Early in the morning, the gleaming sun was rising from the lines of the vast horizon. Sunlight pierced through the heavens and the earth breaking away from the darkness brought about by the night. Chirping birds echoed from trees and clamorous voices of humans sounded along with it.
It was the beginning of a new day, though it was also the start of a new era for a particular district. News outlets throughout the city reported the mass disappearance of people along with the strange murders found throughout a district.
The phenomena appeared to only happen in the district and coincidently. The ones that had disappeared were various criminals from different districts gathering in the area where opportunity seems to thrive.
Anyhow, because of this. The district was being given names from the worst ones such as the Grave of Robbers through the best ones known as Babylon. Despite the recent disappearance of numerous people, the district was calmer than before.
No unwanted individuals were roaming the streets in groups and the citizens of the district felt safe once more. It was somewhat ironic for the disappearance of some to cause the relief of many.
But it was what it was.
Within a peculiar cafe, a young girl was sitting on the couch watching some news while wearing a school uniform. Her name was Kiara Reed, the youngest of the Reed Family.
As she watched the breaking news on the television, she couldn't help but feel curious about how or why those thugs disappeared. The way they faded like dust was strange and she wondered why the news didn't speak more about it.
After all, the news outlets appeared to be only talking about the negatives and positives of the disappearance. It was as if something or someone was suppressing the information. Of course, this was nothing more but her instinct.
Before she could continue thinking about it, she felt a hand touching her shoulder. She glanced back and noticed her older sister bringing two cups of chocolate milk atop a brown tray. Her older sister sat right beside her and started sipping some Choco milk.
"Is there something wrong?" Mercedes soothingly asked wondering what her little sister currently had in mind. Of their family, her little sister seems to be the only one who always watches the news.
"Nothing more but dozens of disappearance cases." Kiara nonchalantly answered which made Mercedes chuckle. "Strange things have been happening throughout the district these past few days."
"Can't believe that there's already a disappearance case. I wonder if there's something else ongoing in the background." Mercedes remarked as if it had nothing to do with her.
"That's right! I've been wondering about that! Why is nobody talking about how they disappeared? If such a group left the district or even got killed. It would produce a large trace that would be easy to notice." Kiara stood up and expressed with determination.
Mercedes could do nothing more but wryly smile at the young girl. She felt a bit helpless though there was nothing she could or should do about it. Mercedes simply had to let it pass.
"That is indeed mysterious. Perhaps, the government would be the one that had something to do with it. After all, they are mostly the ones in control over the media." Mercedes deflected the thoughts of Kiara towards the government.
After all, the perfect blame for the conspiracies of the world would be none other than the government.
Hearing Mercedes's words, Kiara thought about it for a short while before shaking her head. "While it may be the government, my instincts tell me otherwise. I have a feeling that someone is manipulating the media."
"I wonder who that is?" Mercedes was uttering the truth. She wasn't the one manipulating the media about the disappearance of the criminals. She felt that the criminal underworld would have something to do with it.
But until she met with Abraham once again. These thoughts would be nothing more than mere speculations.
Mercedes glances at her pale hands which were bloodied last night. She tried hard to scrub the blood off her skin, but no matter how much she tried. She could still smell its scent surrounding her. Fortunately, others seemed to have not noticed the smell.
However, Mercedes would rather avoid relying on chance and luck when the circumstances correlate to her future.
'I need to be more prepared next. Even gloves wouldn't save my hands from becoming covered with blood. Should I start training in firearms?' Mercedes wondered if she should start using conventional weapons.
While they were heavily restricted, it doesn't mean they were heavily banned. It was just hard for criminals to acquire them. Besides, she also had looted some of the warehouses those bastards owned. And they were full of firearms.
"It looks like another training is needed," Mercedes mumbled to herself while gazing at her hands. Kiara raised an eyebrow after hearing her and questioned. "What?"
Mercedes immediately got out of her trance and wryly smiled at Kiara. "It's nothing. There's just a lot of things I have to do now." She explained as she returned back to her room.
Kiara stares at the back of her older sister's back with thoughts flooding her head. What kind of thoughts she had was a question that couldn't be answered. Nonetheless, the truth will be sought and ignorance will once again be lost.
Meanwhile, Mercedes returned to her room. She locked the door and began quietly moving some cabinets in the room. It was soon revealed that Mercedes had a secret compartment where she stored most things she wouldn't want the world to know.
Beforehand, the things in the secret compartment were her past diaries that would swiftly kill her if they were revealed to the world. Luckily, they were never touched and Mercedes didn't dare to hold them with her fingers.
Anyhow, amongst the diaries was a phone. It was a disposable phone that had the number of the striker gang's boss, Abraham. Mercedes turned on the phone and started calling for the buff man. There was something he needed to do.
The phone silently rang as Mercedes patiently waited. The sound reverberated throughout her room, but it wasn't loud enough to become problematic. Mercedes glances through the window and thoughts regarding the night before emerge in her consciousness.
The criminals she had killed were bound in the number of hundreds. She had become a mass murderer not in the virtual world but in reality. Sooner or later, she would become a criminal rivaling terrorists.
It wasn't a problem for her, but what about her family?
Mercedes was stepping into a dangerous and unknown territory of life. While she was strong, her family wasn't. And she wouldn't always be with them. She already understood this when she saw her little sister being bullied by the others.
'I'll start training her.'
But before Mercedes could continue with such thoughts, the ringing stopped and a voice came out from the phone. It was none other than Abraham, the buff man and the boss of the only remaining gang.
"Lord Solace, how may I help you?"
Solace... That was the codename given to Mercedes after the massacre last night. It was given by Abraham through the reasoning of calmness during destruction. Mercedes didn't understand the meaning at first, but she decided to accept it.
After all, it was better than anything she could think for herself.
"Abraham, how many members do you have in your group?" Mercedes questioned which Abraham swiftly answered. "We have about a hundred-twenty members, Lord Solace. Is there something you need us to do?"
"I want you to start informing them of their mission."
"The striker gang must assimilate with the locals of the district. How? Apply for job applications throughout the district and a formal gathering time for the gang will be announced. Everyone must be a part of this plan, Abraham."
"I don't want any disappointments."
Mercedes calmly expressed though there was a tinge of coldness in her tone. While they were her subordinates, the striker gang was still, in the end, a gang. Who knows what they have done in the span of their lifetime.
Of course, there was also the possibility that they might be innocent. Though, it was up to them to prove their innocence in front of her. Otherwise, there was no use in bringing up the subject of innocence.
"Understood, your wish will be attained, Lord Solace."
With that, the conversation between the two ended. But Mercedes couldn't help but shake her head thinking about the words of Abraham. 'Lord Solace...' Where did she become a lord of some sort? She didn't have any territory under her name so she was far from being a lord.
"Well, maybe the criminal underworld has another terminology for the word."
Mercedes muttered and closed her phone. She returned it to where it belonged and placed back the cabinets in their rightful place. Mercedes lies atop her bed and glances at the window once again. It was still early in the morning, yet time felt like rushing pass.
To be honest, Mercedes didn't have to rush things. But whenever there was a problem in her life. A feeling of responsibility drives her heart to solve it. It was an annoying habit to have, and it made everything faster.
"The day is long, Mercedes. No need to be impatient when you can just enjoy." Mercedes mumbled and closed her eyelids. It didn't take time before the recent idea returned to her head. Her eyes opened revealing sapphire-like irises.
"That's right. I'll start training Kiara regarding the art of self-defense. At the very least, she'll have the ability to fight back when in danger."
"Hohoho, it's time to have my own disciple."
Mercedes began remembering the time she had with her mentor, Old Man Caesar. The suffering he had brought to her was something that had to be passed on.