists together, "She's their lead brain grafter. If she dies, they won't have any experts on the matter."

          "Wait a sec," Jaden pulled back, "You're just looking for an excuse to settle your score with Crewel, aren't you? Don't drag us into your suicidal death missions!"

         "This isn't about Crewel!" Val bristled, her hand clenching into a fist, "It's about stopping the EE. Isn't that what you all want?"

         "Killing one person won't stop a company that's been around for decades," Krone commented, but he received a violent glare from both of them as they snapped, "Stay out of this!"

          "Look, Val," Jaden took a breath to calm himself, his lip curling slightly to reveal his pointed teeth, "I don't want a fight here. But killing Crewel won't solve anything more than a personal grudge."

        "Scott," Val said stiffly, her force gaze not leaving Jaden's face, "Finish my arm pronto, okay? As soon as I'm fixed, I'm going to stop this mess myself."

        "Er, yes, ma'am." Scott turned to face the arm, scooping up the wrench to continue his work.

        "Fine. Go by yourself, get yourself killed." Jaden snorted, crossing his arms and flopping down onto the couch, "See if any of us care."

         "A-actually, I care," Krell spoke up, looking up to Val, "I'd go with you, but my leg's not ready yet. So to help instead, I'll volunteer to stay broken longer so they can focus on fixing you."

         Val glanced down at Krell with a surprised look on her face. She suddenly felt warm at the small smile on his face. She rested a hand on his arm, pulling him to his feet so she could give him a hug, "I owe you one, Krell," she rested her hand on the back of his head, weaving her fingers through his black hair, "You're like a brother to me, did you know that?"

         "I always thought I was more like a very-confused intern," he attempted to joke, and she cracked a smile, stepping back. He toppled over onto the floor, and she suddenly remembered his leg was damaged. After apologizing profusely, she helped him sit down on the couch again.

         "Flare pretty much repaired most of the damage," Scott piped up, taking a sip of burning hot coffee that made him wheeze, "So I'll just have to attach it."

         "Going alone is suicide," Flare cautioned Val as she sat on Jaden's stool so Scott could begin reattaching her arm. "Jaden's right. This will be the last thing you do."

           "It may be. But as long as they exist, this puppet has strings," Val winced as the nerve lines were reinstated in her arm as Scott began hooking the wires together. "And I won't be truly free until those strings are cut."