Deadeye Revenant

The first rays of dawn filtered through the blinds, casting a pale light over the cluttered apartment. Zayd stirred, groaning softly as he shifted on the floor, surrounded by a makeshift bed of pillows and a worn blanket. Shirtless, clad only in a pair of shorts, he sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The low murmur of a soap opera echoed from the still-playing TV, adding a surreal backdrop to the disarray around him.

He stretched, yawning deeply, and reached for his phone. I'm off today, what do I even do today? The thought lingered as he rose to his feet and padded to the kitchen. Setting his phone on the counter, he opened the cabinet doors only to find empty shelves staring back at him.

"I thought I had some cup ramen in here..." he muttered, closing the cabinets with a sigh. Picking up his phone, he moved toward a pile of clothes, selecting a shirt and socks to put on. With his wallet in hand, he did a quick count. "I have about 170 dollars. I can buy a hefty amount of groceries with that kind of money."

He pocketed his phone, grabbed his keys, slipped on his shoes, and stepped out into the warm morning air. Yawning once more, he looked up at the overcast sky, the clouds dense and gray. "Is it about to rain or something?" he wondered aloud, pulling out his phone to check the time. It read 3:16 PM.

"Ah, I slept in! Good thing I don't have work today," he mused, just as his phone began to ring. The screen displayed Sirius's name.

"Oh, Sirius?" he said, answering the call.

Minutes later, Zayd was driving past the skeletal remains of the Lekt Foundation building, now a charred ruin under reconstruction. His car rolled to a stop at a nearby gas station, where he spotted Sirius sitting outside, his expression vacant, his body barely covered by a paper bag, caked in mud and grime.

"Oh my god," Zayd breathed, unable to mask his shock.

Sirius stood and shuffled over to the car, slipping into the passenger seat without a word, his face still blank and distant.

"So, Sirius... what happened?" Zayd asked cautiously.

"I... I got drunk," Sirius replied, his voice hollow.

Zayd glanced at him, concern etching his features. "You look traumatized."

"I think I just need to go home, man," Sirius said, staring into the distance.

"Uh, okay," Zayd replied, starting the car. The drive back was silent, each man lost in his own thoughts.

Upon reaching Sirius's apartment complex, he got out without a word, trudging towards his unit. Zayd watched him disappear inside before driving away.

Sirius entered his dimly lit apartment, the faint glow of the TV casting shadows on the walls. He headed straight for the bathroom, turning on the shower and standing beneath the stream, staring up at the ceiling as the water cascaded over him. The news droned on in the background.

"Breaking news," the reporter announced. "In an attempt to arrest four infamous criminals, the government rented out the Lekt Foundation facility. Unfortunately, the criminal Silent Boom initiated a bomb attack, blowing up the building. Luckily, no innocent people were killed or harmed from the explosion, though the burned and destroyed bodies of the three criminals—Silent Boom, Knuckle Luster, and Xaldris—were found in the wreckage."

Sirius's voice trembled. "What... am I?" He remained under the water for a few more minutes before turning it off, drying himself, and applying lotion. Dressed once more, he sat on the edge of his bed, the memory of the explosion haunting him.

How am I... alive? he pondered, a flash of the fiery blast replaying vividly in his mind. I felt it—the agony, the numbness, the unbearable heat. The explosion sealed the deal; I was already practically burning alive from the ocean of oil I was lying in. The explosion was instant, and I felt everything.

He rubbed his face, collapsing backward onto the bed. The news says I'm dead. They even found my body. I remember the events of last night clearly. Yet...

Another memory surged forth—waking up beneath a pile of smoldering debris, his body inexplicably whole. With newfound strength, he had lifted the wreckage with one hand and walked into the forest, naked but unharmed.

I woke up. Woke up fine, undamaged, and somehow stronger. Who am I?

His fists clenched as frustration built within him. And I lost the suit, damn it!

Sirius's phone buzzed again, pulling him from his contemplation. He looked at the screen, seeing Zayd's name flash across it. With a slight groan, he picked up.

"Hey, I was still wondering, are you ok?" Zayd's voice came through, warm and reassuring.

Sirius sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he tried to shake off the mental fog. "Yeah, sorry, I'm just caught up on something. Thank you for taking me home, dude."

"No problem!" Zayd replied, the sound of his usual cheer evident even over the phone.

Sirius gave a small smile, though it quickly faded as the weight of his thoughts settled back in. "So, wanna talk about century-old horror movies for 5 hours again?"

Zayd's laugh was immediate. "You betcha!"

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, a flickering lamp illuminated a sparse, dimly-lit room. It had a worn, aged quality, as if the walls themselves could tell stories of countless years. A lone couch and a few faded posters hung on the walls, the rest of the space seemingly stripped of life. The only other furniture was a plastic chair sitting across from the couch, where a man with wild green hair lounged.

The man was toned and wore a light-salmon pink, open-buttoned shirt that revealed his bare chest. His hair was messy, spiking in all directions, covering both of his eyes. Most striking, however, were the wide tubes embedded into his face, extending across his skin from his nasal bone, down his neck, and ending at his palms, where round glass lenses were set into his hands, looking almost like flashlights.

Across from him sat a younger man, his neat appearance contrasting sharply with the grunge of the room. His build was slim, his dark brown hair styled into a precise side part. He wore a white turtleneck sweater tucked into black cargo shorts, with a black necktie tightly around his collar. A white leather collar with a bell hung around his neck, and two cat-shaped hair clips adorned his hair—one black with crescent eyes and a closed smile, the other white with playful red eyes.

The boy, holding a peculiar plush with a black and white design that matched the colors of the cat hair clips, leaned forward slightly. His eyes held a sharpness that betrayed his youth.

The man on the couch, Alexander Locke, grinned at the boy, his Boston accent thick as he spoke. "I like this room's design, little dude. It gives 'casting room.'"

Tetsuya, the young man across from him, gave a small smile in return. "Ah, you've noticed. A rather fitting choice, wouldn't you agree? The aesthetics are... purposeful."

"Anywho, you hired me right? You seem young, very young," Alex remarked casually.

Tetsuya leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. "Indeed. I never did offer a proper introduction, did I? Tetsuya Fujikawa. 169 cm in height. 19 years of age. A mere 45 kg. I have a brother, though I suppose that isn't of particular interest. My birthday? June 24th. A trivial detail."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of info, kid."

"Information is power, after all. And power is something we both need, wouldn't you agree?" Tetsuya replied, his tone cold and calculated.

"I guess you have a point. My name is Alexander Locke, you can just call me Alex. I'm a three-star Syntharc who works as a bodyguard for hire."

Tetsuya's lips curled slightly. "Is that all you're going to tell me?"

Alex chuckled, looking around the room. "There's not really anything interesting about me."

Tetsuya's gaze was unwavering. "How... perfectly convenient."

"So, what are you planning to do with me?" Alex asked, leaning forward slightly.

Tetsuya met his gaze evenly. "I require your... services as my bodyguard. I will be hosting a rather engaging digital game show in the underworld. Should any participants become... unruly, your presence will be necessary to ensure my safety."

Alex grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Sounds easy! What's this game show about?"

Tetsuya's smile took on a faint, unsettling edge. "Oh, you'll find out in time. I'd hate to spoil such a... captivating experience. Such delights are best savored in their full, chaotic glory."

Alex's curiosity piqued. "Where'd you get all the funding for it? Aren't you 19?"

Tetsuya's expression never faltered. "Some things are better left shrouded in mystery, don't you think?"

Alex raised a hand in mock surrender. "Well, as long as it's not illegal, I guess it's fine, but you being 19 makes it seem illegal."

Tetsuya's voice remained even, though there was a subtle darkness in his words. "Consider it... an investment. Perhaps one you'd find worthwhile. If you're concerned about such trivialities, I can always... make it worth your while."

Alex, ever the pragmatist, shrugged. "Well, as long as it's not illegal, I guess it's fine."

Tetsuya's eyes glittered. "Double your pay. A small price to ensure your... full cooperation."

Alex leaned back in his chair, impressed. "Alright."

"You'll begin in two days. Make sure to pack your bags," Tetsuya continued, his voice sharp as he dismissed the conversation.

"Pack my bags, why?" Alex asked, confused.

"This game show... is no fleeting affair. It lasts longer than you might expect," Tetsuya explained, his smile still cold.

Alex gave a hearty laugh, standing up. "Well, I trust you, kid. Your diction's got that old-school mobster feel to it. I dig it."

Tetsuya nodded slightly. "Ah, my word choice has always been... peculiar. Even as a child, I spoke in ways that... unsettled those around me. Words that even adults would find... unconventional."

Alex smirked. "Now that's what I call real talent!"

Tetsuya's expression remained neutral. "I apologize if I seem... somewhat shady. It's simply a part of my... mental architecture, something I've never been able to escape."

Alex grinned, clearly amused. "I get it, I get it! I'm addicted to poor man's spaghetti, y'know. I ain't even poor anymore, and I still eat it. Some days, though, my stomach screams at me to stop."

Tetsuya raised an eyebrow, his voice impassive. "Poor man's spaghetti?"

"Ramen with ketchup," Alex answered, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Tetsuya's expression remained unchanged. "How... quaint."

There was a long pause as Tetsuya's gaze flicked toward the door. "The door's right there."

Alex, ever the eager one, stood up. "Alright!" He flashed a grin before leaving the room.

Meanwhile, across the bustling city, Sirius sat slouched on his bed, phone pressed to his ear as he continued his lively conversation with Zayd.

"I'm telling you!" Zayd's voice crackled through the speaker, brimming with confidence. "Ghost movies are never scary!"

Sirius scoffed, adjusting his position. "How could you say that? Ghosts are freaky."

"Alright, hear my thought process!" Zayd urged, his tone animated. "If I were in the universe of a ghost movie and saw a ghost, that would confirm there's actually an afterlife, right?"

Sirius nodded, even though Zayd couldn't see him. "Mhm."

"The reason why ghosts in movies are so scary on paper," Zayd explained, "is because they're virtually unstoppable and have an unreasonable amount of power, right?"

"Mhm," Sirius echoed, intrigued.

"But if I were killed by a ghost, I could just become a ghost and beat the hell out of the other ghost," Zayd declared triumphantly.

Sirius chuckled. "Aren't some ghosts just outright stronger than others?"

"I'm telling you now," Zayd said with determination, "if I ever die to a vengeful old lady or little kid ghost, I'm turning into the most vengeful ghost ever."

Sirius smirked. "Aren't there ghosts that, like, eat your soul or trap you in some pocket dimension or object?"

"I'll just kill myself and become a ghost on my own," Zayd shot back, unfazed.

"Then what?" Sirius inquired, curious.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, after you kill the ghost, what are you gonna do?" Sirius pressed.

"Live ghost life! That sounds awesome—being invisible, flying around!" Zayd enthused.

"But you can't eat, sleep, or drink," Sirius pointed out.

Zayd paused. "Wait, damn, you're right!"

A sudden knock on the door pulled Sirius's attention away. "Hold up, bro, I got someone at the door."

He rose from the bed and made his way to the door, cautiously creaking it open. Finding no one outside, he stepped out and scanned the hallway. His eyes fell on an envelope, stapled to the door handle with a rubber band. He grabbed it, re-entered his apartment, and locked the door behind him. Walking back to his bed, he plopped down and examined the envelope.

"I got a letter," he announced.

"You too, huh?" Zayd replied, his voice piqued with interest.

Sirius frowned. "The hell you mean 'you too'?"

"I got a letter at my door earlier today," Zayd explained.

"That's probably completely unrelated to what I just got," Sirius said, opening the envelope.

"Probably. Mine was some shady scam thing, I think," Zayd guessed.

Inside the envelope was a yellow flyer. Sirius unfolded it, reading the bold, blocky letters: "You have been chosen to participate in the Dynamite Game."

"What the hell am I looking at?" Sirius muttered.

"What?" Zayd asked.

"The Dynamite Game," Sirius read aloud.

"So we did get the same letter!" Zayd exclaimed.

Sirius continued reading. "Enter the underworld to win a big money prize."

"Yeah, it's a shady scam," Zayd concluded. "They didn't even give a specific number on the flyer!"

"The underworld? The underground village area? I've never been there," Sirius mused.

"Yeah, it's definitely a setup to be robbed," Zayd said with certainty.

"A setup..." Sirius echoed, the wheels in his head turning.

"But now that I think about it," Zayd pondered, "unless it's run by some secret underground organization, it'd be impossible to rob everyone at once, depending on the number of people invited."

"Giving me big death game vibes," Sirius muttered, imagining the worst. "It's gonna be like Squid Game or something."

"Do you think you could survive a death game?" Zayd challenged.

"I'd be lying if I said I would," Sirius admitted. "A lot of people think they wouldn't make the same mistakes as death game participants, but under the pressure of death, it's hard to think."

"I think I'd survive," Zayd declared confidently.

Sirius snorted. "What? Why?"

"Don't I give off main character vibes?" Zayd quipped.

"Main character vibes?" Sirius laughed. "Dude, there's no plot armor saving you in real life!"

"Oh yeah? How about this?" Zayd suggested. "What if we both enter this game?"

"No," Sirius replied firmly.

"What? Why not?" Zayd pressed.

"This is suspicious. I don't trust anything suspicious anymore," Sirius stated.

"Why?"

"Shit happens," Sirius said simply.

"Well, I'll go by myself!" Zayd declared defiantly.

"Okay? If you die or something, don't go haunting me," Sirius warned.

"I can't make any promises," Zayd teased before hanging up.

Sirius stared at the phone. "Okay, what?"

Sirius picked up his phone, his fingers moving swiftly as he dialed a number. The moment the line connected, a gruff voice answered.

"Who's this?" the man demanded, his tone wary.

"It's Xaldris," Sirius replied evenly.

"That's impossible. Xaldris is dead. They found his body burned to a crisp!" the man exclaimed, disbelief thick in his voice.

Sirius took a deep breath. "Well, I'm still alive, somehow. I don't know how, but whoever died in that explosion, it wasn't me."

"You sound like him," the man muttered, suspicion evident. "But this could be a police setup. How do I know you're really him?"

Sirius's voice hardened. "That's a tough one, man. You hired me to take out a target once. You even know my address."

"Not convincing enough," the man retorted.

"You said you'd call me back for another job. I just want to know what it is," Sirius pressed.

The man hesitated, then relented. "So, you are Xaldris."

"I was set up by the cops, along with some other criminals. The building exploded, but I woke up under a pile of rubble. They say I burned alive, but that body wasn't mine," Sirius explained.

"Well, I'm glad you're still around. I do have another job for you," the man said, his tone shifting.

"Name it," Sirius responded confidently. "I'm on it."

"Recently, my gang got swindled out of a billion dollars."

Sirius's eyes widened. "How the hell—"

"Some kid, a student of Dr. Lekt, sent a robot into our base and cleaned us out after finding the stash," the man interrupted.

"You had a billion dollars?" Sirius echoed, incredulous.

"I'll tell you this now, Xaldris, because I trust you. I am Bianco Zanetti, the boss of the Zanetti mafia."

Sirius blinked in surprise. "You're Mafia?"

"Feared by everyone," Bianco confirmed. "Though some of my men have cybernetics, this kid's tech is on another level."

"Give me the details," Sirius demanded.

"The kid's name is Tetsuya Fujikawa. He made headlines his senior year, graduating with the highest GPA of all time—12.5," Bianco revealed.

"Excuse me? How is that even possible?" Sirius asked, baffled.

"Anything is possible for this kid. He vanished after graduation. Recently, we discovered he used the money to start an underground game."

"The Dynamite Game?" Sirius guessed, the pieces falling into place.

"So, you know," Bianco confirmed.

Sirius nodded to himself. "It all makes sense now. I just got a flyer about it a few minutes ago."

"He crossed us. Kill him, and I'll slip you a million," Bianco offered.

"A million?" Sirius repeated, his interest piqued.

"I'm feeling generous. You take this punk out, and get our money back, and life will get a whole lot easier for you," Bianco assured him.

Sirius smirked. "Well, shit, I'm in."

"I'm surprised you're jumping back into this after surviving that explosion," Bianco noted.

"I didn't see that coming. I had no control over it. This time, I know exactly what I'm getting into," Sirius replied with conviction.

"I like your confidence, Xaldris, but be warned. This kid is no ordinary kid. His homemade bot tore through my men. It's strong. I'm not sure a regular guy like you can handle it," Bianco cautioned.

"I'll find a way," Sirius said resolutely.

"Then it's a date. Good luck, Xaldris," Bianco said before hanging up.

Sirius set his phone down, his gaze falling back to the flyer. His brow furrowed as he stared at the ominous message.

The hell is this? he thought, unease settling in his gut.