The two of us looked at each-other for approximately 5 minutes with her smile not weavering even once. I found it uncanny each time I saw her smile, it brought a sense of uneasiness as if she was planning something devilish.
"Please, stop wasting my damn time and get in the bathtub. Your smell makes me wish to kill myself." I could feel her blood pressure rising trying to resist my smell by just listening to her voice.
"As you wish but we need to talk." I spoke with a soft tone that was followed by a sigh.
"I think I have the gist of it." She giggled to herself covering her smile using her hand fan.
In terms of looks, Vesper could only be compared to super models across the world, with jet black hair and golden eyes. Her obsession with Japanese culture was truly outstanding as she is always seen within a new kimono by the day. Her skin, her stance, everything was made to perfection as if she was molded by the hands of god himself.
My concerns far surpassed just praising her beauty, though. My hands began to remove my armor slowly. The main body armor was damaged on the chest area with bullet holes that were more than just apparent, the claws that I used to break my falls and fight against those freaks were in no better shape while the lower body was the only one that remained stable.
"No, I will not be turning around if you are about to ask that." She stated rolling her eyes.
"You are a pervert…"
"HEH!? ME THE PERVERT!? YOU ARE STRIPPING IN FRONT OF A WOMAN!"
"After working with you for so long, I am afraid to say you are a woman in looks only."
"HAH!? YOU DAMNED RAT! SHOW SOME RESPECT!"
Her hands pinched my cheeks and she began to pull them hard but as I was mostly used to this I didn't mind. Suddenly… She stopped? My skin felt her hands run through the area where my Elira had appeared with her studying it up close.
"Don't tell me you also awakened your Elira…"
"In a sense, it is the only reason I am alive right now."
Her eyes looked up to me as I went and entered the bathtub, the warm water was gently massaging my body as I submerged myself within it. My hair was being caressed by Vesper who was kind enough to wash it for me.
"If my gut doesn't lie to me, you were betrayed. Weren't you?"
"Correct. I think you know the only people who could actually make me retreat are few."
"Mhm, so how many did they send?"
"Not how many, What they sent is a better question."
"Elaborate."
"The Order has developed some kind of new soldier from the corpses of Tainted."
When she heard those words being uttered, the caress of my hair stopped for a moment before she continued.
Tainted are individuals or more realistically were individuals who possessed Eliras. The powers they were granted had drunken them and put them in a berserker-like stage. Eliras are poisonous to the mind and the body and if not controlled by the user, they go through 3 stages of development. The first being the berserker-like stage, where tainted become insane and violent, the second is the stage where the body begins to resemble that of a corpse more than a human's and the third is death.
The things that I faced were experiments conducted by scientists to study a way to preserve an Elira and the results were less than promising. Vesper's stop was not out of shock of those failed corpses but she has her own vendetta against someone.
"You still are after him. Aren't you?" I asked with a pensive tone.
"Do not mingle in my business, Hael. It does not concern you."
She was right, it didn't concern me but I couldn't help but chuckle. But then I was met with a slap on my left cheek.
"Don't giggle to yourself like a maniac, you sadistic fuck."
"You truly are as aggressive as they say."
"You are talking to the person who's cleaning you up."
We both chuckled with one another but as that soft laugh stopped I sighed.
"You are going to take revenge and you need my help."
"Why not? You do owe me a couple of favors."
After assisting her countless times throughout the world she had built quite a debt with me. Escorting, killing, trafficking and much more was all done by me for her in a loan.
"You are a bad friend, you know that?"
"No, I am an honest friend. To which you owe a lot."
Her eyes were filled with a bit of disgust but with a sigh she quickly brushed it off, getting up and cleaning her hands.
"You have some clean clothes ready on top of the bed. Move quickly."
I got out of the bathtub, put on a towel and walked into the room. Where I found a white shirt, boxers, a jet-black suit and gloves. My eyes enjoyed the sight for a moment and I began to slowly put them on. Frankly they all fit perfectly.
I walked outside to be met with the sight of Vesper reminiscing at something. My approach was quiet until I saw her looking at an old family photo.
"Stop spying on me like a creep you damn murderer…"
"..."
"I am willing to help you for the sake of old times but in return…"
She slammed her hands on her make-up table, getting up slowly, turning around and grabbing me by the tie.
"I want you to burn them all to the ground. Do I have your word for that, Hael?"
"You have my word of honor that all who are connected to the order, will die."
Our eyes met and stared at each-other's souls. Vesper gritted her teeth as she let go of me.
"Follow me, I have prepared something for a rainy day like this."
I stepped away from her path, her walking was grim and filled with rage while mine followed quietly. We arrived at a wall decorated by trophies that came from countless hunts and golden decor. Her hand was raised to grab one of the decorations of the wall, a candle holder and pulled it gently revealing a secret door that slid open while cackling across the floor.
When it was fully opened, lights began to flicker on revealing a hidden armory. Guns mounted on walls, from blades to firearms. AR-s, pistols, body armor, hand grenades.
But what laid dormant in the center was something more fitting than the treasure cove that was in front of me.
"Pick your poison. Assassin."