Chereads / Equation Zero Battle/Line / Chapter 71 - Time For War

Chapter 71 - Time For War

Night Sixty Nine

Age 1991

"What the hell happened to you two?" Irene asked with wide eyes as she stared at a heavily beaten up Hero and Kitsune who walked into the Squad Six room they were all staying at while they were in Oleander city. Ken, Light, Irene, Jackson, Hannah, and Dawson were all in the room already.

"We fell down some stairs..." Hero said flatly dragging an even more beat up Kitsune behind him.

Ken cocked her to the side for a moment as she looked the two boys up and down. "Some stairs..."

"Yeah it was fifty flights..."

"Row are you okay!" Hannah asked in a concerned turn.

"God damn it guys." Dawson hissed out throwing his arms in the air. "I took you to see that Captain so you two could look not beat up, and Katrina wouldn't get mad at me, and in less than an hour you both come back beaten up!"

"Alright guys it's time to- Hero what the hell happened!" Captain Katrina asked as she walked in and stared at the boy with wide eyes. She quickly walked over to the boy and began to look him over much to his embarrassment.

"Oh I'm fine thank you for asking Captain..." Kitsune muttered.

'What's the deal with Captain Katrina?" Hannah asked cocking her head to the side.

"Ever since they had their sparing match and he was passed out in her lap, Katrina some how activated some motherly instincts or something and started babying him..." Jackson pouted. "It's not fair. I want the Captain to treat me as a baby to!"

"Yeah it's really weird..." Dawson nodded. "That's why I didn't want her to learn I had a sparing match and did that to them... I have no idea what she'd do to me if she found out I beat up her weird recruit child..."

Hero's eyes locked with Dawson's for a moment as Katrina shook him. "What happened to you?" Katrina asked.

"Well..." Hero said scratching his chin.

"I said what happened!" The woman demanded her aura flaring around her making Hero jump. Kitsune quickly moved away and stood with the other recruits far away from Hero and the splash zone he was in. "Spit it out now!" She announced grabbing our heroic recruit by the ear and yanking on it as hard as she could.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Hero yelled with wide eyes. His red eyes once again locked onto Dawson's yellow eyes, and for a moment his mind thought of his battle with Dawson, and the amount of times Dawson beat him up. "It was Dawson." He said in a flat tone. "Kitsune and I were training with Dawson and he beat us nearly to death."

Technically true.

It just happened... Earlier...

Dawson gave the recruit the darkest look he could muster.

"Oh you asshole-"

***

Enforcers Squad Zero Main Hall...

"Hey what happened to Squad Six? Three of them are beat up?" A random Enforcer wondered.

All of the Enforcers had gathered now standing in the main hall of the Squad Zero base. Eleven Captains could be seen in the front with all their squad members behind them. There was also a small teddy bear in the place where the First Squad Captain would be. On the bear was a note that had the words 'Didn't feel like coming so I'm not here.' In the crowd a beat up Hero, Kitsune, and Dawson could be seen. Dawson also had an extremely pissed look on his face as he glared at Hero who looked pretty smug. There was also a large metal stage in the room that had Angel, Ward, and Alpha standing out of it. Everyone was still waiting for Master Storm to show up.

"So are you really okay?" Irene asked turning to look at Hero. She gave the boy a concerned look as she looked him over. Some of his wounds were still bleeding and he looked kind of bruised.

"Oh yeah I'm fine." Hero shrugged. "These wounds are nothing. I've had a lot worse from my time training with the Master. Even had my foot cut off at one point, and had to have it sown back on."

"That's..."

"Yeah it sucked." Hero shrugged. "Also I lied about these wounds. I got them from some other guy, and Kitsune who dropped a giant flaming sword on me so I kicked his ass."

"Oh... Okay?"

"Really Kitsune?" Ken said letting out a small giggle. "Hero beat you up? I could have sworn you were stronger than him?"

"That fight wasn't even close to being fair. Him and another guy had to team up on me!"

"I can beat you by myself." Hero smirked. "Tell him I can Light."

"Big Brother can beat you by himself."

"See two on one."

Hero was gonna say more but felt a tap on his shoulder making him turn away from his Squad and finding Shelly staring at him. "Shelly?" Hero asked confused. "What do you want?"

"Hey don't take that snappy tone with me!" She said frowning at the boy.

"Well what do you want then?" He asked.

"Maybe I'm not gonna tell you now." Shelly said turning her body as she folded her arms. "You're being very rude. I don't think I'm gonna tell you the message Max left you now."

"Max left me a message?"

"Yes but you don't get it now."

"Oh come on." Shelly turned her nose up at him making Hero roll his eyes. "Fine... What do you want in exchange for the message you freaking brat?" Shelly let out a small hum as she placed her finger under her chin and seemed to think about it for a moment. "...Anytime now shorty-"

"I'm thinking! And don't call me short! I'm taller then that Ken girl you're in love with!"

"Well actually I'm not in love with Ken."

"You're not?"

"Nah. To short. She's like a kid and I'm to scared I'd have the cops called on me if I did anything with her. Besides... I already have someone that my eyes on..." Hero said trailing off.

"Oh that's good."

"Good what?"

"I... I mean nothing." Shelly said crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Anyways I've decided what I want you to do."

"What?"

"I want you to tell me about your Squad Mates!" Shelly announced. "Do that and I'll tell you Max's message."

Hero gave her a weird look for a moment. "What are you planning Shelly..." She gave him an innocent look that rivaled Ken's as she smiled at him. "Meh. Irene's the only one I really care about on this Squad. I'll sell the others out." He shrugged. "So first is Kitsune-"

"I don't care about him."

"Uh... Okay..." Hero gave the girl a small shrug. "Light is-"

"I don't care about him either."

"Okay who do you want me to talk about?" Hero said flatly. "Though I think I already know who..."

"Well you can tell me about who ever you want idiot."

"So Irene is-"

"Not her."

"God damn it Shelly... So Ken... Can I talk about Ken?"

"You can do whatever you want."

"You're the worst kind of Tsundere's..." Hero shook his head as he tried to think. "Well... Ken has a lot of weird powers. Turns out she can come back from the dead? Who knew. She's one of them Seraphins you heard about at the table. She's pretty strong, and I guess she's kind of pretty though not really my type. She also has been having bad dreams about some girl named Viper who is from her past. I don't think Ken likes her very much though."

Shelly let out a small sigh as she folded her arms up once again. "That wasn't exactly what I meant when I asked for information I was thinking of some other stuff you could tell me like favorite food, and what she likes to do."

"Why do you care?"

"I... I don't." Shelly said kicking him in the leg and dropping him. "I'm just curious is all. She's a Seraphin which Max told me a little more about it and it just got me interested in them and if they are like us or not. Anyways... I guess a deals a deal. I keep my promises."

"Oh right Max's message. I forgot why we were doing... Well I'm not sure what this was..."

"I swear that Max, has a big head, going around and ordering me around as if he is better than me... It's bad enough that other boy follows him around. Anyways... His message was simple. He wants you to meet him in the Training room after this announcement is over with."

Hero gave a small confused look for a moment. "Really? That's a surprise. Though knowing Max he's gonna ask me to fight him again..." Hero sighed. "Honestly I'm unsure if I can beat him... That level up he has is strong... I did get my new powers but... Oh well. I'm not gonna back down."

"If you're done flirting with Shelly..." An annoyed Irene said patting Hero on the shoulder. "I believe it is starting."

"We weren't flirting!" Shelly said shaking her hands. "I swear."

"I don't care enough to correct this..." Hero shrugged turning to look over at the metal stage.

A section of the floor on the metal stage began to fold open as a metal platform raised up. On the plat form Master Storm, as well as that winged Bestia Macht that sorted everyone, could be seen. Master Storm was still in his simple robes as he began to rub his beard and he walked to the edge of the metal platform looking out across the sea of Enforcers.

He cleared his throat as all the Enforcers in the room stared back at him.

"...I didn't prepare a speech." He announced making everyone fall over.

"M... Master Storm..." Ward sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please talk about the thing we prepared for. Oh and do it in a calm manner so as not to freak out the-"

"Oh that's right the big war that could start and kill us all!" Master Storm said in an excited tone.

The room was silent as everyone stared at the old man in shock. "Wait did he say war?" Someone asked causing the panic to break out.

"Whoops."

"Why the hell do I work here..." Ward asked shaking his head. "I could have opened up a casino, or a bar, fuel my gambling addiction, and my acholic addiction. Instead I'm here, still fueling them both but in the wrong ways..."

"This entire Organization is the worst parts, of a bad situation..." Katrina sighed.

Master Storm cleared his throat as he snapped his finger making a mini thunder clap go off that caused everyone in the large room to suddenly got silent. "I'll try to make this brief then, since Ward went and let it slip..." He slowly turned to shoot a dirty look at Ward who was currently pouring himself a drink with a bottle of alcohol he seemed to pull out of no where. Master Storm turned back to the group of Enforcers as something began to rise out of the ground. It was a large white screen which glowed and showed a picture of four people. Ben and Mr. Hyde, the two people Hero and Jackson had fought, as well as a picture of Viper which made Ken very uncomfortable, and Turron. "Currently a new and unknown threat is facing us. Just as we have done in the past we the Enforcers will strike hard and fast and eliminate this threat as quickly as we can. That is why starting today I am calling all Enforcers we have to missions recruits and all."

"I feel like this could have been said through text messages?" Hero muttered.

"Every Captain be prepared." Master Storm announced. "I will be expecting only the best of the best on what is to come. These people have been deemed a threat to the Red Government and the Emperor of our Nation. I expect great things from all of you!" He announced. "Take this time to prepare your Squads for the battles that are to come. We must not allow this group to gain a one up are any of us."

The old man stepped back and everyone was still silent for a moment as if waiting for something else to come. Alpha stepped forward finally.

"I guess he's done everyone... Well as he said get ready in these following weeks. We'll likely be sending several Squads on missions... Now if you'll excuse me Master Storm has a lot of paper work he needs to-"

"Alpha!" Ward yelled. "He's running away!"

Alpha let out a curse as he turned seeing Master Storm was already nearing the exit. "God damn it sir!" Alpha and Ward both chased after the man as Angel just watched with an amused look on her face.

"You're all excused." She called out.

"That was weird." Hero said nodding his head.

"Tell me about it..." Ken nodded. "Every day I regret joining this group more and more... And what's with this sudden call to Action? I feel like there was a better way to handle this then whatever the hell that was."

"You're correct." Hero and Ken both turned seeing Jackson was standing near them. He tossed a bottle over to Hero who caught it and looked down seeing it was a bottle of Life, that weird drink that heals people. "My gramps is weird... He doesn't really run this as a typical military group and that is a problem. On the other hand he's Master Storm one of the strongest people in the world so not to many people want to tell him no... That being said he was right to worry about this group... We only know of four members of the group and they're all at least on par with a Vice-Captain... This little Organization is no joke... Plus some seriously messed up things have been happening..."

"Like what?" Hero asked.

"Well..." Jackson looked around for a bit before moving in closer to the two kids so no one else could hear. "Our Squad will likely be sent out to investigate these eventually but in a few cities more Bestia Macht are somehow getting through... Worse yet these guys seem to evolve at a rapid speed... Within only a matter of days they can become Earl's... In one city a few Nobles have even began to go missing... Things are getting worse day in and day out... I understand why gramps wants to prevent this group from growing to big. I'd say we got a week tops before we're sent out on another mission..."

"So we have a week to prepare huh..." Ken said nodding her head. She smirked her fist and punched her hand. "In that case I'm gonna improve so much within that one week."

"I guess that makes sense." Hero nodded gulping down the bottle of Life and causing several of his wounds to heal. He turned and began to walk away.

"Where are you going Hero?" Jackson called back.

Hero turned giving a small smirk. "I gotta go meet someone."