Gaston stood in front of a semi-ruined house. Hands on his hips, he looked at the two who were not looking at each other. Both hands folded and eyes that could kill.

“You know what I have to say about this. Both of you. I was sure that this would last longer than expected. I mean there is a beach fifteen minutes away from here. Couldn’t hold it in. Have to do that here. Seriously?”

“She started it.”

“You ruined my bike.”

“I did not. You ruined it yourself.”

“Okay, that’s enough ladies.”

Gaston said in a toneless voice. The two looked away from each other and stayed on their side.

“You two punched holes in the wall. Ruined the front. Did you throw each other? Don’t see any gunshot so it’s a lot better than expected.”

Gaston interfaced with his bracer and reported the damage to the local government.

“Hild your bank account now.”

“Are you serious?”

Gaston just stared. Eyes empty. Electricity flickers on his eyes as if he’s ready to jump in a fight. Hild snorted and then wired a bank transfer to Gaston with her mobile.

“You two do this every time. Not even going to ask how this started.”

“Five years apparently isn’t enough to get rid of grudges. I tried to be friendly, okay!?”

Janna shouted. Hild stared at her bike. She was far more concerned with how awful the state of her bike was.

“Sure you did,” Gaston contacted a repairman on his bracer and sent the appropriate down payment. “Thing is that it always ends up like this. This must be a new record. Are you two even alright in the head?”

“Again. Not my fault. I just got that bike customized. Look, doesn’t that mean anything? As far as I am concerned, I don’t release bioenergy when I try to!”

“Okay, try to make yourself look prim and proper for a second.”

“Shut up you sexist piece of shit,” Hild glared.

Gaston blinked. Handed over the hair clip that fell on the ground. Then He pulled Janna up by the wrist and pointed at the bench near the porch.

The two sat down together.

“Okay, now that’s done. Let’s try again and have a truce.”

“A truce? Seriously?”

“Janna, when did she ever come to us unless she’s after something? I mean there was a time, but anyway she isn’t the type to do this unless she’s benefiting from it. It isn’t like her at all. So it’s safe to assume that she’s up to something. So what is it?”

“You are wounding me! It isn’t like that at all–”

“Enough. Just tell me the truth. Got an idea on why you do this faux outrage. Honestly, why even bother going through all of this in the first place.”

Hild glared at Gaston as if she wanted to tear him apart. Then her face changed. She made a calm conceding look before folding her arms.

“Mr. Mortimer.”

“Ah, you really are after him.”

“Who’s that?”

“Cabal guy. Arms Dealer and Gun runner. Question is why she’s after him.”

Janna stared at Hild for a second. Then she looked like she was digging into her own mind. Her face lit up after remembering who Mortimer was.

“Now I remember. Damn bitch, why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

“I did want to spar with you. But you couldn’t help but do that to my bike.”

“It was a goddamn accident, alright? Gaston, tell her that it was.”

“You two really need to lay it off. Have fun and do something that isn’t fighting or killing anything.”

When Gaston said that, the air froze. The two who were glaring at each other's face visibility froze and glared at him instead with dead eyes. As if he said something so offensive that made him target.

“You are the worst, Gato.”

“Yeah, how can you say that?”

“The fuck are you on about now. No, you know what? Fuck off, I don’t want to hear it.”

Hild and Janna looked at Gaston then clicked their tongues. They behaved as if he had said something that they truly disagreed with, which Gaston had no idea what it was.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Clueless as ever. No wonder you’re still solo.”

Gaston snorted, “I don’t hear that from both of you. Anyway, about the damn truce. We are doing it now to prevent bullshit like this from happening again.”

The two eyed Gaston before shrugging to themselves.

“Fine. We’ll have a damn truce. Or else Gaston here won’t shut up about it.”

“Nah, unlike me, you’ll just have to cuddle him and then do that emotional chaining that you do… bitch.”

“I don’t do that.”

“Denial is unhealthy, Janna.”

Gaston sat in the middle and leaned his elbows on his thighs. Then the walls of the house before sighing. Janna saw the look on Gaston and gave up on arguing. Hild took out her e-cigar and started smoking.

“Thought you were more traditional.”

“Got to handle stress my way. You still drink? Quit all that?”

“Quit some stuff. So, Mortimer, bad idea. Why chase after his head?”

“Cause he has a lot of money in his head? What else do you think that I’m after anyone? Been killing suspected cultists and so far the pay is enough for me to last a few days. Thing is that I don’t do small jobs like this. Must be really bad if you are this careful of him.”

“Mortimer isn't an easy target. I know you have the rep and the skills. But taking care of a problem like him costs more than the actual pay.”

“Got it. So you mean to say this is all useless? Was hoping you’d fall for this again.”

“Shouldn’t have asked for Mortimer first. If anything you got lazy about this.”

“You heard me. My opinion stays the same. Not my fault if you are suicidal enough to go after him.”

“Okay then. Plan B it is.”

Gaston zipped his mouth. She waited for Gaston to ask about the plan, but he remained silent. Hild shrugged her shoulders and stood up.

“I’ll apologize. I can make it up with dinner. I do hate you for the bike, damn bitch.”

“Fine. Truce then?”

“Truce.”

“You two really need to leave me alone out of this kind of bullshit. At least leave the house alone. You know how much of a pain it is to live in the Helicarrier? Or in an apartment block?”

“Geez, no need to be so dramatic. You lived in a far harsher shithole than a rather comfy house like this.”

“And people ask why I don’t get into a relationship easily.”

Janna dusted her pants, “Well, me and her are about to go drinking. You don’t drink so might as well piss off and do something about this.”

“Rude. What if I wanted to drink as well?”

“Girl’s talk. No boys allowed this time.”

“Pricks.”

Gaston gave up and watched them go. Hild took her bike with her and was probably planning to have it fixed later. It can still run, but some of the functions might not be working.

After the two ladies got out of the house. Gaston picked up the phone and explained to the landlord who rented the house to him. He explained what happened and thankfully he was able to resolve it without paying another cent.

Squatting on the side of the house. Gaston stared at a distant light just above the clouds. The HELICARRIER CECIL hovers fifty thousand feet off the ground. On regular days the HELICARRIER stays near the ocean to reduce the heating on the turbine. Maintaining the HELICARRIER caused a lot of money and the Babaika Lions used a lot of their wealth to maintain it. It solved the problem about the taxes they pay and the fees that they have to pay every time they go to a country.

The rest is handled by the Earthside Consortium. Though at the moment the ones who are handling the affairs of the Consortium are those who retired before the event happened.

Since he had to work with the Consortium. He had to coordinate and then summarize what could have happened and what happened during the tragedy.

He also had to make reports about the situation and explain himself to the Consortium who took an interest in the matter. Meetings disregarding time zones and most of the time repeated questions and insistence in providing evidence and facts regarding the matter so that they could spin it into a narrative that would be far more advantageous to them. Earthside Consortium was a business in the first place. Although hundreds died in the battle. The resources they got from the BEHEMOTH– the leftovers was enough to cover most of the expense.

Not to mention that right now they are more interested in the technology that the Cultist showed. It was tech that could improve the logistics of the planet and might make their efforts on Mars far easier.

If anything it was quite normal. Gaston preferred the simplicity of fighting monsters. You don’t care about monsters. You slay them. But killing your own kind always has this emotional after effect.

Some are dulled by it. Gaston was one of those who are used to seeing them on the ground with their entrails flowing out. But thinking about them all day doesn’t stop the world. It’ll only stop your time so he always tries to forget about tragedies. It was far easier to accept the tragedy of killing than accidents.

In this chaotic world where many have the power to fight monsters. No one was special. Just another type of human that is stronger than humans.

Of course, just because the Breakers exist. It doesn’t mean that the world is already in the palm of their hands. Breakers have a special bullet just for them and the governments around the world aren’t hiding the fact that a disruptor can affect their bioenergy manipulation.

The thing about breakers is that they need to have a supply of ichorium to manifest their powers. Those who use up their ichor would go into a cooldown period where their body cannot manifest their abilities. When this happens, there is only a miniscule difference between a breaker and a person who is physically fit.

MF-weapons are as reliable as the person using them. They are weapons that are customized to match the ichor levels of the Breaker. Some countries even place disruptors in the populace that blacklists those who are not permitted to operate. Some even use them to track breakers down.

There are exceptions however like Hilda and Jakob whose bioenergy makes them still physically strong enough to be in peak human condition. Gaston and Janna don't have problems with disruptors and are somewhat similar to those when they are disrupted.

Anti-Breaker tech has been around for years. It was only perfected during the Golden Gate incident that still haunts Gaston to this day. The Golden Gate incident was the wake up call for Gaston.

That even the abilities that they have can be taken away by technology. Ballistic armaments wouldn’t stop being relevant and he doubts that they would be considering that they are still practical even to this day. The deadlier the enemies are. The more developed the firearms are.

Gaston had an awful feeling that the events were causing ripples all over the world. The Cultist had become a symbol. And when someone like them is successful it becomes a problem.

Copies would appear everywhere and try to imitate what they have with inferior means. Unlike the Cult who did what they wanted for the purpose of their own goals.

They succeeded in those goals and the one who has to pay is this already ruined world. The sad thing was that not everyday that the good guy wins.

And sometimes the guys playing as the good guys aren’t truly good either. Everyone wants something for themselves and sometimes the solution to said problems are as simple as shooting someone in the head.