Disclaimer before reading written in December 3rd, 2023: This chapter, among the other four that portraits the first night encounter and the early morning of the day after has been combined and improved on, please skip to it should you be wanting to watch the new one directly, or you can enjoy the old versions of those writings right here. Thank you.
Lungmen city, 21:54 hours
"..." The stranger muttered something that can't be heard from her distance seconds after, continues to stare at the far end of the city while holstering his handgun, completely unaware of the danger that is to come.
"Wha-, faster damn you!" The Mafia murmured in panic as his crossbow almost aimed at his prey, the outsider that's been murdering his co-workers and superiors. His hand moves significantly slower than he usually does, as if his time have been slowed down drastically. While in reality it was Mostima who casted a spell from behind with both her Black lock and White keys.
Knowing he got no time to lose, he readjust as much as he possibly can and pulls the trigger with all his might, desperately letting a shot off. His crossbow did not fail him, the mechanism triggered and the pressure that was in the sling unleashed. Pushing the arrow forward into the air despite the interference of time flow.
His strike managed to struck a graze to the target's face. In which the commotion successful attracted the sound of explosions ripped the skies like it has been already in this bump of a night, striking him down onto the ground soon after like the rest of his comrades. Leaving nothing but sudden peace masked by the rain and the sounds of the lively city away from the slum.
Under the neon lights Mostima can finally see the man's appearance clearly as he kept the rifle shouldered. A slightly taller figure with blue eye and a face of short stubble. On his head, the baseball cap with a bent retangle with the letter 'USEC' written on it, it's cloth at the visor's end have broken, revealing the plastc material within. Below that was a pair of glasses that is diamond shaped to the bottom and angled for keeping the lens in contract with the skin. His ears were covered by the headsets which can be found on arms markets and still in use for contractors and mercenaries.
His upper chest is covered by a plate carrier that was torn apart by holes with another soft layer of body armor in beneath, something that is uncommon around the contractor communities she knows of. Surrounded by magazine pouches and numerous other pouches on his sides, with what seems to be the handle of a relatively small tactical tomahawk strapped onto his back. On his left shoulder there's a shield shaped patch on the shoulder having the same USEC letters at the center and an eagle head between two lines resembling it's wings above, held on tight by his arm with the velcro holder strapped onto it.
His outfit consisted of a black and grey jacket and grey cargo pants that similar ones can be found in some of the clothes stores. A pistol holster was strapped between his belt and the right thigh with the left is occupied by a bag hanging on his belt. On his knees there are knee pads strapped onto both of his knees as well. Despite the overall equipments were too much to analyze at once, he is a professional no doubt. Perhaps he's from a contracting cooperation like Blacksteel Worldwide?
The stranger is in motion again, turning his shoulder left and right following his sights as they cautiously scans around the entire roof. The wound from the arrow struck his left cheek with blood constantly leaking out from it.
"Angering the Siracusas alone is not a very wise decision in this place mister. Especially when you broke the rule of games here." Mostima spoke in the dark with a friendly tone, with herself remains hidden inside the darkness and observes the stranger from within.
He ain't dumb either, a beam of unexpectedly strong white light immediately lid up towards Mostima following the stranger's quick turnaround with his rifle, forcing her to cover her eyes with her hand from the light. His legs back off a couple of steps from the direction she's at. Both the shattered Sankta and the darkened Sarkaz features reflected like obsidian under the spotlight level or brightness.
"...Whatever the hell you're saying. Either way would be wiser of you if you drop that thing down and put your hands up in the air, come on." The stranger backed off a couple steps. Still Mostima can notice his index finger at the trigger twitches repeatedly, itching to fire at her if she tries anything for him.
"Don't worry, I'm just a friendly messenger passing by." She replied setting down her staff and both her keys, then proceeds tocomply with both her hands above the halo in the attempt to gain his trust. "In which I had something for you, an offer it is."
"To deliver thy will to be done?" He taunts lightly for a moment and continues. "Shoot."
"I work for someone in this city known as the Emperor, currently he is seeking for potential employees to grow his business, and I believe you're quite a capable one." She said, but the stranger only responded with a laughter and his rifle remained pointing at her.
"Working in such an empire business may not be the most optimal choice to my already poor enough life choices." He replied indifferently with a deep smile.
"It's a job that offers an opportunity for you to get used to this city. Maybe beyond even, depending on the boss's orders. It's an interesting one, just like you." Mostima smiles at him, with her eyes shines brightly like a crystal due to the reflection of lights.
"Since from my observation mister, you seems to be puzzled throughout the times I've been watching you. And most importantly... You don't seem to be from this very world either." She followed, trying to use the fact she observed to convince him. "So I think this offer may be able to help you in the meantime."
The stranger felt silence for seconds upon hearing it. Even the eyes of his slowly turns into a blank and unfocused gaze as the light from his rifle darkened down, along his face turns slightly offset from towards and smile started to twist more and more for a couple of seconds until he closed his eyes and had a long exhale to recover both at the same time.
"Yeah, I figured pretty much the same." The stranger replied reluctantly. He then smiled again looking at Mostima with the gaze, as if everything is a colossal joke. "Well, never got a better choice to begin with, don't I." His finger slowly moved away from the trigger slowly and slowly, until eventually giving up on the hostility completely when the rifle is lowered.
As both of their crystal blue irises now met one another once again, something of an unusal feeling began to rise inside Mostima. The tiresome but half focused gaze of the stranger is like a blackhole of emotions due to the shadows all of a sudden, along with the whole scenery of ripped apart armor. Even after the rain, a saturation filled with different mixes of rotten, gorely, metallic burnt smell like death itself can be smelt from him despite the cleanse of the rain. The already soaked wet bandage with deep red stains on his right arm and the grimy all over him and his clothes hinted the glimpse of an unspoken, undescribable experience of fighting and suffering for an uncountable amount of time like the mercenaries years ago where conflicts engulfed all over the lands of Terra, even worse perhaps. "What have him been through?" She can't help but to wonder in her mind, having the unusal flinching thoughts and theories creating in her mind in this first contact while also trying to stay collected and calm as she always were, that is to prevent herself from going haywire.
"May I have your name mister?" She asked moving her hand above the shoulder. Sliding back her long, blue hair blown forth by the wind away from her eyes.
"...Alex is what they called me." The stranger replied, his expressions a few seconds ago appears to be concealed yet again. He left his rifle hanging to treat the wound on his head with a first aid kit in one of his pouches. "Yours?"
"You can call me Mostima-." Another burst of phone rings rang out from Mostima's phone, which she takes it out and have the call immediately. "Yes?"
"Hey Mosti. Where are you? We're parked the car at the old market waiting for you and the new guy already, and Texas just discovered something strange next to the car, very strange."
"Exia, keep it short. We're not safe before they arrive." The Lupo added quietly sounded like it came from some distance.
"Gotcha. So Mosti, just come here as soon as possible ok? Cya soon." Exusiai sighed as the call soon ended after, better move on now before anything unexpected happens.
Alex, who just finished bandaiding his face remained silence as he put back his cap yet left the headset hanging on a hook and then peeked at his watch next to his palm for a couple seconds, afterwards rest it on the rectangular like pouch left to the magazines. "Time to move?"
Mostima nods back slightly as her reply, she then took a knee down to take back her staff. With her gloved left hand she wiped off the drippings from it and holstered the staff back to her scabbard. With a turn she headed the direction which that is where she came from and turn her head back.
"Follow me."
Minutes later, returning to the dark, cold and humid streets of this god forsaken slum of this blizzard city. Alex followed the weird blue angel named Mostima walking slowly onto the streets that's been the hunting grounds between them and the Mafia. It has returned to it's peace with only the sound of silence can be heard during their advance.
He kept his hands on his AK with his eyebrows tensed up, constantly seeing around the surroundings again with his constantly blinking eyes and kept what is remained to listen, desperately trying to identify the smallest changes from the sounds of the slum coming from all-around, with the peltor damaged his ability to listen greatly reduced to what normal humans could . Each steps felt and landed heavy from both the fatigue and the stress he had been endured all this time. Normally he'd walk through urban streets even slums like this at ease, but after all these years on the fields and the news of unidentified hostiles spotted operating around in the area, he cannot move himself away from the constant alert raised inside of him.
In quite the contrast, the angel in front of him continues to stroll like any normal people does, her hands swung freely following the her movements during the stroll. "What are those sticks, magic staffs? Doesn't look like anything Gandalf or Harry Potter got, wait what the hell. These kinds of stuff exist here? Nah..." He kept this confusion in his head while looking at Mostima. Whose own remains facing forward with confidence, unlike him turning his head around like a hen.
As they reached the old market where a green SUV is waiting for them under the lights from the few lamps still operational on the walls.
Two figures can be seen next to the suv with one standing with her back against the vehicle. It's a red haired angel with the bright halo, dressed in white and black poncho jacket with short skirts. Waving her hand at the two who were walking towards them.
"Hey Mosti! You two are finally here!" She waved happily, with the tone of an angel that matches with her appearance. Even someone like her recoiled backwards for seconds upon seeing Alex clearly however. "Oh, nice to meet you too. I'm Exusiai." She then reached out and offered her hand.
"Alex." He slowly took her hand and shake it with his own still beneath the soaked glove.
The other figure crouched down next to the vehicle, appears to be another female with grey hair and dog or wolf like ears on top of her head in a similar poncho jacket that the angel is wearing. Her focus was attached on another dead body lying on the ground, which is unidentifiable at the moment due to the dark lightings and the distance, but it is supposed to be no longer unfamiliar within this night.
"Hm... So this is the guy you found?" The woman turned her head around to look at the two who now stopped in front of the SUV and asked.
Mostima nods and walked over to her, leaving Exusiai and Alex at the SUV.
Exusiai looked up, noticing his head. "My, aren't you're having a hard time with the mafia. First time?"
"I'm fine." He replied somewhat coldly, trying to understand what's with this angel altitude towards him.
She giggles and lifted her right arm towards the two at the wall. "Ah, she's Texas by the way. Isn't she cool?" She also put her other hand onto his shoulder as if they're close friends already.
Alex shrugs with his shoulders, resting his right arm on his belt above the pistol holster and scabbard for the knife. The red angel then landed her sight onto the Kalashnikov. "Nice gun you got there, can I try it?." Her eyes brightened by excitement, eagerly wanting to get her hands on it.
"Sorry, but now is not the time for it." Alex replied pressing the left button on the Eotech.
"Aww, still. Quite impressive for you to channel Arts this well to use guns like these."
"A what?" He asked. Glaring his eyes at Exusiai.
"Hm, you mean Arts?" She raised her eyebrow with a smile.
"Yeah... What, you need to be perfect in literature and other forms or those to fire guns around?" He questioned with a joking altitude, since that's the definition in our world's dictionary for arts.
"What? No, it's Originium Arts I'm saying." Her smile faded and felt into the abyss of confusion like him.
"Hold up... Did you just say Originium?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"...Nothing..." The PMC's head lowered, lets go of his hand and take a breather.
As the two were discussing the hell out of it trying to figure each other out. Texas is currently still in her attempt to understand the view in front of her. Mostima also has a good look at it after her arrival and noticed the dead got military equipments just like Alex does. Another set of clothes, another set or armor and equipment yet still. The object that attracts the most attention of her is a different rifle with a more modern looking which the frame is split into two parts and the stock and barrel are in aline with each other, with the visibly longer rail surrounding the handguard to attach any of the attachments than Alex's rifle and a tube like object at the very end of the barrel.
"Hmm, Exusiai did mentioned that she want one of these models sometime before..." Mostima thinks with Texas reaching her arm to pick the rifle from the dead. She starts to remember the memories of her recieving her firearms qualifications in Laterano, also the time where she recieved her gun - a blunderbuss. With that memory of her experiences in the blunderbuss she misses the feelings of grabbing another gun despite nowadays she got the more powerful and destructive casting skills. Still, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle for anyone to pick one up, at least her memories make her believes to be.
"I may have underestimated the weight of this weapon..." To much of their surprise, the seemingly normal weight gun of it's kind turns out to be way heavier than the two had expected. Where as someone physically fit as Texas lift the thing up singlehandedly with difficulties, it's easier to do with both of course, but none of them sees the necessity of it until the moment of truth bonks them in their heads back to reality.
Before Texas could start any attempts to start figuring out the inside of the weapon closely, she was interrupted. "Whoa, keep your fingers off from that trigger miss." Alex's voice came from their backs. "Tragedies related to guns always starts like this. "
Texas looked down, as given the fact that her index finger was holding the trigger all the time. A misplace of her strength could cause harm as we all know, but do they?
"I see..." Her finger was then relocated to the grip.
"Can I have a look on that?" Texas turned to hand him the rifle. "Thanks." The two Sanktas who now stood next to each other are observing.
"What does he mean by that? It will be fine if we don't channel any Arts into it." Exusiai whispered quietly next to Mostima like the old times.
"Shiii, shi, shi." She shushed, followed with a confident tone of respond. "That is no ordinary gun, he knows what he is doing."
"Hope you're right..." Exusiai sighed and put her hands into her pockets. "But how do you know?" Her question only replied with another smirk from her childhood friend while the focus of the two ahead of the changed to the body. "Still being like this, jeez..." She murmured to herself after moved ahead to join the other two.
"...Right, so that's how he is already when you guys found him." Alex's search turned to the backpack on the dead body, a few objects like gas mask, a scope like thing and small boxes of ammunition were scattered around nearby as it proceeds. "There you are... Jackpot." He murmurs, sighed for his further discovery within the bag. "If only it's not fucking useless now..."
"Heya!" Exusiai shouted, gaining the attention from the two. "The time is not early already, we should go." And Texas makes her way to the driver's seat, but Alex. He got a something in mind looking at the trunk on the back and starts stuffing in the items from the body where it supposed to be.
"Mosti, it's time to- ..." She looked back to the SUV but blue angel is nowhere to be found now, disappeared already like she was never there in the first place. "When will she stop doing that...?" Exusiai sighed deeply before closing the door on her side.
It doesn't take long for their ride to leave safety out of the slums. They were watched, it is same pair of Cristal blue eyes that watches them headed out closer towards downtown from above.
Mostima takes a look at her pocket watch, it is now two hours before midnight. She then continues watching at the neon lights from a distance.
"Damn you for going away like that, was that you who caused all those commotions?" Another familiar female voice came from behind.
"Seems I can't get rid of you again." Mostima smirks.
"Don't you dare saying that to me now! Do you know how much mop-ups I have to do everytime you're involved with something you *Laterano slang*!"
Mostima closes her pocket watch and turn her head back. It was her overseer as always since her fall. "You're still being this persistent Fiammetta, I thought the orders from the high council is over?"
"Of course not! No way are they letting someone as dangerous like you to roam freely. So obviously I will keep overseeing you." She replied loudly again.
Mostima smirks and look back to the road where the SUV drove on a minute ago. "Dangerous..." She chuckled. "If only you saw what happened here..."
"What was that?! Who is it behind this? I'm going to report this back to Laterano." Fiammetta takes her notebook for writing.
"It is not necessary, he's not from around this place anyway."
"He?! You know him? Who is he! Tell me now!"
"Oh, you'll meet him soon enough." Mostima smiles again, but this time it's not the usual one. Instead it is like the one back at the wall underneath.
"What are you smiling for?"
"Nothing." Standing aline, the two continues to watch the nightview of Lungmen.
"Not many people are more boring than you." Fiammetta complaints crossing both of her arms.
"You think this highly of me?" Mostima turned her head to look at her.
"It's not a praise!" Fiammetta shouted with her voice raised again. Where Mostima pulls out her smug face and time marches on.
Somewhere in Lungmen, the surviving active members of the Siracuras reached to one of their settlement with whoever unconscious they can carry during the retreat. One of the made man who survived in this encounter directly told his fellows what happened back at the slum.
"Damn those Penguin logistics bastards. They're too strong."
"But we have the number! We should retaliate them now with every family member in this city, since they can't break the game rules in the city we'll make those bastards pay for th-"
"There will be no retaliation tonight." A man with a grey wolf head dressed in an expensive suit entered with his thick Siracuras accent.
"But boss, look at what they have done to our family!" One of the clean made man asked emotionally.
"I am aware of the situation." He panted that made man's shoulder. "But remember, we got a bigger fish to fry. So remember this night, we will make them pay when we initiale our plan. Am I clear?"
"Understood..." The made man continues to help out the survivors after the panting.
The man then headed back to the room he came from, where there is board with numerous pictures of members from Penguin Logistics members were pinned onto the wall, all leaded straight to the center in a circle. Except one with a young looking Forte outside of the circle.
"This, will cripple the both of them once, and for all."
(I know it's been four months since the last update, I'll not make up with any other bullshit reasons other than me slacking off when there's time and being busy when there is not. But still I'd prefer to do it in my own schedule so I apologize to those who've been waiting for this and didn't get the reply from me asking about this series. There will be more, but only when I figured everything out and finalised it. Though I'd appreciate anyone who pointed out any errors if they find any within this. So thanks for reading, for now I'm going to figure out the plot line and think of how to execute it into sentences. PS from 1st Sep: I got an idea running around for a while and did a notification stuff as another work and want to see if that'll work, bot much ways to find it so go check the profile if you're interested)