C H A P T E R - 1 Soul : Sister II

A dream… it is a dream with flames and gunfires. Year 2170, at the underworld, I see flares and screams of people. Our neighbor burned down, everyone running. In this vision I see, and what I see is beyond a nightmare. I witness an annihilation, a domination that — inflicts fear, and injected pain — and that pain ever lasts within one’s life.

I see blood(s) shredded & burned alive, crimson rivers dried — forming clots, and infernal flames roasted and perished generations. Androids, the Yaksha, slaughtered an entire town. From the myths once protectors but now executioners. — Riots became history, as the legend goes on unrecorded — for those who speak, no longer lives to forward.

Lastly, this vision — the last minutes of this life shows the hand. A hand of mine, calling for help. And the tears of one man dropped rinsing me. It was happy to be found finally, but sadly… *Inaudible thoughts vanish*

Noel wakes up at midnight, cries, and mourns.

“I'm sorry for what I just witnessed Noel.” Says another Noel, ripped inside, heartbreaking. The sister of two souls shared the same sympathy. But at least the one's death would be able to forward the message. “Please rest well in my eternity. — This sister will take care from now on. — To redempt on all thees such an abominate-corrupted.” Noel gazes upon the sky-high.

..

6 hours before.

Allen’s apartment building is covered by some thugs. Seems like the police grouped up to substitute some scenes. “My window —” Allen looked up.

“Nothing more to expect. It is what it is.” Noel looks up, spending time, examining. “Not a baseball challenge for sure.” She said.

“Of course not, Noel, do police secure any playball? More like their play-bills and their balls.” Allen grunts.

“Speaking of the first-class candidate from the special force.”

“Was.” Allen replied.

“Remember my speech? Allen? You’re on their watchlist, not an Apex, but some third eyes.”

“Tell me, Noel, do you own a search engine? Seems like you know things well, too well.” Allen curious.

“Heh —.” Noel smugs, mischievously. Later, covered her mouth over that mischievous smile.

“Yaksha droid never loses its memory data, except there’s interference.” Noel knocks his head with her backhand. Their heights were identical, at the same level. 175’.

“So?” Allen now testing her features, maybe looking for any of her software updates, as she might be able to take some pigeons from a Top-Hat(Of course she doesn’t own one).

“The Apex never knew that it was you who retrieved me, but some guys would like to make a profit out of it. All we need is to figure who, and — kek*.” Noel slices her palm’s over the throat with that voice-over sound effect. “I mean giving them some happy meal braadaaa.” That dry-cold braadaaa isn’t ordinary, more like the gravekeeper’s gasping.

For any reason, who else would have such humor, knowing that their lovely little sister becoming a walking warhead. “A meal doesn’t kill anyone.” Says Allen.

“What about the last supper?” That counter hits hard Noel, more like making Allen speechless with what he just witnessed. What a lovely little sister taking her girl-scout class for 7 years apart, they teach you a lot there.

“Can we stop playing Noel?” Allen is serious.

Noel sighs deeply, taking a new deep breath.

“Fine, the Yaksha looked at you right? Even if it’s dark, it has a night or thermal vision. But what about the drone? That was also Apex’s one, it is impossible that they’re fighting each other right?” Noel explained as she supports the hypothesis later that:

“These two are genuine Apex’s on their network(unbreachable) without any question. So this scene where we’re looking at, it’s more like your room was searched. There isn’t any arrest on you on any billboards during our way home, which makes my theory legitimate. Right?”

“Congratulations, someone speaking as a detective.” Allen applauses.

“I’m following your request, no playing. —” A stab-able gaze cast upon Noel’s eye towards Allen’s as she continues.

“They’re now trying to negotiate the Apex, filling their pockets. But the Apex, they don't negotiate. They kill and absorb the truth in their own ways. — Hence that, I called it their last supper. Does it make all sense now?” Noel comes back with a style. Cool, wise, and sharp.

“So it’s not that we’re killing them, but it’s more about when the Apex seeks out them before us.” Talked Allen.

“Absolutely, got anyone on your mind? Someone, you know well, someone who knows your activity. And lastly, someone knowing that…”

“Knowing that I recovered something extra-ordinary.” Allen fulfills the answer. Now presuming as he plays back his memories.

“We got time Allen, it’s better that we do not stay here for too long. Just follow the crime scene. Pluses, it had been two days now.” Noel warns.

“Two days?” He surprised.

“Yep, do you think that you were taking a nap before fully recovering your heavily-bleeding arm? That was my hard work on you Allen.” Replies Noel, walking away.

Allen confused, following Noel to the end of another alley. Seeking the hideout as she conforms. Taking their step back. So that night they both take a hideout at the abandoned buildings. As Noel sleep and cuddles over Allen’s back, she began to dream about what she just witnessed.

…

Allen woke up seeing Noel in pain. She looked up at the sky, on the side of the building that was blasted with a bomb — long ago. Sitting at the concrete ends, like chilling out on a cliff, swaying her legs over the air space.

He covers Noel's shoulder with his jacket, sitting next to her watching the neon-light stars in this night sky.

“Everything okay? Little sis?”

“It was painful, brother. —” She isn’t calling braadaaa this time, as he knows her pain.

“To live is to face the pain. I always search for my life meaning every next day. Do you want to share?” Asked Allen.

“No, it just — worst, brother.” She sobs and snuggles over his arm.

“Well, Noel. Welcome to the underworld.” He pats her head and fondles her long straight hair.

“Doesn’t make any better brother. — But keep your hand moving over my head.” Noel is at her ease. Speaking in a low voice. It’s been a long time ever since she has ever felt this relaxed sensation.

They sit for a while, watching no sunlight nor any dawn. The night city runs on its own, only a few celsius changes as an introduction of new dawn arrives. Allen & Noel, they’re both Asian with a mix of Spanish traits(their appearance). These two identical relaxes, before leaving the new dawn.

“You know I never meant to join the special force right?”

“No, you just want to be a firefighter, just for rescuing someone. But somehow — bad things happened.” Lowing the voice by Noel.

“People just had a stroke of bad luck on catching their own dream, Noel. Our life is too short to fulfill some little dream, unlike an immortal.”

“That’s why we should be envy of you.” Noel mutters, inaudible.

“Have you fulfilled your dream, back before you slumbered… Oh, I’m sorry, do not ask about your past entity.” Allen smiles with some regrets visibly.

“No, it was a wonderful memory brother.” She smiles, masking the truth just to relieve him, or more likely to make it obscure.

“Do you mind —”
“Nope, it’s my secret.” Without finishing the message, Noel disrupts it.

Allen sigh.

“Just wants to know you more, no bad intention.” A pitiful eyes cast upon the sister.

“— Just wanted you to look at me as your Noel as well.” She replied.

“Sorry for hiding it, but it hurts me when you ask it. Even if it’s my entity, it is far beyond that any mortals could tolerate.”

He looked into her eyes, persuaded that it was not just an only tragedy. It is painful, traumatizing, and without any backstory support, he trusted.

“Sorry for being such a stubborn brother. Maybe I don’t deserve such a role.”

Noel shakes her head, denying that. “You’re not.” Embraces her hand over his shoulder.

“You’re only mere mortal that I would be eased to exist by your side. — Here is your belonging.” Noel returns the blade to his pocket, as it implies that he would never hurt her.

They depart the city ruins, searching for their mission traces. Before he leaves, he takes a tour visiting his real sister's graves in this forsaken place. “Rest well Noel, your brother is doing good. Having fun out here, nothing to be worried about.” He prayed, joining his palm together to respect.

Noel watches him venerate his own kin. As he left she bowed, later on, praying for her. “I will be the one carrying on your burden and your last wish.” She speaks for herself, then follows up with Allen later in a few seconds.

“What did you just pray?” Asked Allen.

“Sisters secret.” *Zipped* Her acting, the gesture, tilting her head and zipping her mouth, impresses him a bit.

“Whelp, Noel always dream of having an elder sister. Seems like now she is fulfilled.” Allen laugh and smiles as Noel follows the mood. They may share the same bloodline, biologically, but not historically. At least not in a chronological way, most importantly Noel enjoys being mortal once again.

They spent a few hours investigating, with zero evidence. Looking through the junkyard, gray market, and elsewhere. “Nothing of this proves.” Shouted Allen, he became a decoy for an hour in the public with no feedback. Not even from the specs ops, if you don’t intend to harass them. “Clearly there’s no third eyes Noel.”

“We just need to spend more time Allen.”

“I don’t think so Noel.”

“Then who searched your room? — The window broke, remembered?”

“Maybe some thugs?”

“— And that thug doesn’t get away empty-handed.” That sound came from another end, interrupting the sibling argument.

“Listen there’s no…”

*Click* Shot fires from the barrel. A pierce of wind goes through Allen’s cheek. The thug nods, telling him to stand by his right. “I’m deadly serious, they told me there’s some treasure. But I won’t walk away with nothing.” He walks into the alley where we both stand together.

“Well, tell me, what kind of treasure do you strive for?” Noels steps up, step by step.

“You’re deaf? — Hands up.” Thug, late 30’s, beardy & religious tattoo, the cross upside down under left eye. Bet that he was recently released from the cell, not judging by the looks, but the serial below his neck is real.

“Noel stop playing on him.” I shouted. As the shot fired, she dodge within just the slightest movement, not even at inhumane speed. As the thug threatens and starts to fire the gun rapidly. Allen as her brother has to leap in and protect her on his instinct, but suddenly a metallic-can thrown toward him.

“You better stay safe, brother.” Noel was deadly serious, she had thrown an aluminum can toward Allen. Expecting his reflexes to be averted within the second. She casts her sensation to the foes in front, a terrifying aura of the primordial entity corrupts his mind. In short, he's frightened, and I'm exaggerating it(really narrator?). Shooting with all the firepower he could unleash on his pistol. She avoided every single bullet as he fired them faster and she drew closer. "That was the final shot." Observing the thug's shaking hand, Noel says.

The thug laughed evilly as Noel walk slowly towards him. Pointing a gun at her head, saying that. “Miss, haha— hahaha, you should learn how to count. Did they teach you at class?” As he is about to pull the gun’s hammer, Noel interrupts that:

“You know —” Smiles evilly, malicious eye, now changed to a lovely smile.

“Never—ever teaches math to Asians.” In that millisecond, with the super inhumane speed, Noel steers his gun (by slapping her both hands in cross-direction to steer it instantly), now thug’s gun pointed to his skull by his own hand, as she continues to ascribe that: “Because that last bullet is for you.” *A gun forcefully triggered by Noel whilst pressuring thug’s finger to… clicks* Bang! — a clean shot echoes in the alley, as the bullet’s cartridge clanks the ground. Followed up with tiny metal drops, but no blood. Well, it ricochets upward and then drops to the floor, meaning that its direction…

“No blood needs to be spilled.” Allen holding the thug's hand up redirects the gun just before the thug brainwashes himself. To be concise, being brainwashed by Noel would be an exact as she is astonished by the millisecond incident.

“What a merciful brother.” Should we call that a lovely sister applause?

“Just not to make another murderer. This is no child play. Noel, stop.” Allen's deep cold gaze chills her, rather say it fascinates an entity like her. In instantaneous, the thug stabs his dagger directional toward Allen's face as Allen stops it with the blade he just wields in his hand. Forcefully, to calm the sh*t down out of the thug. He let loose of the thug's hand that holding the dagger.

“You know, there’s a reason why they’d called me —” Allen walks away. He throws up the blade spinning in the mid-air, then pivots himself back. Digging his hand into his pocket, and finally draws out something that spikes over a hollow within that blade. “— The Axeman.” He rounds up his sentence as he walks in.

A small-size hatchet doesn’t inflict just only scratches. All the time it was an axe-blade that he detaches in order to not get into any trouble. “So could you tell me, was it you? Who searched my room.” Allen gave some product-demo by slicing his pistol into a butter-like object. “This is no ordinary axe. Now, do we talk?”