Who is more monstrous, the monster that does the deed, or those who stood by and did nothing to stop the monster? What of the ones that give the monster orders?
If it takes a monster to stop a monster, Is the one sent to stop the other really a monster? Where is the line between human and monster?
********
Elizabeth Bertarelli
I woke up and opened my eyes and still saw nothing. I couldn't hear anything or move either. It seems I was tied to a chair. I realized I was no longer wearing my boots, or dress for that matter. Panic started to rise.
Elizabeth, Reckoner needs you to calm down. You been taken captive by a corp called Luxury Furs Company. From what I was able to find out while you were unconscious; it seems they want you to purchase a clothing fabricator with points so they can use it to create fur coats that no one will be able to compete with, as far as quality is concerned.
"I don't have the points to do that, do I? Is there anything I can buy to get myself out of here?"
You do not. Unfortunately, with you being unable to see and being confined the way you are, even if you did purchase something they would be able to take it from you, without you being able to hurt them. Do you know the name Woodland Wraith?
"Woodland Wraith? What does he have to do with this?"
He's on his way here. He'll be here in about an hour and a half.
"How do you know that?"
I spoke with his AI partner. There seems to be quite a few Antithesis in his way.
This information caused me to jerk against my restraints.
"Wait. Billy is a Samurai?!"
"It seems you're awake, oh powerful Samurai." A snide female voice I'd never heard before said. Causing me to try and look around.
"Welcome to your new home for the foreseeable future." I felt a hand grope me which caused me to struggle to get away from the hand.
"You are a sweet little thing, aren't you? I think we will have a lot of fun together."
"I'm going to kill you." I spoke out loud to my tormentor.
"Now, now, talk like that will get my other guest punished." The voice said. I heard something being shifted and a much younger female voice started begging. I heard the whine of some kind of electric generator spin up.
"No please, no stop! I've been a good girl pleaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"I hope the Wraith gets here sooner than an hour and a half. I hope he's angrier than he was, over three years ago and makes what he did then look like a child's birthday party."
I am updating his AI right now as to the situation.
Bill Grazer
As I listened to Mara's update on the situation inside the "safe" house. My anger surged to a level I hadn't even felt when I took on Marcus. Marcus and his assholes were civilized compared to this bitch. The antithesis were refusing to get out of my way.
"Fuck Demon Murphy to hell." There was no point in subvocalizing inside my armor as the speakers that would transmit my voice were off.
"Mara, time to change tactics. Get me the Explosives Catalog."
Done. Should I be concerned about what is going to transpire once you get to the location?
"Do you understand. grenade. That there are some monsters that need to die that aren't plants? Grenade."
Yes, but that does not mean that everyone at that location other than the captives deserves death.
"I disagree. Are you saying. Grenade. that those corporate. Mag. Soldiers don't have the. Grenade. Power to stop that monster? Grenade."
They are employed by the same company which means the higher ups are worse than the monster tormenting Haley and the Vanguard. If they stop this one, it's them and their families that will be tormented by the next.
"I guess I can. Grenade. See that. It will depend. Mag. On their actions. Grenade. Once I get there. Grenade. This will not end at that location. They will curse the day that they reawakened the Woodland Wraith. Grenade."
I was hoping you'd go with Sasquatch. I wish to ask if the higher ups skip town and leave this continent do you plan on following them? It would be nice to know so I can help plan transportation.
"I may end up known under both names. Grenade. As it's two different groups of people that know either name. No if they leave. Mag. The continent. Grenade. They'll become someone else's problem. Grenade. I have people here to protect. Grenade. I can't do that. Mag. If I'm chasing monsters through. Grenade. South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Grenade. Do you think Samurai of other continents. Mag. Would take them out for us? Grenade."
Between the new smg and grenades I was now starting to make real good time getting through the antis. "Grenade."
There might be a couple out there. we'll have to see.
Vortexia
I was flying over to the outer city to scout it out and see what the situation was, so I could report back to the family. Then they could rearrange manpower if needed. I came across the most curious sight. Antithesis just falling over or exploding. I filmed for a while, amused. As I got closer, I saw a grenade fly from an empty roof into the streets packed with antis. I sent Matchbook the video and called him.
When he picked up. "Did you see the video I sent?! I think I found an interesting newbie!"
Elizabeth
It had been half an hour according to Reckoner. It felt like half a day. The torturer had stepped away, for who knows what reason. She hadn't liked it when I said I didn't have enough points to give her what she wanted. I felt that what the young girl had, and worse. The door opened again. The voices I heard were male.
"The doc says you girls are worthless to the company so me and the boys can have fun with you two now."
Reckoner asks your permission to inform Woodland of your civilian name.
"Please do"
Woodland Wraith
Mara's next update sent me to a place I didn't know existed. A place far beyond rage and fury. A place that did not allow mercy. A place that no one should reach. A place I had reached none the less. A place that made what came next far too easy.
"Mara, empty their accounts now. Patch me into their communications and anyone else you think should know about this." I ordered a drone scout out of a catalog. I then deactivated my stealth and stared into the camera with my helmet's glowing red eyes.
Done.
"Luxury Furs Company I, the Woodland Wraith, or Sasquatch, whichever you know me by, demand that you assholes surrender and release both of your prisoners, the Samurai and the five-year-old girl, unharmed. You have five minutes! If they are not released within that time, or they are not unharmed, your fucking lives are forfeit."
I've ended the broadcast. You know the girls are not unharmed, yet you made it a demand to spare their lives. Did you not say it would depend on their actions.
"I did. I have no fucking intention of sparing them. Their god damned actions up to this point have spoken all too loudly."
Matchbook
What the hell is going on?! The latest video from Vortexia showed an unknown Samurai leave, what he assumed, was stealth. Then an AI sent a request to send them a broadcast. The data that two different AI sent them during the broadcast was damning. This was a God damned clusterfuck. Fucking corpos, angering the Sasquatch during an incursion. He didn't have any good way to stop what was coming. He remembered what the Sasquatch, and the corp he had fought, had done in New Harrisburg. The corp had "only kidnapped" a kid and Sasquatch hadn't declared war like this or demanded a surrender. This was new, and new didn't mean good.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Vortexia
Oh shit. This is bad. The Woodland Wraith was back, he's a Samurai, and he just declared war on a corp in the middle of an incursion. God damn Demon Murphy.
She looked at the data sent to her by two different AI. She knew that the Wraith wasn't wrong, but his decision wasn't right either. She didn't know how to stop him if his demands couldn't be met. The data sent to her showed that his demands couldn't be met. He knew his demands couldn't be met. He wanted a bloodbath. She had found more than an interesting newbie.
Luxury Furs Company Security and Acquistions Division
Sgt. Matterson looked at the five guys with families. Then he looked at the door to the safe house and shrugged and tendered his resignation electronically. He gave the middle finger to the building and walked away, the other five following his example.
The captain came out the door two minutes later. He called them traitors, and swore the company would hunt them down and shoot them for desertion, at the top of his lungs, as they were now a block away. A minute later, the captain's men exited the building as well, and a fire fight started between the two factions.
Elizabeth
I heard his voice for the first time in over three years filled with something beyond rage. No one involved in this mess would notice. No one but me. I was terrified. He was like this because of me. I was ecstatic. Something had happened after his voice stopped speaking. The one who had talked about him and his boys enjoying themselves with me and the girl, who I now knew was only five, ordered his boys to gear up. They had some traitors to dispose of. I laid in silence and frustration as I still had no way of freeing myself. I was no longer tied to a chair but a table.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop them from hurting you." I had no way of knowing if she could hear me through the hood on my head.
"It's okay it's going to be fine. He may look different but that was fur man. Mom told me if bad people took me all I had to do was call fur man. He would make the bad people go away and make sure I was safe." The little girl's faith in 'fur man' brought a smile to my face and made me want to cry.
Woodland Wraith
Five minutes had passed. The girls had not left the building.
"Mara, are you ready to broadcast again?"
Yes.
"Five minutes have passed and I have not seen the prisoners walk from the building. Nor have I heard from Luxury Furs Company. They have chosen death. I will show you all what you have fucking forgotten! I will show you why the damned corps used to fear my name. This will not end here at this particular location. I will raze any building they own to the ground. Luxury Fur Company shall only be an unpleasant memory by the end of the week."
I had said that last bit specifically for Elizabeth and Haley. I looked down at the two groups of corp soldiers fighting amongst themselves. Reckoner, Elizabeth's AI, had informed me that because of the group that had flipped the bird to the building, Haley and Elizabeth were spared from more pain. They would be the only ones to receive mercy this day.
I leapt down to the street while still in stealth, behind the second group and extended the chainsaw blades on both arms. My scout drone was still recording and broadcasting for the world to see. All anyone saw from the drone was an invisible force moving through the soldiers. It ripped open stomachs of two specific soldiers, removed limbs on the rest, but didn't kill any of them. The first group had stopped shooting when I ambushed the second. They all stood in the middle of the street in a line with looks of resignation on their faces. I deactivated my stealth, raised my smg and fired between two of them, killing a model 4 behind them.
"While you are the ones that helped cause this god damned mess, your most recent actions stopped these abominations from visiting further harm on the Samurai and girl."
I reactivated my stealth and headed into the lair of a monster. As I neared the door six gunshots rang out, and the sounds of the damned moaning in pain stopped. There were more soldiers inside the building. These I fired on with my silenced smg or removed their heads with my blades. The drone I was using to broadcast only followed after the fight was over. Its microphones were strong enough that anyone watching could hear the sounds of combat even if it hadn't entered the building yet. I proceeded further into the building. All of the 'regular' employees were armed and looking for a target to shoot. I didn't give them one. Even as their coworkers started to fall none of them raised their arms in surrender.
The Bertarelli Family is requesting that you start using your mother's program against Luxury Furs Company so that they can show any corps that have spyware in the LFC's systems that they have your back.
"Do they know Elizabeth is the Samurai that was captured?" My mother's program had been transferred from my glasses to the augs. I turned it on with an additional setting to remove Elizabeth and Haley from the footage being sent out. They didn't need footage of themselves in their current state to be all over the internet.
They do not know that yet. They do not even know she is a Vanguard yet. It would be best if Elizabeth told her parents that herself.
"They don't know shit and they're still willing to throw their weight behind me. Thi- this is the second damn time they haven't acted like a usual fucking corp."
Emotions, that had no place with what still needed to be done, tried to make their presence known. I pushed them away, I couldn't afford to fall apart now. There was too much left to do. I looked at the camera in the room that held the girls. My rage once again spiked to the place where no other emotion could impact my thoughts. This is not a healthy place to be. It is helpful for ending this situation though.
Actually, they have acted unlike a 'usual' corp a lot more than that. It is only that it has happened in regard to you twice. They were founded by a Vanguard. So, it makes sense that their business practices are definitely not among the norms.
"Can you find Elizabeth's gear, and what can we do about getting Haley clothes?"
Done and also some other points of interest. For only a couple of points you can buy Haley whatever she needs. It seems that the Foundation is sending troops around New Pittsburgh they seem to be collecting the families of the soldiers you spared. It seems they have hired those six.
Three markers showed up on my display, each one labeled. One was labeled gear, the second was labeled torturer, the third was the girls names. I headed for the second remembering what Mara had reported Elizabeth said. I ignored the information about the corpo soldiers for now. That wasn't any of my damned business at the moment. I continued my way through the building killing or destroying anything that held a gun (this place had turrets). I found the bitch in a hardened office. I broke the door with the blades on my arms and tossed in a knockout gas grenade in. I dragged her by her ankle with me, as I went to collect Elizabeth's gear, and then headed to the basement room that she had locked Haley and Elizabeth in.
"End the broadcast."
Done.
I opened the door and threw the bitch in.
Elizabeth
The room was soundproofed so I had no idea what was going on outside. It had been ten minutes since his last announcement.
Reckoner has received a request from Woodland Wraith to purchase items from your steampunk catalog.
"I'll allow it. Although he never struck me as someone who would be into steampunk."
When I heard the door open and something heavy hit the ground nearby. Then I felt the restraints on my legs release and Haley asking in a scared, but weaker voice. "Who there? What happening?" She wasn't doing good.
Then a voice I heard only ten minutes ago replied. "Sorry little one, I didn't mean to frighten you."
"Fur man" her voice was a whisper.
Billy was here. Joy and relief were quickly overshadowed by embarrassment. Then my arms were released, and the hood was removed. Before me was a 9' tall, Woodland Camouflaged power armor. Billy spoke again before I could say anything.
"Liza, I've given you permission to use my points to buy whatever meds you and Haley need. These are for Haley then." Four boxes covered in a camo pattern and steampunk gears appeared. He set my armor and sword down beside them. He had used points, and my catalog, to buy Haley clothes.
"I'll be waiting outside in the hall till you're both ready."
Reckoner recommends getting a set of goggles that can be used as a medical scanner. So, you will know exactly what is needed to treat Haley and yourself. You can add other functions to the googles later so that they are multi-use. We can figure out other uses you might want them to have later."
As Reckoner was saying this, I was releasing Haley from her restraints.
"Get it and get whatever is needed to fix us up." Then a thought crossed my mind. "Does he have enough points to get meds for both of us?"
Reckoner assures you that he has enough. He has also stated that if there are any armor or weapons you wish to buy after you have gotten the meds, you may.
Multiple boxes appeared in two different stacks, one much larger than the other. The larger stack was not for me. I worked as quickly as I could following guidance from Reckoner until we got through ten of the eleven boxes set aside for Haley. The last box was food for her to eat. There were four boxes of meds for me and a box of food for me as well. We had both been raped but her only being 5 meant the physical damage done to her was so much worse. She had also been in the care of that bitch for longer. I started my own medical treatment.
"Fur man and you are samurai?" Came a question from an adorable and much better sounding voice.
"Yes, we are, and we have presents for you. See those four boxes, they are for you."
She opened all four and looked at me I went over and helped put on her new clothes. Billy had gotten her underwear, a pair of armored boots, a long-sleeved armored dress similar to my own. Hers went to her ankles, where mine only went to mid-calf. An armored hat, that would emit a forcefield, protected the uncovered parts of her head. Which made sense, considering in order to get her to safety, we still had to walk through anti infested streets. I put on my own gear and took Billy up on his offer. I bought the vest corset with a collar that rose out of the shoulders. That now, thanks to access to his Sasquatch catalog, had the ability to make me invisible but would no longer be able to put a forcefield around my head. No more tranquilizer darts to the neck for me. I bought an armored hat that incorporated the googles I bought, and so covered the top half of my face, and an armored mask for the lower half of my face, that looks like a scarf, that can filter out gas and toxins. I also buy what looks like a single shot blunderbuss but is actually a magazine fed cannon. One slug from it could take out a 5 or 6, according to Reckoner, and multiple 3s and 4s in shotgun mode.
I turn to ask Haley if she was ready to eat. Only to see her staring at the far wall in terror. I looked, and just starting to sit up, was the bitch. I wondered when she had come back, then I remembered the heavy thud after the door had opened. I moved quickly and didn't give her a chance to do anything. The bitch was soon gagged, hooded, and bound to the chair that had been my prison while she tortured me. I hooked her up to some of her toys and switched them on. I picked up Haley, gave her food and left the room. Out in the hallway she and I ate in silence for a bit.
"She won't hurt me anymore?" Came a tiny voice that broke my heart.
"No. You will never see that one again." Billy answered.
Woodland Wraith
After the girls finished their food, we started to make our way out of the building. I called Liza's aug line and told her I was unable to reach Jean. We needed a place to have Haley stay. We couldn't drag her all over the city while we fought antis and destroyed LFC properties. We needed someone we could trust. The fact Liza wanted to join me in destroying LFC properties was a surprise. Though maybe it shouldn't have been. She suggested taking her to her uncle's place that was here in the outer city. She placed a marker on the map.
"Wait a minute, Winston is your uncle?!"