And the person on the other side was someone that FIX recently got familiar with.
"Lev."
"As I had assumed, you are awake." Lev said, none the less surprised over the awakened corpse in front of him.
In the corridor behind him, there were fallen bodies of multiple grunts that were responsible for the security of this storage. But now none of them moved, only their chest heaved a bit, showing they were not dead.
"So, BetrRayAll OncE aAgggain?" The voice was broken and robotic. Considering her voice box was broken due to Lev's bullets. It was a miracle she was able to speak through manipulating certain parts of her body.
"No… I just wish for freedom. Meet me at the Horton Textile factory." Saying these words, Lev turned his back on the android, as if giving it the chance to pounce on him, then slowly walked away.
And through this whole ordeal, FIX just watched him through the blurry camera feed.
Making her understand that things might not be as simple as they seem.
'Yes, early on Luvi has selected him to create the serum. But he denied it.'
This simple event goes to show that if Lev was truly greedy about serum, he would have accepted Luvi's request then and there. Then stolen the recipe for his or his bosses' use.
But he didn't. Instead, he had chosen to refuse the request, losing a huge opportunity in the process which in turn changed the fate of Aoto. But that was not in anyone's control.
Though Lev's current choice was in his control. From the damage in the hallway. She was aware that Lev had chosen to go against his boss.
Or so it seemed on the surface.
Who knows, this might just be another trap after their previous one flopped.
She had not been blind, she had noticed multiple message requests sent toward Luvi's system. And after Luvi didn't respond, suddenly this happened.
Things were a bit too coincidental.
So after thinking a while, she went back to where the men had stored her body and adopted a similar position. Acting as if she never moved. While one of her android silently followed the thermal imaging of Lev from the sky.
Something that had gotten easier after he gave away his position by meeting her in the storehouse. Not to mention, there was only Lev that was capable of leaving the storage area, because others have mostly been dealt with by him.
Giving FIX an idea on the skill set of this normal man.
'He is dangerous, even without any ability.'
There are always those that shine even without any gifts. Or one can say, they are gifted in something else and they use that gift to rival other gifted individuals in their own game.
And Lev was one of those people.
'He doesn't seem to be lying.' FIX thought, looking at the movement of Lev.
Even though she lost him from time to time due to crowded areas or buildings that mask the thermal imaging. But she was still able to notice him due to his specific movements that looked odd from the sky. But for a hitman that kills from shadows, his movements were made after enough thoughts and ideas given at a time. Which actually exposed him to her once she got used to it.
It was why, following his request. She reached the defunct factory. One of the many factories that have been abandoned since the new regime took over.and Russia became home to the free hunters who would never ever bother working in one of these factories.
No, none in Russia even needed factories even more. Because the revenue generated from the dungeons was enough to support many city states through trading. And the jobs it created also provided opportunities to earn money for many in different ways.
It was why Russia was filled with abandoned old factories. Although, there were some which have been reworked into homes or even guild houses for various hunter groups.
Sadly, due to the nature of Horton Textiles, it was not safe for normal people to make it a home, the chemicals from the old days still remain dangerous to normal humans.
******
On the other hand, Aoto was still traumatized by the events that have transpired before. He still can't believe his father tried to harm him just due to the fact that he refused to give away the identity of people he was working with.
But he still didn't forget that the reason why his father reacted that way was because FIX had bombed his home, along with the rats that were kept in cages there.
And this is the point that Aoto found odd.
He was not depressed because he couldn't go back to his father. The fact had saddened him of how cold his father was and how much he lost.
But the real kicker that made him depressed was losing the rats that were fed the serum.
'I can't blame FIX for this, he only did it to hide the research. And I can't expect FIX to know about the rats.'
He was wondering what might have happened if those rats were given ample time to develop. Would they turn into one of those dungeon monsters?
Or would they evolve a bit further and achieve intelligence?
There were many possibilities and Aoto wished to explore all of them. Which made him feel even weird.
How can he be so cold toward everything?
How can he treat the incident with his father so lightly?
Were those rats really more important than his own family?
Wouldn't that be fucked up?
But Aoto knew that thinking it too much would be harmful for his psyche. He knew that his life would be anything but normal since he joined the group. And he was also someone old enough to know that everything happened due to his own choices.
So he never intended to blame DreamMachine for anything. Instead, after losing the baggage that was his family.
He wishes to continue the research he was doing. Make more money and employ more workers.
And this was the Russian Federation for god's sake, this was the true land of the free and as long as your action doesn't harm the interest of those in power. One can do virtually anything they like.
It was why, having a direct connection to FIX, Aoto asked. "If possible, I would like to restart my research as fast as possible."
He was not asking for a facility to make more of the serum. But instead, his focus was something else.
He wished to earn the limits of the serum and make something better.
He wished to leave his own name on the serum, making it his own and not something he borrowed from DreamMachine.
And for that, he needs to learn, get better and be strong enough to protect his research so that the accident from before doesn't happen again.
*****
Lev has broken all his connections with Nikoli. And he understood that with this, there was no other place to move anymore. He is surrounded and there were none who would choose to protect him.
The reason was simple, he has turned on his employer, Lev has betrayed the very hand that protected him.
Which would make him a dog without a home that none can trust.
There is no respect or place for a traitor in this industry. Instead they are hated, derided and hunted by friends as well as enemies.
Through all the infighting among the various forces of the underworld, they believe in one thing. Traitors can't be trusted, ever.
Which was why what Lev did was so heavy. And its why he did it, he needed a way to show he is being genuine when he speaks to FIX.
It was his way of showing that he has no way to go back and if FIX leaves him, he might just end up dead.
It was a kind of apology for what he did before as well as a type of assurance that he won't repeat the same thing again.
And besides, what can he do?
He understood that living under Nikoli's thumb was not living at all. He was forced to do things he didn't like, be something he never was and kill people that he felt bad for.
Hence, all he wanted was an opportunity. A chance of freedom that can only be obtained if he plays his cards right. Though he never thought that he would be caught in between by Nikoli.
He didn't know for how long, but it would seem that his personal laptop that he used to enjoy his hobbies had been under constant watch of Nikoli. And whenever he wen to complete hits. Nikoli would ask his men to check his laptop.
Which was why he was exposed and why he understood that he needed to escape from Nikoli's clutches. And the very first thing he did to achieve it was remove a small chip that was put in his stomach.
It was why when he met a lone drone in the factory, he was bleeding profusely form his stomach.