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Levi squatted down in front of Ben and Ray, his towering frame casting a shadow over them. He wore a menacing expression, with furrowed brows and a set jaw. His hands rested solidly on his thighs, while his piercing eyes bore into their face.
Ray and Ben couldn't help but feel intimidated by him.
"Now tell me who killed my son," Levi growled with a wild aura that made Ben and Ray's ears bleed.
Ben could feel the weight of Levi's voice, leaving him unsure of how to put the words.
"Sir, we were in school and got into a fight with a boy. He beat us badly in school, and Leo decided to exact revenge on him outside the school. That's what led to his death, sir. It wasn't my fault,"
"Yes, sir, that's what happened," Ray confirmed, his eyes darting around the room in terror.
Levi stood up and strode towards the balcony as he said, "I didn't ask for your silly lectures"
Levi whipped his head backwards with his glowing red eyes fixed on Ben and Ray's penetrating their soul. They were suddenly lifted into the air, and their bodies numb and paralyzed.
With intense anger Levi stared at them,
"I won't repeat myself again. Who killed my son?" Levi's voice was like a dagger, piercing their ears and making them bleed.
"Egon!.....His name is Egon Smith!" they cried out, unable to bear the pain any longer.
Levi's eyes returned to normal, and Ben and Ray collapsed on the floor, shaking from the intense pain.
He walked towards his office and said
"Darling, I think I'm done with them. You can take care of the rest," Levi told his wife calmly.
"Sir, please no! We've told you everything we know. Please spare us!" Ray and Ben begged, clawing towards Levi in desperation.
Suddenly, the swords that had been lying on the ground levitated into the air. Ben and Ray's eyes widened in horror.
"No, sir...noooooo!" they screamed, but it was too late. The swords flew towards their heads and impaled their skulls, sending a gush of blood splattering across the room.
Lena watched the lifeless bodies, but, there was still a sense of restlessness that stirred up within her.
"No.....Leo....That bastard must pay!" she exclaimed, unconvinced that these deaths were not enough to satisfy her thirst for blood.
Meanwhile, Levi walked towards his office, his thoughts focused on his current business venture. He opened the door and quickly made his way to the drawer, pulling out a sleek digital business card that contained important information about his latest proposal.
He scanned the number and made the call, his voice calm and composed. "Hello, am I speaking to Dane?" he inquired from the caller.
"Yes, this is Dane," the man responded, his voice curious and slightly apprehensive.
Levi wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "I have a business proposal for you..."
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In the commercial district, a poor family resided in a small apartment, which was located in the heart of the bustling metropolis. The building was a towering structure of chrome, steel, and glass, hovering high above the city skyline, displaying a facade of affluence and prosperity. However, inside, the apartment was humble and barren.
The space was small, barely larger than a few hundred square feet, serving as a living room, kitchen, and bedroom combined. There were no windows to look onto the city below, and the only entry point was a single door, reinforced with military-grade technology. It had a complete biometric scanner that ensured only the inhabitants could enter.
The furnishings were sparse and utilitarian, lacking any sense of comfort or luxury. The bed was a thin, uncomfortable cot that folded up against the wall. And a small closet was barely large enough to hold the inhabitants' clothes. The kitchen was a tiny alcove equipped with a single induction stove, a minifridge, and a microwave that could only hold a few rations.
The family could barely afford three meals a day due to the inadequate jobs available to the breadwinner, who worked tirelessly to provide for his family, amid surging prices of basic necessities.
A man sat at the table, holding his head in desperation as he pondered over what to do next. On a tiny bed was a small boy of about nine years old, lying motionless. He had pale skin, sunken eyes and looked incredibly malnourished. He was unconscious and appeared to be in critical condition.
Beside him, a woman, not older than 30, wiped his forehead with a damp towel. A little girl was in the corner of the room, also suffering from malnourishment, and looking on with hope that her brother would recover.
She was merely four years old, and like her sibling, was painfully thin and fragile.
The little girl slowly approached her father, who was lost in thought, consumed with worry about his son's health.
"Daddy, is Donald going to die?" the little girl asked hesitantly.
Her father's eyes grew heavy with sadness, but he didn't want to frighten his daughter.
"No, he's not going to die," he responded softly, determined to find a way to save his son's life.
"We'll take him to the hospital as soon as possible."
"But dad, mom isn't making any necessary preparations to take Donald to the hospital. Dad, I don't want my brother to die," the little girl said softly, her voice carrying a sense of worry and desperation.
All of a sudden, the little girl's stomach rumbled, a sign of hunger. "Dad, I'm hungry," she muttered, her voice feeble.
Her father couldn't bear to break her heart,
"Don't worry, I'll get you something to eat," he replied in a low tone.
A teardrop rolled down the man's eye as he spoke to his daughter.
"Dad, why are you crying?" the little girl asked curiously.
"It's nothing, I'm just thinking about something," the man responded, wiping away his tears to prevent his daughter from crying too.
The woman cleaning her son's body couldn't hold back her tears anymore, in great agony as she watched her son fighting for his life and her daughter starving.
All of a sudden, a knock came on the door. The man was surprised, he wasn't expecting anyone. Then he remembered he had an outstanding rent balance. "What will I tell the landlord?" he thought in his mind. His wife also guessed it could be the landlord.
"Honey, just ignore him, we don't have anything to give him," she advised, trying to prevent further trouble.
"We can't ignore him every time. He might kick us out. I'm going to open the door," he insisted.
He then opened the door to find Dane, his friend, standing at the entrance. "Dane! What are you doing here? I told you times without number that I won't work for that man," he contented, looking at his friend in disbelief.
"Actually, will you let me in first, Scott?" Dane asked.
Scott felt that he could trust Dane and opened the door to let his friend come in.
Dane walked into the tiny apartment, holding a transparent rubber bag in his hand. As he closed the door behind him, he noticed little Donald, who was lying still on the bed.
Phoebe's mother didn't greet Dane, she has always disliked him, but Dane walked past her without caring to her liking.
"How is he?" Dane said, putting his hand on Donald's forehead. "His condition is getting worse. Scott, why are you not doing anything about this?" Dane questioned, looking at Scott.
Phoebe, the little girl, saw Dane and greeted him,
"Good morning Uncle Dane."
Dane replied,
"Good morning Phoebe, guess what I got for you?"
"What is it Uncle?" Phoebe was eagerly anticipating for the surprise.
"I got you fried chicken, lots of them to fill your stomach to the brim," with a smile, he walked towards the table and placing the bag on it.
Phoebe jumped with joy, happy to eat something delicious for once. Rushing towards the table to get her meal, she eagerly pulled out the pack of dishes from the runner bag, which was taller than her.
Quickly sitting on the floor, she passionately devoured the food, making delighted noises all the way.
"Yummy! Yummy!" She muttered as she savored the meal.
"Take it easy, Phoebe. I don't want you to choke," Dane observed as she enjoy her delicacy.
Phoebe's mother was happy to see her daughter happy again and said,
"Thank you."
Although reluctant about Dane's good gesture, she had to thank him for providing food for her hungry daughter. She too was salivating for the meal, but her pride didn't allow her to take any.
Scott, relieved that one of his worries has been lessened, asked in an angry tone,
"What brings you here, Dane? Go straight to the point."
Dane gestured to Scott to take a plate before he asked about the reason why he was here.
"I'm not hungry!" Scott articulated, but his stomach betrayed him as it grumbled loudly. Finally, he collected a drumstick and ate.
"Ok, let's go straight to the point. I have a business for you. A lot of cash is involved, enough to put Daniel in the hospital and take you guys out of poverty," Dane explained.
"I don't do business with the likes of you," Scott shouted.
"Calm down, Scott, you haven't heard what I'm about to say. The money is 1 million quantum shards ($500 million)"
Scott opened his mouth in shock and his wife was equally shocked too when she heard about the amount of money involved.
Scott looked at his dying son and his hungry daughter, thinking that this could be the only option left. His wife gave him a nod, indicating that he should accept the offer.
"What is the business?" Scott asked, trying to figure out what this business involved.
Dane brought out a quantum tablet with a void pen.
"Accept the offer first, then sign on the tablet," Dane offered his terms
Scott knew that it would be a shady business, but he had no other choice. He was desperate to save his son's life and provide for his family. "I accept," he finally said, hesitantly taking the void pen and signing the contract.
"The job is to kill the entire family of Egon smith..."