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✱ CHAPTER 1 : NEURON
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This is the juiciest melon I've ever tasted.
The General said, eating his melon, as Philip commented, "What the helly?" Clint, feeling amused, commented, "You have a wise choice of words there, General." "Oh, hell nah. Have you ever heard him say that to Philly?" "Brother…. Come on man"
The location is classified. There was a temporary camp with soldiers resting, hidden in the forest with soldiers guarding the perimeter. Three soldiers were having fun when I appeared. Clint asked. "Ohhh, hey Korean, wanna join?" "Gotta swap with James." Clint nodded, "Ahh, sure."
Gunshots started as they all engaged, the General said, "What the hell." Clint replied, taking his gun. "They found us?" I said as they all started to vacate. "This soon? We gotta move right now."
We were the best team, in the horrible, odd missions. Odd but crucial ones. We were assigned to a manhunt, to assassinate the richest corrupt arms dealer who was about to hit his fortune, a high load of nuclear weapon materials, enough to cause multiple brutal extinction-level events. So the stakes were high. Failure could cause world abomination.
Back to the mission: It was frightening. We rushed to the other side of the forest as vigilantly as possible. We tried to escape terrorist squads. Many didn't make it out; some were AWOL.
Philip couldn't make it. He had just joined the team after celebrating his daughter's wedding. Clint didn't make it either. He was one of those guys you can hate but also respect, if he's on the team, we're just gonna be fine. That's the compliment the General gave, which was enough to let him call me "Korean."
We were sabotaged. Few, including me, managed to get into an abandoned house. The General still managed to walk with Charlie mid-fight. Charlie had his feet blown off due to a grenade. Including me, General, Charlie, and Jordan survived.
We heard footsteps as we aimed, only to find it was James who messed up and caused this disaster. I said, "What? How did this happen?" He replied, "They were too close, I wasn't able to sense them until it was too late." The General was pissed.
The general was pissed with his reply, "God damn it, James. We lost 10 of my best because of your mistake." James frowns, clinging to his firearm, "I am sorry, General."
"Don't be sorry to me, James. Be sorry to the men who lost their lives." I tried to calm the General. Charlie, resting against the wall, said, "So what's the plan? Lay down, wait for reinforcement." "No," the General said and continued.
"Nah, the situation is beyond our scope for help. We raid them before they raid us." Jordan worriedly said, "What about ammunation?"
"Thanks to Levi, he managed to get some ammo from the dead." James said, "Are you sure about this?" the General replied. "Yes, and you're staying with Charlie." Charlie hesitated, saying,
"No, take him. I'll just drag you down..." "That's an order, Charlie. He stays with you. I can't afford to lose another comrade."
"Take care of him, here." I gave some rags and continued,
"If things escalate, you're skilled enough to survive your way out." "Ready, formation turtle. Levi take the lead."
The situation turned assassination into a suicide mission. We sneaked in using disguised clothes and managed to walk through the base. Thanks to the fake proxy explosive, we compromised their search and activated the radio jamming device. We made our way to their base—an old abandoned Nuclear Power Plant.
We cut through the fence, eliminating the facility. Due to lack of comms, we crashed through the power supply site and shut down the supply. Snipers started shooting at us as Jordan tracked and eliminated them.
We entered the main facility. The place was filled with rusty metal and stagnant water in every damp space. The guards were on high alert, so we had to kill them with explosives and sneak behind the remaining ones. Inside the main hallway, we got there and...
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"There and…, what…?" Levi said, "Sorry, can we stop this now?" She replied, "Yeah sure, whenever you feel comfortable we can continue later then."
"Okay then, thank you for the session, Dr. Tilda." She said, "Thank you Levi for being open." What you have suffered is traumatic, and sharing it means a lot. Until next time, take care."
The psychiatrics left, Levi was craving for chocolate as he checked in his fridge, it was filled with everything except what he wanted.
He picked his jacket and walked to the nearest store. "Thank you, sir. Have a great day!" the person said as he left the store.
He is a tall Korean-American with a lean yet well-defined physique built for endurance rather than sheer bulk, grabs his bag while leaving.
As he does, a large yet unfit man with a rough, sharp face and rage-filled black eyes, wearing a blue jacket, steps forward toward the counter. Levi glances at him, noticing the scorpion tattoo on his neck, then exits the store.
Outside, snowflakes fall, landing on his jet-black, slightly tousled hair that naturally frames his face. A faint scar cuts across his left eyebrow, a subtle reminder of past encounters.
Cars move along the road, citizens jog, and the first light of dawn begins to break. His straight nose and firm lips rarely betray emotion, maintaining a composed demeanor. Though his smooth skin hints at youth, the faint shadows under his eyes speak of restless nights and a mind that never truly rests.
As he walks the streets, he takes a bite of the chocolate bar he bought, feeling completely relaxed. He tries to contact Suki when suddenly, his happiness fades as he hears something faintly… "Somebody... help!"
Levi's heart skips a beat as past trauma resurfaces. His instincts kick in. He starts running toward the voice, weaving through the corners of the block. He takes a left, then a right, and stops.
A sharp, metallic scent hits his senses, fresh blood. Taking a left, then a right, he stops as he spots the same man in the blue jacket. The man has a woman cornered, his grip tightening while she struggles in distress.
She has already given up hope, her strength fading like a trapped bird about to take its final breath.
The thin, dark alley is empty, despite noise from nearby streets. Perfect place to reveal his true self. The man suddenly freezes, unable to move. His body trembles as if stabbed by a thousand invisible needles.
The critically injured woman clutches her abdomen where she has been stabbed. Levi wastes no time, one swift kick and the man collapses unconscious.
The rancid stench of garbage fills the alley as snowflakes descend silently. Levi lifts the injured woman onto his back and rushes toward the road. The wail of sirens grows closer. An ambulance arrives.
The paramedics take the woman. A second medic approaches to speak with Levi, but before he can say a word, Levi vanishes.
The crowd, now gathered at the scene, snaps pictures of the rescue, whispering among themselves, searching for the mysterious savior.
Meanwhile, Levi moves unseen through the streets. His senses track the man in the blue jacket, who stumbles away, trying to escape, though from what, he isn't sure.
Levi watches from a distance as the man begins to sweat, his fear rising. His body stiffens, his breathing becomes shallow. It's as if he's being pulled toward Levi, compelled by an unseen force.
As he gets closer, his mind is invaded by something terrifying. He sees no, relives his past crimes. Every act of violence, every moment of cruelty, every horror he has committed. He stands there, trembling, unable to comprehend the force gripping him.
The ambulance has already left. Levi, now on the other side of the block, stares at the man. Blood gushes from his nose and mouth as Levi delivers blow after blow, his fists landing with relentless fury, until he finally finds peace.
He stops. His knuckles ache, his breath is ragged. He looks skyward as his phone vibrates in his pocket. Levi's calm voice is baffled with the Russian voice.
—
"Hello." The caller raged, "Why now?!" Levi said, "What..." The caller interrupts and asks, "You used your abilities off-duty."
Levi said, "To rescue civilians." "Cut the bulls**t, Sergeant! If anyone finds out.!" the caller said. Levi calmly replies, "No one saw it." "Are you sure?" He asked as Levi replied, "Yes. I... am."
Levi exhales sharply. Between breaths, he looks at the man before him. His face is no longer recognizable, disfigured beyond reason, a twisted mess of flesh and blood. Levi speaks in hopelessness, realizing what he has done.
"This is your last warning, Sergeant." Levi said, "Scouter... I killed a civilian. A rapist, to be precise." "..."
Silence broke out after he said, "...Protocol Repent has been initiated for Subject ID AXL-924-Ω-G4-101, alias Operative Neuron Report to jail immediately or you will be terminated. Understood?" "Yes." Levi gasped for breath.
—
Levi grabs his bag and walks away, leaving the lifeless body in the middle of the alley. Blood pools around it, spreading slowly through the snow.
A black sedan pulls up in front of him. The door swings open. Inside, a soldier sits motionless, fully equipped with a gas mask and heavy armor, ready for war.
Levi steps in. The door shuts. Within seconds, the interior is flooded with gas. His vision blurs, and his body grows heavy.
Meanwhile, another car arrives to recover the corpse. Darkness. The car moves forward.
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Chapter Ends. | Review • Like • Follow