Chereads / Grafted / Chapter 6 - Bandits

Chapter 6 - Bandits

"Jason, today I have a request very different from my usual jobs." The well dressed man sits in front of Jason.

"Go on, Connor." Jason sits impatiently, picking food from his teeth.

"There have been several attacks on HighSpire's imports, from what we're calling a group of grafted bandits." This catches Jason's attention.

"What exactly are you asking for, and how much are you offering?" Jason leans forward in full concentration.

"The higher-ups in the city have already tried sending armed militia against them, but they also possess military weaponry, and on top of that they each have unique grafting that complements each other's abilities. Anything you can do we can work with. Information, you'll be rewarded with credits, if you manage to take them out you can keep all the weapons they possess and gain access to the city itself." Connor crosses his legs, knowing he's got Jason.

"Alright, where are they?" Jason holds out his hand accepting the job.

"I can see four men and one woman, but none match the description of their boss." Henry looks through a scope.

"Then we're just about evenly matched." Jason stares at a walled camp nestled between two cliff faces.

"They've still got military weaponry." Natalie glances towards Jason.

"Alright Henry, you take out their sniper, and we'll take care of the rest." Jason leaps into the surrounding forest.

"T-that care free ass hole! Hurry, we gotta catch up before he does anything reckless!" Natalie calls out to the rest of the group, then running into the forest.

"Does this happen often?" Damian turns towards Alex.

"Jason isn't the type of guy to wait patiently, he gets a plan and immediately runs with it." Alex shrugs.

"As soon as the time hits three Henry will fire. Nat you'll take out Anya, Alex you've got Marco, Grant you have Joey, Damian you'll get Kyle, and I'll find the leader before they have any time to react." Jason gets into position ready to run in.

"Those names … I know them." Damian sits in thought. "Those guys were other blood hunters. What happened to them?" Before he could come to a conclusion something triggered his blind sense. Whipping his head around he sees an eye watching them all.

As the eye blinks out of existence the sound of a gunshot fills the air. The others rush in for their targets.

"they know the plan." Damian runs in behind them.

He runs past Kyle dodging a swing from his barbed sword. He springs up by pushing off the ground with his hands, then drop kicking the grafted thunderbird Marco.

"Damian, what are you doing!?" Alex furiously yells at Damian.

"I need you to hold Kyle back for me." Damian runs into a large tent.

"Alright." Alex looks at the barbed knight beginning to ooze a slimy substance.

Damian sees Jason unconscious on the ground, above him is a man with a laser musket, shrouded in long clothes. The musket fires off and shreds through the tent as it explodes the hill they left Henry on.

"You are something else." The man points the weapon at Damian.

He lifts his arms just in time for the laser to be reflected off his fur sleeves and into a wall. Damian's teeth grow to a sharp point. He clutches his fist, the laser musket suddenly shatters into pieces. He swings his arm around, the strange man is clutched by an unseen force and dragged around the room before being thrown outside. Damian follows the man.

"Damian, what's happening!?" Natalie struggles aginst Anya the sickle grafted.

Damian doesn't answer her, instead he jabs towards the man with his claws. The man dissapears as if blinking out of existence. Damian growls as he whips his head around to nothing. Everyone goes silent. The reappears behind Damian with an electric Sword, Damian catches his hands.

"What are you!" The man looks on in horror as Damian turns to him with an evil grin.

Damian crushes his hands, the weapon drops to the ground with a clang. Natalie quickly takes the opportunity to freeze the arms and legs of the remaining foes. Damian opens his jaws as he leans towards the man. Before Damian could sink his fangs into the man Jason kicks him in the head, sending him flying.

Damian's body returns to normal when he drops to his knees, he clutches his eye as he cries out in pain.

"Damian, what exactly happened when you fought your inner monster?" Jason stands strong over the cowering man and Damian.

Damian looks at Jason with a tired expression, but his Oni eye remains fully open. It closes and he drops unconscious.