Bruna leaned on the railing. Gaston watched the skies of South Africa, one of the few skies left in the world untainted by the end of the world. There was a sense of dread in Bruna’s aura. She had learned of the cuffs they were trying to prepare.

“Want to complain?”

Gaston jested. Bruna’s eyes remained on the stars.

“Do you sometimes question all of this? What we are seeing right now is merely the start. A device that can switch us on and off of our powers.”

“It’s nothing new.”

Gaston said that in a matter of fact voice.

“Every bastard always wants something to limit. In our age we are weaponized to combat monsters in all forms. What they presented to us is a refined version of what the UK and the Americas did. If that device works, then I’ll be something that will control most Breakers into submission.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Could have objected. But you know why you didn’t. There is always someone who will do it themselves. Maybe it’ll not happen in five years or more. But it changes nothing. These kinds of businessmen and women are people who not a single individual or group can stop.”

“Is it worth the price of your soul?”

“You don’t think about it.”

Gaston said without a tone in his voice. Bruna’s stilled eyes reflected only the shine from above. There were no clouds. There was no smog or pollution covering the South African skies she was staring at.

“I guess that’s the price of being good with your job. Stoic Professionalism, Lemmy always advocates that.”

“Feelings aren’t exactly something that is needed. In this job you start thinking of feelings and then you’d start being emotional. Trying to be rational, and focus on your task is what you’d need to survive this kind of work. Weigh the pros and cons. You do your work, but remember to make a bottom red line. Keep it. Secure it. The moment you step on it and ignore it is the day you know that you are lost.”

“Have you taken a step on your red line?”

“No, thankfully, I have not yet. There are times where I was one step away and lately it has become too much.”

“If you had free reign. Do you think that such devices are good?”

“It is,” Gaston said without hesitating. “To own any weapon makes you dangerous. Becoming a weapon yourself makes you even more dangerous. You know what people did when they discovered that they were superhuman?”

“Ah, I did. There was a rise on Vigilantes, right?”

“Yes, Superheroes save people in their cities. They were the unique ones who cared about the well-being of the individual. The rest who got powers? Well, they did what any human would do if they have powers. Try to do everything they wanted only to realize that a well placed shot in the head or an armor-piercing round could end them as any human there is.”

When men were given power, they rebelled at those who would restrain men. Humanity always had the ability to rise up against the oppressors, not caring about the lives lost in the name of Freedom.

It was a chaotic period. And it was only when good men went to war against these men that the world realized that they needed to have that power.

The funny thing about humanity as a whole was that they could always put the blame on someone or something to justify who to kill or blame their problems on.

A gun was still mighty and give that gun to a man who could run faster than an olympic gold medalist, and you’d have deadly fighters with higher senses and power. For a few years they managed, and then technology improved to solve these problems.

It was only because the biomass entities appeared that there was a huge change in the thinking of humanity. What Bruna missed was that all those who had taken in the serum that turned them into Breakers were already listed weapons. Weaponized humans who are permitted to roam the world in order to target the beasts that roam the world.

Gaston understood that the only reason that Bruna wasn’t totally disheartened was because she knew how useful it would be to have a safety on the trigger of a gun. And that it was also a device that would manage the ‘weakness’ of the Breakers.

Power comes with a great price.

And the price of power was to make the Breakers independent of the material that keeps them strong enough to fight said monsters. If this device works then they can turn their powers off without worrying about the syndrome. It was a cure and also a cuff that would make them subservient to governments who can control it. They weren’t stupid enough to assume that saying no would matter.

“I guess we’d just have to accept this then?”

“Who knows?”

Gaston had no proper reply to that. There are things you have control over, things you have no control over, and things that you some, but no complete control over.

Bruna might be in a slump, helping these people put a collar around their necks. She was still somewhat new to these dealings, but the fact that she did nothing meant that she was right for this as well.

“Evil wins when good men do nothing. But the problem is that associating yourself as both good and evil does nothing for the soul in this kind of profession. You stand between them and watch them bicker or fight. And defend who you are working with. Of course, the better path is not fighting at all.”

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Bruna turned her eyes away from the stars. She stared deep into Gaston’s eyes.

“Is that why you don’t fight as hard as you do now, Teach?”

Gaston paused. He wrapped his fingers on the railing.

“Janna likes fighting. I enjoyed some time, but fighting isn’t something that I enjoy now.”

Bruna nodded.

“Will you ever talk about what happened in the Golden Gate?

Gaston didn’t answer. He remained on the balcony overlooking the compound of Sir Mortimer for minutes before leaving. As he was about to retreat to his own room. Gaston was led to Sir Mortimer by one of his assistants.

Sir Mortimer sat behind his desk doing paperwork.

“Mr. Hardy. I believe that you are not working solely for the UEDF. For the consortium as well. Now, you are worth trusting, but I need a verbal confirmation that this wouldn’t spread to the Consortium for now until the UEDF themselves released it.”

“Have you contacted Chameleon?”

“I had his permission. So, what’s left is your permission.”

Gaston stood in front of the desk.

“I’ll allow it then, Sir.”

Sir Moritimer leaned on the backrest of his chair. He took a piece of the item and then threw it on Gaston.

“This is your reward. It’ll unshackle you from the cuffing devices that will be implemented in the future. It should function with your bracer.”

Gaston took the cuffs without hesitating and installed it on his bracer. On his heads-up display he saw a new function which allowed him to release the effect of the disruption. He didn’t hesitate to stop the flow.

The energy went back to him. He sucked in the bioenergy in air and sucked alongside the ichor with it. He could feel the bioelectricity in his body pumping. A dark red electricity runs around his body which fascinates Mortimer.

“It really is a wonder sometimes. How both could co-exist. You Exemplars really do run in another battery. How is it?”

“It functions well-enough. It’ll take a long time before people consider this. You must have heard what Bruna said?”

“She’s a goodhearted woman. Strange to find in this kind of profession. We will not have problems. She is smart enough to understand whose side she is standing on. Well, you must understand that this is merely ‘officer’ what I’m giving you.”

He spoke with that cocksure accent. There was this overwhelming sense of gentle confidence in his words. He was as Gaston remembered him. The confident businessman who was always ahead of you.

“So what’s the play here?”

“Nothing. I have been thinking about the sponsorship that you wanted. As you have guessed by now, there are many who want to have what is mine. Lionel can be a fool, but most of the time he can be as brilliant as Romanov. There is certainty that the project will come to a fruition. The problem is that there will be competition.”

“Then why call me here?”

“To give you a gift. I do not mind letting you continue as our Adjutant. I have made a proposal that all transactions regarding this deal will go through your watchful eyes. Yes, you are a freelancer of little renown other than those few who have seen you and truly know you. But let’s switch that off for now. I want to see Diable at the moment, not the Professional Freelancer working currently as the Adjutant of the UEDF and the Consortium, Gaston Hardy, but the Exemplar named Diable.”

Gaston stared at Sir Mortimer as if he was going crazy. Then with an exhausted look on his face. There was a change on Gaston’s face, as if the light avoided a part of his face.

“What do you want specifically?”

‘Diable’ was now speaking. The change of attitude was like another personality.

“Secret Societies are maintained through covert operations. It’s not a secret that powerful families have thrived again because of the recent rise of power. Do you know? That a certain research has made waves that those who are likely to have ‘holy’ power as the old world says have the blood of Kings. Have you been to Greece?”

“I have.”

“Rubedo, the man in question, has taken a seat of power while proclaiming himself as an ancestor of Alexander the Great. He heals people. He blinds them with the light of his. The Vatican enjoys the same peace and recently… let’s just say that the Sitra Ahra’s Cult has made it clear that everyone must have some sort of secret they have been hiding.”

“You think that they have their own techniques of using bioenergy?”

“They call it techniques. Methods that they’ll use to form their own brand of system. Big Ben is quite eager to spread this and we have spent millions in developing them.”

“Sounds like fantasy.”

“It is fantastical. Show this back in time and they’ll think it's a wonderful use of CGI. Not that they expected that one day monsters will be real and humans will have enhanced humans walking the streets.”

“What’s your point?”

“Gaston Hardy doesn’t do anything beyond paperwork and the occasional fights to defend himself. Diable on the other hand specializes in making sure that there would be no one to challenge the Consortium. What I want from you, Diable, is to make sure that you show the people that they aren’t holy and even if they are. We can make them fall.”

“Is this about Rubedo?”

“Yes, I want you to do what General McArthur did to the Emperor of Japan by taking a photo with him. Showing that he’s just a man. I want you to show the world that he isn’t so holy and you bring them to your level.”

“That’s a lot to ask.”

“I have contacted Miss Hild. Your superiors in UEDF have agreed to this demonstration. Don’t worry, Rubedo is not a kindly man.”

“Hild is in this?”

“She is a businesswoman. I have made sure that she’ll be your support when you bring Rubedo down. Expose Rubedo, there is no need for holy men in this era.”

“He must have done something to make you target him.”

“I am a reasonable man, Diable. However, I’m not fond of individuals who imitate Saints. You will receive a cuff. Marcus will be waiting for you in Athens. You shall help the man expose Rubedo as a fraud.”

Gaston’s face mellowed. He breathed in and out before his icy expression went out.

“So we’re done here?”

“We are. The enemies have been neutralized by my associates. You just have to concern yourself with this new task and we’ll give you a sponsor.”

“I was hoping that this was the end of my work here.”

“So eager to return to work?”

“I will participate in this.”

Gaston left the office with a turbulent mind. These people always have something they want done to others.