11th Bullet: Lady Miss Death

The five Killrights marched down the halls accompanied by one of The End’s many servants. He wore a gray suit and had short black hair in a comb-over. His skin was sickly pale but despite that, he was quite handsome in a malnourished sort of way. As they passed the Grim Reapers and other Killrights, many of them quickly bowed and bowed for a long time. The emotionless and cold face of the servant was eery, like the all life was sucked out of him just to be a vessel for The End.

Janda and Vadars walked next to each other, conversing.

“Why the hell does The End want to talk to us? Is it about the lack of work complaints?” Vadars whispered.

“I dunno,” Janda replied.

“Jeez, for the guy who thinks about everything and gets an answer in a second, you sure can be useless.”

Janda scratched the back of his neck, ignoring him and Vadars moved to Uvo.

“Hey, what does The End want with us?”

Uvo wasn’t cheery and joyful anymore. His face was lined with seriousness which Vadars rarely saw. He decided to back away and was about to talk to Akio until he noticed that she was a nervous wreck. He teeth silently chattered and a drop of sweat poured down her brow. Not bothering to talk to Rosner, he walked back next to Janda.

“Vadars,” Janda said. “Where’d you get the Desert Mover?”

“Stole it from some rich pig in Brinehook. It’s cool, eh?”

“Pretty boring-looking for my taste.”

Vadars was slightly mad but that was the typical response from Janda.

They journeyed up the steps and eventually arrived in a dark hall with two huge torches hanging to illuminate the red double doors. The all lined up and waited for the servant to push the doors open. Inside was a sudden breeze of cold that made everyone except Rosner flinch. Vadars noticed and assumed that Rosner had been here before. He wondered why but he couldn’t come to a conclusion as his group was already going to the throne of The End.

The room had a large chandelier, many bookshelves containing ancient history long before his own time and statues of figures, some Killrights, some Grim Reapers. The large torches couldn’t even warm him. He couldn’t pay attention to anything as it felt like he was suddenly dumped in the snow.

He clutched his cloak tighter and stopped as everyone was suddenly kneeling. Janda was but it was more like a mix between a kneel and standing. Vadars was pulled by Akio to kneel.

“Don’t screw things up, Keinricht,” Akio barely managed to whisper out. “This time, your flippant attitude isn’t going to be skipped over.”

Vadars took in the heeding words and kneeled low.

“Lady Miss Death,” the servant said, “your desired spirits have arrived.”

Lady Miss Death didn’t arrive. She wasn’t on the throne.

A footstep.

More footsteps.

They didn’t sound heavy or dominating but things only got colder. Vadars shivered. He tried to command his body to stop but it only got worse. His will was almost gone, his individuality close to being...

Dead.

“Heya!” sounded a voice. It was a small girl’s voice.

Suddenly, all the pressure dispersed, and the girl hopped onto the throne. He snuck a look to see a little girl with black hair, two pigtails and a frilly gothic dress. Everything about her was black and white. He frilly long striped socks bobbed with every slight move and her small loafers clung onto her tiny feet.

She was cute, not deadly.

She then frowned. “Aren’t you gonna say ‘Heya’ back?”

“Heya?” Vadars said reluctantly.

She beamed and gestured for the rest to raise their heads and say the same.

Akio’s ‘Heya’ was nervous, Janda’s ‘Heya’ was normal, Uvo’s ‘Heya’ was calming and back to in his joyful voice and Rosner didn’t say ‘Heya’ at all which didn’t seem to bother Lady Miss Death.

“Are you The End?” Vadars asked.

“I don’t like it when people call me The End. I prefer Death or Lady Miss Death but, yes, I am. Also, don’t kneel, you’ll dirty yourselves.”

They all stood up and Vadars could only blink.

Standing in front of him was the end of all living beings, the claimer of life.

The Omega.

Except she was a little eight-year-old girl wearing a frilly dress and a wide smile.

“What’s wrong?” she asked in her adorable voice.

“Nothing... I just thought you’d be more... threatening.”

“Hey!” she pouted. “I can be threatening. Look, roar!”

Vadars resisted the urge to coo.

“Very threatening, Lady Miss Death,” Uvo said. "I'm shaking in me boots."

“See!” she chirped. “That’s why Mr Uvo’s one of my favourites.” She put up a cute little peace sign and Vadars bit his lower lip.

So cute.

Uvo bowed curtly with his smile and Janda picked his nose but was quickly cut short by Akio slapping his hand away.

“Miss Akio,” Lady Miss Death said, “nose picking is allowed in here. Mr Janda, pick your nose to your heart's content.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Miss Your Highest of Everything Death!”

Janda continued to pick his nose.

“Death,” Rosner said, ditching formalities, “could I ask why we were summoned?”

“Well it’s about your missions...”

All except Janda and Rosner gulped.

She clapped her hands a long sheet of paper appeared. She put on a tiny pair of glasses and began to read.

"First," she said, "I have Vadars and Rosner's recent mission of blowing up The Brinehook Mine. The over... abu... a bunny dance?"

"It's 'abundance' Lady Miss Death,' the servant corrected.

"Thank you, Ralph."

"I didn't have a name, Lady Miss Death. Thank you for giving me the name 'Ralph'; I'm forever grateful."

"Don't mention it, Ralph. Now, back on the topic, the mission was a success. Along the way, a Desperado just so happen to have his sights set on it, multiple foot soldiers with him. The mine was set to destruction under my word. I think a couple of years ago, that icky mayor escaped the Killrights I sent after him when all those miners died. Then that court thingy ruled him as not guilty  thanks to his slimy lawyers. I never liked him and now he's in court as we speak. Anyway, the Desperado, however, slipped under the radar because Death Matter was overlapping with his. Gottfried 'Feast' der Fresser was a Desperado from the Mavericks. He had a $860000 bounty and was classified as a D-class threat."

Hearing 'D-class' made Vadars' mind shatter. That guy was just a D-class? 

"He wasn't one of the main guys we're looking for but he's a big bad man that ate my Killrights and Grim Reapers and a lot of other people. It says here Mr Vadars killed him. Yay for Vadars!"

She clapped and quickly got back to reading. 

"Now, for Mr Janda, Mr Uvo and Miss Akio. They ran into some Desperado Mavericks and battled them. Khasta and Mendax are infamous within the Mavericks. Both of them stand at a million dollars and they were about to enter C-class territory. Luckily, Mr Janda killed Mendax but Khasta escaped."

Janda simply blinked.

"Well done, Mr Janda!" she clapped and Ralph clapped as well.

"Who're the Mavericks?" Janda asked. "That zombie scientist and fogman said something about them."

"They're the biggest Desperado syndicate in the whole of the Badlands," Uvo explained. "The Mavericks are the first group to be created. Lady Miss Death here used to lead The Order to combat them. She didn't look like a little girl doing that, however."

"Ya know," she interrupted. "You guys always say I used to look like a tall and scary woman. I think you're all crazy. Crazy I tell ya. Aren't they crazy, Ralph?"

"Quite crazy indeed," Ralph advocated. 

"As I was saying," Uvo said to steer the conversation back on track, "the Mavericks are the strongest group we're up against. All their meanest Desperados work there. Khasta was one of the guys we're after. He's one of the boss' biggest guys there."

"Who is the boss anyway?"

"Mr Rosner knows him quite well," Death said. "I mean, back when he was the Lieutenant of the Primus Division."

All of them snapped their eyes to Rosner and Uvo simply laughed.

"You were... what?" Vadars asked.

"You're kidding, correct, Captain Rosner?" Akio asked.

Rosner let out a tired sigh. "She's right. I used to work in the Primus Division. Back then, Salsamenta used to be a rookie."

Akio, Janda and Vadars all had gaping mouths. Everything had just flipped upside down for them. The grumpy and always grim man used to be a Lieutenant for the strongest Division in the whole Order.

"How come no one knows about this?" Akio asked. Even she didn't know. All her information she got from documents of the history of the Killrights had been torn, spat on and burnt. Her knowledge was faulty.

Death giggled. "He asked for no one to talk about it. He was a great fighter, putting all the bad guys into the dust. But now, he got injured. You don't mind showing them, do you Mr Rosner?"

Rosner didn't even protest, he just opened his cloak and lifted up his shirt to reveal his whole chest covered in layers of metal, running down to his pelvis. Vadars flinched and Akio gasped and Janda swallowed.

"How'd you get that?" Janda quizzed. He was really invested now, all his attention on the information being laid before him.

"It was with boss of the Mavericks, Lucifer. He's an evil soul, one closest to the Devil. Actually, he's the son of the Devil. Satan used to rule the Mavericks. Lands burned and turned into sand. The Badlands used to be a war grounds."

"The Virtuevice War..." Akio said chillingly. She remembered the academy teachings. Vadars and Janda looked at each other before making confused sounds. She only stared at them. "Don't you know The Virtuevice War?"

"They stopped teaching it," Uvo said. "Too heavy for Killrights to know."

"Well," Akio said. "The Virtuevice War was a war that started the great clash of Desperados and Killrights. Satan was only a lowly Grim Reaper, working without soul. All Grim Reapers used to not have a soul but then Death asked her brother, Life, to give souls to her workers. In doing so, Grim Reapers would be able to have a sense of self in their work. However, not all of them picked to go by the book. Satan took the first life that was not to prescribed to be taken. After that, more and more Grim Reapers began to join in on the disgusting pleasure of forced Death Matter. The Mavericks and Killrights were formed and the thousand year war took place."

"But" Uvo took up, "Rosner was killed.

"What?" Vadars questioned. He turned his head to Rosner. "You died?"

Rosner remained silent.

"Yep," Uvo answered. " One of the missions, Rosner accidently met Lucifer, the second-in-command at that time. They fought but Rosner didn't make it out. He was a valiant warrior, that man. He would take down divisions and slay anyone who dared to breach Death's command. Unfortnately, he bravery and strength couldn't match Lucifer at all. He was slain and Death did... the impossible."

Lady Miss Death grew quiet, no smiles on her face. "The big woman again..." she muttered in hush voice.

"She forced Rosner back to life. She stopped the Death Matter from consuming his soul and there he is now, The Dead Man Walking. But in return, she's mostly trapped in this form. Cute little Lady Miss Death."

Death gave a mischievous grin.

Rosner shook his head. "Don't call me that. I really hate that name."

"Oh, c'mon, Rossy, that's a badass name and you should like it."

Vadars and Janda snorted. Rosner gave them a leer and they both straightened up.

Vadars calmed himself. "So my Captain turns out to be this huge war hero that cheated Death by Death. Wow."

Rosner looked away. "There's many things in this world you don't know, Vadars. I suggest you keep it that way."

"You're saying those words to the wrong person, Cap." He grinned. "I don't follow the rules. We don't follow the rules."

"Who's we?" Akio questioned in annoyance. 

"You're very much included, lass," Uvo said. "I told you to retreat when I was fighting those chains at the Morgue but you came back for me. Not much of following the rules there, isn't it?"

Akio blushed but that blushed soon died. The Morgue. Her attempt to help Uvo only lead to him and her being captured. She gritted her teeth but her self-wallowing was ended by Death.

"Righty-o! Let's get started on your biggest mission."

"Another one?" Vadars moaned. "Can't we take a break? I just fought a psycho murdering glutton and rode damn near four days just to hear I can't even sleep?"

"You can sleep plenty later," Akio jabbed in. "Right now, work is at hand."

Vadars muttered an insult at her and she stomped on his foot in which he reacted with a yelp.

"The mission," Death began, "is the biggest one for you three!" She pointed at Janda, Akio and Vadars. "You're going to San Francisco!"

                                                                                   ♱♱♱

Vadars laid on the couch in the common room, staring at the ceiling. So much had been on his mind. Rosner used to the Lieutenant of the Primus Division, Death is a little child, a huge war had taken place over a thousand years ago and now he was going to the biggest city in the Badlands.

San Francisco.

Janda sat on the backrest. Vadars looked at him.

"I'm also shocked about Rosner." Janda said. Vadars wasn't even surprised on him reading his mind. He was quick-thinking, adaptive and super deductive yet filled with boredom because he already knew the answer..

"Who wouldn't be shocked?" Vadars asked. "Rosner is a frikkin' ex-Lieutenant of Primus. I can't believe it at all."

"Me neither." Janda rubbed his eyelids. "It's still racing in my head like a Tetradactyl."

"Do you really think he used to be that strong?" Vadars sat up. "Like, Rosner is crazy strong but now he's gotta be like, half, of what he used to be."

"I don't know."

Vadars sighed and sat up. "In any case, we're heading out in three days. In the mean time, let's swap stories and get a bite to eat or go for a—."

"Bear," Janda said.

"Go for a bear?" Vadars asked. "What, is that some kind of niche hobby nowadays?"

Janda pointed behind and Vadars was German-suplexed into the ground. His world shook and rocked and he was laid out onto the ground.

"Too slow, lad," Uvo muttered. "I thought you were battle ready all the time. Seems like your fighting instincts are sand in a river now." 

Vadars stayed silent. Uvo crouched down to check on Vadars to really see if he was unconscious but then he was jaw was rocked by an unsuspected fist. Uvo stumbled but quickly rose as fast as Vadars.

"Haha!" Vadars exclaimed. "Don't let your guard down, nimrod!"

"Fairs. I underestimated you, kid." Uvo wiped his mouth. "I'm glad your back at HQ." Uvo suddenly noticed the earring on Vadars' ear. "Oh, Vadars... I didn't know you began to... I accept you regardless."

"What?" Vadars asked. He then felt his ear and then a burst of rage exploded. "I AM NOT—"

"Shhhh," Uvo hushed. "It's okay. We don't need to speak on it, lad."

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"But seriously," Janda interrupted. "Where'd you get that from?"

Vadars blushed a bit. "It's a long story..."

After swapping stories, Uvo laughed a booming laugh down the halls. They were walking towards the mess hall to get some lunch. Many Grim Reapers and Killrights, despite recognizing Uvo's laugh, still jumped at the sheer noise it created.

"What a tale," Uvo said. "I still can't get over it."

"But, Janda," Vadars said, "when the hell did that Mendax guy swap with Khasta?"

"I think around about the time I cracked him open with bullets and he disappeared. I won't lie, he was pretty tricky to deal with. But he's dead now. And now, I have a million dollars in my next paycheck."

"That doesn't changed the fact that you walloped him," Uvo cheered. "You were intense out there, lad. And by the way, that million is getting split amongst us."

Janda massaged his shoulder. "It's nothing, really. After all, it was boring and a bit annoying." He then pouted. "Hey, no fair. I was the one who got the kill."

"After letting him out of your hands multiple times."

"I was too busy to deal with him. In any case, he's dead now."

A Killright suddenly stepped right in front of them. He was shorter than Janda and Vadars and had tan skin. His hair was in a buzzcut and a little scar was on his hairline. He had a sharp nose and a condescending smile. Janda and Vadars groaned. It was Gunther Jamieson from the Epsilon Division, the Division below Delta. If Delta was the pits, Epsilon was a dump. Barely functional and Captains and Lieutenants changing every three months or so.

"What do you want, Jamieson?" Vadars questioned. "We're busy and hungry and tired and dealt with Desperados."

"Nothing," he said. It was definitely something. "I just heard the news The End summoned you."

"She wants to be called Death," Janda said.

Vadars and Janda imagined a question mark appearing over his head before nodding. "Alright, I heard Death summoned you. Don't get all cocky because It called you. You're still the same old bottom of the bottom Division. Meanwhile, Epsilon is getting a brand new common room. It's gonna look totally sick and our missions list are going into D-class and C-class. Perhaps its back to patrol duty for y'all."

"One," Vadars began, "you're worse than us. Two, Death is a she, pal and three, we just got a mission to San Francisco so unless you got some kind of gift for me, I'm outta here." They began walking and Uvo shrugged, feeling bad for the poor guy.

"Those Epsilon folks can get really tiresome," said Uvo.

"Everyone from Epsilon is tiresome and boring," Janda commented.

"Poor guys want any sort of attention," Vadars replied. "Especially Jamieson. He's been like that since the Academy days."

"Don't remind me of the Academy," Janda groaned. "I hate that place."

"Yeah, we should leave it behind us. Right now..." Vadars smiled ear to ear, his cross-stitch shifting. "We're going to San Francisco."

Uvo laughed and Janda nodded. They walked down the hallways with a new fire in their step.

To San Francisco, the City of Gold.

                                                              Enter: The Mavericks Saga