While Alex was telling stories about the floating city, Rebecca lit up with excitement at the thought of riding their monorails. Alex imagined that crazy gremlin with her weapons slung over her shoulder, laughing wildly, speeding down the monorail and shooting at everything that moved. The thought made him shudder involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Rebecca was already plotting chaos in that city. All it takes to bring destruction is a cute girl with the soul of a gremlin and total freedom to act. And by that same evening, the city would be engulfed in chaos and flames.
"Are you thinking something bad about me?" Rebecca asked, grabbing Alex by the nose.
Alex snapped out of his thoughts about the burning city and a cackling Rebecca, realizing that girls really can sense when someone's thinking something odd about them.
"Of course not. I just remembered that in one universe, there's a pet that would be perfect for you," Alex replied with a smile, trying to hide his thoughts.
Rebecca's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she jumped on Alex and started showering him with kisses all over his face like a woodpecker pecking at a tree. If she had worn lipstick, Alex's whole face would have been covered in prints.
Lucy, noticing this, was about to intervene, but seeing Alex's satisfied expression, she just sighed and decided to let it be. When Rebecca finally stopped her kiss assault, she stared intently at Alex, expecting him to continue.
"And what kind of pet is it?" she asked, trying to look cute and innocent, batting her eyelashes.
Alex laughed at her attempts, wiping his face from her kisses.
"It's a creature, honestly of an unclear species, but it has a personality exactly like yours," he said, gently poking her forehead to calm her down.
Rebecca tilted her head in confusion, not understanding what Alex was talking about. Meanwhile, Lucy, eavesdropping on their conversation, sharply turned and stared at Alex with an expression that made it clear she absolutely didn't want another crazy being in their company.
Her boyfriend was already capable of causing mayhem, her friend was a walking box of madness, and their robot dog always acted weird. She clearly didn't want to add another such creature to their lives. Alex noticed her look and, knowing he couldn't deny Rebecca, silently apologized to Lucy with his eyes.
"What do you mean 'the same personality as mine'?" Rebecca asked, still not catching the hint.
Lucy sighed heavily, drawing her attention.
"He means the animal is the same walking embodiment of chaos as you—an actual gremlin," Lucy replied.
Rebecca turned to Alex, looking for confirmation. He just nodded. She immediately bared her teeth and bit his cheek, showing her displeasure at being called a "gremlin" again. She only tolerated it when referred to as a "cute gremlin" or a "beloved gremlin," but not separately.
"Wait, stop biting! Stitch is kind and cute, but just as chaotic as you," Alex tried to calm her down.
Hearing him call her cute and kind, Rebecca blushed, but quickly flashed a wide grin and sat on his lap, extracting a promise that he would definitely take her with him to get that strange animal. Alex breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had managed to calm the gremlin this time.
However, the memory of a strange movie and one cute creature flashed through his mind again. He thought it would be funny to bring it along but quickly dismissed the idea—one wrong move could turn an entire city into a gathering of gremlins, who would surely crown Rebecca as their queen.
Alex even imagined her sitting in a royal outfit, surrounded by a crowd of gremlins chanting, "Queen!"
"That would be ridiculously funny," he muttered, smirking.
"What would be funny?" Rebecca asked immediately, looking at him intently.
Realizing he had said that out loud, Alex quickly changed the subject:
"I was just thinking how fun it would be to watch GIR and Stitch fight for a spot on the pillow," he smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere.
Rebecca giggled, already imagining how that might happen. She didn't know what Stitch looked like, but if Alex said he was cute, that was even better. GIR, hearing the conversation, got up from Lucy's lap, peeked out from behind the chair, and looked at Alex and Rebecca.
"My pillow," he declared before settling back down on Lucy's lap.
Lucy just shook her head. Every time someone took his pillow, he would throw tantrums and complain to Gloria, who always pitied him. Even Valerie had stopped believing his dramatic performances, but Gloria, with her soft heart, still comforted GIR. Alex and Rebecca laughed at his statement.
"Don't worry, GIR, if it comes to it, I'll make you another one," Alex said so the robo-dog could hear.
GIR peeked out from behind the chair again, staring intently at Alex. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly reached into his pocket, pulled out a candy, popped it into his mouth, and, still watching Alex, nodded before returning to his spot. Alex shook his head. GIR always tried to add a touch of drama to his actions, but with his goofy demeanor, it came off more comical than serious.
Several hours passed. All this time, Lucy had been collecting data and transmitting it to GIR, who was extracting information from the databases and saving it into a separate file. GIR, like an obedient child, fulfilled his "mom's" requests.
Meanwhile, Alex decided to scroll through the news, just in case something interesting had happened. But everything boiled down to his alter ego, a member of the Cult of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, being labeled as a cyberpsycho twice. The journalists didn't even know that the attack on the warehouse and the limousine theft were carried out by the same person.
Rebecca, not wanting to return to her seat, made herself comfortable on Alex's lap, her legs dangling over the armrest of the chair. Suddenly, Lucy noticed something strange at the warehouse and called Alex over.
He carefully lifted Rebecca off his lap and walked over to the edge of the roof, standing beside
Lucy to look at the warehouse. A truck had arrived, and people were being led out of it.
"Those are children," Alex frowned as he saw who they were taking out.
Lucy and Rebecca remained silent. Lucy pressed her lips together, watching the bound convoy of children being led inside. Rebecca, grinding her teeth in anger, would have already charged down to create a bloodbath if Alex hadn't been holding her back.
Alex observed as the bastards forced the children deeper into the warehouse. The boys and girls were of different ages, all tied up and shoved inside.
"When do we move?" Lucy asked, trying to think rationally.
Alex, furrowing his brow, pondered. Acting now would be dangerous—the main culprit might not have appeared yet, and this could be their chance to track him down. However, his heart longed to save the children immediately.
He squinted, using his abilities, and saw through the walls that the children had been locked in a cage in the far corner of the warehouse. Alex realized they weren't in immediate danger and decided to wait for the right moment.
"We'll wait until evening," he sighed.
Rebecca shot Alex a dark look, not understanding why he chose not to act right away.
"Aren't you afraid something will happen to the children?" she asked.
Alex placed his hand on her head, feeling her anxiety.
"The kids are fine. The main one hasn't shown up yet, and for now, they've just locked them in a cage. I'd jump in immediately if they were in danger," he said, gently stroking Rebecca's hair to calm her.
Rebecca and Lucy gave him a strange look, clearly not understanding how he could see that. Alex explained that he could see through walls and use mana like sonar for scouting. Rebecca frowned but went off to check her sniper rifle to make sure it wouldn't fail at a critical moment. GIR followed her to help. Now, it was just Alex and Lucy left on the roof's edge. Alex sat down in her chair and pulled Lucy onto his lap.
"Make sure to record everyone who was at the warehouse or left it. If they're not there when we break in, I'll send the data to Padre and let Valentino deal with tracking down those scumbags," Alex said, resting his forehead on Lucy's back.
Lucy nodded, informing him that she was already doing that and immediately sending the footage to GIR for analysis. Alex was pleased with her efficiency, but a smile crept onto his face as he thought about how weird GIR could be when he wasn't occupied with a task.
He kissed Lucy gently on the neck and waited for all the players to step onto the stage, ready to turn the scene into a bloody carnival. Initially, he had planned to simply kill them, but after seeing that they had kidnapped children and intended to use them as slaves, Alex decided these scumbags deserved far worse.
Evening came, and the sun had already dipped below the horizon. The streets began to light up with streetlamps, but the warehouse grounds remained engulfed in darkness. Only a faint glow emanated from inside the building.
At that moment, a car pulled up to the warehouse, and several people got out. Leading the group was a woman. Alex immediately realized this was Loka. Previously, he had assumed Loka was a man, but now it was clear. Loka dealt drugs, which was a common way to make money in this city.
However, using children in prostitution was something Alex could neither understand nor justify. As a woman, Loka should have known how difficult it is to make money without selling one's body. Since she chose this path, her death was definitely not going to be an easy one.
"All the actors are in place," Alex said darkly, watching the group enter the warehouse.
Rebecca, who had just finished polishing her rifle, immediately stood and walked over to Alex and Lucy. Spotting Loka, she quickly aimed at her head. But Alex grabbed the barrel of her rifle, preventing her from taking the shot. Rebecca looked at him in confusion, but Alex gently lowered the weapon and explained his reasoning.
"That's too easy a death for her," he said, shaking his head.
Rebecca nodded in understanding. She still remembered how Alex had dealt with the child traffickers. One had their head turned into bloody mush, while another had bricks shoved down their throat by Alex. Sighing, she slung the rifle over her shoulder, waiting for further instructions.
"Padre asked for it to look like a cyberpsycho attack or something along those lines," Alex added as he lifted Lucy off his lap.
He stepped aside and decided to change his outfit. Instead of his usual clothes, he donned an old, worn-out jumpsuit that looked like a mechanic's uniform, aging it to appear as if it had been abandoned in an attic for years.
Alex swapped his mask for a battered hockey mask, making it look just as worn. Now, he resembled a killer straight out of an old horror movie. After putting on the mask, he turned to Rebecca.
"You wanted to know what I made for you? Well, here you go," Alex said, pulling a case out of his inventory.
Rebecca's eyes sparkled with excitement. She snatched the case from Alex's hands and hugged it tightly, afraid he might change his mind and take it back. Carefully opening the case, she saw neatly arranged, unusual-looking bullets. She glanced up at Alex, waiting for an explanation.
"These are vacuum bullets," he said with a slight smile.
Rebecca's eyes sparkled even brighter, and she immediately started loading the bullets, eagerly anticipating their use.
"I haven't tested them, but there are two possible outcomes. Either they'll cause a body explosion, turning it into a blood fountain, or they'll crush it into a meatball," Alex continued, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
Rebecca paused for a moment, staring at Alex with reverence. She even felt like a bright halo appeared behind him, as if he had been sent to her from above—an angel of weaponry.
Unable to hold back, she threw herself at him, passionately kissing him on the lips as if trying to suck out his soul.
Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, she began peppering his face with quick kisses. Her mind was occupied with the thought that if they weren't on a mission, she would have straddled him right then and there.
Lucy, noticing that Rebecca didn't intend to stop, had to forcibly pull her away from Alex to give him a chance to continue the preparations. Rebecca struggled, trying to resist, but Alex just smirked.
"Alright, Rebecca, you'll have plenty of time to kiss me later," he said with a smile.
Rebecca nodded and returned to loading the bullets. Once Alex saw she had calmed down, he shifted his gaze to GIR, who was kicking stones out of boredom. Alex pulled out another case, one specially prepared for him.
"Lieutenant GIR!" Alex called out loudly.
GIR immediately froze and saluted, waiting for further instructions. Alex couldn't help but smile, seeing how GIR instantly snapped into discipline when addressed by rank. Slowly opening the case, he revealed its contents to his loyal companion.
GIR almost short-circuited at the sight of the legendary chainsword inside. Tears practically flowed from his eyes as he gazed at the weapon.
Seeing his companion's excitement, Alex grinned and decided to continue his theatrical performance to further inspire him.
"Take this sword and become the Angel of Death in the Emperor's glory! Spread his word and punish the heretics in his name," Alex said, offering the chainsword with both hands.
Overwhelmed with emotion, GIR dropped to one knee and reverently took the chainsword from Alex's hands. As soon as he touched it, the weapon activated with the familiar sound of a chainsaw. Lucy just shook her head, unwilling to watch this improvised theater between the two actors.
She'd had enough when she once asked GIR about the Codex, and he spent hours quoting it. That experience had left her so drained she swore never to ask him about his universe again. Rebecca, on the other hand, watched with interest, recalling how Alex had promised to make something like this for GIR. Now she was curious to see just how dangerous the weapon was.
"For the Emperor! I will cleanse this world of unbelievers and bring no dishonor to his name," GIR declared proudly, saluting.
"Of course, I believe in you. Now let's go and punish those heretics who dared to use innocent souls for their vile deeds," Alex said, stoking GIR's enthusiasm.
Before leaving, Alex went to put on his mask, but Lucy approached him and gently kissed him on the lips. He smiled, put on the mask, and then, grabbing GIR by the head, stood on the edge of the roof, preparing to jump.
"Make sure the kids don't see whatever you're going to do down there," Lucy reminded him, pointing to the children inside.
Alex nodded and jumped off the roof. As he landed, a web of cracks spread under his feet. He let go of GIR and slowly, unsteadily, made his way toward the warehouse. To sell the performance, he needed to get into the role of a maniac—the more silent, the better.
The two guards at the warehouse entrance noticed the strange figure in tattered clothes and a mask stumbling toward them. He looked either drunk or under the influence of something. Glancing at each other, they decided to chase this lunatic away.
"Hey, asshole, get lost! This is private property," one of the guards shouted.
But the strange man kept moving forward, as if he hadn't heard them. The guards exchanged glances again and decided to use force. One of them approached him and roughly shoved him in the shoulder.
"Are you deaf? We told you, you don't belong here," he gruffly said, pushing him again.
Alex, hidden behind the mask, grinned widely and suddenly grabbed the guard's head with both hands. The guard was momentarily stunned, then he was horrified to see the entrance to the warehouse unfold before him, along with his partner's face, as if his own head had turned 180 degrees.
The second guard, shocked, watched as his partner's head with bewildered eyes now stared right at him. The guard died without ever understanding what had happened.
Not wasting any time, Alex summoned a machete and approached the second guard, who was in complete bewilderment. The weapon pierced his throat with such force that it emerged on the other side of the door. Having killed both guards, Alex wiped the blood off the machete and glanced back at GIR.
"Go ahead, GIR. Have fun. You can kill everyone inside, but make sure the kids don't see. We don't want their innocent souls to be tainted," Alex commanded.
GIR proudly saluted, ready to carry out a bloody reprisal inside the warehouse. Alex smiled and decided to instill fear in those who were inside. He used several spells that caused hallucinations and terrifying dread.
The people in the warehouse felt an icy chill running down their spines, as if the scythe of a grim reaper was hovering over their necks. The lights began to flicker, as if there were electrical failures.
"Check what's happening and why those two guards are silent," Loka ordered.
A couple of people headed for the door. When the first one approached, he noticed blood slowly seeping from beneath the door. Drawing his weapon, he warned the others to be cautious.
Fear of an unknown origin gripped them. Slowly opening the door, they saw the two dead guards and a blood-soaked figure in a mask. This person was staring at them with a crazed look.
Before they could say anything, the machete plunged into the first unfortunate soul, splitting him in half. Blood sprayed onto those standing behind him. They wanted to shoot, but strange whispers began to sound in their ears. This distraction was enough for Alex to drive the machete into the face of the second unfortunate one.
The last guard wanted to shoot, but a massive hand grabbed his head and began to squeeze. He felt as if his head were being shoved into a press, and the pressure on his skull slowly intensified. The last thing he saw were the cold, insane eyes staring at him before his head burst like a ripe watermelon.
"What the hell…" was all the last guard managed to mumble before his head exploded under the pressure of the massive hand.
"Now it's time to deal with those inside," Alex muttered, tossing aside the decapitated body.
Alex continued to walk slowly, while GIR dashed in the other direction to prevent the enemies from using the children as hostages.
GIR knew his top priority was to protect those who couldn't defend themselves, so he placed the safety of the children above all else. Alex didn't comment on his actions—he knew GIR would never violate the Code, and he was glad of that.
The remaining people in the warehouse began to get nervous as the group sent to check on the guards outside stopped communicating. Loka, irritated by the prolonged silence, clenched her fists and shot an annoyed glance at her people.
"Where the hell are those bastards?" she hissed through gritted teeth, exhaling steam. Suddenly, she noticed that steam was also coming from her subordinates' mouths—the temperature in the room had noticeably dropped.
Loka was about to say something when she heard a slow, shuffling sound approaching from the entrance. Everyone turned to see a bloodied silhouette that seemed to move unrealistically.
The lights flickered, and each time they went out, the figure appeared to move a few steps closer. Loka gritted her teeth—her heart froze with icy fear as the silhouette became discernible in the dim light.
"Kill him, quickly!" Loka screamed, pointing at the figure.
Weapons in the hands of the people immediately rose, and they began shooting at the stranger. The bullets seemed to pass through him as if he were a ghost. The shooting continued until the body fell to the ground with a loud thud, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Is he dead?" one of the shooters asked hesitantly.
"Go check," Loka ordered coldly.
Alex, hiding a smile behind his mask, knew that the real horror was just beginning. Fear comes when you realize you're facing something unkillable, that your efforts are futile. He lay on the ground, waiting for the first unfortunate soul to come closer.
One of the shooters approached, keeping his distance and not taking the barrel off the lying body. Ensuring that the stranger wasn't moving, he turned to his comrades:
"False alarm, just another cyberpsycho wandered in here."
His words froze on his lips as he felt a cold hand grab his neck. He tried to turn around, but instead, he felt a sharp pain and an unnatural jerk. The last thing he saw was his own decapitated body falling to the ground.
Alex rose from the ground like a risen dead man and effortlessly tore the shooter's head off along with the spine, throwing it at Loka's feet. She froze, seeing the horrifying sight—the decapitated head still bore a look of surprise, as if the person didn't even understand he was dead.
"Shoot him! He can't be immortal!" Loka screamed hysterically.
The sound of gunfire erupted again, but Alex, like a machine, continued to walk slowly through the hail of bullets. One of the shooters, in a panic, got tangled in his own legs and fell to the ground.
When he raised his head, the silhouette of the mad killer with icy eyes loomed over him. The shooter felt Alex's foot pass through his chest with terrifying force, slamming into the concrete floor and leaving cracks.
Seeing their comrade's death, the remaining ones began to shoot even more fiercely, but each new volley of bullets only heightened their fear. They realized they were not shooting at a person—but at something that couldn't be killed. The bullets merely passed through his body, leaving marks on the walls behind.
"Why isn't he dying?!" one of the shooters screamed in horror.
"Keep shooting! That bastard can't be immortal!" shouted another, frantically reloading his weapon.
Ignoring the screams, Alex pulled his foot from the body of the slain and approached the next victim.
He grabbed the man by the arms and, despite his desperate attempts to break free, slowly began to pull. Soon, with a sharp motion, Alex tore him in half, throwing the bloodied body parts at the feet of the remaining survivors.
Those still alive, gripped by terror, began to drop their weapons and run for the exit. Alex watched as their bodies trembled with fear, but he allowed them to escape.
He knew Rebecca would be upset if he wiped out everyone. A grin flashed beneath the mask, and he slowly moved forward again toward those who decided to fight to the last.
To be continued…