In an underground room of an unknown building, some masked figures were meeting. There were five of them in all, all of them seated neatly in expensive leather armchairs, with each mask representing a different animal. The mood in the room was very tense, almost tangible. You couldn't see the figures' eyes, but you could tell by their repetitive movements that they were nervous.
"How the fuck did that happen?" One of the masked men asked. He was tall and muscular. He had the Eagle symbol on his mask.
"We have received the news now..." A man of medium stature was the one who spoke this time. There was a Raven in his mask.
"What's the damage?" A masked woman, who appeared to be elderly, raised the point everyone was wanting to know. A Snake adorned the mask, making it mysterious.
"70%... we're done, pretty much." Raven spoke.
"What are the risks of affecting our areas?" A thin, long-limbed man spoke. He was well dressed, with a Spider on hismask.
The remaining masked man was relaxing in his chair, as if he didn't care. There was a Cicada in his mask.
"The entire trafficking sector was brought down, practically all the less important bases and some averages. I suspect it was some leak of information. Cicada, you're going to have to help us see this!" Crow spoke and pointed at Cicada, who only waved his hand lightly in agreement.
"That's not what I asked!" Spider emitted a trace of murderous intent.
"Relax your ass, damn it. Let the guy talk." Eagle also emitted a streak of murderous intent, but directed at Spider.
Even though they couldn't see each other, the two stared at each other as the energy in the room faded. It was like two powers clashing.
"Children, please." Snake raised her hand, and the energy in the room calmed down.
"To answer your question, despite being one city among many, the losses there were heavy due to the fact that the police were called. We don't have much concern about it, but if any quests are issued to the Guild, it's not for sure that we'll be able to control."
"I can work it out..." After a yawn, Cicada spoke slowly and without concern.
"Now the question remains: who did this?" Eagle asked.
"We don't know yet, but the suspicion is that it was just one person, according to some images." Crow pressed a button on the leather armchair, and then a television appeared in front of everyone.
On it were videos of people screaming and wildly shooting at a figure that moved like lightning. A few shots hit, but it's as if it didn't do anything to stop the figure from cutting through all those people. There were also videos of one-on-one battles with the bosses at those locations.
"Did he leave them all alive?" Aranha noticed a few things from the recordings. None of the shadow figure's attacks hit the vitals, at least not the most important people.
"Only the leaders, in a state of unconsciousness. They all looked a little dizzy and passed out. All the others appeared to have died from hemorrhage." Raven explained according to some reports.
"Why is he touching everyone's forehead while killing them?" Snake noticed this detail further. The movements in the video were incredibly fast, but her eyes still detected it.
"We don't know, maybe it's some unknown technique. This is very rare here in Brazil, and all his movements have things we can't detect. He doesn't have a specific fighting style, so we can't say who taught him." Raven relayed the information.
"Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, Karate, Taekwondo, Krav Maga, without taking away some knife-throwing arts." There seemed to be a controller in each seat, and Eagle replayed the videos slowly as he noticed commonalities.
"But all of them are somehow fluid and fitting together in a very clever way. This guy or woman must be a Martial Arts genius. Look for information on anyone with that skill level in the region." Spider added as he looked deeper.
"Enough of this meeting. Look for that human being, don't let him go unpunished. Don't let the police find out more, this case didn't happen. We can stop human trafficking in this city, remove as many men as you can and relocate the ablest to other areas. I have no hope of getting anything else from there, so release the other goods in an efficient manner. Make it look like they got lost or something. If this is managed well, then everything will go smoothly. Goodbye!" Snake gave her last words and considerations before getting up and walking away.
"I will block all possible information and pass the report later." Cicada also got up and left.
After a few violent looks, Eagle and Spider also left, leaving only Crow in the room as he watched the videos again and again.
***
"27 years old, soldier since you was 18, born in Recife and had a difficult childhood. Expelled from the corporation for treason, you escaped from prison and joined the Guild. Team killed on a recon mission, but it was actually a trap. Depression, debt and slavery. You "married" while working as a mercenary, but your wife currently is missing. You have a hard life, huh?" Arthur was reading the information from the file he had taken earlier.
"I'm actually pretty shocked that you're not going to kill me, you know?" Amanda was face to face with Arthur now, her expression a little awkward.
"If you keep bringing this up, I'll reconsider. But you can do it yourself too, the gun is loaded." Arthur pointed at the gun. He actually got up, put the gun in front of her and then grabbed some snacks. "Want cake?"
"Are you sick or just really smart?" She accepted the cake and placed the gun next to her.
"Really smart. And very handsome too, see?" Arthur stroked his face, as if he wanted to show her.
"How did you get those injuries?" The point where she was most curious appeared.
"The organization you were "working for" involves many other things. I got very little information and didn't understand why I'm a target, so I went looking for the truth. But the important thing is that I ended everything in the city. I'm not a big fan of human trafficking." Arthur sat calmly in the chair, afraid to open his wounds. The annoying thing would not be the pain, but having to change the bandages.
"Did you do this for me? You can admit it if you want." Amanda laughed a little.
"No, I didn't. Eat the cake, you're weak."
Amanda didn't try to make any more jokes, nor did she think Arthur was lying. When someone lies to cover up the truth, it's somewhat easy to spot with enough training. But Arthur clearly wasn't lying now, which means he had other reasons for it.
The two were silent for a while, eating the snacks Arthur had brought. After it was all over, there was only permanent silence as they stared at each other.
After spending a long time like this, Amanda started crying again. Her eyes began to go opaque, as if empty of hope.
"Do you know how low the odds are that she's alive?" Amanda said between sad sniffles, smoothing the gun. "That gun was hers. She was the best shooter I've ever seen in my life. It was almost an instant crush. She wasn't very close to me, but I have my merits..."
Amanda began to tell the story of how the two fell in love to Arthur, who listened in silence.
It all started when Amanda was expelled and escaped from prison. She managed to cause a riot in the women's jail, which was also where they met. The two ran away together, and found they worked well.
After a few events, they found out about the Guild and the whole world that were the "legal" mercenaries. They soon formed a good duo, which rose to a team in no time. Their base of operations was in Recife.
After a catastrophic mission, which involved a certain power within the northeast of Brazil, her entire team was killed. She later found out that someone manipulated her into accepting that mission, precisely because she had gotten involved with this power and caused them harm in a previous mission.
She and her wife were already married at that time, and were forced to separate. She fell into addictions and revenge for this organization, borrowing from the Guild and eventually becoming a slave. Only later did she find out that her wife had been caught and held captive. It was at that same moment that some missions began to appear for her, promising that her wife e she was going to be released.
The most recent mission was to extract information from Arthur, which was requested by an outside organization. It was different from the usual murders of new bosses and pimps in town.
"I should have completed the mission a long time ago. But I really couldn't get rid of you and your careful way. Damn, you're a pain in the ass!" Amanda managed to crack a joke through her tears.
Arthur was still silent and just watched Amanda burst into tears and tell her tragic story. It was around this time that he was feeling that he had done the right thing.
"It's been a long time, and I've worked with them long enough to see that there's no hope left. I lost her, and I already betrayed you..."
Almost trembling, Amanda took the gun that was in her lap and that she had fondled so much. She slowly lifted it and placed it on the side of her head.
"... Sorry, again."
Arthur was still standing, sitting in the chair and watching her movements.
Click!
A gun-unloaded noise sounded.
More tears fell down Amanda's face as she felt like she was falling apart inside.
Just at that moment Arthur stood up. He walked over to her, and caressed her beautiful face. Then his hands firmly clasped her neck and he lifted her. Amanda didn't struggle, and just surrendered to this death by strangulation. She thought Arthur didn't want her to have the pleasure of killing herself, but rather that he would return the betrayal.
"Open your eyes." Arthur spoke coldly.
Amanda opened it amidst tears and suffocation, feeling Arthur's grip tighten. To her shock and surprise, Arthur's eyes had a golden hue, with the pupils emitting a primal and unique feeling, as if he were the depths of a celestial abyss. She could see the movement of some unrecognizable things within the golden irises.
"Your life from now on is no longer yours, but mine. From this moment on, you live to obey me and only, and unless I give the order, you will not do anything. I will not and never will forgive you for betraying on me, so make sure you don't do it again, or it will be the most painful end you will ever seek."
Amanda seemed to have fallen into the depths of that abyss as Arthur's words entered the depths of her soul. They looked sharp, fierce and brutal, but she felt something different that she couldn't explain. It was like a king who couldn't show kindness to his people, but took care of them by being cruel.
His voice was like a spell that entwined itself in her heart, making her really want to do what Arthur told her to do. It was a unique thing and it was a good feeling, not uncomfortable at all.
Arthur's grip loosened and she fell back into her chair, her eyes still shocked and her mouth hanging open.
"Therefore, I command you to fetch your wife. If you find her, go live your life, and if not, come back and I'll help you. You have one month. If you don't get back there, consider yourself dead to me." Arthur started to unwrap his hand, which was now bleeding. The wound in his palm had opened with the strenght he tried to control.
"Yes, sir!" Amanda responded instinctively. She realized what she had done, but didn't try to change the way she spoke. She saw something different in Arthur now.
He wasn't that funny guy who saved her and took care of her anymore. He was different. Different in the sense that every action he does, every thing he says, was an order and irrevocable. As if he was taking care of her, then it was good that she felt grateful for this. And if he didn't take care of her, then she would have to seek his approval.
'It's like... if he's a king...' Amanda looked at Arthur's back, a reverence she didn't know she could have arisen.
"You have your gun, a car, and 1 million. Your mission is not only to find her, but to get information from this organization. My contact is on your cell phone, so send daily reports of your movements. Is that understood?" Arthur spoke as he looked into her eyes. His eyes had already returned to their usual green, but now they were brighter and deeper.
"Yea! I'll be back in a month!" Amanda had regained some of her strength and forced herself to her feet. Her gaze at Arthur was filled with gratitude and a hint of reverence.
"What's your mission?" Arthur asked to confirm.
"Collect information and look for my wife!" She spoke firmly.
"Wrong." Arthur shook his head, leaving Amanda confused.
"What is wrong with?"
"Your mission is to run away with your wife. If you can't, then it's going to be information gathering. Don't be an idiot and disobey me on the first step." Arthur approached her and flicked her forehead. The smile on his face made it obvious what he meant by that.
"Yea! Got it now." A few tears streamed down Amanda's face. She couldn't take it and hugged Arthur, saying, "Thank you! Thanks for giving me new life and new hope!"
"I didn't give you anything. I just extended yours..." Arthur returned the hug. His hands patted her head lightly, his bandages getting wet with each passing moment.
After a while, without more words, Amanda left the house with new clothes and new determination. She got into a Jeep that Arthur had already prepared and headed towards Recife, which was just under 100km away.
Arthur put everything in the house back to the Inventory and walked away, through the rain and mud. He was wearing boots, so he didn't bother to get dirty.
"Another enemy, huh... You really shouldn't have used one of my people. I hate it..." Cracking his neck, Arthur opened his umbrella and headed home.
What had happened in the house would stay in the house forever, but the further deeds of it would only be discovered in the future.