Rise of Kings and Queens

Chapter 30

JACMEL SAINT'S SQUAD ALMOST WIPED OUT BY DEPENDENCY.

By L.M.Taurus

6/12/0028 UWC

8 hours before headline

Cairo, Jacmel and his squad arrived at their hotel after a successful mission. They finished arresting some members of Dependency, including an Agent. The police had the members of Dependency in custody.

"Good job everyone," Cairo said to the squad. "At this rate, Dependency will no longer be a threat to anyone."

"Unless the courts don't end up releasing them and they continue with their shit," said Bessy. "It might be better to just put them down."

Renz carried the Agent of Dependency's mask. "Does feel like we've been fighting a lot of these guys," he said as he looked at the mask. "Are we sure it's not the same guy?"

"They're not," answered Cairo. "The world military has the three Agents we've captured. They're not going anywhere but jail."

Renz whistled. "Wow, we've captured three of these guys. How many are there in total?"

"We don't know," said Cairo. "The ones we've captured say they don't know the answer, but I think a new one is promoted to Agent depending on their achievements."

"Meaning this becomes an endless circle," said Jacmel as he took the mask away from Renz. "We take one down. Another takes their place."

"Hey," said Renz as he reached for the mask, but Jacmel tossed it to Chano.

"Sounds tedious," said Bessy.

Renz went to Chano. "Can I have that back?" Chano gave the mask back to Renz. "Thank you good sir," said Renz, tipping his top hat.

"Why do you want that ugly thing anyway?" asked Bessy.

"It's my trophy for a job well done."

"Boss," said Jacmel. "I think I have a solution to our Agents of Dependency problem."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Cairo.

"Instead of arresting them," said Jacmel as he went over to Renz and took the mask away again and dropped it on the floor. "We stomp them out." He brought down his armored boot on the mask, smashing it.

"Seriously man," wined Renz as he looked down at his broken trophy. "You didn't need the physical demonstration to prove your point."

"The dramatic effect adds.... Drama. So what do you think, Cairo?" asked Jacmel. "Let's stop arresting these assholes and start putting them down like the retarded dogs they are."

"Yo," said Renz. "Don't use that word. You'll offend Chano."

The squad laughed while Chano glared at Renz.

"Just joking, big man,"said Renz. "Please don't kill me in my sleep."

"Oh trust me," said Chano. "I'm not going to do it when you're sleeping."

"Shit. You're going to do it when I'm taking a shit, aren't you."

Chano only smiled at Renz as the squad laughed.

"Okay, settle down everyone," said Cairo. He faced Jacmel. "About your question earlier. We're not executioners. Killing is supposed to be a last resort. That's the reason guns were eliminated around the world."

"Yes but we still have swords and they're just as good at killing as a gun."

"Yes but the reason the sword replaced the gun is because we don't want people to kill each other so easily. The gun made killing another human so impersonal that it created monsters out of humanity."

"I don't know, boss," said Jacmel. "I think those monsters were and are already here. Replace the gun with a sword and the monster will go on a murdering spree with the blade."

"While I will agree that monsters will use whatever means to kill, a gun would turn a normal human into a monster. So will killing someone in cold blood."

"You're afraid we're going to turn into monsters?" asked Jacmel, surprised.

"If you start putting down the Agents of Dependency like you say, yes, I'm afraid you will turn into a monster."

Jacmel stood silent as he pondered Cairo's words.

"That's enough for tonight," said Cairo as he put a hand on Jacmel's shoulder. "You guys did good today. Go get some well deserved rest. I know I will." Cairo walked ahead to his hotel room.

****

Cairo woke up at the sudden sound of a blast. He almost fell out of his bed as he got on his feet. He went over to the window, but didn't see anything outside. He wasn't sure if he dreamt the noise as he went to the door. He was about to open the door when another blast went off. Dependency.

Cairo rushed to his closet and pulled out his armor. He put on his chest plate and armored arm when another blast went off near his room. He grabbed his sword and opened the door. He peeked outside and saw a figure run down the hall.

Cairo entered the hall and checked the room next to him. He found Jacmel on the floor. He checked on him. He was bleeding, but still alive.

Jacmel coughed as he looked up at Cairo. "Dependency's here," said Jacmel as he tried to get up.

"Stay down," said Cairo. "I'll go after them."

Cairo left Jacmel and went down the hall. There were rooms open and Cairo could see that some of Jacmel's squad members were already dead.

Cairo decided he had to move fast. He ignored the room and rushed down the hall. There was no one around the corner as he entered the stairwell. He was on the fourth floor. He could hear someone running downstairs. Cairo rushed down the stairs while keeping himself out of sight from the enemy.

The enemy went out the door that led outside when Cairo decided to jump down the stairwell. The move helped him close in on his enemy and he pushed out the door, crashing into the enemy. Cairo knocked down the enemy and landed on top of him.

Cairo saw the Agent had an arm-cannon and used his sword to stab the arm.

"Fuck!" yelled the Agent in pain.

Cairo pinned the enemy's arm to the ground. Cairo used his free hand to punch the Agent's mask. Three punches and his mask broke off. Cairo stopped when he saw his face.

"I know you," said Cairo as he tried to remember where from. "You're Otto Kallstrom. That means," said Cairo as an arrow hit his leg and he fell off of Otto.

Otto saw Cairo was missing some armor. "Left yourself open, old man," said Otto as he kicked Cairo where the arrow hit.

Cario groaned in pain as he moved away from Otto. He got on his feet when two more arrows hit his leg. As he was going down, he saw a female Agent of Dependency holding a crossbow.

Otto pulled the sword out of his arm and got to his feet. "Thanks sis," he yelled to the other Agent. "Really saved my ass there."

Mercy took off her Agent of Dependency mask. "What is the point of us wearing these masks if you're just going to reveal our identity?"

"Oh I wouldn't worry about it, sis," said Otto as he approached Cairo with his own sword. "The world military leader isn't long for this world." Otto raised the sword over his head as he was about to bring it down on Cairo.

Jacmel rushed outside in his armor and threw his shield at Otto before he could strike Cairo. The shield knocked Otto back and Cairo caught the shield. Mercy fired her crossbow at Cairo who used the shield to block the arrows.

Renz, Bessy and Chano came outside and joined Jacmel.

"Let's go, Otto!" yelled Mercy. "We've done enough here."

Mercy and Otto ran off while Jacmel and his squadmates went to Cairo's aid. Cairo noted the rough shape Jacmel and his squadmates were.

"The others?" asked Cairo.

"We're all that's left," said Jacmel. "Everyone else is dead."

"Was that the Kallstrom siblings?" asked Renz.

"It was," said Cairo. "They're a part of Dependency now."