Dawsoe20
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#2
“I’ll tell you a name. A name bestowed to me graciously when I dismissed myself from that period of disservice. Call me Entity.”
“Oh-hoh! ‘Entity’ you say? My, my, isn’t that a little melodramatic? I mean you were never really the one to partake in the ritualistic part of duty anyway. It was always just, get the mark, find the mark, terminate the mark with you. Even the commanders were bothered by that lack of zeal you possessed for what you did. But I can’t say I was surprised in the least when you turned tail and ran. I knew that eggshell would finally crack someday.”
“Commanders…duties?” Red thought out loud. Just who are you?!
Ray turned to Red with a look of sullen apology in his eyes, deep within his eyes. He went back to the diligent task he had previously undertaken. Almost methodically, he lifted, pulled, and unwrapped what had be hung dormant on his back for so long. Red was amazed and nearly terrified by the fierce looking weapon Ray now held in both his hands. It was a gun, unlike any in the world he had ever seen. This was something fashioned for one absolute purpose and Red knew there was nothing else that could now be said to deter Ray from using it. Fortunately that was not the case.
“Well this complicates things a little, but you know orders are orders old friend.” chuckled the masked man.
“Esskay, you will leave now or I will end your life. That is the choice I’m giving you.”
Red was astonished by the calm collectiveness Ray exuded when confronted by such a man as this. Even Ray’s body seemed to be transfixed by the rhetoric he announced. The barrel of his weapon was pointed directly at Esskay and Red took this moment to draw his own sword at the intruder.
“Ah, the luxury of choices, is that why you left the military Fifteen?” Esskay callously asked. “You know, times have changed greatly in the service since you left.” A clicking on Ray’s weapon could be heard now by all the men. “But who knows what you’d be doing nowadays. After all, the days of solving political agendas and territorial disputes are over. Men in our line of duty aren’t needed for that anymore. No, we’ve truly moved on to something much greater, but I guess even if you hadn’t left you’d be nearly obsolete by now.”
Ray’s eyes were cautiously breaking their intense stare down the barrel of his weapon. He was beginning to listen intently to Esskay’s mind, captivated by his most recent comments. A couple images of some new and old faces flashed before Ray’s minds eye.
“What is this…what are you d-doing?!…who’s doing that?!…Enough…I said enough!”
“What’s going on?” Red questioned. But it was no use, Ray was focusing all his attention on probing this man’s thoughts.
Esskay could sense something wrong, something in his mind and tried to force it away with everything he could. Finally Ray shuddered and found himself dazed.
“Well perhaps I sold you a bit short old friend, that certainly is something we’d be interested in obtaining.” Esskay was regaining his composure.
“Enough of this crap. Step back from our friend” Red announced rushing forward at the masked man. Ray tried to call out to Red, but it was too late.
“My my. You’re pretty quick.” were the only words Red heard before jumping back from Esskay’s position. A stream of green liquid was shot out from a device on the military man’s wrist. Red narrowly escaped the erratic path of the stream, but was soon very thankful he did. Like a smoldering fire, fumes exuded from the areas of the ship covered by the green substance. A barrel that was struck soon found itself leaking water profusely, as the strange substance had burned a large shapely whole in the side of it.
Acid? Red thought to himself. What kind of acid could disintegrate something that fast?
Before he could contemplate the answer further, Esskay had actually done the unthinkable and closed the distance between Red and himself. A blade shot out from the same device on his right wrist that had shot the acidic stream and Esskay began slashing at the air all around Red’s body. The faster and much younger man had no trouble keeping his attacker from landing a hit, but even so, there was a small amount of fear instilled in Red that he couldn’t shake. A second blade on the man’s left wrist came into focus shortly after the first and this one crept around Red’s hilt, leaving a small cut on his hand.
“You’re putting yourself at unnecessary risk. Stand down.” Ray’s voice boomed in Red’s mind. Red immediately withdrew from combat with Esskay, but not a few seconds after that he felt his body burning up. “He has struck you. It’s a nonlethal toxin. You don’t have much longer before you lose control of your nervous system. Rest now.”
Red could feel it. His hand began to shake violently until a numbing rigidness took it over. He couldn’t clutch his weapon any longer.
Poisoned blades! How could I be so careless! Almost immediately Red’s anxiety was addressed by Ray.
“His name is Dee Esskay, he use to be apart of the military’s secretive assassination unit almost five years ago. He’s apart of something known as the Deep Ops now. His assassination tactics were always subtle. Poison and medical complications were his specialty.” Ray’s thoughts raced through Red’s head. “Don’t worry, it seems the mixture he has serrated on his blades is non-lethal, although the side effects will be most unpleasant.”
An uncontrollable urge to vomit rushed over Red’s body as it started to convulse on the deck of the ship. By now he was amazed he had already lost feeling in both of his arms and chest. He threw up and couldn’t find enough bearing to roll himself out the mess that was now soaking itself into his clothes.
Esskay watched both men from across the ship, withdrawing his blades and taking out a small handgun, aiming it directly at Ray.
“Don’t mind it’s size, I’m sure you’re already aware what’s in each of these bullets will be more than enough to take you down in a matter of minutes.” Esskay said taking aim at Ray.
A gunshot was fired, loud as a crack of lightening. Esskay still stood, arm hoisted in the air. Ray, still looking down the sight of his gun kept Esskay directly at the end of his barrel. One, two, three, more shots were fired off. Esskay’s knees buckled and gave way beneath him. Ray had hit with all three of his shots. Two just below the kneecaps of the military man and one just below his right shoulder causing him to lower his weapon before squeezing off a shot of his own that found itself buried in the deck several feet in front of Ray.
Ray made another leap into the masked man’s mind now as he was slowly beginning to slump on the deck.
It’s only a…matter…of…time…friend. Are the only words Esskay kept repeating, like a mantra to stave off Ray’s intrusiveness. Ray had an odd feeling, this man was obviously trying to keep his thoughts secluded, but there was something in the way he seemed so assured in the phrase he repeated. When Ray returned once again to his body it hit him immediately. Like a dense fog, his sight was beginning to blur. Shapes, colors, everything was becoming distorted and a searing pain could be felt in each of his sockets. He covered his mouth right away with the tail of his jacket.
“You’ve ignored my warning and now I’ll finish you off,” Ray said, attempting to refocus on his opponent, who he realized was nowhere to be seen.
A short blade nearly came in contact with Ray’s temple before he spun the butt of his rifle to take the incoming blow. Whatever Esskay had done to regain his health and make it across the ship was a mystery to Ray still, along with his deadening sense of sight.
Ray didn’t hesitate to find out though. He rested the top of his gun on his shoulder and fired off several shots at the dark figure looming behind him. One, two, three, four, five…only one hit. Despite Esskay’s apparent injuries his reflexes seemed to be unhindered. Although the barrage of bullets had done little to drop Esskay to the deck of the ship, they had given Ray a bit of distance from his advancing attacker and he used the moment to probe his thoughts one more time.
That’s right, let the gas slowly do its work, old friend. Mixed with any sodium compound, that acid will transform to it’s gaseous state and work as a tear gas. You’ll join this pitiful crew when I take them into the commander. Ray knew it. Esskay was welcoming his special mind scanning ability with open arms now. Tell me Fifteen. With all those bullets you sent through my flesh, when will occur to you I can’t be killed by such feats. My body has long undergone a transformation to expel and condense many useless systems and appendages. Organs have been hardened to nearly steel like malleability, blood drained and replaced by synthetic formulas, of my own creation. My entire body is both a weapon and unstoppable machine.
Ray could barely make it out now, but refocusing on Esskay’s still body he saw the ooze slowly leaking from the newly open chest wound drip down to the floor, like black molasses. It seared and burned it’s way through the wooden floor. Ray’s eyes narrowed and he reached for his case on the ground. Esskay was upon him almost instantaneously. Barely escaping the scathe of the masked man’s blade again, Ray retreated several feet and withdrew from the case a pair of twin revolvers.
“Those certainly aren’t for subtle termination, ‘Entity’. Is that what you prefer?” Esskay knelt, prone to charge his adversary.
“You’ve made your choice,” Ray said coldly. His sight failing him, there was only one way to stop his old fellow soldier and he had now resorted to that decision.
__________________________________________
Black shadows raced through the tangled brush of the jungle. Every person’s breath was nearly inaudible while they rapidly traveled into the dense land. A small girl was leading the way. Her agile and tiny form crept into the dark abyss with no hesitation. The rest of the Legacy crew, followed diligently.
“I’m afraid dey’ve been alerted,” she said in a near hush. “Your ship isn’t dat far from here. We keep goin west.”
Everyone kept the pace as they became more and more aware of a lingering presence. Birds screeching out and low angry growls could be heard far off behind them. Running through a small clearing, Vash stopped behind his comrades. The rest of the group hesitated for a short moment, turning to the blind man.
“Keep going, I’ll stave them off and get back to the ship with you in a bit. Make the preparations fast.” his words were fiercely spoken and nobody could think of what to say to oppose them. Nicholas took a step towards the demanding man.
“I’ll stay as well,” Nicholas said. Vash tightened his jaw a bit, showing his obvious displeasure at the idea of sharing the impending danger with another able bodied individual, but he seemed to let it go as a rustling came from the trees in front of him.
“Be safe,” said the girl, turning back to the path. “Tank you.”
Garrinski and Sam watched as a giant catlike creature leapt from the dark jungle at Vash’s position. It was sent flying by a hard punch that connected to it’s midsection from the ferocious giant now standing in front of Vash. Nicholas turned to his friends.
“Please Mr. Sam, go now!”
-End of Chapter 18
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Topic: The Legacy: Chapter 18- Discarded Ardor
Posted on May 12, 2009 00:05
