POV Paladin

Another boss was of higher tier. He knew politicians and acted publicly sometimes. He posed as moral person of importance then. His deals were tied to some ginger former premiere of Poland from past. There was theft of gold and he got fat share at that time. There was public sensation and mafia and politics covered each other. To jail went small fishes. Since that moment that mafia boss was untouchable to police due to support of those politicians that ruled locally over that area. Ginger and his lackey politicians had lot to say in main cities near sea.

It was easy to spot that boss. It was very hard to step closer to him. People that were guarding him weren’t thieves or murderers. He hired former soldiers from special forces or retired workers from intelligence. It was possible, because some of those were corrupted during ginger times.

I was thinking about sniping him. Reality of sniping is different than that of movies. Longer the distance higher the chance that bullet would move out of shot line due to wind or differences in density of air. On front line of war sniper can shot many times and soldiers would stay. In city with mafia boss as target sniper have one chance after which boss would hide if alive.

I couldn’t come close during the walk on the city pavement. Sniping was risky, too risky. It left me with option of assault on building, where boss would be. I knew I was half bullet proof and normal humans were squishy. I had reasonable chance to pull it through.

It was easier to think than done. I counted six close guards and twice as many guards on perimeter of manor. Also local police force was too much cooperative to them, almost as if they were helping by patrolling neighborhood.

I could try sneaky tactics, but I believed, that they would spot me on cameras or other sensors. Alternative tactics was for me fast mode or berserker mode. I could take lot of punishment before they would stop me. It should be enough to see boss eye to eye if I would hurry. Downside was, that my chance of coming alive after was slim. I had that inner urge to kill evil people, as if that could erase my evil deeds. I felt, that I too became evil to some extent and didn’t care for my own live too much. Perhaps I was unconsciously suicidal. Most likely.

It didn’t stop me from meticulously plan my actions. I bought van. Normally van can’t do much damage. But if you put lot of bottles of water inside it becomes heavy weight. If you speed it up, it becomes steal fist of destruction. I did just that. I hit huge manor doors with accelerated van full of water inside. Those were reinforced doors, but I got through easily. Some guards were shooting to van from behind. Two inside manor at the doors was very surprised I didn’t use bell. They were smashed when van flipped over few times and stopped at wall. Main hall was spacious. I needed few moments to gather myself after flip and my brain seemed to enjoy watching big chandelier over me. I gathered myself. I heard incoming people from different parts of manor. I threw some explosives I had in different directions. I didn’t have much of those and they weren’t potent. It was hard to buy even those. They served their purpose. Instinct reaction of people hearing explosions nearby is to cover up or at least slow down. And people did just that.

People were coming from all directions, but didn’t came from basement or part of higher level, where mini airfield for helicopter was. I judged that boss wouldn’t sent his personal guards against me. I chose to check mini airfield first, as in basement it was easier to cut me off. When I was almost at top of stairs two guards walked into main hall and started to shooting at me. I got series in back and two bullets in neck. I had helmet. Still, those two bullets should incapacitated me, if I were normal human. I quickly ran forward and got series of bullets in chest. Luckily another two guards that shot me didn’t expect that I would respond with my own rain of bullets. I killed them. They looked like bullies on steroids. Lots of meat for my Cursed stone if I could harvest them. I went forward but slower. Bullets didn’t injure me much, but they hurt as liquid fire.

There was room under airfield with elevator. I heard some shuffling there. Probably four personal guards and boss were preparing for my entrance. I went through window on the roof. I had some simple climbing equipment. I saw two normal guards at airfield. I threw knives to kill them without shooting. My strength stats were enough for this. It helped but not much. Someone, probably guards near boss were trying to contact them via radio. I always believed in face to face contact more. I tied them with rope. I threw one in that way, that he broke window below and fell in the room with boss. They started shooting. In meantime I threw another from other side in that same manner. Then I jumped myself through first broken window. When I was in awareness of defenders was distracted. Someone was still shooting to second body. Others looked on unbroken windows expecting another package. Only one saw me in corner of his eye. He started to move before I landed completely. I got another line of bullets to the chest. I saw in his eyes, that he expected me to feel recoil and be thrown out the broken window. His surprise was deadly. He had bulletproof vest but got bullets into face. My body didn’t recoil much. Boss hidden behind big desk. I went for him.

-= Greetings from ginger! – I shouted. It was part of psychological warfare. It made guards hesitate for a moment long enough to get under desk.

Boss thought, that I would talk with him or something. He started to bubble something out. I killed him with one swift motion of hand with knife. I did it. I felt relief.

-= You avenger! – Screamed one of guards. They didn’t see, what I did. – If you release hostage, we can pay you much more than yours payers. We can give you helicopter to leave too.

-= Sure. How much? – I shouted.

-= Ask boss, but tens of millions at least.

-= Boss doesn’t want to talk.

-= Impossible! Why?

-= Knife in his head is blocking jaws.

Few series of bullets stroke desk. I waited for that moment. I ran towards broken window. I got series on legs, ass, back, hands, neck. They didn’t shot me in head because of helmet. I almost didn’t make it as bullet on the back of knee made me stumble. I jumped with one leg strength. Fell from third floor wasn’t so bad. I ran. All guards were inside manor shooting to me from windows. They lived too good with police forces. They didn’t have those illegal kind of weapons, strong guns, that could kill me on spot. I was sure they only have weapons which gun license allowed them to have. They believed in numbers and skills and I disappointed them in their faith.

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I had hidden motorbike not far away. I was able to get there, but I felt more and more weak. I lost lot of blood. I rode to hideout. There I was loosing and regaining consciousness. I treated some of my wounds. I had high fever.

Cursed stone started talking to me. Normally I didn’t answer. I took our talks as minimal as possible. But in midst of fever I talked back.

It took me two days to regain clear consciousness. I still had fever. I was so weak, I almost couldn’t move completely.

-= You are dying. – Said Curse. – You didn’t get destroyed any main organ, but at some point quantity of holes makes for quality easily enough.

-= I’m dying happy. – I said.

-= Are you? We talked during your high fewer and maybe you don’t remember, but you weren’t content.

-= It matters not. Death comes for all.

-= Death would wait, if I saved you today.

-= You would probably made something similar to deal with the devil with me, isn’t it true? I’m better off.

-= Yes. You are right. But alternative seems to be bleaker.

-= There won’t be alternative.

-= For you, no. But after you will die, I will take someone on your place. Your bet was during fever, that some mafia pawn will find your body eventually.

-= You won’t convince me.

He stayed silent from that moment. I drunk some water and lied down in bed after taking painkillers. I waited. I had nothing to do. Something was bothering me though.

-= Why did you pull topic of deal, when I should state clearly even in fever, that I wouldn’t make deal with you? – I asked.

-= I promised you during fever, that I would refer our talks.

-= Did you refer all crucial talks?

-= No.

-= Why?

-= You said, that there will be no deal. More talk about it is pointless.

I felt as Curse was hiding something from me.

-= Can you tell me, what crucial talk I don’t remember?

-= You begged me to chose someone else than mafia member. I declined, I would choose any suitable host.

-= Why that was problem for me? I would be dead anyway.

-= You were afraid, what would become from mafia member supported by cursed stone.

-= What would it be?

-= Possibly stronger mafia boss, than one you killed.

I felt chills. That was something I would think. If I could bury Curse in basement with all the bodies, I could die with clear consciousness. But I was too weak to do that.

-= What was discussed alternative?

-= Devil’s deal.

-= What is content of devil’s deal?

-= We would merge. I would become part of your body. I would fix you from inside. You would live. In time I would eat you from inside, but no faster than in three years. I would have influence over your decisions growing with time, but they would be yours mainly.

It was road to hell. If I could have my own decision, it wasn’t optimal for Curse too. Was option that let Curse connect to thug somehow worse for him? I couldn’t touch it, where it didn’t stick together.

-= What good would you have from that deal? – I asked, I couldn’t find reasons myself.

-= Do you remember Diana? – He asked. – She was merged one. She was strong, stronger than anyone on her level. You would become like her.

-= She was psycho!

-= To go for a merge one needs to be psycho or in desperation. – After moment of silence. – If I will get mafia shitty human, I will have some perks, but not much. You already gathered quite a stock of bodies. Humans are squishy, I would need to waste much time to make that person strong. In the meantime other hosts would be even stronger. There will be confrontations in the future. It would put me on losing end.

-= Why did you tell me all this? Some of that info could be used against you.

-= You can merge only willingly. I must be willing and you must be willing. We will share one body and all our problems.

He told me his secrets, because I was dying and couldn’t use them against him. That was truth I saw.

-= Is merge reversable? – That was my only hope for normal life.

-= I don’t know, but most likely no. If it was, you would get shorter stick of that divorce. It’s better to think, that it’s irreversible and be proven wrong than other way around. If we want to merge, you must be committed.

-= Let me think. – I said after.

I knew, that if I was considering merge, it meant I somehow lost morally. I couldn’t allow bad things to happen because of my failure in oversight though. I felt that something in my way of thinking wasn’t perfect. I had no enough time to catch that false note. I was half step decided in my head. I could wait with dying few more years.

POV Vivaldi

I saw real ruler in making. Huntress was her name. It wasn’t my way, which was solitary tiger way. Her way was of solitary lioness leading group of lions. I didn’t know, how she took over control of Devas organization, but she was right person on right place in my opinion. I could work with her. She had my respect.

After I saw Beria humbled, I realized I couldn’t alone stay on road against Devas. Even Diana, who was freak and was defended by ancient stone rules, had to step down from their way. My thought was straight, join them and advance in their ranks.

During way back from Returned Glory city to War-Saw I asked, if I could become Associated Deva. Sith was against it. He pointed, that I acted like brute and were troublesome. I apologized, but deep inside were angry on Sith. I said, that feeling of power made me lose my sanity a little. Huntress said, that it was possible, but my probation period would change terms. Others were silent or sided with Diana. Sith’s opinion was overcame. My first little victory.

Devas had problem with my attitude on humans. Some were preaching to me after Huntress let me join, that I should take care more. That humans were squishy and I should be aware of that. I thought, that they should be aware not to get squished, but didn’t voice it loud. They were teaching some humans magic abilities. I was surprised. My first thought was, that bio-stones shouldn’t allow that. It was part of rules, that I didn’t hurt any of awoken, those Devas supporters that was more into Deva’s secrets. I felt annoyed. After half an hour of preaching I said, that I wasn’t people’s person and I should get tasks, that didn’t involved many interactions with normal people. After that Sith said, that he could accept me as Associated Deva as long as I would get those kind of tasks. He insulted me that way, didn’t he? I stayed calm. Tiger would wait for his turn to attack.

There was no work for me till I would have deal with generals closed. I was working on that, but I knew, that I could decently negotiate only from position of strength. I needed help from somebody. Oldman, even if he agreed, I wouldn’t trust him. I got word, that Lily and Pine were skilled negotiators. After we got to War-Saw, I asked them for help and they agreed in exchange for some mixtures. I would prefer to harass those generals, but I had aim to advance in Devas rank at that moment. My chain of revenges needed to wait some time.

Lynx showed me my new farm. Feeder would be provided for some price. I really got everything that covered my basic needs and my bio-stone needs. Bio-stone was put into freezer though. It all costed me. I was in debt. Heart mixtures my bio-stone would produce was already sold. That made me angry. I asked about ways to earn something by doing tasks. I needed to wait.

Then Lily and Pine was able to close small deal with generals. They wouldn’t use police against me or harass me with military forces, buy I paid some upfront medicines. It was temporary deal for nearest two months. It let me out from my hiding. I could be useful for Devas from that moment.