The Hunters War Journal, Night 28
She’s coming. She’ll be here in the morning. I knew sooner or later, they would send her.
But I’ll be ready.
No hunt tonight, as I must prepare.
The Hunter.
*
Night 29.
Sayoran led Corina and Roxanne into a large conference room. A huge round table centered the room, surrounded by 12 chairs, each hooked up to tethered AR glasses to assist with virtual meetings. Syaoran grabbed one of the chairs closer to the door, leaving Rox and Corina to take positions on the other side.
“What do you know about our issue?” Syaoran asked.
When dealing with Norm big-wigs like this, Corina produced a tight smile, part of her so-called ‘game face.’
“You’ve been dealing with this for almost a month. Things have escalated in the last two weeks, and ten people from your board are dead—murdered.”
“Yes,” Syaoran nodded. “He calls himself The Stellar Hunter, a cute play on our company name. It claims it fights for our workers, but this can’t be the way. Here, let me cast you the dossier I’ve compiled.” With a few thought clicks, Syaoran sends files to both of them.
Roxanne shuts her eyes momentarily and speed scans them with help from Azonne. “Wow, this is incredibly detailed.” She said while blinking rapidly as she opened her eyes.
“Yes,” Sy replied, blushing. Was he embarrassed? “The whole case has been an obsession of mine. I feel like it undermines all the work I do…not that I have a lot of duties as is. I suppose that’s why I had so much time on my hands to compile all that.” He grinned awkwardly after he said it.
“But, aren’t you the CEO?” Roxanne asked.
“In name only, really,” He replied. “After my parents were murdered, I couldn’t really take control of the company.”
“But why?”
“I was a toddler at the time. Once I came of age, I was given this honorary title.”
“I don’t understand,” Roxanne stated, glancing over at Corina, who was still reviewing the files. “Wasn’t that like forever ago?”
“56 years,” Sy replied flatly.
“You barely look older than her,” Roxanne said, pointing her head toward Corina.
“Well, I mean, she’s an OH, right?”
“Ah, I see. You’re one, too, then?”
“No, I’m just really rich!” He laughed like he’d said the most hilarious thing. Corina finally returned from her mental reading and leaned forward in her seat.
“Did I read that right? You believe you’ve found his hideout?”
Sy nodded, wiping a tear from his eyes while still laughing. “Putting it all together, it seems the most logical place.”
“You guys never sent a security detail to be sure?”
He shook his head, “No, I was overruled. The rest of the board wanted a more ‘professional’ hand hence…,” and he pointed at the both of them.
“He only comes out at night,” he continued. “Honestly, I hoped you’d be here earlier, maybe catch him before Brach set.”
“That would have been important to put on the request.”
“It wasn’t?” Sy said, confused. “Oh, bother. I can’t believe it! Stupid, stupid, stupid!”
Corina and Roxanne shared a brief glance.
“It’s okay,” Corina stated, offering her typical calming smile. “We’ll head out now and either catch him before he leaves or track him down from there; he won’t be killing anyone else tonight.”
*
Night fell in StellarCorp. The settlement proper, where everyone lives, was a grid-like maze. A vast and intricate network of roads formed a well-organized pattern, with streets and avenues running almost perfectly perpendicular to each other. The city’s layout was characterized by numbered streets that moved horizontally from east to west, while named avenues ran vertically from north to south. Roxanne and Corina landed on one of the many perfectly rectangle, non-descript buildings at the southernmost tip. They found it easy to grasp the city’s geography and move from one point to another with relative ease.
Corina leaped down to the pedestrian pathway below, and Roxanne quickly followed. She always let Corina take the lead. Because there was a time when she didn’t.
Remember IPA-25?
Uh, of course, it was only 2 weeks ago.
I watch back the footage sometimes. Your face when the Glergory landed on you was quite amusing.
Honestly, we should just upload it.
But that could potentially involve making money off the mission, and we both know you do not want that.
That certainly was fair, although Roxanne would quibble over calling what she did a ‘mission.’ Regardless, ever since the Black Zero, she has come across offers to make money off her likeness, off the fact that she was instrumental in saving the human race. They said to take a page out of the old Lady Steel/Captain Steel playbook. Roxanne felt it was bad enough that she and Grams got free meals at the local eatery. Saying yes to such a thing was a step too far, surely.
Still, having some spare Reds would help a lot. And not just her. After touching down on the pavement, Roxanne studied the environment. With road vehicles not permitted, the pathway wasn’t extensive. The outer façade of the apartments was spotless, free of gunk, grime, and trash. Roxanne whistled.
“Bland spot for a so-called ‘secret-lair,’ if you ask me.”
“Not up here,” Corina said with her hands on her hips. She cast her gaze downward, and Roxanne followed. A circular manhole cover was barely visible on the ground save for the thinnest outline.
“Ugh,” she let out.
“Relax,” Corina said and crouched down to pull the manhole cover up. “I’m sure it’s as clean there as it is here!” With an audible grunt, she flipped the cap cleanly off. She flipped it like a giant coin and watched it spin on its axis before it clattered. That was when the smell hit them. Reluctantly, the two glanced down the deep, dark, and dank hole.
“Okay,” Corina pinched her nose and looked over at Roxanne. “So, I was wrong.”
“I’m keeping my aura up the whole time,” Roxanne replied as her hard-light protective aura crystalized around her. Thanks to the Cyntaff, the aura covered her at all times faintly to offer modest protection akin to light padding. Sometimes, a situation would call for her to brighten and harden it—this was one of those times.
“After you,” Roxanne motioned toward Corina.
“Right, don’t want another IPA-25.” She then jumped down the hole and made a small splash below. Roxanne rolled her eyes and followed her down. She splashed in water that was only ankle-deep on her. Corina ripped off a piece of her burgundy cape and wrapped it around the bottom half of her face.
The two trudged on through the dingy muck. Roxanne’s enhanced senses told her what she needed to know through her HUD. The air was thick and humid; Corina grimaced under her face mask with each step. Fat cabling ran across the ceiling, and they followed it for a mile.
Corina stopped at a sealed steel door and pointed it out to Roxanne. Roxanne nodded. Corina reared back with her fist and punched it off its hinges. The sound echoed around them and drowned out their stray thoughts. Another long corridor lay before them. Thankfully, it was drier and far less disgusting. The fact alone told Roxanne they were on the right track.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Suddenly, she felt anxious. This always happened. It was a destructive cycle. First, Roxanne would feel an ounce of anxiety, and then she’d be mad at herself for not being used to things by now, which brought more fear and further self-hatred.
Hey, what are five things you can see right now?
Corina’s back, gray brick walls, cables lining the ceiling, I think that’s a rat? It’s gone. Um, that’s it.
Four things you can smell?
I literally can’t smell anything right now.
Power it down and tell me.
Fine…it actually isn’t bad, just stale. Feel like I smell rust…and moisture? That’s all I got.
It’ll do.
Hey, thanks for walking me through that. I always forget the grounding myself thing.
That’s why I am here. More than taking notes and intercepting messages. More than a system of reminders. More than-
Okay, I get it. Seriously, thank you.
“Hey, we’re here.” Corina’s voice cut through her thoughts and brought Roxanne into the current events. The hallway opened up into a big room that had a massive door. Roxanne studied it and saw it opened horizontally. When they approached it, even Corina had to crane her neck far to see the top; Roxanne almost bent herself backward trying and nearly fell over.
She switched over her vision to the x-ray frequency and tracked the powerlines to what she assumed was the access pad. She walked the length of the door to the left, stopped after a few paces, and kneeled. She pressed her hand against a spot on the door, and a small rectangular panel popped out.
“Okay, I can so hack thi-”
The sound of metal crunching interrupted her words; the metal folding and bending made her stand up in fright. Roxanne looked and saw Corina prying the doors open with her bare hands.
“Corina!” Roxanne hissed.
“What?” Lady Steel dusted her hands when she finished prying an opening large enough for her to fit through.
“Traps??”
Corina shrugged and looked around, “There aren’t any.”
“Okay, but what if there were??”
“I mean,” Corina arched her eyebrow. “I’m not concerned. Unless you are? You’d tell me, right?”
Roxanne ignored her friend and stood. She walked past Corina, stepped into the opening, and said, “Not the point. Aren’t you the adult between the two of us?”
Corina chose not to answer, opting to grin before stepping inside. The area’s location belied the sheer size of the room they were in. Myriad chains and hooks lined the ceilings, holding up engines and machinery. Half the room was lined with workbenches cluttered with various tools, rags, half-finished gadgets, and other technology. The other held a large armored GravCar painted cosmic black with crimson trim. On the far side of the room was another large doorway; Roxanne figured the car used it.
“Don’t see him,” Roxanne said, switching between X-ray and infrared vision. “What do you want to do?”
“Honestly, it is weird there are no traps,” Corina said while she walked toward the workbench side. “Only reason I did that was to tank whatever surprises were in store.”
“Sure, it was still a dumb thing to do.”
“Oh really?”
“My friend, I don’t know if you’re aware, but I got a lot of knowledge floating around here,” Roxanne waved her hand in a circle around her face. “I know, like, a lot.”
Corina rolled her eyes, “How could I forget.”
Roxanne thought about responding, but a tinkling sound by her feet interrupted everything. She looked down and saw an oblong white capsule on the ground, resting against her foot after some movement.
It exploded.
Black gas filled the room. Roxanne and Corina inhaled without realizing it. Both coughed heavily. Roxanne’s body heaved uncontrollably; she could hardly think. A gust of wind dissipated some smoke as the sound of boots slapped against the ground, and a figure stood between them. Through tear-streaked eyes, Roxanne could barely make out the wide shape. Suddenly, she felt brief pressure on her right shoulder, inner left elbow, and the base of her neck; pap, pap, pap!
Her arms and torso went numb immediately, and her armor dematerialized off her body. The Stellar Hunter hit her with a martial art she didn’t recognize and held its armored hand out.
The two rings were in his palm.
“Wildcard,” The Hunter said; it didn’t sound human. “Knew I had to at least disarm you first.”
The Hunter closed its fist emphatically and kicked Roxanne in the gut. The sound made a sick slap that echoed off the hanging chains. Roxanne doubled over and slid across the floor.
“Hey! Delhole!” The Galaxy’s Mightiest had her fist cocked, ready to smash. “This smoke doesn’t affect me!”
A high-pitched, piercing sound invaded the room and forced Corina to collapse in a heap mid-swing, allowing The Hunter to dodge it easily. The sound’s frequency pitched low briefly before it swung into a very high-pitched wine. On the ground, Corina Kyle grabbed her head and curled her body.
“EquiSonic Disruptor,” The Hunter spoke. The royal blue cape hung from shoulder pads and covered three-fourths of his body. He was holding a small rectangular device in an armored hand. “Emits a specialized sonic frequency targeting the inner ear’s vestibular system. Modulating sound at specific frequencies disrupts the delicate balance mechanisms in the ear, causing dizziness, disorientation, and loss of balance in the affected individual.”
“Wh-what…?” Corina managed to spit out. A single strand of blood escapes under her hand-covered ears. She is grinding her teeth so hard she expected them to explode out of her mouth at any moment.
“Studied you. Knew you were inevitable. You protect capital interests. Across all your battles, one weakness is constant: your inner ear,” The Stellar Hunter dropped the device on the floor and turned to face her. “Also, know you’re not exactly invulnerable.”
Spikes emerged from THe Hunter’s gauntlets, and he swung, stabbing Corina in her abdomen. He removed his fist and struck with the other, connecting with her jaw. It stood, cape again draped over their arms and legs.
“You just heal really fast,” The Hunter said while kicking her in the jaw. “When you can concentrate.”
The Hunter steps into another kick aimed at Corina’s head. Roxanne flies in like she was shot out of a canon. A red-headed ball of fury, leg fully extended. The edge of her sneaker clips the Hunter’s shoulder and staggered him. A tiny buckshot of fierceness, Roxanne transitions from the jumping kick and lands into a seated position, cross-legged with her arms extended horizontally.
“Hey, wanna know a secret?”
The Hunter paused to regard her. The space between them was just about over an arm’s length. Open enough for either to attack. He cocked his head, curious.
“I’m the greatest fighter in the verse. Even without those rings.”
The Hunter sized her up while Corina writhed on the floor. The sound affecting Lady Steel didn’t exist for Roxanne; she could not track where it was coming from without getting her Rings back. The Hunter stood still; he dared her to attack.
“Prove it.”
Roxanne planted her left arm on the ground and swung both legs forward. They collided with the Hunter’s leg and toppled the Hunter face first.
The Hunter wildly lashed out from the floor with his gauntlet spikes. Roxanne was already in the air, so they only cut through dust. She stomped her plant leg onto his shoulder to propel her upward over him. Roxanne spun in place and reached out with a hand. She called out to them, the Cyntaff.
The two rings exploded from the Hunter’s belt. Ripped right through the material and disintegrated a section of his cape on its way to Roxanne’s opened palm. She touched down in front of the smoking Hunter softly; her fist glowed, and she threw a punch. The power-packed KO sent the Hunter reeling into the wall.
Roxanne slid her weapons on each of her middle fingers. Her HUD instantly booted up and filled her sight. Immediately, her orange and black armor covered her entire body save for her head, and she fired off a hard light band that pinned the Hunter against the wall.
“Azonne, can we shut that weapon down?”
It’s done.
Roxanne ran over to Corina. The Galaxy’s Mightiest was covered in blood, but her wounds were already mended, and she was up on her knees. Roxanne helped Corina to her feet. Corina rested her hands on her knees, hunched over and breathing heavily.
“You okay?” Roxanne asked. “I-I’ve never seen you bleed before.”
Corina waved her off, “It’s been a while.” She inhaled deeply and stood. “Enough about me, how bout you?! Gresh Roxanne, you’ve gotten so good so fast!”
“Eh, it’s just mental muscle memory,” Roxanne kicked at the dirt at her feet. “Was kinda sloppy,” she shrugged.
“You were great! C’mon, let’s secure the prisoner.”
The Stellar Hunter hung motionless against the hard light band across his waist. His face armor was partially destroyed, and the bottom half of his face exposed itself. Curious, Roxanne reached out and removed the helmet. It was Syaoran.
“I Greshing knew it,” she smirked.
“How? I’m actually shocked.”
“Gut feeling, the guy felt fake—like he was putting on a show. The hideout, right? He said it was the most logical place—I thought: total trap.”
“Why would he give me his location willingly?”
“He doesn’t know.” Syaoran, The Hunter, was awake. The previously perfectly styled hair now fell over his face. His eyes were hidden behind that and black makeup.
“Syaoran doesn’t know. I was born when our parents died. I protected him, and I prepared. Been waiting for the right moment. Stellar Corp is sick. It called to me. It’s on an operating table, and The Hunter has become the surgeon.”
“You’re sick,” Corina said while she removed him from the wall and slung him across her shoulder. “You need help, Syaoran.”
The Stellar Hunter screeched, “Of course, you side with the paymasters! You’ll put me away and leave here like nothing is wrong, but StellarCorp will still be sick!”
He ranted the whole way out of the sewer. Eventually, they sputter into strange growls, moans, and other animal-like noises. Security forces meet them on the surface. Corina transfers the Stellar Hunter to them and notices a lack of media. Her career was an experience in the opposite.
There was a suited man, however. Roxanne thought he looked important. He introduced himself as Brooks Franq, head of the StellarCorp board. She thought he smelled like cigarettes.
“This could break our company,” he said. He looked like he hadn’t been outside in days. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Neither do I, frankly,” Corina responded. She was still upset about his taking her down earlier and couldn’t think objectively about it. She looked down at her blood-stained uniform and just wanted to wash her hands of the whole thing.
“You okay?” Roxanne tapped her on the shoulder. Mr. Franq left with the soldiers. Corina straightened herself and nodded quickly.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“I kind of wish I knew what to say, but I don’t know nothin’ about nothin’.”
“Didn’t you just tell me you know everything?”
“I said I know ‘a lot’, not the same.”
*
Later, Roxanne stood on the leftmost tower of CentralONE, watching the start of sunrise and another Long Morning. Corina had briefed whoever was in charge and didn’t want to cut things short, but she really wanted a shower and took off. Roxanne also decided to stick around and catch the show before she left.
“Okay, what’s next, Azonne?”
There is a distress call in Vaad space; we can be there in less than an hour.
“Okay, plot a course. And, listen, when this is done, I’ll surf The Sight.”
Really?
Roxanne smiled as Brachium peeks above the horizon. “Yeah, it’s time I got comfortable. Can we fob on the other cases to Corina? They seem more her speed anyway.”
Sure, I’ll forward them to her inbox.