Zero didn't like being at the mercy of anyone—especially someone like Alistair. The base of operations the Enforcers used was nothing to write home about, rundown, and an absolute disaster."Who lives here? And why?" He asked aloud, unable to believe the dingy room he stayed in was a place for ordinary people. Alistair might be a demanding boss, but Zero was a free bird. His accommodation was always paid for; he never had to worry about money. But now, he was seeing the other side of existence. He didn't like it one bit."Wow, who'd have thought the great Zero is squeamish to poverty?" Zero turned to see Valerie at the doorway, arms folded across her chest."Good morning to you too, and this place isn't conducive for living. I saw rats the size of a small dog. Why would anyone think this is a good place to live?" He sounded indignant, but he was past caring."You speak like we wanted this. Do you know why I can't even look at you?" Valerie seemed agitated for some reason."No, why?"
"I want you to give me a name. I haven't ever had one. Or maybe I don't remember having one. I can't keep using Zero; it's unlike me. So, why not give me a name?"He came up with the idea after realising that the Enforcers would ogle him for as long as he was there, and he wouldn't be allowed to belong. "Me? A name? I can-can't. How can I even do something like that? You are sacred. I can't even reach you, and we're in the same room." Zero noticed that Valarie's obsession went beyond normalcy; she was a fanatic for the one called Zero.But that wasn't him; it'd never been."But you could reach me when you didn't know who I was. Why does my name change the way you see me?" He didn't like bringing logic into it, but he was tired of circumventing the situation. It was best to nip it in the bud before it became a full-blown issue for him. He enjoyed his quiet life and would rather have that than a life where he was seen as a god or whatever else they described him as. "Your name isn't
"You cannot stand a warrior in his natural habitat."This saying had been pummeled into Zero, night and day. It was a testament to his resilience, which became his daily life.But the Enforcers didn't need to know that."There are a couple levels here; try to keep up." Terry was looking down on him for some reason, but he was unfazed by such a blatant show of disrespect."Okay, I'll take note," he replied politely, not willing to go back and forth with someone who was lovestruck."We are here." Terry spread his arms and chest as though taking in lungfuls of air. He looked like a caricature and almost made Zero laugh.Almost.The military base was better than he expected, and the place he slept in didn't do the base justice. He stood and took in the view, taking note of traps and any potential situation that could harm him. The door was an automated one, and the Enforcers were big on technology. Although they had their fair share of powerful mages, even the battle type, they leaned to
"This is the one who they call Zero? He looks like I could break him in half. Hey, how far does your back bend before your spine shatters?" There were snickers as a big, beefy boy stepped in, a cruel expression on his face."You talk too much. Come at me." Zero was getting tired of playing with the inexperienced bunch. "Who's the loudmouth now?" The big boy got red in the face and sent a punch hurtling towards Zero. He didn't dodge; he just stood there and let it land. "Is this it? You couldn't even dodge that," the pretty boy snickered, and a blade materialised from his vinyl suit, a blade of plasma. It was a weapon that spelt death to whoever it touched, able to seat through skin and bone in a space of milliseconds. But Zero wasn't just anyone.He feinted to the side as the blade came crashing down on the insulated floor, sending a mini tremor down the floor."Look at that; he's got some moves," the pretty boy's eyes became slits, and Zero felt the sense of danger overcome him. H
Dante knew something was wrong even before everybody else did. It started with a trickle and then morphed into something else, something he couldn't decipher.This is bad. Very bad.But who cared? Nobody. "You have a stupid look on your face when you're losing; it's cute," Crystal had a glint in her eyes, and Dante had to force himself to look away."This isn't fair; you know that, right? I'm all out," he flipped his cards, which was a bad hand. Gilgamesh tried his best not to laugh, but he couldn't hold it in anymore."This isn't my fault!" Dante defended, even though he didn't have to."He's a sore loser, isn't he?" Cincinnati said, boredom leaking through her voice. He'd noticed that she'd become a little more tolerant of him lately, and he didn't want anything to ruin that. She always spoke to him dismissively, but deep inside, she did care. Somewhat. He couldn't tell about her. "Not only a sore loser, but he's also a lame one," Gilgamesh said good-naturedly. Dante had noticed t
"Be safe," and Dante's heart twisted in his chest. He knew she'd say the same to Gilgamesh or any of The Renegades. He wasn't unique; he didn't mean anything to her.And he needed to accept it."Let's go," he gestured to Gilgamesh, and Gilgamesh walked ahead of him, a picture of composure."There's something else about this place you need to know," Gilgamesh stated without preamble, but Dante was tempted to roll his eyes."There's always something about this place that isn't anything new," Dante snapped at Gilgamesh without intending to. But he wasn't sorry at all."What crawled up your ass? Well, it doesn't matter. This is more important than you know. The being of the night, void, or whatever you call it, there's a way to decipher its source." Dante looked at Gilgamesh to be sure his legs weren't being pulled."I'm listening," there was no trace of banter in his tone anymore, and Dante looked as resolute as he did the first day he found himself in The Graveyard."You're listening,
For a long time, Dante didn't know anything aside from fear. Hours after the night void had passed, he remained rooted in that position, his thoughts a hurdle to sift through.What is real? He had no answer to that; only the steady beating of his heart in his chest made him feel alive. Aside from that… nothing else. His new arms didn't make him feel anything but unreal, and not in a good way. Many things had happened to him, but he was steadily leaning towards the trepidation phase.But how could he live in fear when everything in his life was fear-made? "It's not always bad here," Cincinnati said, and he wondered when she joined him. Even though it was day, the mornings would never feel the same again, not after everything."You could have fooled me," Dante replied, a bitter laugh coming from his throat. It was a sound he didn't recognise; it felt alien to him and his experiences.This place is finally getting to me."When I first got here, I was despair-filled. I wanted to die, to
Dante let the words pour out unchecked. He didn't care if it got him kicked out; he still didn't feel like he was a part of a family, just playing the part of an outsider looking in. "See? Self-absorbed," Cincinnati was smiling, and Dante wasn't sure he'd ever seen her smile. "You didn't need to praise me so hard," Gilgamesh materialised before him, and so did Esme, Crystal, and Darkus. "What's going on?" Dante turned to Cincinnati, feeling betrayed for the first time. "You always hold back; you never say the things you wish. I went to The Graveyard and asked Alan for tips to get you to loosen up. He suggested making you think you were all alone with a pretty girl. That worked, surprisingly. Are you a pervert?" Dante would have taken Gilgamesh seriously if not for the smirk on his face. Oh, I am the one who pushed them away. "Darkus doesn't talk to you because he's painfully shy. He speaks only when spoken to, and you've never reached out to him, have you?" Crystal had a