Let There be Blood

It’s been days since we broadcasted the truth about Hope and its affiliates. People were protesting outside many of Hope’s hospitals all over the country, and many filed lawsuits against them as well. It was a perfect start we wanted, to end their role as the economic leader in this country. We were off to a good start.

We hadn’t planned anything for now as the real player behind all this was still unknown. We needed to wait; wait till we get to know who he was. There were rumours about it that it was someone from the government officials, some said it was the CEO of a certain company and whatnot. No source was reliable enough to believe.

Aja and Gravast were still trying to find out who he was by using different methods such as asking the people who were in the intelligence and secretly worked for the Underground and by using spies. No one could confirm who he was and where he was, many other Hope members were arrested but none of them turned out to be the guy we were looking for.

Xiba and I were doing nothing but our training, our whole day was spent improving our abilities and gaining as much control of our bodies as we could.

We were both bathing in our sweat after the training session. Xiba enjoyed it and she was more used to it, than I was, knowing her history, she used to do this a lot. I was feeling thirsty so I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and drank it like it was the first time I was drinking water.

Xiba was staring at me as I was drinking the water and she couldn’t hold herself in. “Go easy on that water, Edra.” She chuckled.

I finished drinking the water and blinked twice looking at her. She got confused, that’s what I wanted, I thought.

Xiba stood up and came closer to me, we were off the same height. She looked me in the eyes and said, “how haven’t you fallen in love with me yet?” Her expression said, ‘I am serious and I want answers.’ Even I was surprised that she was asking me this type of question in the middle of the chaos, we were in.

I had to surprise her as well. “Who said I haven’t?” I replied with a wink. She was pushed back with my reply and maybe even embarrassed a little bit, her cheeks were turning red.

“Oh-Oh, so if that’s the case-”

“What about you? Have you fallen for me? I mean you seem interested in me more than I am in myself. You have been with me since it all started and even protected me with your life on the line. If that’s not love, I don’t know what it is then?” I shrugged my shoulders and looked her in the eyes. She wasn’t saying anything and I felt awkward, so I tried changing the topic.

“By the way, aha ha, why don’t we try doing something-” Before I could finish my sentence, she hugged me. She was holding me tight.

“I am sorry.” She whispered into my ear.

What is she apologizing for, I thought.

“I know you have been through a lot since you were young and the situation, we are in right now is nothing you had ever imagined, but I promise you that I won’t betray you, no matter what.” She was still holding me as she said that.

Betray? What was Xiba talking about?

“I believe you,” I said gleamingly, placing my hand on her head.

“Are you treating me like a kid? You know I am older than you right?” I had no idea what she was talking about. One minute she is like honey, sweet and warm and the other, like the bee, stings and buzzes.

“What do you mean by older? Didn’t you say you were the same as me?” I uttered with shock.

“Oh, yeah, I did. I forgot to tell you that I am actually eleven years older than you.” She revealed.

“Wait, what? You are Twenty-eight?” I was surprised.

“You don’t have to mention it, but yeah, I am. It was because of that serum. It did give me a perk, I guess. Many will kill for that, sadly-” Xiba sighed. “Forget it.”

Xiba then came too close to my face and kissed my cheek. “Good night little boy.” She said after that and went to bed.

I was standing there speechless and had never been more embarrassed and surprised at the same time before. Xiba is still the most mysterious person, even more, mysterious than the guy we are searching for, I thought.

I did what any nice boy would have, went to sleep. I was tired and wanted to rest anyway.

I hope this guy will be uncovered as soon as possible; this extensive amount of mystery will kill me before this disease can. I should sleep now. Good night world, let’s hope tomorrow we will make some progress, unlike today. Well, I guess we did some progress. Xiba and me that is. I chuckled while thinking about it.

*

Ready to fight the evPreparedeady to kill them all,

Seeking blood for pleasure,

I am gonna finish them all.

Where do they come from,

Where they go,

There is no hideout,

Where you can lay low,

See me in the eyes,

I am your death,

Feel me in your bones,

I am the dread,

Fear the justice,

I am the true end,

Seek some shelter,

Mercy isn’t in the talks,

I am gonna cut you clean,

Gonna rip your head apart.

I woke up the next day, a song was being played on my watch. Is it metal? I thought. Xiba was standing next to the table I kept my watch on, she was the one who used it to play music.

“You can use your own watch for that you know,” I said looking at her with sleepy eyes.

“Battery low,” she replied.

Even after one month's worth of backup, she still somehow managed to drain it.

“We got new information about the guy we were looking for.” Xiba pointed out toward a white cardboard box which was on the chair. Did we receive some kind of gift from that individual? That was my first thought.

I got out of bed and took a closer look at the box; I was curious about what was inside it. “Do you know what’s inside the box?” I asked Xiba. She shook her head in response. “Did you notify others?” Xiba shook her head again. “Who do you get this from?” I questioned.

“Someone was at the door and said, Edra needs to see this. It woke me up and when I opened the door there was no one but this box. I still don’t know who he was.” Xiba was in the dark as much as I was.

I knew it could be anything, I needed to be careful. I thought about calling others but it could’ve been something explosive which might be dangerous, so I decided to open it up myself.

“Be careful,” Xiba said. I slowly opened the box and soon as I opened it, I heard a ticking noise. I thought it was a bomb of some sort at first but it was just a tablet. Three videos were playing on it of different places of the Jahan. A video popped up soon after it, a man I met before was in this video.

“It’s Dan,” Xiba stated. She knew who he was. The video started playing.

“If you are watching this right now, Edra, that means Shin is already dead, and he may have revealed something before going down. Probably something about a guy, who is behind all this mess. Well, now you know the guy who is behind this mess, ha-ha. I know you think we met at the headquarters for the first time when you came to steal the X virus, but we have actually met before. You are losing your memory and that’s a big concern, not for me but you. We can talk about it some other day. For now, let’s talk about the blasts and attacks that are going to take place today in different parts of Jahan and yes, the place you are in now. Best of luck and I hope you will come through this unscattered. Over and out, say my hello to Soya.” We were shocked to hear that information; he didn’t say which areas of attack or when it was going to happen. The whole underground was in severe danger.

“We need to tell everyone about this, quick!!!” I heard a booming sound as I finished my saying that to Xiba.

“It’s already on,” said Xiba. “We need to move quickly.”

Xiba and I took the tablet and rushed to Gravast and Aja’s place. I wanted to notify them as quick as I could. When we reached there; they knew what was happening. Dan knew who everyone was, and they also received a box with the same message.

“I don’t know how but we have to act now,” said Aja. He was worried about all the people living in the Underground. “They have already suffered a lot and I don’t wasn’t anything bad happening to them ever again.” As Aja was saying that, we heard another boom and this time, it was nearby.

“We can’t continue like this, let’s check what the hell is happening,” said Aja.

We went to the area of the blast, and when we reached there it was like a sight out of a horror video game. I glanced over to the top; Doom is inevitable, was written on a big poster hanging to the side of the building. Many people of the Underground were laid dead. There was blood flowing all over the place. It was a nightmare, especially for Aja. He didn’t appear moved by it, but he was calm and didn’t respond to what Gravast was saying.

“I am gonna tear him apart, I know that and I will,” Declared Aja with a grin on his face.

Every one of us looked at Aja and pledged to do the same. Gravast was furious and wanted to take revenge too. “He is gonna pay, Aja. We will make him understand what it means to suffer,” said Gravast.

More than a hundred people were killed by the blast. A person from the underground was involved in this, we concluded. He was found out as someone saw him carrying those boxes. He was bribed into making this decision he said. Aja had seen enough of the bloodshed; he didn’t want to kill another one of his comrades even if they betrayed him. Upon interrogation, he revealed that he didn’t know that he was delivering something lethal and he wasn’t the one who placed the bomb inside the area.

“There was another person involved in this, someone from the outside who wanted to join the Underground. He gave me money and told me to deliver the boxes. That’s all I know,” he said.

“No point arguing anything. Do you know where are the other attacks going to happen in Jahan? You better answer quick or you will be doomed before that,” Gravast demanded.

Afraid of the repercussions, the guy started revealing more information. “H-He-He didn’t mention any details regarding tha-that.”

“Ohh, you really can work with some beating, hun?! Start speaking or, I will kill you with my own hands!!!” Gravast ordered and threatened this guy.

“Oh-k Okay, he-he said something about the Central Jahan that they were going to do something there that’s it. He didn’t give me enough details, please believe me,” he relented.

Gravast punched him in the face, which caused him to faint on the spot. We knew what we had to do and where we had to look. The only thing that remained was reaching there before anything terrible could happen.