BANG.
Sharp slips into his own shadow then rises from the shadow of the man behind him that was pinning the barrel of the gun against his head earlier just before the man pulled the trigger and hits his head, putting him in a concussion to incapacitate him without casualty, the bullet flying into the mirror of a beauty store, ricocheting into the cranium of one of the other men as shattered glass scatters on the store's floor, the civilians around the underground market scream in horror at the sight, shops go in lock down and people try to evacuate, Trying not to get caught in the crossfire, with all of the Suited men in shock, Casket takes the opportunity to kick the man pinning a shotgun in Casket's back straight in the family jewels, the man grovels on the ground, frothing from the mouth as he holds his nut sacks, casket crouches to him and thinks to himself "...Man, i guess not everyone's into scrambled eggs." He quips in his mind. The other men pull out more firearms, aiming at the two brothers. The man in the suit who was the supposed "dealer" of the transaction pulls a extendable machete from his suits pocket and stares in rage at the brothers
???: PIECES OF SHIT, THAT STUNT YOU PULLED WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM MY PAY, ALBERT MENDEL SENDS HIS REGARDS, DICK WIPES. AIR THEM OUT.
Sharp: WAAAAAAAIT- WE HAVEN'T EXPLAINED TO THE READER HOW THE POWER SYSTEM WORKS, WHICH WILL BE SUUUUPER DUPER RELEVANT IN THIS ARC!!! We shouldn't cuck our audience from knowledge which the author doesn't have a better way to introduce in this chapter other than breaking the 4th wall like some awful rip off of Deadpool, We aren't THAT much of a sloppy Webnovel series!
???: I- Well- ah, fair enough... Temporary truce it is. AFTER which we'll resume the story after we're done with the info dumping and exposition.
The men lower their guns and then proceed to sit down on some benches nearby. The men pull buckets of popcorn and cups of soda seemingly out of nowhere as they watch Sharp explain.
Sharp: Alright... So- Sentient beings have humanity, the stronger a being is, but ONLY if they have T.A.R.O.T. genes in them OR if they have injected themselves with T.A.R.O.T. Serums like some sort of fuckin' heroin addicts from Philadelphia, OR if they're genetic abominations born from lab experiments in which no god on earth partook in the conception of one bit, just like me and my brothers!
Casket: Damn right.
Sharp: ...Since when can YOU talk!?
Casket: ...Since this info dumping isnt relevant to the story (except for the information provided of course) so I get to break the Canon and talk however much I want without the fact me being mute is a pain in the ass for me and my desire to express myself and because the Author wants to drag out the word count for the chapter so he's using ME talking as an excuse. (REAL SHIT) Also you're a bitch ass motherfucker.
Sharp: ...Asshole. as i was saying, Lower the humanity, the stronger people T.A.R.O.T. Genes or Serums in them can output their power offered to them from exposure to the Gene. In my case it's black fire/darkness, Casket's case are Road sign based abilities as we saw in chapter 1, Etc Etc. We'll shine more light upon this subject later as there are elements you'll all learn in due time that we cannot present at the moment. ...That is if we get enough fans to support us? Wink wink? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Perchance? ...No? Well fuck you too I guess.
???: ...Okay, I think that was enough exposition for now. Can we resume the story? I want to get my paycheck.
Sharp: ...Yeah, sure.
The men groan in dissapointment, then they collectively chuck their buckets of popcorn and soda cups into a trash can as they return to their posts.
They aim their weapons once again, killing intent cutting through the air.
???: PIECES OF SHIT, THAT STUNT YOU PULLED WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM MY PAY, ALBERT MENDEL SENDS HIS REGARDS, DICK WIPES. AIR THEM OUT.
The other men aim their guns and start shooting relentlessly. In response Casket grabs a thick Display Stand from a front of a shop and uses it to block bullets, Sharp slips back into his own shadow and scurries like a cockroach behind cover.
The Machete wielding man pulls out a Comm device and speaks into it, rage seething into his grip as he holds onto the device tightly to the point his knuckles whiten.
???: SURROUND THE AREA. SEND IN THE PHYSICALLY AUGMENTED ENFORCER UNITS.
After hearing the man yell, Casket's caution sign mask's Exclamation mark widens, as realization dawns on him of the current state of their situation. "...P.A.E.U.'s!? Is this motherfucker trying to Sicc the X-men on us or some shit!?" Casker throws the Stand at one of the guys and rushes forward, Sharp hopping out of the cover and following suit, Casket rushes the guy he threw the stand at, Throwing quick jabs in his stomach then hits him in the chin with a flying knee, knocking him down onto his ass, the man with the Machete sprints to Casket and swings his blade into him, Casket dodge rolls out of his way, the slash still making contact with him, slicing his left shoulder with blood gushing out of his wound and torn cloth, in retaliation Casket shoulder bashes him into a wall and kicks him in the stomach with his left leg and then roundhouse kicks him in the head with his right straight into the ground. The man coughs blood and grovels on the ground, holding his stomach, a ringing in his ears sharply intensifying inside his head. Casket picks him up by his collar, grabs his machere and pins him against the wall. Worry and fear quickly fills the man's eyes, seeing as he's being held in a choke hold and his weapon gone.
???: WH- WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT, YOU UNNATURAL!?
"...What do I want? What do I want...?" He whispers in his own thoughts.
Casket doesn't respond. He doesn't make one single noise, not that he can. Casket looks at the Machete, then at the man repeatedly, going back and forth, contemplating. Thinking. Casket grips the Machete tight. He grips it. Tighter, tighter. And even tighter.
???: NO- NO-NO-NO- DON'T-
"...W- what the fuck am I doing? Why am I... enjoying this? What is this...? Is this...? Is this what i want? What is happening to me?" Casket thinks to himself. Casket's body twitches, almost as if he's laughing. Casket raises the Machete in his hand, Slowly but surely. Winding it back. If he could smile, he'd be grinning ear to ear right now.
???: DON'T DO THIS, STOP- STOP, DON'T DO IT- NO-NO- PLE-
CHOP.
Sharp dashes towards the remaining man with the gun, the suited man shoots directly at sharp, but he slips into his shadow to dodge and slither his way towards the adversary, he then quickly grabs him by the leg as he ascends back up from his darkness and chucks him into a water fountain, grabbing his gun and the Suitcase he was carrying, settling it besides himself and emptying out the magazine then throwing the gun away from both of them before grabbing the suitcase again then going into a defensive stance.
Sharp: ...Look, i'm sure you're a cool dude, I do not want to kill you, i'm more of a pacifist when compared to my brothers, so... We cool?
The man gets up from the water, stepping out of the fountain in damp clothing, glaring at Sharp.
The man: ...What does a Unnatural like you know about pacifism? You're all the same. Monsters who murder. Creatures made by man. Nothing more than sub-human beasts. Fucking mutts.
As the man finishes speaking, from across the market a yell is heard- "NO-NO- PLE-", The man looks behind Sharp, witnessing his comrade lying decapitated on the floor as Casket was already starting to deal with the 1st wave of back-up. Sharp looks back at the commotion, his eyes widened, an expression of shock and dread plastered on his face. The man stares in surprise, then his face settles into annoyance, turning to face back Sharp
The man: ...This only furthers my point. You Shades are mutts. An ugly tumor created by humanity, and for what? ...I'll deal with you myself. Right here. Right now.
The man rushes forward, pulling out a combat knife from his pocket and charges the knife to stab it into Sharp. Sharp, still distracted by the sight before him, gets the knife stabbed into his side as the man rushed into him, in retaliation he swings the briefcase, using it as a weapon. The man weaves the retaliation and swings the knife to slash him, in response Sharp uses the briefcase to block it then smashes it into the man's head, staggering him back before propelling himself further from the man, then charges his shoes and boosts himself with a burst of black fire and quickly turns mid-air into a drop kick and lands feet first into the man's chest as he gets sent flying into a wall by the drop-kick along with Sharp, Sharp then quickly kicks off of him into a jump and lands onto the floor.
Sharp: What the fuck...
Sharp steps to look at Casket fighting off P.A.E.U.'s, a look of bewilderment and dissapointed in his face.
Sharp: ...Did he really just kill that guy?
A massive man in high tech armor busts down from the ceiling, holding a heavy machine gun, a skinny looking elder monk wearing an orange robe with a long white beard, no hair on his head, elongated earlobes, prayer beads around his neck and a Monk's Spade tied to his back falls along side, landing barefoot first on one leg on top of the man's left shoulder in a meditative stance.
Odd monk: Hmmm... is this the location?
The man he's standing on doesn't respond, just stands still and just observes the area.
Odd monk: Hmmm... Not much of a talker are you? Hmmm... we have two targets... which one do you want to fight? Hmmm...?
The man stays quiet for a second. Scouting the area, before landing his gaze onto Sharp, then in a robotic low voice he mutters.
Menacing man: ...The one with the briefcase.
The monk shoots him a curious glance, then proceeds to stroke his own beard
Odd monk: Hmmm? Are you certain? Then i guess I'll have...
The monk twists his torso 180 degrees inhumanly, taking in the view at his own pace. His eyes land on Casket fighting against other P.A.E.U.'s of lower tier. The monk's head twists 180 degrees to look at the man he's standing on the shoulder of.
Odd Monk: Hmmm... I'd fancy to fight the Hmmm... one that looks like a road under construction. Hmmm?
The monk hops off the shoulder of the giant man and starts walking with his hands, his legs suspended in the air, he makes his way to casket, who is fighting off some no-name average-joe P.A.E.U.'s, cutting, punching, kicking, massacering the units. The monk looks at Casket, examining his performance, every move, every single swing. Every last punch. He's evaluating him.
Odd monk: ...Hmmmm? This young one... Definetly has the Potential.
The monk says, as he bends his left leg backwards to scratch his beard with his toes.
Odd monk: ...But potential amounts little to nothing if it isn't cultivated. I've seen too many cases of "If's" and "But's" but never is'. I guess I'll just have to see that for myself. Hmmmm...
Casket swings his Machete, slicing off a P.A.E.U.'s arm, grabbing it and throwing it into another one, he then kicks a man into a store's window, then jumps on top of him and stabs the machete straight into his stomach. The man screams in pain, clutching the blade that's been stabbed into him. Casket just glares at him, shaking violently, almost as if he's laughing like hyena. Howls of agony fills the area, blood spreading down to the floor in a small pool, thrashing around, struggling. He struggles, struggles and struggles repeatedly. Each time with less force in his desperation, less volume to his cries of pain, until--
Casket covers the man's face with his hands.
The man struggles against Casket's grip, punching, hitting, muffled screaming, and-
He's motionless.
Casket pauses."...Am i enjoying this? Am i enjoying... killing humans? ...I- what- no? No... maybe? I- ...Is this the true nature... of Shades? The true nature of... Us? I- I-" Casket tilts his head down to look at his hands. Stained with blood in both senses of the phrase. He gets up from the body, shivering like crazy and breathing heavily as he starts walking deeper into the store. "...I've never killed- I've never killed something- i never killed anything sentient before... Jesus Christ- this feels wrong- ...But thrilling at the same time. Is this what Mesmur and Sail feel? Outta be... I need a seat... calm down... and get back to my senses..." Casket thinks to himself.
Casket looks around, shelfs stacked with books from all kinds of Genres, he grabs a random book that was shelved and hurries over to a chair and throws himself onto it, Letting out a giant sigh, slightly calming down and looks at the book in his hands.
"Solo XP Grinding: Starring Jung Sin-Oow"
"...No fucking way of all books I picked i got this bullshit." Casket dreadfully mutters in his train of thoughts.
???: Of all books, you got something that people read for... what do young people call it these days? "Aura Farming?" ...Hmmm?
Casket freezes. His body frozen with dread greater than the one he had from the awful book be picked randomly. Casket feels a hand touching his shoulder ominously, a chill running down his spine.
???: ...I know what you're thinking. "Friend?", "Foe?"... Take a guess why don't you, Hmmmm? You shouldn't make a Monk wait for an answer, you know. It's rude. ...So tell me, what do you think i am? Hmmmmm?
Chapter 3: Where's Your Head At? - END
To be Continued in Chapter 4.