The deafening ringing of gunshots erupted through the air as the deep azure-hooded figure of Frank fell down on the ground with a bullet hole through his forehead.
Jin quickly hid behind the wall of the ruined house, reloading while looking at a body near him.
The other two hooded figures dragged Frank to the opposite side of the house to hide.
"We don't have to kill each other! Everyone, stop firing! Listen, friend! Just work for me and you'll conquer death! I mean look at how pointlessly you're wasting precious bullets, doesn't that hurt after you spent so long scavenging for them!?" the doctor shouted.
"Why are you talking to him, doctor!? We should just kill him and go!" the green-hooded man replied.
"Shut up! You don't understand anything, so shut up! We need people like him!" the doctor scowled but then he sighed deeply to calm himself down.
Jin scooched next to the dead man and pulled his ashen suit jacket aside to holster his handgun and pull out a knife from a sub-holster attached under it.
"Tempting others to sell their souls to you for the price of immortality, huh!? I reject it! Dying and losing myself are one and the same, so what's the worth of immortality if I can't live how I want?!" Jin shouted back while stabbing the chest of the dead man, splattering blood across the wall and his own jacket.
"Sell their souls!? Hardly! You will be free to do as you wish in my world as long as you respect others! Our world ended but that doesn't mean we should give up! I'm not looking for slaves, I'm looking for capable men to build my dream haven, one without death or disease! A utopia where humans won't have to go through what you and I are going through right now!" the doctor's face radiated with joy at the fantasy of a perfect kingdom.
"Sounds amazing! Tell me more and I'll consider it!" Jin replied with a disinterested scowl as he continued carving the corpse open.
The doctor continued talking in the background with glee and joy in his voice but Jin was too occupied with pulling out the pulsating orb of light from the lifeless body.
'That's one down, but this took too long… I need a better way of doing this…'
Jin stared down at the automatic rifle next to the gored body, his eyes lighting up with an idea.
"...do they sound fair and just?" the doctor's last words tickled Jin's ears who stood up with the rifle while inspecting it.
"Yeah, I definitely agree!" Jin shouted back and leaned around the corner to peek at the doctor. He tried to figure out everyone's positions.
'If I can lie about joining, I'd be able to get them off guard and…'
"Oh… You agree with the monsters who tried to kill me? But why? They want to oppress us all under their rule while I just want to free everyone! You're just... ignorant right now... I have to convince you to see reason. Men! Cripple him or kill him, it doesn't matter, but make sure he doesn't fall off the edge! I need him alive!" the doctor issued the order with a scornful gaze.
'Well, this was unfortunate timing, but it doesn't matter. I need to-'
A gust of wind brushed Jin's hair as a dark blur appeared behind him.
Jin's eyes widened but before he could turn around or react in any way, an explosive bang assaulted his ears as a powerful force blasted his right arm into chunks.
"Agh! Dammit!" Jin fell to one knee and quickly shoved his working hand within his jacket while turning back to look at his assailant.
The scalding barrel of a riot shotgun kissed Jin's cheek aggressively which made him wince and lean away.
The capped man racked the shotgun as a statement.
Now that he was closer, Jin was able to see the plain black wool mask that hid his face completely… And not just his face, the man wore layers of clothing that hid every inch of his flesh.
"I wouldn't move if I were you... My finger itches too much…" the man's gravelly rough voice added to his threatening appearance.
'Dammit! He could teleport!? I should've been more careful… I can't help it now, I just need to die and tell Walter to transport me back... I can't let them capture me.'
"Okay… You got me…" Jin relaxed his shoulder and moved his hand away from his jacket, waiting for the right time to grip the shotgun.
But then another loud gunshot deafened him as as it blew meaty chunks of his hand, leaving whatever remained hanging by a stringy mass to his wrist.
"Aagh! I said you got me, you bastard!" Jin tensed up again but then quickly stood up to run.
"Walter! Take me back!" Jin shouted.
But then another thunderous shot tore Jin's leg and sent it flying while peppering the other with the remaining shrapnel.
Jin cried painfully and fell on his face.
"Ugh... You bastard! You have no balls so you're shooting me when I can't fight back, huh!?" Jin turned around glaring at the man.
"Heh... He's safe, doc!" the man in black shouted and relaxed his posture.
The rest of men quickly rushed closer.
The doctor jumped down and walked to Jin with a smirk.
"I really want to recruit you, just so you know. But a true utopia requires everyone to stop resisting me and listening to my unified orders. I can't have stragglers like you who disagree with my vision, like those Shadow's Grasp dogs I talked about earlier. It'll bring disorder and-"
"You're the only dog here, you cowering mutt!" Jin bared his fangs hatefully at the man.
The doctor shook his head with a pitiful smile.
But Jin didn't quiet down.
"What's a doctor even doing trying to establish rules for a society? Did your wife leave you for a lawyer and this is your way to prove something!? Heh... You look like the type, alright. You'd probably secretly enjoy it too," Jin shot the only bullets he could shoot in his state - insults.
The doctor's smile froze on his lips momentarily and he stood there staring at Jin with wide eyes.
"Nobody's going to follow a c-"
The doctor's face boiled red with rage and he suddenly kicked Jin's face with a scathing scowl.
"You should've kept quiet! I was gonna bless you by making you one of us, but now I won't even let you take the easy way out! We're going to make you suffer!"
The doctor pointed at the rest of his men.
"You lot, tie him up so I can heal his limbs."
They easily and aggressively shoved and tossed Jin around while wrapping thin electric cables around his torn limbs to secure him tightly.
The doctor aimed his palms towards Jin as a soft aquamarine hue surrounded his torn limbs, hastening their recovery until Jin was back in one piece within seconds, as if he wasn't even shot to pieces earlier.
"See? My miraculous powers… aren't they a sign that I'm someone divine? The doctor above doctors? Above death? I have the touch of life in my hands, I have the power to heal this fractured world under my vision, to save humanity. That was always my goal, and now it is my right! Why can't you see that? There's no one else who has this power, no one else that can save us! And I will keep you alive as a reminder to others. You will learn how you stood on the wrong side of history, and will regret it for the rest of your life," the doctor adjusted his glasses with a soft smile then looked behind the house, at the man lying limply on the ground.
"Huh? Why is he still..." the doctor walked up to him.
Frank walked up to Jin and his eyes suddenly glowed ivory as he sat down next to him.
"You said there was no loot here, but that's a lie. Tell me, where is your main base and the good doctor will change his op–"
"Go to hell," Jin spat on him.
Frank flinched and wiped the spit away.
The man wrapped in black smashed the butt of his shotgun against Jin's head, slamming him down onto the ground.
"Leave it, Frank... He won't talk… I know his type… If he lives alone, then we just take him with us, but if he has someone with him… we hurt them... we hurt them badly…" the capped man's malicious heart was visibly displayed.
Frank gulped audibly then looked to his side at five more men in similar attires walking to them, as dangerously armed as the rest.
"We missed anything, Frank?"
"No. Just cleaning up trash."
The woman in protective pads walked to them and pointed at the horizon.
"That building looks different than the rest, there could be something there."
Jin followed her gaze and grimaced when he saw the Nexus bar.
'Dammit… The islands are moving too close... There's other places with buildings around, why'd they pick that one? I knew choosing the bigger place was a mistake, but that damned Skouter didn't listen…'
"What did you do!?" the doctor's furious voice snapped everyone's heads to him. He was on his knees with his palms pressed against the motionless corpse.
"I… I'm above death! Besides that annoying energy timer, I'm above it! So what did you do!?" his once decent face scrunched with ugly rage, his eyes burning Jin several times over.
Jin looked at him with surprise, he completely forgot about the fact he took one of them out for good… It wasn't going to do much to save him, but seeing the doctor so worked up felt incredibly satisfying.
Jin couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahahah! You're above nothing, you delusional bastard! Death isn't something that's easily tamed! You really thought you had true immortality just like that?!"
The doctor walked to Jin with bared teeth, pushing the sleeves of his suit up with intent to harm.
"And you know what else, doc? Keep me around, I welcome it! I want to see you build your stupid utopia, I want to see the face you make when I rob you of everyone's lives! As long as I live, you're not above death! You'll see! Hahahaha!" Jin cackled with a mad grin, it was exaggerated to mock the doctor but part of his feelings were still real.
No one in this world was truly immortal, no one knew this as deeply as Jin who was gifted the Wish of undeath. He knew how brittle their false eternal lives were, why else was he so desperate to keep it?
Jin heard the sound of a shotgun's barrel shuffling next to his ear, but he didn't care, his eyes were focused on the fuming doctor, wanting to capture every inch of it in memory.
The doctor gripped Jin's hair and punched him, then he grabbed his head and kneed him brutally, finishing it with a wide kick that slammed Jin down against the ground.
Jin spat out blood and wheezed with a taunting bloodied smile, his chest shaking as he laughed.
The doctor wiped the blood on his fist against someone's back then adjusted his glasses with a deep breath.
"Frank... torture him. Make sure he doesn't die but it's fine if he does, I'll revive him when we come back. The rest of us will go find his stash. He's just a small speck, not worth our time."
Frank nodded and sat Jin against the house as the rest walked away.
Jin coughed several times, then inhaled deeply while looking at the doctor.
"Your wife probably said the same about you, you pathetic loser! Small c–"
The butt of an automatic rifle bunted Jin's head to the side.
"Shut up! Respect the doctor, you idiot!" Frank spoke with annoyance.
Jin spat out a bloodied tooth then glared up at Frank, his grinning lips leaking crimson.
Frank scowled while pulling his knife out.
***
The doctor jumped next to the woman and the capped man, landing on a small floating land of concrete neighboring the large island with the fancy ivory building tagged with "Nexus" graffiti.
The woman pointed at it.
"Look, it's refurbished and has that nice tag on it. The window panels also have different tints so they must've replaced them. Plus there's a small garden to the right and those benches look like they're from a park or some other place."
"Mhm… With the place looking like this… there should be more of them, doctor…" the capped man nodded.
The doctor took a deep breath and glared at the doorway, with his previous calm smile long gone because of Jin.
"Shoot the place up! Kill them all!" he gestured at the bar and ordered.
The other seven men, who were standing near the building, aimed their guns at the double doors and the tinted windows then began unloading a heavy shower of blazing lead inside.
The erratic symphony of weapons blaring erratically subdued all other noise while their muzzle flashes flickered within the doctor's cold lenses.
The doctor gritted his teeth, boiling over at the thought of Jin's mocking grin.
"Enough shooting! Go in and bring them out here, I want to see them suffer!"
The men stopped shooting and ran closer.
Five of them crouched and stood behind cover near the broken windows to peer inside while the last two ran towards the bullet-riddled door and busted in using their shoulders.
But the very second the doors flung open, a devastating explosion decimated the first two into visceral chunks of bloodied meat and crimson mist while destroying the front entrance and sending an impactful shockwave that pushed the rest of them away with varying levels of injuries based on how close they were to the door, even killing some of them.
"What!?" the doctor's eyes bulged but he quickly snapped his fingers, reviving his men.
"Wait, doctor… that smoke's too thick for a simple explosion… Oh, shield!" the capped man yelled then jumped behind the doctor.
The woman's eyes glowed a soft pink, erecting her barrier nanoseconds before a bullet splintered against its might and fell off. She gasped and jumped up slightly.
The fallen men quickly stood up as a canister rolled out from the ashen cloud, spraying out more dark smoke.
"Men! It doesn't matter who you shoot! I'll keep reviving you, so just shoot in the smoke until they die!" the doctor shouted angrily.
Roaring gunshots rang and flashes of light flared all over the growing cloud, all in tandem with the sound of shouting and screaming, either from pain or from the adrenaline rush.
The doctor snapped his fingers repeatedly while looking around the cloud trying to identify the enemy, but then his eyes widened.
"What...? I can't feel... It's happening again...? Men, go back! Retreat! Come over here! Stop shooting and run away!" the doctor cried out desperately which made the two next to him look at him with worry.
Out of the cloud, three of them ran towards the doctor while a fourth walked away slowly while shooting through the cloud with a bellowing warcry.
A hazy dark figure darted out from the cloud, with smoke trailing behind him as he suddenly lunged at the fourth man, piercing through the his chest using a glove attached to several jointed blades - a makeshift clawed hand.
The rest of them turned around and watched as the figure pulled his arm back aggressively then shoved the glowing core inside a small satchel around his waist.
In front of them stood a man in a tight ebony combat suit which showed off his well-toned body. His face was hidden behind a black gas mask with scarlet tinted glass, his silver hair flowing over it loosely. The man had several holsters on his hips, chest, shoulder and leg as well as different canisters around his belt - grenades of all types.
The trailing strands of smoke around him made him look like some ghost of the battlefield.
In the masked man's other hand was a pinless canister which he gently and gracefully threw in front of himself mere moments before it exploded with a loud disorienting blast and a blinding flash.
Everyone winced and covered their faces, some groaning while others screamed.
The masked man kicked up the automatic rifle of his latest victim to his side and grabbed it with his right hand, instantly shooting the disorientated group while his left hand unpinned two of the grenades fastened to his belt - a flashbang and a fragmentation grenade.
The masked man quickly pulled the padded frag-grenade out and tossed it with a practiced swing at the trio on the concrete island.
The doctor quickly ducked behind the woman while the capped-man disappeared.
The rosy-eyed woman's irises burned with intensity as the barrier expanded into a brightly visible dome, protecting them from the explosion that had enough force to change their island trajectory downwards.
The capped man appeared behind the masked combatant and aimed his shotgun at him, but before he could shoot, the small shape of a flashbang moved up into his peripheral vision and exploded with an eye-searing flash; the masked combatant had thrown it subtly behind him with a masterful sleight of hand.
The capped man groaned but still shot his shotgun despite his staggered vision, a fruitless actions since it missed the masked man who stepped closer with practiced and precise movements.
The masked man grabbed the barrel of the gun and pulled it aggressively to the side, dragging the capped man forward while he pierced his body with something thin and long. Click.
The capped man's reflexes were still quicker, so he managed to transport himself away before he took any serious damage, but without knowing where anything was, he found himself falling off the island to the burning abyss.
Beep!
With his vision half impaired, the capped man could barely see the hazy silhouette of the floating concrete island the doctor was on, but that was enough for him to teleport back up next him.
"Hah... Hah... Doctor… He's dangerous… We should–"
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The high-pitched incessant noise drew their eyes to the capped man's chest, to an ominously glowing cylindrical device jammed into it, looking like a large pen with a bright tip.
The doctor flinched fearfully while the woman quickly slid between him and the capped-man, erecting her shield to block the explosion.
The capped man suddenly disappeared followed by the distant sound of something exploding.
The doctor's head snapped to the source of the sound just to see the capped man's burning corpse falling into the scorching abyss.
"I can't revive him since–"
An ear-piercing explosive blast interrupted the doctor's thoughts as the woman next to him fell down with chunks of her head turning into particles of dull wet gray and thick slimy pink.
The doctor's eyes widened and he quickly raised his hand up to snap his fingers but another bullet with devastating power blew his entire hand off and jolted his body.
The doctor fell down on his knee and screamed at his gruesomely ruined wrist then looked back at the haunting dark figure who aimed a large hand-cannon at him; the weapon was shaped like a scarlet revolver with a thick barrel possessing beautiful golden etchings.
On the masked man's arm was the insignia of a six-armed black octopus against an amber triangle background.
"The... The Shadows... You dogs... No! This is not how it ends! I'm above this!"
The doctor's hand glowed aquamarine as he turned around and ran away, quickly jumping from concrete to dirt, to a car then a slab of road, back to another island and so on until he made it back to the worn down house, his face and clothes covered in sweat from the physical toll.
"Frank! Frank, kill him! He's one of them! One of the Shadows! Kill him then we escape!"
The ivory-eyed man stared at the doctor while cleaning a bloodied knife.
"What?"
"The Shadow's Grasp, you idiot! They're here! We have to run!"
The doctor quickly picked up a handgun from the ground then aimed it at Jin.
Jin's face was bruised down to blacks and purples while one of his eyelids drooped down weakly, yet his glare was still visible through his ruined visage. And even more apparent was his triumphant smirk.
"You all are idiots…" Jin chuckled painfully.
"Doctor, relax... What's happ–" the loud devastating bang of the hand-cannon blew the upper half of Frank's head away, leaving his tongue flapping pointlessly before he fell down with a thud.
The doctor yelped with pure fear in his eyes, thoughtlessly he picked Jin up and held him like a human shield with the barrel of the handgun against his head.
They both watched as the figure adorned in a lusterless ebony moved closer to the edge a higher floating island, his features concealed.
"Stop! If you move closer I will kill him! So back away!"
Jin coughed a few times then laughed, his voice bellowing loudly. He found it too pathetically hilarious, to the point he couldn't do anything but laugh.
"You're absolutely stupid! You chose the wrong guy as your hostage! And even if you didn't, do you really think you could survive against the damned War Devil himself!? Hahahah! Even if you were completely immortal, he's the kind of person who could still find a way to kill you!"
Jin's smirk quickly died down to a hateful scowl as he looked at Walter's battle-ready figure aiming his scarlet hand-cannon at them.
"The... The War Devil? But... what is one of the Royals even doing here...?" the doctor's eyes stretched to their limit.
"Jin… You're still too uselessly green," Walter spoke coldly and shot the doctor through Jin's chest, mixing their guts and organs together in a horizontal rain of visceral muck and blood.
Jin heard the next shot but never saw it coming, there was only darkness after the echoing roar of Walter's hand-cannon.
The familiar empty darkness of death.