The Deadman

He was missing the chrome and steel limb that he had been using. In the mirror he finds his image changing and flickering.

The image is asking:

-- Are you Robert or Kato?

He answered.

-- Both.

Robert replied to himself and checked out his body. Sometimes he could sometimes feel that his bionic limb was still around. The nightmare he had dreamt gave him the feeling of a phantom pain.

The wounds are not around, but he could feel them pulsing. Like an itch that he couldn’t scratch. Robert got himself dressed up with bags under his eyes.

He didn’t think that it would be possible.

Easy to say to accept but doing so is building foundations. To create something out of this foundation and make it into a new building. The old building that is Robert and Kato is being disassembled to create a new building that has all the aspects of Robert and Kato.

He has been making that mind house to keep his sanity in-check. But nonetheless there are days like this where he had dreams. Sweet nightmares that he had to deal with.

He was strong in his other life and even here he felt like he’s just an enhanced version of himself. Was he Robert’s implant or is Kato just the implanted soul strengthening him?

“All I have is you now.”

Something changed in the past days. Like someone’s hand was working in the corners of the world without him knowing. Their target, Rubio Ferric, went dark and from the looks of it had parted ways with the Cult and even gave an explanation for their actions.

It was an absurd response to the crimes that his crew did. All that human trafficking and organ trading meant nothing to this response that blamed all what they did to the cult.

A subtle and hidden threat that promised that if they do come after him. He will do everything in his power to do enough damage to the organizations and everything that composes it.

He understood now why they found Ferric dangerous. Even if one of the branches got cut, he was still a tree with many roots and stems. And with the help of the cult they became a hybrid drug-dealing and human-trafficking syndicate connected to the Pan-Europe Market.

That didn’t stop the war they were doing against the OTS and the Sin-Eaters who were still running their operations. One thing about these people is that they are smart enough when to fight and when to compromise.

Profit is God to them.

And they follow what God tells them.

Robert wanted to put a bullet in Rubio Ferric, but he wasn’t so gung-ho. He had no vendetta. Nothing in him personally that warranted hunting down a man.

The working table he had setted up had his bracer on. He had been improving it again and again while scaling it to a smaller size. Making it more compact and easy to carry than the bulk he always carried. Other than that he also had to modify the brace to fire the laser.

Juliana’s been asking about his tech. Started thinking that he was some genius who could create an arm-mounted anti-personnel laser. She’s been hounding about it and he just mentioned that he had to meet her in the base to demonstrate it for her.

He had a mind to refuse, but after thinking hard about it. He had made the decision to show her what the anti-personnel laser could do.

It was eight in the morning when he woke up sweating. After washing himself and then looking at the state of his body. Robert cooked for himself while browsing through the messages in his phone.

[G, you up?]

[I’m up.]

For some reason he had been texting Gia. He didn’t know why she and Simone were the few people he’d talk with. Gia’s introverted, but she can be a good buddy.

It’s odd really how they got along very well. She’s a bit a downer and outrightly gloomy sometimes. But she’s a woman with a goal and it wasn’t so bad learning from her while they get coffee.

He wore his suit as usual. He had been keeping the outfit everyday. Not that he enjoyed wearing a suit every damn day. But mostly because of how the charms on the linen made it a far superior bulletproof armor. There are times where he dresses more casually, but most of the time he goes for the suit and tie.

Threading through the sidewalk of the living alley. Robert stopped next to the four-door sedan he got from one of the operations with Paul.

Paul told him that he needed his own ride so he went with this one. He wasn’t particularly picky with what he rode, but when Paul offered to give him a motorcycle, he almost had a violent reaction.

He detested riding one. No way he was going to ride one unless he really needed it. Even had to punch a biker who was speeding in a lane. He didn’t get into trouble, but he did have to explain it to Juliana who was his superior.

He drove the car to CASE’s base and parked it not far from the headquarters.  Robert carried an extra bag full of batteries and carried it back down the testing range where Juliana, who was in her dress coat, was waiting for him.

“You’re late.”

“Sorry.”

No one was around the training range other than the guys from the R&D watching with clipboards on their hands. Robert held back. He wasn’t sure how’d they take it. But CASE might need the edge later on if they still want to act like some protectors who work in the dark. Not that the tech he was sporting was good enough to be called high-tech. They were rudimentary in his past life and every recruit knew how to build one out of a scrap of metal if they had to.

“Are you going to test it now?”

Robert removed his jacket and loaded the battery in his arm-mount and aimed the bracer on the target that imitated human flesh.

“Don’t expect anything grand.”

Robert pressed the button with his ring finger. The laser heated up and placed a hole in the target within five seconds. Robert ejected the battery pack and placed it on the counter.

“That’s it.”

“We’ll move to sturdier objects.”

This time it was a target protected by armor. Robert adjusted the setting on the bracer, aimed at the target, and poked a hole on the armor.

The diodes heated up and even with the padding. He could feel the heat sink burning through the layer.

“Interesting. You made this yourself?”

“Just a trick.”

A useful one.

Juliana approached and lifted the bracer. Her finger touching the tip of the contraption that he had someone made.

“A hook?”

“Somewhat.”

“You asked our guys about it. Demonstrate now.”

Robert switched gear and fired the hook on the ceiling. He long pressed the button and dragged himself up as if he was yanked upwards. Robert planted his feet on the ceiling with the hook strapped on the ceiling as well.

“Interesting. Climb down will you?”

Robert lets go of the button and jumps down gracefully. He retracted the hook and turned the safety on.

“How is it Wisdom?”

“It’s surprisingly well-made for something brought from the shop. You got the prints for these?”

Robert searched his bag and handed the designs and revision from it. Juliana stared at the designs.

“Interesting, you do know how to make it.”

The craftsman studied the prints and nodded. He took the prints to the others. Robert sat down and folded his arms.

“I don’t have knowledge about being a craftsman… but even I can tell that they are top tier. Very detailed and specific.”

“What are you going to do about it? Honestly, I don’t see much use for people who have magic.”

“You forgot that we are at the last legs of what we call magic.”

“Seems pessimistic. I doubt that it’ll really go away like it never happened.”

“It won’t. But it will remain in the dark no matter what. We can’t have people discover the existence of these creatures.”

“I get it. They’re too dangerous for humans.”

“It’s the exact opposite, Oswald. These monsters are only a few and we are so many that we dominate the planet. We are at the top of the food chain and if they come to know of their existence. It will end up in a massacre. Every supernatural creature will be butchered by the human race.”

“That bad, huh?”

Juliana looked at the floor tile.

“The Witch Hunt back then ended up like that because of what we know. They say that it was all because of the Witches, but some part of it was because of the creatures that were with the Witch who the locals thought of as demons.”

“And even now people are obsessed with the big foot, eh?”

“The Loch Ness was a beautiful creature, Oswald. Back then when people got to know of their existence. They hunted down the creatures to their death with only a few left. We are the most destructive species in this world, Oswald. And we fear that one day there will be a race that will dominate us. The Devils are said to be beings that would bring disaster to this world if we let them in. CASE was made to protect and secure them. We also are to make sure that no human would try to make a devil or use it.”

Robert tried to keep a straight demeanor. But Jualiana caught it easily. She replied with a sour mood.

“Ferric is a smart and devious man with power and connections. He lasted long enough and even has dealings with this side of the world. We get rid of him and another bastard will take over. And compared to them Ferric is rational and  reasonable and controllable.”

“What about the Americans?”

“They’ll be on the standby. Hoping and waiting for Rubio Ferric to break his word and profit again from the cult. We think he’s still in contact with the OTS and with a few rogues who do not accept a pact with the Magi Families and CASE in regards to this side of the world. Any weapon that will give us an edge in the coming century will make a difference.”

“So are we going to lose your powers?”

“We might. Becoming fully-fledged will allow us to retain these powers. Nonetheless, this will be the last batch of magicians of this century. Maybe in the future we will find more ways to do what we can do, but at the moment it's a hopeless case, Oswald. In the end it doesn’t matter what we use to enforce. If you have any more ideas, the people here will gladly accept it.”

“Not even going to ask where I got it?”

She shrugged with half-open eyes.

“It doesn’t matter if you made it or not. At the end they’d still be put to good use.”

“They are cheap imitations compared to what we can use.”

“They are,” Juliana said as if there was no doubting that, “but they are useful imitations that will be helpful in a future where we might need them.”

She went with the R&D crew to discuss the prints he gave them. Robert stayed on the practice range with his thoughts running around. To give them tech might help them, and yet his instincts were telling him to hold back on whatever tech he can conjure up.

He didn’t want to see a world like that. Even if he does see the world going in that direction again. He was glad that he wasn’t going to be alive to see a geothermal sky.

Robert’s became gloomy.

He thought back to the sweet nightmare that he had.

She’s in dreams now and he’d still be running around.

If there was one thing that he kept with him was inheriting her desire to do good no matter what.

“No more tech then,” Robert said firmly.

This was all they could get from him.