Zed reared up on his hind legs, his fine whiskers twitching as he sampled the air. The crisp atmosphere awakened his senses, a stark contrast to the sterile laboratory walls that had enclosed his world for as long as he could remember.
In the confined space of the lab, the only companions to his solitude were the monotonous hum of machines and the researchers' hushed conversations.
The researchers were a boring bunch, so he only had Iris to talk to most of the time. But Iris was really not the most engaging conversationalist.
It was a pale imitation of a true companion.
Its responses to his inquiries were limited and unengaging, often leaving him with only his own thoughts for company.
The dangerous situation he now found himself in didn't seem to register with him. Instead, Zed was swept up by the exhilarating sense of adventure. The intoxicating thrill of the unknown coursed through him like a potent elixir.
"Dr. Peterson." Reap's voice cut through the air as he landed his hoverbike and jumped off. His boots left deep impressions in the sand as he strode forward. His eyes scanned the group and quickly locked onto the white rat perched on the fatty's shoulder.
Having found the target, he relaxed.
"You're quite skilled at running," he praised with a sardonic smirk.
"One of our brothers was murdered by you. Tell me, how should we deal with this matter?" A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes as he posed the question.
"This place should do." Dr. Daniel Peterson muttered as he climbed off the bike and looked around with surprising composure. He massaged his wrists and smiled casually. Shrugging lightly, he replied, "That's easy. I can just send the bunch of you to accompany your brother in the underworld. That way, he won't feel lonely. Isn't that great?"
Reap's eyes widened in disbelief before he erupted into laughter. "HAHAHAHA! How audacious!"
The entire Shadow mercenary group was momentarily stunned. Then, they too, broke into laughter.
"AHAHAHA oh dear, this old man is too funny!"
"Even if he has a death wish, this... Ahahahaha!"
"I can't breathe! I'm going to die of laughter!"
"This is the first time I've ever heard someone talk to Boss like that!"
"It would be a miracle if the Boss doesn't torture this old fool to death after this."
The mercenaries doubled over in laughter, some of them toppling off their bikes as they clutched their stomachs.
As the laughter echoed around him, Alan covered his head with his hands and quivered in fear.
"HAHAHAH--Ack!"
The skinny tattooed man who was laughing the loudest, suddenly choked as a figure flashed in front of him and grabbed him by the throat.
The visage of Dr. Daniel Peterson emerged from the blur, his grip tightening around his neck.
"It's good that you could die a happy man. Not many people in this world can afford such a nice ending, you know?"
He commented tersely as he tightened his grip. The skinny mercenary's neck broke with a crisp snapping sound and his body slumped to the ground, the shadow of his last laugh still etched upon his face.
The laughter ceased in an instant, replaced by a deafening silence.
Ignoring the shocked gazes of everyone, Dr. Daniel Peterson began to count in a leisurely manner.
"1, 2, 3, 4...37." He nodded with satisfaction. "How coincidental! There are 42 pits here, so there's more than enough graves for all of you!"
"KILL HIM!" Reap's roar shattered the stillness. He drew his alloy knife and charged towards Dr. Daniel Peterson.
"Be careful! This old bastard is an Augmented!"
"Spread out!"
"PAP, PAP, PAP!"
"Are you stupid? Don't fire your guns here! You'll hit our own guys!"
Chaotic shouts and screams rose and fell, rising into a boiling crescendo in an instant.
Dr. Daniel Peterson's form flickered as he weaved through the mayhem.
Reap followed closely behind him, but to his frustration, the old man did not even bother to engage him at all.
He directly targeted the weaker underlings. Everywhere he went, someone would fall screaming, before turning quiet. All of them were killed with a blow to the head or chest.
He was like a ravenous wolf unleashed upon a flock of helpless sheep.
Alan screamed in terror as he clambered off the bike. He clutched the excited Zed close to his chest and stumbled towards a nearby sand pit to hide. The fats around his waist rose and fell like the tumultuous waves of a stormy sea as he ran.
After what felt like an eternity, the chaos subsided, leaving only Reap and Dr. Daniel Peterson standing amid a heap of corpses.
Reap was panting heavily in exhaustion. On the other hand, Dr. Daniel Peterson, though drenched in blood, appeared completely unscathed.
With a sinister smile, he advanced a step towards Reap. The latter took a step back, his body trembling with horror.
"W-wait!" He raised a hand and shouted.
"What is it? Do you have any last words?" Dr. Daniel Peterson inquired, his voice laced with mock patience.
Reap was now but a shadow of his former menacing self. He seemed more like a frightened rabbit at this moment.
"I don't understand! You're at least a Rank-A Augmented! If you're this powerful, why did you run in the first place?! Why would you let us chase you all the way out here..."
A sudden flash of realization dawned in his eyes.
"Heh. Seems like you're not that stupid after all. You guys took so long to catch up. I was really getting bored acting and playing out the show all by myself." Dr. Daniel Peterson chuckled.
"It can't be... You've planned this out from the start and lured us here just so that you could bury us in this desert? Why!"
"Hm, I don't mind telling you, since you don't have long to live anyway." Dr. Daniel Peterson shrugged indifferently.
"I needed a legitimate excuse to remove my precious creation from UFHL's control, so I orchestrated a terrorist attack. It's as simple as that.
It's nothing personal. If you want to blame someone, blame it on your own greed. Not many people are fool enough to accept a deal to attack a UFHL facility. The moment you accepted my money and launched the attack, you were already marked by UFHL. You'll eventually be caught and tortured to death by them anyway, so let's just say that it's better for me if you could just "disappear" out here in the desert. After all, dead men tell no tales."
"Your money? You're the mysterious client that tasked us to capture the rat for you?!" Reap spluttered in disbelief.
"You get an A+ for your comprehension skills." Dr. Daniel Peterson nodded. "It's a mouse, by the way. Can we finish this now?"
"F*ck you, you old snake! Even if you're a Rank-A Augmented, I-"
"Shwing!" A shrill sound cut through the air, followed by a flash of silver that swept across Reap's neck.
"I'll take that as a yes," Dr. Daniel Peterson nonchalantly turned away, one hand in his pocket. He wiped the bloody scalpel in his other hand against his pants and strolled towards the sand pit beside the hoverbike, whistling.
"Glug-" Behind him, a crimson line oozed from Reap's neck. Then, his head slowly detached and slipped off, thudding against the sandy ground and bouncing twice before coming to a rest face down.
Blood spurted from his headless body like a gruesome fountain.
Sniffling and teary-eyed, Alan lay sprawled in the desert sand.
The scene that he'd just witnessed was beyond terrifying. He had actually been traveling with the main villain the entire time!
"It's over! It's all over!" Alan had never been in such a miserable state before. His face was a wet mess of sand and mucus. His clothes were torn from crawling in the sand, and his ears were ringing from the continuous blasts.
"Calm down, you blubbering idiot. I'm not going to kill you." A boot suddenly landed in front of him.
Alan looked up to see Dr. Daniel Peterson's blood-slicked face, the crimson liquid seeping into his beard. Coupled with his menacing expression, he appeared to be a psychopathic mad scientist.
Alan whimpered in terror and shrank back.
"Hand over Zed," Dr. Daniel Peterson commanded, extending a bloodied hand.
"Zed?" Alan looked puzzled. Then, realization dawned on him, and he exclaimed, "Oh no! Zed!" He raised his body and lowered his head to look for the little mouse, praying he hadn't crushed him while crawling through the sand.
Zed emerged from beneath his arm with a disgruntled expression and clambered onto his head, completely unharmed.
Only then did Alan allow himself to exhale in relief.
"Let's go," Dr. Daniel Peterson urged.
"Go where?" Zed inquired.
"We're heading south. I own a facility there. You'll be safe," he replied.
"Another facility?" Zed didn't like the sound of that. Having experienced the outside world, he was reluctant to return to another lab.
He shook his tiny head. "I don't want to go."
"I'm sorry, but you don't have a choice," Dr. Daniel Peterson reached down to grab him, but Zed evaded his grasp with ease.
"I want to stay here!" Zed insisted.
Dr. Daniel Peterson's brow furrowed with irritation. "Zed, I don't have all day for this. This is not a negotiation! You're coming with me!"
The researcher moved to grab Zed once more, his hand swifter this time. Yet again, Zed eluded capture.
Seeing the little mouse's stubbornness, Dr. Daniel Peterson opted for a gentler approach. "Zed, the outside world is filled with danger. Fierce mutated beasts and bad people lurk at every corner, ready to harm you. There's no food out here either. You won't survive outside the lab!" he reasoned.
Zed hesitated. He seemed to waver, torn by the decision.
It was then that Alan unexpectedly interjected, "There's actually plenty of food in the city..."
"You really should learn when to keep quiet, pig." Dr. Daniel Peterson snapped, visibly annoyed.
"In your next life, learn your place and don't interrupt other people's conversations," he uttered emotionlessly, lifting his leg and bringing his boot down towards Alan's vulnerable head.