Reid slammed the bartender's face into the table, his grip tight as he leaned in close. "What the hell is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing with cold fury.
The bartender groaned in pain, his hands instinctively reaching for the edge of the table to steady himself. He tried to speak, but the words were muffled by the force of Reid's hold.
"I didn't poison it!" the bartender gasped, his voice strained. "I swear! It's just... a local brew! Strong stuff, but it's not poisoned!"
Reid didn't ease up, keeping the pressure on. "You expect me to believe that? You think I'm some naive kid you can fool?"
The bartender's eyes darted around the room, desperate for any sign of help, but there was none. "Please," he pleaded, his voice trembling. "I'm telling the truth! It's just how the brew tastes—it's got a bitter kick. No poison, I swear!"
Reid studied the man's face, searching for any sign of deception. The bartender's fear seemed genuine, and Reid's danger sense wasn't screaming at him as it would if the man were lying.
Finally, Reid released his grip, allowing the bartender to slump back against the table, gasping for breath. "You're lucky I believe you," Reid muttered, his eyes still cold. "But if I find out you're lying, I'll make sure you regret it."
The bartender nodded frantically, rubbing his sore neck. "Thank you," he stammered, still shaken. "I swear on my life, I wouldn't dare cross someone like you."
Reid straightened up, still wary but willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt—for now. "Good," he said, his tone firm. "Now, you're going to tell me everything you know about this city. And don't even think about leaving anything out."
The bartender nodded again, eager to comply. "Of course, of course," he replied quickly. "What do you want to know?"
Reid demanded, "Who could have poisoned my drink?"
The bartender insisted, "It wasn't me! I swear, I didn't do it!"
Reid focused his senses, scanning the room for any signs of deception or hidden threats. He felt a faint disturbance, something his danger sense barely picked up—an almost imperceptible shift in the air.
Without warning, Reid delivered a swift strike to his right, his fist connecting with something solid that shouldn't have been there. The impact sent a ripple through the air, revealing the outline of an invisible figure. The cloaking effect faltered, and the once-invisible man became partially visible.
It was a photokinetic, a rare mutant with the ability to manipulate light, bending it around themselves to become invisible. This one was particularly dangerous, as he had beast-like mutations on top of his invisibility. The figure snarled, its feral eyes locking onto Reid as it realized it had been discovered.
Reid clenched his fists, ready for a fight. "Nice trick," he said, his voice low and menacing. "But it's going to take more than invisibility to beat me."
The last photokinetic Reid had fought had been weaker, barely a challenge compared to the beastly threat standing before him now. Multiple mutations weren't uncommon among mutants, but they required a rare combination of willpower, creative thinking, and a deep understanding of one's own abilities to develop and control them.
Reid's foe was an imposing figure, with talon-like claws extending from his hands, giving him a predatory air. The creature's muscles rippled under its skin. It was a testament to its enhanced physicality, and its eyes gleamed with a dangerous intelligence.
"Come and get some."
Reid drew his dual daggers, their blades gleaming in the dim light of the room, and prepared to engage. The creature hissed, lowering itself into a crouch, ready to pounce.
Reid moved first, his body a blur of motion as he launched into a deadly dance of strikes and parries. His daggers flashed through the air, seeking out weak points in the creature's defenses. The photokinetic countered with savage swipes of its claws, each one capable of tearing through flesh and bone.
Occasionally, 'Talons' would flicker in and out of existence, making it difficult for Reid to aim properly.
But Reid was still faster and more precise in the end. He weaved in and out of the creature's reach, his daggers slicing through the air with deadly accuracy. The room echoed with the sound of metal clashing against claws, a violent symphony of combat.
With each step, each strike, Reid danced, his movements fluid and graceful despite the lethal intensity of the battle. He had fought countless opponents, but few had ever pushed him to this level of focus. The photokinetic was a worthy adversary, but Reid was determined to end this quickly before the fight drew too much attention.
In a sudden burst of speed, Reid feinted to the left, drawing the creature off balance, before delivering a swift, slicing blow to its side. The photokinetic howled in pain, staggering back, its invisibility flickering as it struggled to maintain control.
Reid's daggers immobilized his foe in a series of stabs and lacerations, cutting through its tendons with precision. The photokinetic creature collapsed to the ground, snarling in pain, its body flickering in and out of visibility as it struggled to maintain its camouflage.
Reid stood over the fallen mutant, his daggers still in hand, ready to strike again if necessary. He knelt down, pressing one of the blades against the creature's throat, his eyes cold and unyielding. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what I want to know."
The photokinetic groaned, trying to shift its weight, but the damage to its legs made any movement excruciating. It glared up at Reid, its beast-like eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and fear. "What... do you want?" it rasped, its voice a guttural growl.
"Who sent you? And why?" Reid demanded, pressing the blade harder against the mutant's throat.
The creature bared its fangs in a twisted smile, blood dripping from its mouth. "You... you don't even know, do you?" it spat, a weak chuckle escaping its lips. "They'll keep coming... more than you can handle."
Reid's expression darkened, and he leaned in closer, his voice low and deadly. "I've handled worse. Now talk, before I decide you're not worth keeping alive."
The mutant hesitated, its eyes flickering with indecision. Finally, it grunted in defeat. "It was the Order... they want you dead... too dangerous. You're a threat to their plans."
Reid narrowed his eyes, processing the information. "The Order of Black?" he asked, his tone demanding clarity.
The creature nodded weakly. "Yes... but there's more... someone... high up... gave the order. They've got plans for this city... and you're in the way."
Reid felt a cold knot of anger tighten in his chest. The Order of Black had been a persistent thorn in his side, but if someone powerful within the organization had personally targeted him, this was far from over.
He withdrew his dagger, rising to his feet as he looked down at the crippled mutant. "Who exactly?" he demanded, but the creature only laughed, a hoarse, mocking sound.
"You'll find out soon enough," it rasped, its voice fading as its life ebbed away. "And when you do... it'll be too late."
With that final taunt, the photokinetic's eyes glazed over, its body going still. Reid stared down at the lifeless form, his mind racing with the implications of what he'd just learned.
Reid mused, "I am more popular than I thought." He wondered what the Order of Black wanted from him, and why they deemed him such a threat. Whatever their plans were, it was clear they saw him as an obstacle, one they were willing to eliminate by any means necessary.
Probably, or implausibly, would they know of his pseudo-time-travel?
His thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of movement behind him. Reid's danger sense flared, and he spun around just in time to see the bartender trying to get a rise on him, a small crossbow aimed directly at Reid's head.
Without hesitation, Reid launched one of his daggers. The blade flew with deadly precision, embedding itself deep in the bartender's face before the man could even release the trigger. The bartender crumpled to the floor, the crossbow falling from his limp hands.
Reid walked over to retrieve his dagger, wiping the blood off the bartender's shirt before sheathing it. "Foolish," he muttered, shaking his head at the bartender's poor decision.
As he stepped over the bodies, Reid knew this encounter was only the beginning.
Reid looked for Elena.
"Elena, dear, where are you? Still alive?"
Reid surveyed the scene, his eyes narrowing as he took in the carnage. Deeper inside the shabby tavern was the private room. Its once opulent decor was now a blood-soaked battlefield. Limbs were strewn across the floor, the once-fine decor splattered with dark stains. The metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air.
"It looks like I have no choice but to go against the Empire," Reid said aloud, his voice cold and resolute. The weight of the situation pressed on him as he searched for Elena, his thoughts churning with the implications of his decision.
When he finally found her, she was standing in the center of the room, surrounded by the remains of what had once been people. Her expression was hard, her hands slick with blood. Despite the chaos around her, she appeared calm, almost detached.
"What happened? Did Earl betray us?" Reid asked.
Elena turned to face him, her eyes dark with something unreadable. "No," she replied, shaking her head slowly. "Earl isn't here. He was usurped by some bald fuck a few years ago."
Reid's brow furrowed as he processed her words. "Usurped? By who?"
Elena's lips curled into a grimace as she glanced down at the dismembered bodies. "This guy—"
Cowering in front of Elena was the said bald fuck, and he was fat too.
Reid's eyes flicked around the room again, taking in the brutality of Elena's handiwork. He knew she was more than capable of handling herself in a fight, but this level of carnage was unsettling even for him. "And now? What do we do?"
Elena wiped her hands on a torn piece of cloth, her expression unreadable.