I can’t act out. If I do, whoever is after me would realize that I know of their interference. But abandon my lab? My work? I’m not ready to dot that either. This is my life’s greatest achievement, I can’t simply abandon it to some other governing body!

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 45th Entry

VinnArc didn’t like Heravina. He didn’t like it for one simple reason. It was where the problem had started for him. He watched people pass him by like bullets and he loathed it. His body felt so damn slow it hurt.

Everyday felt like molasses for him. Everything moved past him, everyone talked too fast. It was an odd mixture of sensations that he hated waking up to. But he knew the solution. It was the same thing that had started his Withdrawal. A couple of kids ran past him. Before he had time to curse, they had already disappeared around the corner. They shouldn’t even be out so late, now that he thought about it. But that distracted from his true purpose.

VinnArc cursed himself, hating where he was headed. But the problem was too severe now, and if he didn’t take Airwaves soon, he’d lose his mind. So when he found the empty parking lot and the tall skinny man standing there, his enthusiasm returned. He’d finally be able to move with the wind again, instead of against it.

VinnArc shuffled towards the guy, who scowled as he approached.

“You couldn’t have picked some other time?” the dealer asked him indignantly.

“Sorry, man, I had to get it soon,” VinnArc replied.

“You sound slow, Vinn. You shouldn’t be taking any more of this.”

VinnArc twitched. What did it matter what he thought? This was a simple exchange. Money for goods. Even if the money given was so exorbitant, he felt he was being robbed. But this was the only dealer he knew who would meet him so soon, so he stomached the large price.

“Look at your eyes, man. Didn’t you get any sleep last night?” his dealer asked him, and VinnArc grunted.

“Did, then I woke up about an hour late for my job so the boss fired me,” VinnArc growled out. His own dealer looked horrified by him.

“You can’t be taking any more, Vinn. I’m not going to sell you any,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Just get out of here, Vinn,” he added. VinnArc’s hands clenched and he wanted to smash the man’s face in. First, the dealer got him addicted, and now he wants to back out? VinnArc moved towards his dealer, raising his fist, but someone bumped into him from behind him. VinnArc turned around and saw three men standing there. They were strong and wide, though the clothes they wore were plain.

“Sorry about that, friend,” the man in front said. VinnArc wanted to take him on, too, but his anger had faded. He simply put down his hands and walked away from the situation. The last thing he heard from the group, so slow that it caught even his attention, was

“We’d like to have a talk with you,” along with the cracking of knuckles.

But VinnArc didn’t care. He just walked away.

****

“All of them have been assaulted,” Anagen said, organizing some candid photos on the bed. Nook had brought in a small television and he was watching it from the other end of the giant mattress.

“You make a lot of enemies in the business, even at a low level,” Nook said, not taking his eyes off of the programs. He flicked through several of them, but none of the recent reports had anything to do with assault.

“Rampant use in th-”

“We need to crack down on thes-”

“These recipes are so simple you could make them in your sleep!”

Anagen seemed to pick up and place several other photos from behind him. She sighed, setting down another group of them she had been pondering for the last few minutes.

“Yes, but not at this level. And the people being assaulted are just dealers and users. specifically, Airwaves,” Anagen finished. Someone chose that moment to bang on the door of their room.

Anagen placed a blanket over the evidence and walked to the door, opening it slightly.

“Can I come in, Ana?” AxEl asked.

“If you’ve finally decided to stop gallivanting around Heravina? Of course,” she replied.

“Tsk, it wasn’t gallivanting. It was important work!” AxEl said. Anagen opened the door reluctantly, and AxEl strode inside. The channel was fixed on a news anchor who was dressed sharply. He talked with such a serious tone that it caught AxEl’s attention.

“There has been some rather disturbing news of assaults within the city. Please keep your houses closed and your loved ones close. These incidents seem to be happening in both the higher and lower districts, and the people involved have been known to suffer egregious wounds,” he said. AxEl watched him continue to list the areas and some people who were assaulted.

“Those pictures seem familiar to you?” Anagen asked him. She had her arms crossed and bore an expression that left no room for argument. He opened his coat pocket and pulled out some vials of Airwaves instead. These vials were smaller than the last, but held a more saturated colour within.

“Can you get some of our people to make something to use that? Drinking in the middle of a run is hard,” AxEl told her.

“And where did you get those exactly?” Anagen asked in return.

“From some dealers I investigated along with some of our men,” AxEl answered honestly.

“And while you were busy doing that, did you try to check in on how our own business is doing?”

AxEl quirked an eyebrow. “Why’s that relevant? I thought we had the other managers handle it.”

Anagen moved away from the door, unfolding her arms and crouching down near her purse.

“Because those same managers have been bombarding us with calls. The trade is going into decline and our profits are lower because of it. Don’t you think that’s related?” she asked in a venomous tone, bringing out what looked to be transcripts. They were embezzled, but the numbers looked lower than previously.

“While you’ve been out harassing people in the city, someone’s been doing the same to our people,” Anagen answered. AxEl knew in his mind that it shouldn’t, but his mind immediately went to the Reaper. If that thing knows some way to track the plants, then does it.. suddenly the Bullets he had in his pockets felt heavier, and AxEl had to stop himself from throwing them out that instant.

“How are they finding our dealers?” AxEl asked. Anagen shook her head, placing the papers back inside.

“Not just the dealers. The users too. Anyone that’s connected to us. They’ve got people placed around Lupan, and around the other cities. And they’ve been killing them, AxEl.”

Like LokIn. How many other moles are there in our own structure? AxEl thought. I…We need to take him out soon. Those numbers were horrible. As if the universe had heard his thoughts about HoonUl, the channels Nook had been switching between landed on his face.

AxEl wouldn’t forget it for years to come, so when it came on the screen, he snatched the remote from Nook’s hand. Nook gave him a rude gesture, but AxEl wasn’t paying attention.

HoonUl stood on a podium, microphones littering every inch of the wooden surface. His hair was cut thin as always, like his beard and mustache along with it. He had on an open vested suit that complimented his serious look well.

“People of Heravina, I welcome all of you this day and thank you for the opportunity to speak to the citizens of our country,” he said in an apologetic tone. AxEl’s eyes were glued to the screen, where he could see the outline of several people in the crowd. They seemed entranced by his presence, but for a different reason than AxEl himself.

“For a long time, I’ve been a proponent of the sciences. I’ve sponsored several scientific endeavors and many articles have been published with my help. But recently, one of these researchers has come forth to seek my help. They feared that without my help, the message wouldn’t be as widespread or taken as seriously.

But the crux of the article comes down to this. We have evidence to believe that the rampant use of the Magic Bullet Prophecy is going to have rapid negative effects on the populace.”

AxEl clutched at his coat. “What is he on about?” AxEl asked. Anagen had moved over from her spot to get a closer look at the television.

“I… don’t know?”

“Did BannIh do something?” AxEl asked.

“No. BannIh’s not concerned about most things beyond his own curiousity,” Anagen replied.

“Keep listening,” Nook told the both of them to quiet them.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

“More than any other Bullet, Prophecy disrupts the way of life. It has a high Addiction rate, causes the rapid development of hallucinations and degrades the sanity of its users. It’s lethal in even small doses, as recent cases around the country will show you. But beyond all that, it is unnatural!

Tell me, should a simple man have the ability to see the future? This shouldn’t be out in the streets. It should be locked within the confines of a lab, tested carefully. The effects of the drug let you see the future, but what if those futures are not meant to be seen? Chaos will come from the spread of this Bullet, mark my words!”

HoonUl took a deep breath before he spoke next, and played his final card.

“Which is why I’ve decided to launch an initiative with our police force to root out this corruption. If anyone has any information, anything that seems out of the ordinary and reeks of the use of Prophecy, please contact your local station via an anonymous tip or otherwise. Any and all effort is appreciated in our endeavour for a better HuedoLupan. Thank you for your time,” he finished, ending his time on the podium and walking away from it.

AxEl sat back in his seat.

“That was his gambit, then. He’s going to get the government to crack down on us,” AxEl mused to himself. What a dirty trick. Couldn’t get rid of us yourself so you brought the dogs into this.

“What are we going to do, AxEl?” Nook asked surprisingly. It was a question that actually lent some thought to it. Supply’s going to remain the same, but our dealers will be in danger. Everyone’s going to want Prophecy.

“AxEl?” Anagen reiterated. Then inspiration struck.

“They… want Prophecy, right?” AxEl asked rhetorically.

“Yes?” Anagen asked. AxEl chuckled, but no further comment came from him. Then we’re going to give it to them, in the one place they don’t want to find it.

****

AxEl and Lex found themselves in front of the same dock again. OkIx stood close by and kept watch while the two of them stalked the port for any trucks. They should’ve been here by now, AxEl thought. They’d been waiting for hours for any transport to arrive, but none had. It had gotten so bad in fact that a layer of snow had crept over their clothes. AxEl breathed mist through his mouth and waited even longer.

A large vehicle – with a container the same size as one of the freezers in the warehouse – rode up to the port after a minute. AxEl watched it from afar, but Lex still had the only binoculars pointing towards it.

“He’s showing some kind of papers. They’re talking. He’s going in,” Lex dictated the events as they happened. The truck paused inside of the docks. It was in front of one of the warehouses whose doors had been opened.

From inside the warehouse came multiple trolleys carrying boxes.

“They’re finally loading it in,” AxEl noted.

“We should’ve brought our own car,” Lex added. OkIx had joined them as well, and he had a pensive expression on his face.

“It would’ve been too noticeable,” he replied.

“Hmph, you just hate any idea that comes out of my mouth.”

“I don’t like anything that comes out of your mouth, including the air you breathe,” OkIx replied. Lex took off the binoculars to glare at the man, and OkIx returned a similar stare. They both invited challenge from one another, but were stopped when AxEl stole the glasses right out of his hand.

“Quit acting like children,” he ordered the both of them as the final boxes finally went in the truck container. The fisherman who had been loading it into the car closed the lid on the truck and gave it a smack, prompting the driver to turn the engine on.

The driver left the compound and turned left. AxEl handed the binoculars back to Lex and started walking in the same direction as the truck.

“Come on, both of you. We’ve got a car to chase,” AxEl told them as he pulled out another vial out of his pockets. He popped the cork, downed the bottle and then let it fall on the ceiling.

As he approached the parapet of the building, the blood in his veins began to rush. Birds and cars slowed along with the sounds of people around him. He heard Lex and OkIx say something, but ignored it. He instead jumped off the parapet onto the next building.

The truck started to speed up and AxEl picked up his own pace. The next building had a long alley between it, So AxEl instead took to the bulkhead on his current one. He grabbed onto it with one hand and flipped himself up and over it. AxEl started running faster over it, taking a large leap.

The jump carried him over to the slanted roof of the building and he began to slide down. He saw some people under him, but none seemed to notice. That was until he accidently dislodged one of the tiles. AxEl threaded the needle of the slanted roof, walking in the midde where it was flat. He ran faster and faster, and as soon as the first tiles hit the ground, he took another leap onto the next building.

It was the end of the line and the truck would either keep continuing straight or take a left turn. If it was the former, then AxEl would have to find a much more difficult route to its destination. AxEl watched for a bit as the truck came to a stop. Come on, take a left… he hoped inwardly. An acknowledgement went through him that OkIx and Lex had made it towards him, but one of them was heaving.

The truck went straight. Crap. AxEl chewed on Firewire and jumped down the nearest alley. He didn’t expect the clothesline and got caught on it. AxEl flipped over and grabbed onto the clothesline before it turned him on his head.

The line snapped and he fell anyway, slamming into the nearest wall. AxEl slid down the line onto the alley floor, running out and into a thin crowd. AxEl tried his best to go slow, but his own impatience stopped him. He ran as fast as he could across the street and towards the truck.

People parted on the curb when he ran past, but AxEl still screeched to a halt when he saw a patrol car turn onto his street. He ducked into the nearest alley, filled with a dumpster and a set of stairs that led upwards. He jumped off the dumpster, grabbed onto the railing and started climbing the stairs as fast as he could.

Bursting onto another rooftop, AxEl continued running up and across the various buildings until the truck finally came back into sight. It stopped at another intersection and AxEl cursed himself. You better make a right turn this time, he thought with adrenaline pumping through his veins. A sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead that AxEl wiped, before taking a moment to catch his breath. He breathed heavily, exhaling like a steam engine with how hot his insides were.

And he observed. The truck stopped, it waited, and when the signal came for it, it turned. To the opposite direction AxEl was in. Come on! AxEl sighed, then picked himself up. He took another vial of Airwaves along with some more Firewire, then clambered down from the rooftop he was on.

He came out onto the street and rushed into it, not knowing the car that was right beside him. AxEl raised his hands and backed away, but the car stopped just meters from his location. The man inside the vehicle started yelling at him, but AxEl just kept running. He made it to the opposite curb and into a side street. There were no people in the street, so AxEl thought it safe to climb the lamp post and jump onto an air conditioner. He used the conditioner as a stepping stool to jump onto a pipe and started climbing it to the top.

AxEl climbed onto the roof again and immediately wondered why. Maybe I could just chase him on the ground? He thought to himself, but looking back he saw people inside the side street already. Someone was peeking out of his window and looking at his conditioner, while the driver who had almost run him over scratched his head at AxEl’s disappearance.

Or not. He thought as he picked up the pace again. He was beginning to run out of buildings to jump across as they made it to the edge of Heravina. Thankfully the truck came to a stop near a white coloured building that had steam billowing out of its top.

The truck stopped only for a moment, sliding into an opening between the building and another. It opened up in the back to deliver two crates to a woman dressed in an apron who came out of the back entrance. Then it left just as quickly as it had come. He wondered for a second whether the driver really had delivered just fish to the building, but something about the interaction had felt off to him. I hope I don’t have to chase down that damn thing again.

Lex and OkIx came a moment later, just as winded as AxEl.

“Did… did we find it?” Lex asked between breaths of air. AxEl nodded.

“That’s our mark right there.”

They waited late into the night for the place to clear out. The night came out and with it the stars that provided the only form of light. AxEl came back to a rooftop adjacent to it. The building had been noisy, even from AxEl’s spot on the opposite side of the street, but by night it had quieted down. Steam had stopped billowing out of the top of the building and people came out at the end of their shift.

“Says here it’s some kind of ghost kitchen,” OkIx explained. He was laid down on the ground, leaning his back against the ledge of the building.

“We’re ready,” AxEl said, “hold the case, Lex.”

There was a suitcase that the man had locked to his hands with some cuffs. He hoisted it up and onto the walls for AxEl to see. OkIx grunted and sat up as well. He patted the dust away from his clothes and the three of them took out pills of Prophecy. They took it at the same time. AxEl took comfort the visions that came to him but staring at his sides the feeling didn’t seem mutual for Lex and OkIx.

They walked down from the roof through the stairs, being careful with each step. AxEl stared out at the street in front of them and they walked into it. The lamp posts lit them as they crossed, but they made their way across quickly.

Walking into the tightly cramped alley proper, AxEl tried the door. It was locked, obviously, so he moved aside and let Lex work his hands. The lock came undone almost immediately. AxEl saw a Phantom of him seeing a camera inside, and stopped the other two.

They waited for the moment the camera would turn, and entered. AxEl closed the door behind him quickly. The three of them rushed through the cramped hallway and under the vision of the camera just as it pointed itself at the back door again. OkIx grabbed a nearby broom and pivoted it on one of the sinks so that it held the camera towards some other side.

“Watch out for any more of them,” AxEl lectured them, and the three of them searched around. The kitchen was as one would expect. There were a few ingredients placed outside, flour, spices and bags of rice that rested atop shelves. There were metal sinks and stoves placed intermittently throughout the large kitchen, and cameras hung in corners above them.

The last point was the hardest for them to maneuver around, and the three of them had to sneak into increasingly tighter formations to get past them. As they passed under the cameras, OkIx would find some way to stick them into place, giving them a little more breathing room. Then they began the search.

Cupboards, drawers and doors were opened, but the only thing they found inside those were pots, pans and utensils. Lex opened a door near the back entrance and found the pantry and was tempted to grab something. But he thought better of it in the moment and only searched it. He tried to turn aside one of the shelves, but it moved far too easily under his grip.

Lex crouched down near the shelf and shined a flashlight on the ground. There were scuff marks on the ground and Lex smiled to himself. He pulled the entire shelf out and knocked on the wall behind it. The wall rang hollow and Lex’s smile only grew. He called the others over with a gesture and the three of them took the wall apart.

Behind it lay a large passage that was easily able to fit two of them side by side. The three of them made their way downwards with flashlights aimed. They walked for a long while, and AxEl began to worry.

How far did they build this thing? He thought to himself as the end finally came into sight. There were a set of metallic double doors near the bottom that opened up without any issue. Behind those doors was a large laboratory, perhaps the biggest AxEl had ever seen. There was a small pool set into one side of the wall, and pink bulbs floated atop it. There were crushing machines, vials and all kinds of tanks that filled up the underground.

“So, this is where they make it…” AxEl said in awe. If BannIh had been around, he expected the scientist to have been impressed by the display as well. As it was, he would have to settle for AxEl recounting it instead.

“Lex, the case?” AxEl asked and Lex nodded. Inside of it lay some bioluminescent mushrooms that AxEl was all too familiar with. He pulled a few of them out and placed them around the room in spots that he knew would garner no suspicion. There was a tray of Airwaves bulbs. AxEl took one of those same trays and lined them with a few Prophecy mushrooms, then set it back in the shelf that they had come from. He had found a small pot inside one of the drawers, filled with dirt, and placed one of the mushrooms on that, before setting it back inside.

There was a dehydration chamber which OkIx opened as well, and dumped some mushrooms in there. By the time they had finished, their gloves had been stained. They left the laboratory quickly after that, making sure to replace all the things that they had moved in the middle of the night. The shelf set back in place; the brooms returned to their closet. And then they left, for the final step didn’t even require their presence.