Military Response 2

He was surprised to find that it was easier to chew, and for a split second he feared it had degraded, but when he looked at the hole he left behind in the concrete, he realized why that was the case. He speculated that his jaws had gotten stronger, making it easier to chew. 

When he finished, Ace gave a loud belch and patted his stomach. He could feel it was round and filled to the brim, the skin on his belly stretching to accommodate the new dimensions. He felt as if taking another bite would threaten to burst his stomach wide open. 

He pulled on his black hoodie to hide his new belly and gazed at Mira, who was keeping her eyes closed, basking in the afterglow of her meal. He heard a small moan escape her lips, and he smiled. He didn't blame her, as he knew she was probably more composed than he'd been on his first meal. 

"Still remember my question?" 

Mira took a couple of seconds to recompose herself, and while her face no longer betrayed any emotion, her inner world was in turmoil. She could feel her body brimming with energy, and a warm sensation was spreading from her stomach, fueling her entire being with immense power. 

"My name is Miranell Carti. My father is one of the richest men in Golden Dragon City, and I have extensive knowledge of the political landscape in this country. You said you had over two thousand pounds of meat? I presume it's the same type that you just gave me?" 

Ace saw that Mira's previous fear had all but vanished, replaced by a crazed look of hunger in her eyes. He knew she had fallen under the same spell as he had, and would probably be capable of similar things when it came to pursuing the desire that now controlled her. But he looked at his wrist and the ticking blue clock and knew that besides putting the fear of death in her, there was nothing else he could do, and no other tool he could employ in this limited amount of time. Everything else was up to fate. 

He gave a loud sigh and began to explain to her the meaning of what he possessed. Norman was listening intently as well, but his expression subtly changed when he heard Ace explain the origin of the meat. 

"I found the beast sleeping in its nest and used this to kill it." Ace then pulled out a large fang from his pocket and showed it to Mira. He slowly caressed the wall with the sharp edge, causing everyone to shiver when they saw the fang pass through the concrete as if it were pudding. 

"I battled with the monster for a couple of rounds, but eventually, I overpowered it." 

Mira looked at Ace as if she were looking at a monster. Since the beast's meat supplied such energy, it was definitely not weak. So how powerful was Ace before he defeated it, and how brave and reckless of him. Her mind instantly thought of the genetically enhanced super soldiers of the party, and she wondered if Ace's family had somehow gotten access to such technology. She wanted to know if her conjectures were true and almost blurted out her thoughts, but ultimately decided against it. She felt he wouldn't answer anyway, and asking for too much when he already trusted her with so much information might affect their relationship going forward. 

"We don't have much time," Mira said. "Give me the address, and I'll have Albert move the meat to a safe location. I hope you already know what I'm about to ask, but I will say it anyway. When we are captured by the military, do not say a single word about the meat. And try not to show too much of your strength to them. Come up with a lie about it. Tell them you like doing pushups or something, and that's why you're so strong. I don't care, but they cannot know about the meat." 

Ace thought that wasn't such a bad idea, but wondered if they would believe this lie. He asked, "Do you know what they'll do to us?" 

Mira shook her head. "I'm not sure, but what I do know is that the thing the party fears the most is instability. In theory, as long as they can control us, they will do their best to squeeze every last ounce of usefulness out of our bodies." 

Ace looked confused. "What does that mean?" 

Mira shrugged. "Make them think you want to help. Prove to them you are a party member, but above all else, never challenge their authority!" 

By this point, the butler was already well on his way towards Ace's motel room. They had all decided that they would wait for the eventual arrival of the military at Norman's apartment, Mira urging Ace not to return to his motel for fear of drawing attention to his secret. 

Ace agreed, and for the next thirty minutes, all of them sat in silence in Norm's living room, waiting. The TV was playing a news channel that was continuously showing breaking news from all over the country. Some transmigrators were using their increased physical prowess to commit crime, stealing and breaking the law in whatever way was possible. The news station painted a picture as if the world was collapsing, and Ace, Mira, and Norman couldn't help but subconsciously agree. 

Reports of strength feats beyond what a normal human was capable of were ceaselessly coming in, and the gravity of the situation settled on all their minds. The party had strict controls over all forms of power that a human could possess. Draconic firearm laws, limited free speech, and no political voice. Even steroids were considered a first-class drug and extremely regulated, so one could infer from this breach of social contract how severe the government's response would be. 

Within minutes, the reports changed from theft or physical assault to images of armored personnel capturing said criminals and placing them in nondescript black vans. Those black vans would then leave the sight of the cameras and never be seen again. 

There were even images of people fighting back against their captors and being swiftly put down with lethal force. Dozens of cases were the perpetrators were riddled with holes, a rain of bullets pelting their dead carcasses. 

Mira loudly gulped before she spoke, "Don't fight back when they come for us. Knowing their capabilities, they already know we are here and haven't arrived yet most likely because they have other more belligerent targets. Make no mistake however, they are probably watching us right now." 

Ace's body began shaking, but a smile hung on his lips. He didn't know what would happen next to him, but never in his life had anything this exciting happened to him. He clasped his hands, forming fists that he knew hid immense power. He felt that if he wanted to, he could escape at any moment and even if a hundred special forces soldiers stood in front of him, he could mow them down. But another part of his brain blared with alarm and forced him to reconsider. 

His mind took him back to that dangerous forest and forced him not to overexaggerate his newfound strength. 

That's right, he thought to himself. I'm not much in front of that forest, so why am I suddenly thinking so highly of myself? But no matter what he told himself, he still felt like a lion surrounded by wild dogs. This was not that world, and the soldiers that would come for him were not the monsters that prowled it. Ace took a deep breath to cool his excitement, but when he opened his eyes, a red flash blinded his eyes. 

Ace turned his head and his confusion deepened as he noticed a black, cylindrical object piercing through the plastic blinds, casting a faint red glow onto his chest. He opened his mouth to warn Norman and Mira, but before he could speak, the room darkened as if an eclipse had swallowed the sun. 

The large living room, usually bathed in light from its floor-to-ceiling windows, now felt like a shadowy cave. Ace turned towards the source of the darkness and saw the reason: a silent predator hovering just outside. The sleek, menacing silhouette of the machine filled the entire window, its twin missiles hanging underneath its cockpit like fangs ready to strike. 

The window wall was entirely covered by the black metal bird. The helicopter was eerily quiet, a phantom in the air. The only indication of its presence was the oppressive shadow it cast and the subtle vibrations Ace could feel in his bones. He knew instinctively that any sudden move would trigger its venomous response, and there would be no escape. 

"Don't move." 

A voice made Mira and Norman pay attention to their surroundings, instantly feeling their backs grow cold with sweat at having been surrounded without noticing. They all saw the dozens of red lasers pointing straight at Ace and knew they were at the mercy of his next decision. 

The voice rang out for a second time, and they finally realized it was transmitted using the TV speakers, "All three of you get on the floor and don't move. We have already rigged this building with powerful explosives. Don't think you have any chance of escape."