Chapter 12 - The Antagonist

Day 8

After Dusk

Logan Alvarez went through his gear check one last time. Once he and Sydney left, they wouldn't have time to come back until things had resolved, so he couldn't forget anything. He had a ballistic vest on already. The rig on the table had the five mags the System gave him with the new Walter PDP F-Series pistol. Their status read as full, 14/14 rounds each. He would be more excited for that gift if things weren't so crazy. He had to check the description of the last magazine again, it was a long name.

Silver Self-Replenishing Less Lethal 9mm Taser Rounds Magazine

Status: Full, 20/20 rounds

He checked his chest for the Gold Defensive Police Badge, another gift from the System. Still on his chest in place of his original badge. Reaching for the back of his belt, he confirmed the Platinum Indestructible Scales of Fairness Handcuffs, another long-winded name, were there. Checking his ankle holster, the backup .38 special was right where he left it. He gave that ridiculous shooters mat to Sydney already. It increased the steadiness of the shooter, and although she was a great shot, every bit would help.

Pulling on his rig and cinching it tight, he looked over at Sydney who was sitting in a chair, leaning back, eyes closed. His heart felt like it could box Tyson to a standstill, and she looked like she was napping. Everything about her screamed warrior. At five-foot-eight she wasn't the tallest woman in the world, but she had the build of someone who kept in shape for a purpose. Add to that the dirty blonde hair in a no-nonsense bun, no makeup, and all the more beautiful for it.

The second the clock ticked on the hour her ice blue eyes snapped open. She stood up smoothly, grabbed her new Sig MCX Spear SBR the System gave her, and started walking towards the garage. No vehicles worked anymore, but they had bicycles. She didn't even look back at Logan. Either she trusted he was coming, or knowing her she planned to go no matter what he did. She was like that though, the consummate professional, get the mission done, home for dinner and sleep. A bit hard-edged for police work in a small town, but she was reliable, evidenced by the fact that she stuck around when everyone else left.

Grabbing a spare box of 12g slugs for the shotgun strapped to his bike, Logan joined Sydney in the garage. The box going in a saddle bag.

Logan went over the plan again in his head. Sydney would post up on the roof of an apartment half a block from the Domus Nostra HQ. Line of sight was clean, and it was well within her effective range. Once she got into position, Logan would walk up to the front door and try to negotiate for the hostage. It was dangerous, stupid, and would probably get him killed. Everything he hated in a plan.

They weren't five minutes out of the precinct when Logan's HUD notified him of a new message. Opening the message window, he saw Noah's name followed by the message.

Noah: She's on her way.

Logan: How long?

Noah: Unknown. She was moving REALLY fast.

Logan slammed his hand on the handlebar and cursed. "Dammit!"

Sydney looked over at him from her own bike, not registering a change in her facial features, but a question hung in the air nonetheless.

"Erin's on her way. Noah says she was moving fast. No idea how much time we have."

Sydney didn't say a word. She just set her jaw, and indicated forward with a knife hand. Logan didn't need to ask her meaning. Pedal harder.

The two officers originally wanted to park in an alley a block away from Sydney's perch and sneak up, but they didn't have time to walk the extra distance. They pulled in behind the intended apartment building, and Logan helped Sydney get the external fire exit gate open, then drew his Walther PDP and covered her ascent. Thirty seconds, after she reached the top, Sydney sent him a message.

Sydney: In position

Logan: 10-4

Logan started moving up the sidewalk towards the DN HQ. He wasn't halfway there when a blur came down the cross street and landed in the intersection. It was Erin. Different clothes, still no shoes, but she was hard not to recognize. She appeared to be breathing hard, but not exhausted. Seconds after she landed, a hulking tank of a man came into view, keeping the sidewalk between him and Erin. Logan had to squint to make out what the leader of the DN was holding. Ryu Jin-soo. He was in rough shape, but he appeared to be moving.

Logan took precious seconds to debate with himself how to act next.

When Erin arrived at the intersection of streets the quest gave her, she glanced at her Ki bar and winced. Almost completely drained. She would need to buy a minute to let it regenerate. Her eyes were drawn from her Ki bar to the hedge bracketing part of the apartment property. A monster was walking towards her along the hedge. Over six feet tall, but so muscular as to be grotesque. A too-deep, twisted voice came from the creature as it stopped just before the sidewalk. Erin saw the figure being held around the neck by a hand overly large for a human. Sabom Ryu. He looked rough.

"Erin, you came! I've been so looking forward to meeting you." The monster's voice was friendly, like talking to an old friend you were happy to see again.

"And you would be?" Erin had an idea, but again, stall tactics. She also had to force down the anger building at the sight of her friend and mentor in such a condition.

"Aww, I'm hurt, I thought someone would have told you who I am by now."

Erin nodded her head to the side, "Everyone's been pretty busy, what with the alien invasion and all. I'm sure they'll get around to it."

The creature, he was a man technically, tsked and wagged a finger on his free hand, "Naw, you're here now, I wouldn't want to burden anyone. You may call me The Antagonist."

She almost laughed. A creature from some twisted vision of horror-meets-gym rats extreme edition talking politely, while holding a beaten and battered man who looked like a doll in his grip, talking about not burdening people and declaring himself The Antagonist, like he was some classy villain in a superhero story. The absurdity, the gall, the incredulity. It was almost beyond her ability to grasp with a sane mind.

"Is that your first or last name?"

"Yes."

"Do you prefer Mr. Antagonist, or is The your salutation of preference?"

"When we're done here, it's my hope you'll have lots of pet names for me."

He winked. He actually…tried to wink. Erin gagged. It just looked so wrong. Like one of those movie caricatures of someone with a swollen face, but the muscles moved like a swarm of maggots under the skin rather than the fluid behaviour nature imparted on our bodies.

"What's wrong, Erin my dear? Would you like to come in and lie down?"

Erin had to take a moment to swallow some bile. "Uhh, no, I'm good." She waved a hand in polite dismissal. "Just, ya know, swallowed something that didn't agree with me." Like my god damned pride. She checked her Ki. Halfway full. This conversation felt like it was taking forever.

"Oh no, we can't have that. Come in, let my boys fix you a nice meal."

"Ya know, I promised mom I'd be home in time for breakfast, and she's been asking Sabomnim Ryu to come over for a meal since, like…forever, so I think I'll just grab him and go." She took a casual, non-threatening step forward, 'I promise, I'll come back for that meal real soon."

The Antagonist managed to show enough human emotion to look surprised that he was still holding onto anything. "Oh, yeah, he's still here. I did say I would kill him in an hour. Hey Bob, how long has it been since I said that?"

A random gang member who had appeared at some point on the lawn responded, "Oh…'bout a half-hour."

"Oh, well, if you're not early then you're late." The motion was so casual, and almost quicker than Erin could track. One second Jin-soo was hanging in The Antagonist's hand, then he flicked his thumb at the back of Jin-soo's head and decapitated him.

Erin froze with her hand extended, as if she could have reached just a little further and saved him. Her mouth was open in shock and disbelief. Tears started to stream down her face, and when The Antagonist tossed Jin-soo's body in front of her, she collapsed to her knees, still reaching for him. Her mind collapsing into despair.

"No…no…no…no, no, no, no, no, no no!" She fell over onto her hands.

"You must have strong willpower to ignore this little treat the System gave me." He tapped a fingernail on a silver tooth in his mouth. My guys were fawning over me in seconds.

Erin didn't register his words. All she could think of was how she had failed another person she cared about. When The Antagonist took a couple ranging steps, then booted her in the side, she didn't register the myriad of things her body plowed through, or the yell of "FIELD GOAL! IT'S GOOD!" from the man who launched her. She didn't register the sound of gunfire, and even if she was in the right state of mind she probably couldn't have recognized that it was two different guns firing.

Erin's first conscious thought after landing came when her Ki bar flashed full, My Ki is full. I'm coming Sabomnim.

In a zombie-like stupor Erin got to her feet, stumbling through the path of destruction her body made through the obstructions, she stumbled up the street towards Jin-soo's body. Heedless of the members of Domus Nostra that came at her, falling to fresh holes in their heads before they reached her, followed by loud cracks for each that dropped. Collapsing to her knees at his side, she started to straighten his dobok and re-tie his belt. He wouldn't approve of these wrinkles. Honour the art, respect your tools, he would say.

The tears started again, and she let them fall for a few seconds, but only a few. Standing up, Erin grabbed the ends of her belt and pulled them taught. Bringing her feet in, she bowed to the battlefield. "I will honour Sabomnim Ryu by honouring his memory." She then stepped into a back stance, left foot pointing forward, right foot back and turned sideways. Erin released her Ki with a sharp yell, and launched at The Antagonist.