Is It Wrong To Ask Basic Questions?

After the mission, the Phantom Hunters went back to the mansion. They reported to Don Firo about the success of the mission in which they were commended. Then all of them headed towards the training area where they'll rest.

"You guys head there without me. I still need to talk to the Don about something" Zaqiel told the group while they were walking.

"Okay but after you're done, follow back man. It was a long day, you ought to have some rest" Al replied.

"Yeah I will thanks" Zaqiel replied.

Zaqiel went straight to the Don's office and stormed his way inside. He was greeted by Don Firo.

"Warhammer, what brings you here? How was-"

Zaqiel slam the door hard and started shouting.

"What was that?!" Zaqiel angrily asked.

"Is there something you would like to discuss?" a confused Don Firo asked.

"I'm asking you goddammit" Zaqiel angrily replied.

"Calm down.. Shouting will lead you to nowhere" Don Firo raised his voice in reply while trying to calm Zaqiel.

Don Firo then pointed the sofa.

"Sit down. Start from the beginning" Don Firo calmly said.

"You said we were dealing with bad guys, the one we dealt wasn't a guy at all. He was a different being, what was that?" Zaqiel angrily asked.

"Haven't anyone ever told you about that?" Don Firo asked.

"No?" Zaqiel answered.

Don Firo went over to the bookshelf behind him and grabbed the thickest book there.

"It was a shortcoming in our part to not properly explain things in detailed manner. I thought you already figured out but that's not the case. Apologies for that. Allow me to explain then" Don Firo apologized.

Don Firo then gave Zaqiel the thick book. Zaqiel sat down and opened it. What he saw were a bunch of information and pictures of various individuals.

"Do you remember the bedtime stories you were told as a kid? Specifically those that involves supernatural beings" Don Firo asked.

"Yeah what about it?" Zaqiel asked.

"Perhaps those stories aren't fictional at all. The writers might be inspired of real life events. If that's the case then yes; monsters do exist" Don Firo added.

Zaqiel was reading the book while Don Firo was explaining everything.

"No one knows where they came from. All we know is that they started to appear centuries ago. Since then, they've been causing nothing but trouble to everyone. They're beings capable of thinking like humans yet they possess great strengths that is a danger to a normal human being. That is something that I cannot overlook, personally speaking. Actions are to be made in order to give solution to the problem"

"And the solution is to kill them?" Zaqiel asked while looking directly.

"Admittedly, yes" Don Firo answered while sighing.

He would sat then to the opposite sofa of Zaqiel's. They would exchange their thoughts immediately.

"Imma ask you a question my boy, what do you do when you see a cockroach?" Don Firo asked.

"I step on it?" Zaqiel answered.

"How about when there's a rat in your house?" Don Firo asked again.

"I use some pesticide in order to kill them. Why are you asking me these questions?" An annoyed Zaqiel answered.

"Exactly. You see, these monsters are nothing more than pests. Cockroach, rats, they are threats that endangers us in cleanliness, health and it's only right to eliminate these threats. The same way can be said to these monsters" Don Firo explained.

"That monster had a family. He was crying when they died" Zaqiel countered.

"Genghis Khan had a family. A lot of them as well so what's your point?" Don Firo asked.

"They were humans for Pete's sake. They're not even the monsters that you intended to eliminate" Zaqiel angrily responded.

"I see. Well I'll personally send flowers to their grave one of these days" Don Firo said.

"Are you actually being serious?" An irritated Zaqiel asked.

"It needed to be done, there's not much of a choice. Believe me when I say I took no pleasure in their deaths. I'm only preventing the cycle of revenge. Do you prefer one day you wake up in the morning, finding out that your throat was slit and now you're bathing in your own blood. Who's the mastermind behind it? The same kid of that monster that you spared ages ago" Don Firo explained.

Don Firo stood up while Zaqiel closed the book and put it in the table.

"Are you a Christian?" Don Firo asked.

"Yeah what about it?" Zaqiel replied.

"Do you recall when God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? The cities full of wickedness" Don Firo asked.

"So you're saying you're a god? You're doing all of this because of that?" Zaqiel said.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course not. What I'm trying to say is that this wickedness must be extinguished. I admit that the path to righteousness is ugly and there's nothing we can do about it but the end justifies the means. This is for the betterment of everyone" Don Firo explained.

Zaqiel stood up from his seat.

"The Phantom Hunters used to be wilder back in the day. If the blood of the innocent is needed to be shed, there's no better way to atone than to carry on.." Don Firo said in a low tone.

Zaqiel was surprised when he heard the word "Phantom Hunters".

"Phantom Hunters?" Zaqiel asked.

"Yes, that's what the squad used to be called. It sounded like we're the bad guys that's why I chose to remove that name" Don Firo explained.

That was a big moment for Zaqiel. All this time, he was working with the people that killed Payne's clan.

"Who would've thought the enemy was within reach all this time" he thought.

"I apologize Don Firo for my actions. I understand now where you're coming from" Zaqiel apologized while lowering his head.

"It's alright. Nothing wrong with educating people" Don Firo replied.

Zaqiel wasn't sincere nor actually apologizing. In reality, he was already trying to devise a plan against the Don. He decided to go undercover until he finds a way to eliminate everyone in the mansion. He then left Don's Firo room.

As he left the room, Al was standing in the hallway with his back leaned against the wall.

"Why are you here Al?" Zaqiel asked.

""You took so long I decided to fetch you back. Things were quite intense inside I suppose? Don't you worry though, I didn't hear what you and the Don were talking about" Al explained.

The two then walked. An awkward silence was very evident with the both of them as they head back with the rest of the squad. Al decided to break the silence.

"You know, Don Firo is not really a bad person as opposed to what you think. He just genuinely wants the best for us"

"You think so?" Zaqiel asked in a calm voice.

"Of course. After all, he adopted us since we were little" Al answered.

"The place that we went to awhile ago brings heavy nostalgia for the rest of us. It was the slums where we grew up before the Don took us in. Don Firo taught us everything. He taught us how to fight. We owe him a lot. I hope you understand how he means to us. After all, you're part of the family now" Al explained while he reached out to Zaqiel's shoulder at the end.

"When the time is ready, you'll be injected with the serum as well" Al added.

"What serum?" Zaqiel asked.

"It's the one that gave us our strength. You'll learn more of it in the future" Al replied.

Zaqiel was wondering what the serum was. Was it drugs? Was it some kind of a not yet discovered enhancers? He thought about it hardly until an idea struck him.

"Knowing the nature of their work, the serum was probably a blood of a monster. That's how I got my powers. That explains why they're strong as well" Zaqiel thought.

The two would then reunite with the rest of the Phantom Hunters. After a while, Zaqiel went home. It was already late at night. As he went inside the house, he saw his brother Payne eating his late night dinner. Payne saw him as well.

"Late again bro eh?" Payne asked.

"Yeah.. I went overtime with my part time job" Zaqiel answered.

Zaqiel then took an apple from the table and started eating it. He then opened the fridge in order to get a glass of water. While he was pouring his glass, he asked Payne.

"Hey Payne... I gotta ask... Are you still on with the revenge thing?"

"What do you mean?" Payne asked.

"You know, what happened to your clan and all that" Zaqiel answered.

"I made a promise to pops right?" Payne said.

"I know, I know. It's just that will you still be able to hold on to that promise even if the opportunity is already right in front of you?" Zaqiel explained.

Zaqiel then drank the water in one chug. Payne stopped eating momentarily before giving out his answer.

"I don't know man"

"It's alright. I'm sorry for asking. I'm going to take a rest now" Zaqiel replied.

Later that night while Zaqiel was sleeping soundly, Payne sneaked over his brother's bedroom. He inspected Zaqiel's bag and reached for Zaqiel's cellphone. He opened the message box and found something. It was from a person named Don Firo and an address was in the text. Payne took a picture with his phone of the address and went away. He went to his room looking at the picture.

"Don Firo eh? His convo with Zaqiel's seemed like he was that important of a person.

It wouldn't hurt to pay him a visit" Payne thought.

The following morning, Zaqiel woke up terribly. He was still thinking about what happened to Baron the Manslayer and his family. He knew it wasn't right.

"Monsters huh" Zaqiel said while staring at the outside window.

"Whatever happens, it needed to be done" he thought.