Dan and the lone rebel soldier were at a standstill. He stared at her, maintaining his stance over Samantha’s corpse, still holding his combat knife. The rebel stood shakily pointing her CMA rifle at him. She may have been scared out of her mind, but she still had a gun that could prove dangerous to him.

In contrast, Dan felt no such fear. He was no stranger to assholes waving guns in his direction and to his face. He saw his first up close sight of a gun barrel at the age of nine.

The rebel was about a dozen paces from him. Dan knew he was quick on his feet. And as a tier one, Dan was at least above a regular man in all physical categories. The rebel in front of him was unstable and unbalanced. She was shaking and her stance was rigid.

Dan turned his feet towards her and sprang into action. The rebel fired a full-auto stream of rounds at him, all of them missing as Dan had sidestepped to the right before crossing the distance between himself and his opponent. He grabbed the upper rail of her CMA rifle and yanked the gun out of her hands. Her grip was surprisingly weak to him, as if he had taken a toy from an infant.

The rebel fell to the ground and attempted to crawl away. Dan wasn’t about to let her go. He caught up with her instantly and kicked her over so she faced him. The woman had dark skin and messy frizzled hair.

“Okay, this can go one or two ways. I ask you some questions and you answer them truthfully. If I get bullshit or attitude from you, I’ll put you in a body bag just like that Kodak chick over there. Got it?”

The rebel nodded so intensely that Dan responded, “Better not bite your tongue. I need you to talk.”

Dan watched as she tried to calm herself down. It was a strange feeling being in the position of power, knowing that someone else feared him for a change. By all accounts, Dan was a no-named rookie who probably shouldn’t even be alive given the all the bullshit he had encountered.

He looked down at his body and saw the blood splatter on his dark long coat from killing Samantha. While Dan always pictured himself as the same kid who struggled to stay alive back in his hometown, the rebel in front of him saw otherwise. He stood a full head taller than her and wore armor and wielded weapons far above what she was given. She had also just witnessed him killing dozens of her allies, including the Kodak agents.

It was time to start questioning her.

“So, where did Kate Razor run off to?” he asked.

“W-who?”

Dan narrowed his eyes at her. He remembered he still had the sword he looted from one of the enemy agents. Reaching for the hilt along his back, he drew the sword and pointed the blade towards her throat.

“Kate Razor, the Alpha agent who betrayed me and my friends,” Dan said.

“I-I don’t know. The blonde one that ran away? That was the first time I’ve seen her. How am I supposed to know where she went?”

Dan sighed. But it shouldn’t have been surprising. Since Kate’s betrayal was recent, most likely the small fry within the rebel group wouldn’t even know who she was.

“Okay then. Maybe you’ll know this. Your building where all your bosses gather to have meetings. Where is it?”

“What? B-but, they’ll kill me if I tell you,” she said.

Dan inched the blade closer to her neck. “And you think I won’t?”

The rebel whimpered and closed her eyes. She turned away from him.

“You’re collaborating with a bunch of agents with spikes on their armor and bloodshot eyes. I would imagine they’re not the nicest bunch. But that’s on you for allying with them. Were you told that your opposition would be more agents like me?”

Judging from the shallow breaths and the sudden smell of urine, Dan’s words weren’t helping. But in this moment, he didn’t give a shit.

“Well, of course they wouldn’t tell you that. Why would they? You’re nothing but just another grunt to a cause you don’t even fully comprehend. Now be a good girl and tell me what I need to know. I have important work to get done, unlike you and your cause.”

The rebel finally looked up at him. After another few shallow breaths, she said, “Our headquarters is a few blocks from here.”

“Give me details or I chop off that head of yours,” Dan threatened.

The young rebel pointed a shaking finger just past the burning inferno of the plaza. “It’s not far. You’ll see a giant sign that says ShopMart on it.”

Updating map…

Rebel/Kodak HQ located 734 meters away.

Setting waypoint.

That made things a lot easier. The only thing left was to decide what he would do with the rebel. She didn’t seem to have the same arrogance or bloodlust as the Kodak agents. He looked at her and saw just another girl who was scared out of her mind.

Dan slowly moved his blade away from her throat. She was unarmed and no threat to him.

Dan was about to put his sword back into its sheath when the female rebel in front of him mustered up some courage.

“What are you people even doing here?” she asked weakly.

Dan looked at her. “Lady, have you been asleep the entire time?” He turned and pointed to the Alpha Corp’s logo on his upper arm. “I’m an Alpha agent. We’re here to crack down on your operations. From what my bosses tell me, you guys are terrorists who have stolen from us.”

“What? That’s not true. We’re fighting for—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Dan interrupted. He drew his sword again and stepped towards the rebel. He pressed the blade against her neck, specifically where an important artery was. “The only thing you’re doing is stealing from supply shipments belonging to Alpha. I’ve lost half of my friends coming here because of you and Kodak. I don’t give a flying fuck what you have to say.”

If the rebel’s bladder wasn’t empty before, it was now.

“I’m the newest one of the team. I was just starting to warm up to these people. I might have considered them family if I had gotten more time to know them. But since half of them are dead and one is a traitor, I won’t get such an opportunity. I’m going to make sure everyone who I cross paths with will die. And so will you.”

Even in the dark, the color drained from the rebel’s face. “B-but wait, you can’t! I’m unarmed. You can’t do this to me!”

Dan pulled his sword back and got ready for a swing. He strongly thought about what he was doing. His anger and all the other conflicting emotions swirling inside him told him to end her life and earn a tiny bit extra experience. But what would he be earning? Was it proud for an agent to say he killed someone who was unarmed?

Kate was still out there. And there were probably more Kodak agents out there for Dan to worry about. Lopping the head off this lady would serve no purpose other than him taking out his frustration for this whole mess.

Dan lowered his sword. “Alright then. I’ll be leaving. But if you try to shoot me in the back, I’ll blow your brains out, got it?”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The rebel nodded profusely, unable to muster up words.

He turned and walked past her. Just to make sure, Dan looked over his shoulder and kept his eye on her as he slowly walked past the burning plaza.

Her head exploded from the side and she instantly dropped dead to the ground.

Dan spun around and grabbed the grenade launcher with his other hand. His eyes darted from side to side. Who the hell fired that shot?

Dan didn’t see anything, nor did his HUD highlight anyone in red. Then he saw it. Something slowly materialized out of thin air in front of him. Beside the dead body of the female rebel, a figure seemingly phased into reality.

“It’s called cloaking,” the figure said. “Is this your first time seeing it? Well, you’re lucky. Or unlucky, depending on your point of view.”

The figure fully decloaked and Dan was hit with a wave of something, forcing him to take a step back.

What the fuck was that? That wasn’t a gust of wind, Dan thought.

The figure was indeed another Kodak agent. But this one was different. The agent in front of him stood much taller than him, maybe even taller than Allen. Unlike most of the other Kodak agents, this one wore a helmet that had a white skull painted on it. Then he recalled the ambush back at the subway station. When Kate had betrayed them, this same Kodak agent was with her. She’d called him Adam.

“I remember you, but I don’t think you remember me,” the Kodak agent said. “I’m Adam, Kate Razor’s boyfriend.”

Dan didn’t give a shit about Kate’s relationship status.

“Let me guess, next you’re going to tell me you convinced Kate to defect and turn her back on us,” Dan said. He quickly regretted his aggressive tone.

He remembered the brief exchange he’d had with Allen when they had been surrounded by enemies back at the station. Adam had stood in front of him, and Allen had claimed that he and the agent were equals.

If that was Dan’s current opponent, then he had no chance of winning this fight directly.

He tightly gripped the grenade launcher and sword in each hand.

“Is your name Dan by any chance? Dan Orion?” Adam asked.

“Why does that matter? We’re enemies,” Dan snapped.

“Oh don’t be like that. Don’t you want to know the name of your enemies? So you can beat them in battle and brag about it to your comrades? Why wouldn’t you want to know the names of your opponents?”

Why this agent was having a conversation with him was beyond Dan. Even if he didn’t say anything, it was pointless. Adam had probably already been briefed by Kate about the members of the Alpha squad sent to this place. If not, Adam could have performed a scan of Dan and his stats just like Dan had been doing to other agents.

“I should thank you. You’ve made my job a lot easier,” Adam said.

Dan stared at him. “Yeah? And how did I manage that? Go on, I’m dying to know.”

Not that he enjoyed the banter, but if it bought him more time to figure out his move against this high-ranking Kodak agent, then he needed to stall.

“Since you asked, I’ve always preferred working alone. I’m not the type who enjoys ordering grunts around. If they die, I get into shit. If they don’t die but don’t get the job done, then I also get into shit. But since you’ve wiped out a lot of my guys, I’m set to operate as I please.”

“So you’re a lazy asshole,” Dan said. It took a lot to say it out loud, knowing Adam could kill him at any point. “I’d assumed you would enjoy your authority a lot more. There’s plenty out there who love abusing the power they’re given.”

Adam looked at him before he laughed. His cackling intensified to the point where Dan saw his shoulders shake. For how bulky the agent’s armor was, he had to laugh hard for it to show.

“I’m a warrior, not a commander. Too many responsibilities. Anything, and I mean anything goes wrong, you get blamed for it. A bastard under my command could get a papercut and I would have to answer for it. So yeah, I’m not a fan of being a leader. But since most of my guys are dead, I won’t have to worry anymore. I got my excuse right here in front of me,” Adam said, pointing at Dan.

Adam turned around and looked back at the street, then glanced back at Dan. “I assume you’re the one who killed my girl Samantha?”

“No less than what she deserved,” Dan said.

Once again, Adam’s cackling filled the air. “Samantha was one of my best first tiers. Actually, it looks like you were responsible for the deaths of many of my first tier agents. I gotta say, you’re impressive.”

Dan studied Adam as best he could. Aside from a pistol, which the agent had dropped on the ground for unknown reasons, he had no weapons on him. He was just like Kate. He was confident enough in his abilities that he didn’t need a weapon to fight Dan.

The most obvious attack to open up with would be to fire a grenade directly at Adam. Dan replayed it over and over in his head, tuning out whatever nonsense left Adam’s mouth. He tried to raise his arm, but something didn’t feel right.

He found it difficult to move in general. He couldn’t even take a step in any direction. Trying to shift his footing felt like moving with a ball and chain around his ankle. Was he paralyzed? What the hell was going on?

Dan reversed his grip on the sword and brought the blade down next to his foot, a near miss. This seemed to shock him out of his strange paralysis.

Adam tilted his helmet at him. “Oh, I see what you did there. Most impressive, Dan Orion. So it appears my fear pheromones had no effect on you.”

“The fuck? What are you saying?” Dan said.

“Well, it’s not exactly pheromones in nature. Some higher-ranking Kodak agents can exude an aura that has varying effects on others around them. One of those effects is fear. Fear so overpowering you freeze up. You’re up against someone who is much stronger than you and you’re forced to submit. That’s all it is.”

This was Dan’s first encounter with a higher-ranked Kodak agent. If an enemy agent could render you powerless just from being in their presence, Dan wondered how anyone of his rank could survive against such an opponent.

“You just managed to overcome the fear I instilled into your heart. I see you for who you are. It’s no wonder you managed to piss off Kate more than once. Let me tell you, you got her panties in a bunch after you almost killed her with this explosion.” Adam pointed his finger at the burning buildings behind Dan. “And you’re also the one who ripped off one of her earrings. That was pretty funny. Hats off to you, kid.”

Dan didn’t feel comfortable getting such high praise from his enemy. Any kind of recognition from an opponent would only pique their interest and make them come after you. Dan knew that shit all too well from dealing with gangs.

“I know what I’m dealing with. Any run of the mill tier one is no match for you. I see why Samantha got her ass killed fighting you. Your strength and technique are lacking, but you have good instincts and reaction times for someone of your rank. If I had to guess, the Alpha Corp found you in some shithole, the sort of existence where merely seeing tomorrow was a battle. That would explain your ability to survive this long here and killing a bunch of my first tiers and managing a good few licks against Kate. You’re a funny one, Dan, and I mean that.”

“Gee, thanks. It’s not every day you receive a compliment from an enemy,” Dan spat.

“Don't worry, I didn’t come here to suck your cock. You’re impressive, but you still don’t compare to me. I’m sure you already know that. Knowing your background and the intel I got, you’ve been trying to figure out how to get the jump on me this entire conversation.”

Dan gritted his teeth. If Adam knew his intentions and could anticipate his next move, then this battle was already a loss.

“But I’m a bleeding heart of generosity,” Adam said. “How about I give you an advantage.”

“What did you say?” Dan perfectly heard what Adam said. But purposely giving an enemy a leg up had never even entered Dan’s thought process.

“I see you took a sword from one of our first tiers. It’s a fine blade, one that has higher cutting power compared to a regular sword, especially in the hands of an agent. How about I give you the first strike and you swing that sword at me with all your might?”

What the fuck is he thinking? Dan thought. How could someone be this casual in a life or death fight?

Dan didn’t want to play this game. He took a different option and raised his grenade launcher. He squeezed the trigger and fired a grenade right at the Kodak agent.

The distance between the two was around fifteen paces. Even at that close of a range, Adam sidestepped the grenade and it harmlessly blew up the road behind him.

“Good try, but not good enough,” Adam taunted. “Now, Dan, I’m an easygoing person. I can let that slide and still offer you that freebie. Your choice.”

Dan thought about firing a grenade right at Adam’s feet instead, but knew it would be pointless. If Adam was fast enough to react to a grenade at this short range, then he would also be quick enough to jump out of the way. And Adam’s guard was up, meaning he would expect a follow-up.

Begrudgingly, Dan placed the grenade launcher on his back and grabbed his sword with both hands. He didn’t say a word. He ran at Adam at full speed and aimed a swing right at the agent’s neck. A quick decapitation.

Pain shot through both of Dan’s wrists and forearms as the blade suddenly stopped right before it made contact.

What type of shit? I swung with full force. Why am I hurt? he thought.

Adam still stood straight, staring down at him. Up close, the height difference was too real. Adam stood taller than even Allen Draco, who in turn stood a head taller than Dan. He stood in front of a giant who also just survived a sword to the neck.

Dan narrowed his eyes and looked closely at the blade. A brief shimmering green flash radiated around the agent’s neck, some unknown barrier that had blocked the sword from reaching Adam.

“Oh yeah, my armor has an energy shield,” Adam said. His cackling up close was no better for Dan’s ears.

Adam brought both his fists up and cracked his knuckles. “Now, let’s get this fight started, shall we?”