Their late-night dinner was currently sitting in the oven. A "work-in-progress" ten cheese pizza that they came up with while visiting the farmer's market, even though it was 80% mozzarella and 20% everything else. Throughout their time together, Isaac taught Stultic about the world as they knew it since his school never had a geography class. He found it enlightening to learn about the other countries on their vast planet. He never got to visit them for reasons his father never elaborated on. During their study session, a noise stirred his hearing.
An all to familiar noise on the horizon. The noises were different. The whirr of fast-spinning blades weren't heard the day Stultic went on the run. It was coming from above and getting closer. The noise was eerily familiar. Even the sounds of the tires on the asphalt were altered. They sounded rougher and reinforced. He could hear numerous footsteps coming from the front. They were cocking their rifles and some drew their blades. Suddenly, something made of metal had fallen onto the ground. Numerous pieces of metal were grinding against each other and moving as one. It was like a machine. Stultic poked Isaac's shoulder, interrupting his long monologue about the workings of the system powering their city.
"What is it?" he said, walking towards the door groggily. Looking through the small glass dot in the door, he could see everything Stultic had heard. He found it slightly odd that Stultic was so accurate in his hearings but that was a problem for after their current problem was dealt with. There was a helicopter hovering above as the grass swayed violently from the incoming winds and a man wearing a special metal suit with numerous metal plates that fit together most unusually. A beautiful emblem was displayed on his pauldron that shined through the heavy black clouds.
Must be that day already. Why send an Arch-WARDEN though? Maybe they're looking to put the kid into Child Protection Services? Still, this seems like overkill... Isaac pondered silently. He slowly turned to Stultic. "Okay! I'm gonna go deal with these guys quickly so you go on upstairs and hide under the bed for now. These guys are sort of scary so it's best they don't figure out you don't have any parents at the moment." Without hesitation, Stultic sprinted upstairs to hide. The metal-plated WARDEN knocked on the door and Isaac calmly answered it.
"Hey! Just to let you know, I'm perfectly fine and isolated as promised---" He was immediately interrupted; being grabbed by the collar by the WARDEN's strong, bulky fingers. Its face resembled that of a mammoth. Two tusks and one massive filtration device in the centre. The tusks began to shift to the sides of the helmet, opening an area where his mouth should have been. What truly lied there was a black screen. Numerous crackling yellow waves moved across the dark plain, imitating broken cords of a guitar. An artificial voicebox?
"Were you the one who shot Commander Utaliski?" The waves crackled violent as he spoke with a scratchy, metallic tone. It was similar to nails on a chalkboard. His words were understandable yet excruciatingly painful to listen to.
"Well--- wait what?"
The WARDEN breathed heavily. His teeth ground against each other. He then stared at the small table to his left, where the silver necklace shined. His hand slowly grasped the necklace, inspecting its fine design. He then placed it down gently and stared at Isaac with raw, malicious intent.
"DON'T MESS WITH ME, RUNT!"
A savage, static roar exited his helmet as Stultic felt a powerful shockwave emit from downstairs. His mind was frantically pooling with negative thoughts. Isaac screamed as officers held him down in what sounded like desperate resistance. A few seconds passed; the officers began to scream along with him. They ran around the house like mice, footsteps moving everywhere. Suddenly, an even stronger blow reached Stultic's ear, making it twitch with agony. The sounds of fingers scraping the floor grew louder. The next thing he knew, he heard the sound of the bookcase being hit. What came after was the shattering of glass and the same noise that was made when a body had collapsed onto wooden flooring.
"What happened?" he thought, trying to piece together everything he had heard. The fighting had stopped. Punches weren't being thrown. There was only the faintest discussion occurring between a few men and women. Their voices were off like they'd seen a ghost appear before their very eyes. Soon, he heard the same metal footsteps moving up the stairway. The door had been opened. The metal figure stood bravely. His glowing blue eyes scanned the room thoroughly. It was panic-inducing. Stultic's chest had collapsed from the pressure. His heartbeat hastened along with his breathing, barely able to stay silent to avoid detection.
He saw the feet slowly getting closer to the bedframe. They eventually stopped right before him. It then walked over to the duffel bag, bending down near it. The WARDEN's body became still. Its joints and its plates were locked in place. His neck and chest began to twist. Its eyes became fixated on him. Stultic could barely keep himself together. The machination got up and slowly inched towards the bed only, peering its head underneath. Their eyes met. Time had stopped. All that was important was this very moment. The moment in which he prepared for the worst. The suit got up, roughly. It spoke.
"Arch-WARDEN Havoker reporting. The bedrooms upstairs are clear. Returning downstairs." he said with his eyes fixated on the bed; slowly tapping the top of the bed as if he was trying to taunt him. He walked out the door afterwards with his clanking boots stepping down the stairs and back outside. The front door was slammed shut.
There it was again. The cold silence. It was repeating itself. Everywhere he went, he brought death and devastation. He was a catalyst for everything that had occurred. A harbinger of evil. The realization made his skin feel itchy and his eyes burn. He got out from under the bed and took his duffel bag, heading downstairs. At the entrance, he saw massive fragments of bloodied glass scattered all over. The carpet was crumpled. The floor was covered in scratches made by human nails. The walls were filled with holes. The door had been unhinged.
Somehow, through all this chaos, the tree still stood firmly in the ground. The image gave him the slightest bit of hope. Desperation had struck him and now he could barely look at any home the same. He sat on the doorstep, thinking about what he could've done. All he did was hide, and now Isaac was gone; so was the metal demon. He was weak. He was able to shoot his parents but not having enough strength to fight for Isaac's safety.
He went back inside and laid on the couch, wanting to forget everything. He wanted to wake up in a world where he could change fate. He knew that wouldn't happen because there is no God. There was no guardian angel to protect Stultic and take away his suffering when he needed it most. It was a sad truth that he needed to swallow; for he was the only one that could live his life. He was the only one who he could depend on.
Sitting straight, he opened his bag silently, rummaging through the clothes and grasping onto the gun. He held it up to the light, inspecting its curves and generally well-made design. Placing it onto the table. Grasping a knife from the kitchen counter, he began to disassemble it piece by piece like a reversed puzzle.
Only one good thing came out of his mortifying odyssey.
The day Stultic gained his identity.
That day was thirteen years ago.
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Stultic awoke in a bathtub filled to the brim with cold water and ice cubes with his royal blue eyes the shape of saucers. His hands were cold and he let out chilled puffs of air. His blue hair was soaked. His fingertips were shrivelled from being underwater for so long and felt like prunes. He slowly grasped the outer rim of the bathtub to get out. Ever since he was a child, his body had been surprisingly resistant to freezing temperatures that most would find uncomfortable. He found cold showers and baths to be more relaxing than ones with hot water. The shivers that were sent to his nerves were pure bliss. That was probably the only reason why his "partner in crime" Ashten even let him stay at his place โ he loved to keep all the hot water to himself. Tragically, he slipped and plummeted to the floor while in deep thought about this topic.
"OW! OW! Stop that already! The bruise isn't even that bad..." Stultic shooed Ashten away with an annoyed look enveloping his face.
"My bad, Stultic. How foolish of me to be worried. You're perfectly fine even though you looked like a failed contortionist on the bathroom floor." Ashten sarcastically replied with a sardonic look. With a single wave from his hand, he went back to his room. Stultic sat on the living room couch with an ice pack strapped to his head as he turned on the TV.
"STULTIC: The Former Tenth Most Wanted Criminal turned Ninth after the death of infamous most wanted criminal Zenesis, has been located in Northern Abstrain. Please be aware as police conduct their investigation" flashed across the screen. Each day at four past noon, he knew the same story would always appear. The reporters lectured people regarding the enigmatic mercenary known as Stultic and how he's a complete asshole who kills people for fun. Unsurprisingly, that's false and Stultic saw it as a nuisance. Believing that he'd have enough time in the day to "kill people for fun" was ridiculous. He's arguably one of the laziest mercenaries alive yet somehow, he's gotten past the authorities on copious occasions. It had been the third time this week that his name was televised to the entire world and there were several more on the way which left a bitter, sour feel. He wouldn't be surprised if his name became iconic. He could only let out an unamused sigh at the thought of it. He always believed the news completely bloated his crimes even though he did "accidentally" crash the entire power grid just so he could retaliate against a snarky and depraved businessman. They just wanted a story to sell. If not, the police had presumably bribed them into making it.
He additionally felt betrayed to be labelled a "criminal" because everything he did was necessary. In his mind, killing a few criminal masterminds aided the police in their endeavours. Even though he denounced the police force with intense passion, he nevertheless chose to indirectly aid them for a sole reason. The lady that always pursued him day after day with the might of the gods and more. Officer Madica Myers. The woman with the sharp eyes of a hawk, the fearful aura of an owl and hair that was as fiery as her personality. No wonder she became a WARDEN. Even if she was oftentimes remarkably cold and hostile towards him, he always had a good time even if the affection was certainly one-sided. If he could lighten her load by taking out the criminal empires while he's on his jobs then of course he'd have to. There are countless ways a man can be a gentleman after all.
"I'm going out to take a walk and buy some groceries so I'll be back around six!" Stultic yelled in a casual tone. The door soared off the hinges with a maddened strike. His lungs had collapsed and his body trembled, turning to stone where he stood.
"Are you mad?" Ashten scoffed. "Weren't you the one who said we should 'stay low'?"
"Relax. It won't be too long and they don't even have a solid photo of my face either since their database is unusually simple to hack into. Plus, we ran out of groceries and we're poor so it's not like we can order some fancy delivery service to gently place food at our doorstep." Stultic's logic was not always the brightest but for once, he did have a solid rebuttal. Their fridge had been empty for the past two days and they'd been living off nothing but snacks that Ashten bought from a convenience store nearby. Unfortunately, people can't live off of only cheesy puffs and colas. What a cruel world...
Compared to the ones years ago, the breeze felt kinder on his forehead. A slight chill to keep him cool during the summer's heat. A lot has changed since then. He strutted down the sidewalk, listening to his ordinary playlist with his boots hitting the ground in the same musical pattern. A slight grin appearing on his face while a child ran past him to the playground with her father sprinting to keep up.
He also saw something a bit disturbing.
"DAMN MORAINIAN SCUM! GET OUT OF EDTWEISER!"
Two grown men swung insults left and right.
"MORAINE NEVER CAUSED THE WAR, ASSHOLES! WE NEVER DID IT! IT WAS ALL THOSE DAMN OPARIAN PESTS!"
"SAY THAT TO THE DEAD, JACKASS!"
What originally began as a verbal assault against each other, turned into a physical battle on the streets. Stultic watched as they beat each other into the sidewalk. Discrimination against Morainians was like an incurable disease that had infected each being on the planet. Everyone knew Moraine caused the war and that brought Moraine into the ground. Stultic had never been to Moraine, but he knew it was most likely they'd been segregated from the rest of humanity for the crimes.
He avoided the brawl at all costs and turned the corner. The signature green door slid open, ringing its classic bell. The chime was so simplistic yet also had such value.
"Jules!" Stultic yelled from across the room, taking a seat at his usual table. The lady looked over her shoulder with numerous plates in her hands, as usual. Her face lit up with excitement the moment she saw his unforgettable face. Her wavy, short platinum blonde hair bounced with her. Her hazel eyes gleamed.
"Hey! You never come here near four! Bad day?" she asked. Internally, she was screaming with glee. Her eyes were wide with anticipation. For Stultic, her smile had a certain mystical property, making his heart immediately race; driving him to smile back at her no matter what mood he was in. He sometimes speculated that she was an angel sent by God as compensation for his life's persistent and evergrowing struggles.
"I felt I needed to step outside for a bit. Ashten was also grouchy as usual..." Stultic said, shyly averting his gaze. She let out a muffled giggle while going back. He ran his hand over the wooden table. The engraving was still in the wood as usual. It was the only wooden table left in the entire restaurant. Not many customers found it as comforting as he did. The sole reason why it hadn't been tossed out was because of him. Not long after, she came hurrying back with a piping hot plate of lightly salted fries and a cup filled with sour cream topped with finely cut chives on the side as always. The way she made them was as divine as her smile. What made the entire meal even more enjoyable was the price. Usually, the combo clocked in around three nexsos, but since she routinely gave him a secret discount, the price sank to an unbeatable one and a half nexsos. The freshly fried aroma was glorious, seeping into every area of his nostrils and ruthlessly ravishing his senses with affection.
"Now that I think about it..." said Juliรจre. "Why do you always order this every single time you come here?"
His mouth slightly opened in shock but he shook his head to relieve his nerves.
"I just really like it. Reminds me of my childhood."
"I see!"
He leisurely ate his fries only to notice Juliรจre's pure, focused gaze upon him. It was as if she'd been transported to another world; not being able to say a single word. Stultic waved a fry in front of her face, she snapped out of her elongated daze. A bright red blush began to grow across her face.
"Jeez! I'm so sorry!" Juliรจre frantically exclaimed, quickly waving her hands in front of her face to avoid all eye contact while trying to maintain the little composure she had left.
"No! It's fine!" Stultic replied with a mellow tone. "Try one." He gently held up a fry for her to enjoy. Recovering from her mental shutdown, she ate the fry that Stultic held.
"Oh right! My goodness, I forgot to- I'll be right back! Just wait here a sec!" Juliรจre hurried to the back once more. Stultic finished up his fries and took out his phone to check the time. His eyes became sulky when he saw the texts that lit up on the lock screen.
"Why now..." he groaned.
"Stultic?" Juliรจre whispered into his ears softly.
He let out a high-pitched scream and sent his phone flying into the air, frantically trying to grab it before it fell into his lap. He swiftly threw his phone back into his pocket.
"What were you up to?" she smirked at him with a cocky look he knew too well.
"N-NOTHING!"
She could barely contain her laughter. Stultic already noticed that he had become the focus of attention in the restaurant with all the anonymous glares invisibly striking his chest repeatedly. Her hands suddenly came to her front as she held a small slice of strawberry cheesecake with a lit candle in the middle. Placing it on the table, she slid a fork into his hand.
"I remember you telling me your birthday was July 24th which is sort of ironic cause... Happy 24th Birthday!" His previous thoughts had melted away the moment she said those words.
"Thanks..." His words were slightly muffled yet she understood what he meant.
"I gotta get back to work so enjoy that cake slice, okay?" she said. He could only nod in response. She blew his a kiss as she left which made him slightly embarrassed. Unfortunately, the single men and women didn't enjoy the gesture as much. They became medieval citizens with a bold desire to throw pitchforks and torches at his "picture perfect" face. The cheesecake slid onto his fork and into his mouth. It tasted creamy and sweet with a hint of strawberry jam. The perfect combination. He felt warmness develop in his heart, dissipating after a few moments. The eclipse of reality covered the warmth of the sun. He paid for his food on the dashboard and subsequently left without saying a word.
Juliรจre stared at Stultic while he left with a sour yet worried expression. Her mouth was a perfectly straight line.
"Too much! Too much!" a woman yelled as coffee overflowed from her cup.
"SORRY, MA'AM!"
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The meeting point was on the rooftop of the condominium closeby. Jumping down from his vantage point, he saw no one around. His hearing hadn't picked up the sound of mischievous murmurs or snipers loading, so it wasn't a trap to lure him in. There was no hirer anywhere in sight. It was bold of someone to call a high-class mercenary into action yet not show up to greet them or give them the task. After waiting for so long, he wished his hirer had sent a trap his way to liven up his life.
Nevertheless, the sunset on the horizon made waiting worthwhile for him. He used to wonder if he could ever enjoy the wonders of the big planet he was living on. Even if his life was filled with rippling bloodshed and chaotic struggles, he could always stare out at the orange light that slowly faded away into the ground โ though he found it tough to enjoy over the numerous calls from Ashten.
After the sun had set, Stultic prepared himself to leave, but a slight buzzing noise was bothering him the moment he arrived. A minuscule hum that bounced around the air. He swore it was just hearing damage, hitting the side of his head with his hand. He could still hear the buzzing but he knew it wasn't a bee or some funky fly. The nice thing about living in Edtweiser was that the entire city was free of pests and other insects that most would fear, except on an unlucky day while you're strolling through the unsanitized wicked alleyways... He tilted and winced his head in annoyance, making him feel insane for believing the buzzing noise was real.
A subtle metal flash hit his eye. It came from the rooftop to his right. He leaped over and he analyzed the landscape. A nearly unrecognizable metal hemisphere was magnetically secured to the smoke vent. Detaching the device, it wasted little time and played the message accordingly.
"My deepest apologies for not being able to speak in person as I'm currently dealing with other financial business problems," he said sheepishly. "Anyways, my name is Cyperus Wendat and I'm your hirer for this wonderful evening. Our contract is as follows! I need you to give specific details on a Shipment Maglev which runs on the mag-rails near Tunnel E2. I don't expect you to get the cargo on-board but if you can, that'd be pleasing. I know the train will most likely be guarded, but please don't cause too much havoc as I'd like to keep this contract private for now."
A keycard slid out from the slit in the hemisphere.
"This keycard will unlock the locking mechanism on the doors, but it won't grant you access to anything else. You'll have to navigate the tunnels yourself. I truly appreciate you helping out. I promise I'll make the pay equal to the amount of service you do for me."
The one thing Stultic had noticed was that throughout the message, the man sounded soft and gentle. Whether it was nostalgia or his sheer goodwill, he felt obliged to complete the task. Of course, raiding a Maglev was nothing more than a walk in the park for him.
"Well then, make it count, Stultic."
The message came to an end.
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