Jimmy's black car drove quietly through the deserted streets of the city. In this day and age, an average family could afford a flying car, causing the roads to become more deserted. The ironic thing is, flying cars were meant to decongest the streets, but today, the streets are deserted and the skies are congested.
Elliot was sleeping in the back white, and at some point, Bruja's shoulder became his pillow. Gustav was in the front seat next to Jimmy, who, as usual, was driving silently. Both were nervous.
For Gustav, this was only the second time he would do a job with Elliot, and Jimmy feared for his life, as any normal human being feared death. Bruja was distracted, and on instinct, she stroked Elliot's hair, as she did with her younger brother. Neither Gustav nor Jimmy noticed as they were too busy freaking out internally.
Gustav felt the sweat dripping down his face, but he had nothing to wipe it off. Seeing this, Jimmy silently pointed to the glove compartment. Gustav then saw several clean and folded tissues, and noticed that this kind of situation was nothing new for Jimmy. With a nod of thanks and the look of someone who had found a comrade in his misery, they both went on their way quietly, dealing with their own demons.
Some time passed, and they finally reached their destination. It was a residential area, with several houses that looked like each other. Elliot got out of the car with Bruja and Gustav, and Jimmy went to find a place to park the car. Margot had a questioning look on her face, wanting to know what was in the suitcase Elliot was carrying, but Gustav stood next to Elliot silent and attentive.
Elliot walked as if he knew the way, and the three of them found a square. Elliot chose a random bench and sat down, and stared at the children playing in the distance. Gustav stood behind the bench Elliot was on, and Bruja sat next to him.
"So... what are we waiting for?" Bruja asked.
"We are waiting for our prey. He's always around here around that time, it's only a matter of time that he comes." Elliot spoke without looking at Bruja.
[Hunting mission: eliminate all sheep in wolf's clothing!
Sheep that think they are wolves have tried to kill the owner of this territory! As the true hunter, it is your duty to protect your territory!
Reward: 2 random status points]
Elliot was sure to kill everyone involved in his assassination attempt, but being rewarded for it is even better than just revenge. He then saw a man who must have been in his 40s. Next to him a woman, who appeared to be his wife, was holding a beautiful little girl with golden hair.
They looked like a happy family, chatting and having fun on their day off. The woman seemed to be telling him the most interesting story of the week, and the man was listening attentively. The little girl was bouncing around, looking at the park with expectant eyes.
The man seemed to be having a good day, but as soon as he noticed Elliot, he stopped momentarily, as if he had seen a ghost. He turned pale, and with a quick look and agile movements, he put his wife behind him and took his daughter in his arms. His wife was apprehensive, for she knew what her husband's profession was.
"Honey, take Lara home, I'll be back before lunch." The man said.
"Are you coming back?" His wife asked.
"Of course, I will! It's just the contractors, they must be here to find out about the mission that failed...again." He replied.
Hearing it was just angry contractors, his wife became calmer. They have dealt with this kind of person before. It gives a discount on the next assignment and they become calmer. He kissed his wife and daughter, who didn't understand what was going on and went toward Elliot. The man who had once seemed frightened was gone, and only an experienced and confident soldier could be seen in the place.
He sat down on the bench opposite Elliot and stared at him for a few seconds. He didn't imagine that a simple mission, killing a small group of criminals, would come back to him like this. Elliot, from beginning to end, didn't move a finger or say anything. But his expression, as if unaware of what emotions are, conveyed a clear message:
"Regardless of who you are, what you work for, or how many families you support, today is the day of reckoning."
The first to speak was the man.
"So...I thank you for not doing anything to my family." The man said sincerely.
"We are not like you, who disrupt a happy occasion, like a lunch among friends... but we can become. I did not spare your family out of pity but only showed that I can find them easily. Your measures created in case of your death? They're futile, they won't do any good if I want to kill them." Elliot made it clear what he had come for.
The man just sighed. He knew that if he kept at it too long, one day they would end up attacking a bear with simple wooden spears, and the damned bear would use its claws to kill them all. The man, like all people in this world, had desires and ambitions. Did he wish for a new house, to travel with his family, and to have enough money for his daughter to go to a good college in a few years? but for all this, he would need money, money that he didn't have. Greed corrupts the best of men...
"What do you want?" The man asked directly.
"You know what I want, but I'll tell you anyway. You are going to die today, that is unquestionable and you know it. With the gun that's on your back? It may hit one of us, but the rest will be alive to see a new morning rise, and your family will die. You can accept your death, and in exchange for your wife never seeing me or anyone else who has any relation to me again, you will tell me where you live and who three other people are involved in the assassination attempt." Elliot was objective in his words.
Bruja tensed for a moment upon learning that her enemy was armed, but she soon calmed down. He was already in a sea of shit, what difference would it make if a little turd splashed in his face? But Gustav couldn't calm down. His first mission was relatively easy, he didn't have a strong mind like Elliot or was trained in hell like Margot.
'Gun? Is he armed? What do I do? Do I attack? But there are a lot of people in this square, and also, there are children... what the hell do I do?!'
Gustav was going crazy inside. Although on the outside he looked like a strong and imposing man, Gustav was not used to this kind of development. Gustav turned pale, his face covered in sweat, but no one in this place had time to care how he felt.
"Isn't there any other way? Look, I know what we did was terrible, and I don't ask for your forgiveness, but for your understanding. I can pay whatever it takes in exchange for my life. I promised my daughter that I would be there when she graduates. My wife is pregnant and..."
Elliot raised his hand, to interrupt whatever the man was going to talk about. Even without seeing it, Elliot could already imagine what face Gustav was making now. Elliot cared little for this man's family. He has a goal, and he will fulfill it.
"It was you who killed someone very close to me. And you know what's worse? That shot was meant for me. He died by mistake. You were the sniper, you who initiated the attack. But don't worry, all your friends will keep you company, and if you don't want your wife and two children to die too, start talking."
The man was hesitating, for he knew that this man was capable of doing what he said. He had no proof, but he was almost certain that he was the one who killed Colonel Lira. The man stopped resisting, and in exchange for his family, he sold the lives of his companions. He couldn't be sure if this man told the truth, but if all he sought was revenge, or if he sought some money, the man hoped that his wife would be able to escape. After telling all, the man stood up and stretched his spine.
"May I ask just one favor? Not here, in this square. My daughter and wife have fond memories with this place, I don't want to spoil their sweet memories." The man said.
"Sure, I wouldn't do that here anyway." Elliot replied as he stood up.
Everyone went quiet, and the man could breathe a sigh of relief. He asked to go somewhere else as a test. If this man just tried to kill him here, he would know that his family would not be safe, and he would fight until his last breath. Jimmy drove to a deserted forest on the outskirts of town, and this time followed them. Arriving in a clearing, Elliot opened his briefcase. He wanted to do this himself. After all, how would he test his new weapon on a human?
"You know, during the mission, I didn't recognize you, but now, seeing you so closely, I remember you. You are the legendary fighter who made many people unhappy. I loved watching your fights, and I thought it was a tragedy what happened to you." The man said.
He took his gun from his waistband, removed the magazine, and threw the gun in Margot's direction. Elliot just listened in silence, as he took his new gun in his hand.
"I know this is more than we agreed already, but would you let me choose how I'm going to die?" The man asked.
Elliot frowned and scratched the side of his eye. That's what he gets for trying to be nice. Even if you world it for someone, that person will find it insufficient and will ask for the universe. But since it came to that, Elliot would listen. If it was a waste of time, he just needed to hit a shot in the man's face and everyone would be home by lunchtime.
"When I served in the Great War, my greatest hobby was fighting. I always had a desire to know what it would be like to fight you. I know that at that time I wouldn't win, after all, you were a monster. But now that you haven't trained for a while, why not give it a try?"
Elliot was ready to say no, but he changed his mind. It really had been a long time since he had last fought. Elliot really forgot that as soon as he transmigrated, he had killed five people with his bare hands.
Elliot put his gun back in its case and handed it to Gustav. Elliot then took off his vest and tie, took off his shoes, and folded his pants so that he had more freedom of movement. Bruja and Gustav were a little confused. Bruja attended the underground fights, but she arrived a few weeks before Elliot's injury. Gustav, on the other hand, never went to these places, he only knew that Elliot participated in illegal fights. As the man and Elliot warmed their bodies, Jimmy approached Gustav and Bruja and explained.
"The boss is very famous as an accomplished fighter in the underworld. As you know, I am... I was Mk's childhood friend, and because of that, I know about the boss's fights. Once the boss started, they called him little big man, because he was just a kid, and seemed to be afraid to fight."
Jimmy sat down at the root of one of the trees and continued to watch Elliot warm up. Bruja and Gustav were paying attention to the man, lest he try to run away, but their ears were wide open to Jimmy's words.
"But once Mk started training the boss, everything changed. It's as if there was a caged beast inside the boss, and Mk took that key and opened that cage. From that day on, the boss is known as the god of carnage."
As if to prove Jimmy's words, the fight began suddenly, without any warning from either side. The man moved forward with great speed, and kicked with brutality, toward Elliot's face. With a small movement of his body, Elliot deflected the blow with ease.
With alarming speed, Elliot grabbed the foot that was supposed to hit his face, and with a thrust, threw the man toward the ground. The sound of the man's body making contact with the ground reverberated through the clearing, and before anyone could notice anything else, Elliot fell to his knees on top of the man, and with a lopsided smile on his face, he brutally struck the man in the face, creating a mess of blood and snot.
"He... he is the god of carnage, for his fights always end in blood and broken limbs." Jimmy concluded after several moments of silence.