A big shout out to Dan Chekanov! Thank you very much for the support; it goes a long way in helping me and this novel. So once more, thank you! Also, could I get a round of applause from the reader.
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Instantly, Magnus' eyes widened like saucers, and he whipped his head around to face Lobal and Jovel, and asked in a growl like voice, tinted with anger and shock. "What the hell is he still doing with his virtual headset, on?"
The two young men looked at each other, once they saw that the secret was out, then one of them stepped forward to face Magnus. He held out his right hand, in order to stop Magnus or to pacify him, maybe even both of them at the same time. Then said in a low and calm voice, trying to advise and help out Magnus. "My opinion is that you should leave while you still have the chance. You do not want to be here when shit goes to hell."
Magnus looked at them, each in turn, then nodded his head to himself, as if he came to some sort of final decision. The young mech builder turned around and started to walk away, for a single moment, there, it looked like he really chose to leave all this behind. But then abruptly, he spun around on his heels, and he held a pistol in his hands, the same gun which he got from Michael, furthermore it was pointing right at the two gentile young men.
"You know what," Magnus stated as he shrugged only his right shoulder, careless, "I think I will have that word with Michael. What do you say to that gentleman?" Magnus asked Lobal and Jovel, as he raised his eyebrows, waiting for a reply from them.
The two young men looked at Magnus for a while, then make up their minds; they both took an aggressive stepping forward, making it very clear of their stance.
Magnus surveyed them very carefully as his eyes raked over them up and down, all the while he kept his handgun pointed at them. Eventually, Magnus spoke up and asked Lobal and Jovel in a curious tone, "Answer me this, why do you two stick around with this asshat, huh? I am really curious about that. The two of you don't seem like you even enjoy hanging out with him. And before you deny it all," Magnus added, as he tried to calm them down since the two minions started to get aggravated about Magnus' words.
"I have to say. I know the look of somebody who is not fancying himself. And the two of you," Magnus said as he waved his finger at the two large men, "always carry around the look of somebody who is dead inside."
The two black-haired brutes remained silent once Magnus finished asking his question, and remarking about his observation that he made. Suddenly one of them spoke up, once he did, the other one looked at him in displeasure and outrage, but he continued to carry on, without hesitating.
"We were listening to what you were saying to Michael, and you have no idea how true your words are."
Magnus listened on without interrupting, curious about where the robust man was taking this conversation.
"When the new era arrived, humanity was instantly divided into two; those with gifts and those with nothing. This world has become the playground for those who are gifted, and to survive in this treacherous new world, you need to hold on tightly to the thigh of somebody with powers."
"You are just repeating what I said, big guy," Magnus said in a low, ominous tone, as he was starting to get suspicious that the big man was only trying to stall him with his circular conversation.
"Either get to my question or step the fuck back from Michael." Magnus also added with finality, as he waved his handgun around threatening.
"I already answered your question," the large guy stated, "normal folk cannot survive and make it big without the protection of a gifted person."
Magnus shook his head, as he stared down at the big fellow in annoyance and spoke in an exasperation tone. "Why did you have to go about in such a roundabout manner? Can't you just saw that your fathers work for that douchebag's mother."
Magnus rubbed at his temple using the same hand that held his gun, too tired and hurt to continue carrying on with this conversation any longer. Thus, pointing his gun at Lobal and Jovel, Magnus said to them, "Alright, now that we are on the same page, let me go talk to Michael, and I promise I will not hurt him. What do you say to that, huh? It is not like there will be a chip off your shoulder."
At Magnus' soothing declaration of peace and compromise, the two minions of Michael did not even budge an inch. Magnus peered down at them as a dangerous glint shone in his eyes, he asked them in a cold tone, "Or do you guys want to do this the hard way."
"We really would have not wanted to go through this with you, Magnus, if it were in our control." The other minion of Michael's said in a crestfallen voice; you really cannot tell the difference between the two of them, people would naturally assume that they are twins even if they came from two separate mothers and fathers. And the way that Magnus is going about identifying them, is, who had spoken first and what they said.
"If something happens to Michael on our watch, ever again, we are literally dead." The lackey added as he shook his head, to shake off whatever sentiment he was feeling.
"Are you not listening to me," Magnus shouted in maddening irritation as trying to solve this peacefully is not going so well for him. "I just want to talk to him face to face."
"Our answer is still No." one of the non-blood related twins answered.
Magnus sighed to himself, not in defeat, but in displeasure at what he had to do next.
Then what simply followed next, was the shot of two bullets at the foot of the large hill.
Magnus carefully stepped over the two groaning men who were firmly holding on to their ankles As he cautiously tiptoed over them, to make sure not to cause them any more pain, all that was racing through his mind was; look at what you made me do, you poor bastards.
Once Magnus was over the threshold of the two minions' bodies, what laid before him was the sight of the unconscious Michael in his wheelchair. Who, Magnus noted with a grim look, was still in his virtual headset, even after Magnus lead that Mech suit off the cliff, at the near cost of his life.
The only reason Magnus is still alive and kicking, and not at the bottom of the rocky cliff, is because he held on tightly to the branches growing on the cliffside. Thank god, he noticed that when he was in his shocked state.
However, as Magnus was making his way towards Michael, something or more acutely someone, grabbed on to the ankle of his right foot, making him trip over and fall sideways on to his left, bad shoulder as a yelp of pain escaping his mouth.
Magnus tried to collect himself and get up through the haze of pain, but that someone held on to him tightly, not letting him escape from their grasp, at all.
Magnus clenched his teeth as he put his weight on to his elbow and craned his neck to get a better view of who clutched him, and it turned out to be nobody else, except for one of Michael lackeys.
"Let go!" Magnus promptly shouted once he was facing the robust man. Furthermore, Magnus also tried to get his right leg free forcefully, but the large man held him fast and made sure his left leg stayed trapped under his right.
"I can't do that, or else I will be dead meat," answered back Lobal or Jovel in pure anguish, and for whether it was the pain that was coursing through his body or what he was doing right now--sending a man to a slaughterhouse. We will never know.
"If you don't let me go right now," Magnus shouted with anger and a hint of pleading, "I will be dead meat at Michael's hands, once he gets back!"
"I am sorry," was the only, replay of Magnus' capture.
Seeing that this is not getting him anywhere, Magnus wildly looked around for his...
"Looking for this?" another voice asked. Magnus whirled around to look at where the voice came from, and there is was, the thing he was looking for, his gun! Which was in the hands of Michael's other goon.
Magnus swore under his breath, how the hell did it get all the way over there?
Still, though, that was not the main thing that concerned Magnus. No-- it was that there was truly nothing else that he could do, but to wait for Michael to come to him and administer all the fucked up shit he has in store.
"Magnus!" Codex shouted, yet it sounded so far off to Magnus as he sighed in defeat and helplessness.
Leaned back onto his shoulder, even though it pained him greatly so, Magnus took in the sight that laid before him, the hill that his mother ashes had been scattered on.
Immediately anger started to course through him, and anger as great as his namesake! One that was as large as a GREAT Disaster!
Was he really going to give in, right on the sight that his mother has been laid to rest on?
HUH?! Magnus asked himself.
Was he really going to let many untold things happen to him, right before the VERY sight that his mother has been laid to rest on?
"NOOOO!" Magnus shouted, not to himself, but out loud.
The two goons of Michael looked at each other in utter confusion at this outburst from Magnus.
"No, I am NOT!" Magnus shouted out loud once more, and it sounded like a declaration not to himself, but to the Known Cosmos.
Magnus spun his head around to the one that held on to him, and said in a harsh, steely voice, "Let go!"
And whatever the lackey saw in Magnus' eyes shook him to his very core, but he still held on because there was one person that he feard over all else, Michael's mother.
"I said, LET GOOO!" Magnus shouted as he lost all cool and rationality. He forcefully spun around on to his back through sheer will, freeing his trapped right leg and immediately putting it to good use.
With a high kick, Magnus savagely hit whatever the named, the fool was and continued on and on, all the while shouting, "Let go, Let Go, LET GO!"
After a long while, Magnus came to a stop only because of exhaustion and weariness took over him-- yet the fool still continued to hold on to him.
Magnus lifted up his upper body so that he could get a look at Lobal or Jovel, whichever one he was and instantly reeled back from what he saw. The man's face was a mess of flesh, bones, and blood.
Magnus would have reeled over to vomit, but the shocked outcry he heard made him turn around.
"Yo- you, you... kil-led him." the last standing minion said, in utter shock and horror.
Magnus tried to explain himself, by saying, "I- i..." but the large man was having none of that.
"Yo- you killed him." he once more uttered, but this time in an accusational tone.
"I- i don'-t mean toooo," Magnus said as if that was the answer to rid him of his guilt and horror.
"You killed HIM!" The large man said as if that was all that mattered, then he turned to face Magnus with red-tinted eyes and shouted out loud in a savage, feral tone, "YOU KILLED HIM!"
Pointing the gun, the now anger fellow fired at Magnus, who quickly ducked back on to him back while trying to shake off the grip that the fellow he killed had on him.
Thankfully, the grip was slack, now that the goon was dead, and Magnus was able to get free. He quickly got up from the ground, and tried to run away from all this, and leave it behind, but a bullet cut that short.
"You are not getting away, you fucking bastard!" The last minion of Michael's shouted as he ran towards where Magnus laid, clutching his thigh.
Forgetting all about the gun he held in his hands, the large man jumped at Magnus, immediately going for his throat and choking the life out of him.
Magnus weakly struggled against the death grip he found himself in, he would never have been in this sort of situation if he was thinking straight.
"I am going to kill you, Magnus, for what you did to Lobal!" The man, who must be Jovel shouted as spittle started to fly everywhere.
Seeing that his resistance was not working at all, Magnus tried to reach for the gun that Jovel dropped his haste to kill him.
Jovel quickly saw what Magnus was up to, and let go of his death grip, punched Magnus in the stomach, causing him to reel back in pain. And that right there was the downfall of Jovel, giving his opponent a chance.
"Trying to go for this, huh?" Jovel asked as he reached right for what Magnus was going for. Magnus did not respond since he was too busy coughing and wheezing.
But Magnus was no slouch at all. There is no way he would repeat a mistake twice, there was no way he would let the enemy get the better of him for a second time.
Taking that window he had, Magnus went for Jovel's weak spot, his ankle, and knead it with all he had. Jovel instantly reeled back in pain, and fell off of Magnus, taking that window of opportunity, Magnus jumped for the gun and was able to get it.
Jovel saw that all happen through the pain, and gritting his teeth, he jumped at Magnus, but it was too late for him.
Magnus spun around with the gun still in his hands, and the first thing that greeted his sight was Jovel flying towards him, without a single thought Magnus fired his weapon.
Once. Twice. It instantly killing Jovel in the process.
Magnus looked on in shock at what he had done, then it like a truck. He just killed two men. Magnus couldn't stop himself from kneeling over and retching.
For a long while it was just Magnus in the empty hill and noises of somebody pucking out their guts. However before Magnus could actually vomit his stomach, Codex interrupted him.
"Do you hear that," Codex said. Magnus wiped away at his mouth and immediately listened up, since deep down he was hoping against hope that something--anything would draw him away from those thoughts and emotion roiling in his mind.
"It is him," Magnus quietly said.
"Yeah," Codex simply responded.
Pushing off the dead body from his legs, Magnus got up from the ground with much difficulty and limped towards Michael's body.
Right, when Magnus made it to Michael's body, a giant metal arm grasped the edge of the cliff, then another, both arms were then able to hull over the rest of the body.
"Where are you, MAGNUS!" The Mech suit roared, once it was able to get to its feet.
"Right here," was the simple response given. The Mech suit spun its head down to where the voice came from, and there he was, his most hated enemy, Magnus… who was holding a gun right to his body.
Michael was so shocked at the sight that greeted him, that he lost his footing when he was walking, causing him to trip, then rolled down the hill.
Magnus, who was putting on the bravest front he could, couldn't help it when it cracked a bit.
The Mech suit continued to roll down the hill, all the way down to the foot of the hill, past Magnus, and finally coming to a stop near the treeline.
Magnus did a full 180-degree turn and did the same for Michael's body, so that he could face the Mech suit head-on instead of having his back to it.
"Ahm" the Mech suit started with, so embarrassed that all the anger that it was feeling just a few moments ago, was all gone.
Feeling sheepish, and not wanting to meet Magnus right in the eyes, the Mech suit took in the sights around it. Straight away, it was greeted to the sight of its two minions lifeless bodies, making it jump back in fright.
With all previous qualms gone, instantly, the Mech suit turned to face Magnus and asked in a quivering voice. "You killed them?"
"Yes," Magnus responded, hiding that recoil he felt deep within himself. It would seem that even his worst enemy would not go far as he would. Still, though, the act must go on, if Magnus wants to get out of here unscathed.
Meeting the Mech suit head-on, Magnus spoke in a deadpan voice, and said, "I will do the same to you as well, Michael, if you do not get out of that Mech suit. This instant."
The Mech suit looked in Magnus' eyes, and all it saw was graveness, but in truth, it was only a hollow look that resided in Magnus's eyes. Apparently it would seem the saying is accurate; that a part of you dies, when you kill somebody.
"Alright, alright," Michael said in a shaky voice, to scared to test Magnus. "I will get out, just don't kill me. Okay?"
"You only have 5 seconds before my fingers start getting jittery." Magnus simply responded, to Michael's plea.
In under a second, Michael was out of the Mech suit, which fell to its knees like a puppet whose strings were cut off. That right, there is the wonders of menacing threats at work.
"What are you going to do to me now," Michael immediately asked once he was self consciously back into his own body. All previous arrogance and self-importance that he held were all defaulted out of him, now that he knew that the threat of death was possible.
"Wow, that was easy," Codex said in Magnus's mind, not in shock but in letdown. And it was not because Michael gave up so easy, it was simply sadness of the state of things.
Magnus couldn't help but agree with Codex's statement, but the thing that truly occupied his mind was Michael's question. What should he do with him? It is like he could just let him walk, and the thought of killing another person made his stomach churn.
However, Magnus did not need to answer that question; another opponent approached.
"I am really disappointed in you little brother," a voice said which came from inside the little forest, and the voice sounded as if the winds themselves carried it so that it could be heard.