Crossroads

Chapter 1

Before she became the Red Reaper, the Executioner, Deelea Bael was a woman like any other, working as a waitress in a small bar called the Mess famous for its energising cocktails. It sounded like a bad joke now that she thought about it and the saddest thing was that she was the only one who knew who she was prior to the events that turned her into what she is. In some way it was fine, why would anyone need to know who she was, an innocent, ignorant and weak little creature who thought life was just made of sunshine and rainbows. Her luscious lips turned into a smile that traduced what she felt as she pictured herself serving drinks to people she had forgotten, people that were blurry shades of colours now, who barely looked animated.

A noise snapped her out of her reveries, instincts that had been buried while she wandered into memory lane awoke, her ears and eyes were wide opened and she listened, watched over the wet bushes to see if there was any hostile anywhere near her. But there was nothing, even when she activated the thermochemical vision mode of the lenses she'd stuck into her green eyes four days ago she couldn't see a shadow. It'd started to tickle and burn one day ago, unfortunately she couldn't take them off, there was too much at stake and the forest was a constant reminder of the many dangers that could have striken. The lenses weren't an option, they were there because the forest was too thick, the leaves too green and big and the trunks too twisted and slick. She had to worry about both the forest itself and her enemies, the animals could have been an issue, fortunately there weren't any, only small flying creatures and insects, nothing that impressive nor dangerous. In fact if she hadn't been on a mission and if the place wasn't filled with potentially deadly opponents Deelea would have loved it, because behind her cold, emotionless appearances she loved beautiful things, she adored the way the pink flowers she had just sighted were moving under the sovereignty of the soft wind, she appreciated the sweet scent it had brought to her nostrils, a short moment of pleasure she enjoyed, while her muscles were all tensed, ready to react if an attack was launched. Her right and left hands gloved with two weapons that basically, seemed to be regular grey gloves. Instead they were made of a thin leathery tissue and iron, the ends of her fingers especially, were shaped as claws so sharp it wasn't hard to guess what they could to inflict. The palms were wired and able to kill someone easily if the right spot was aimed. Deelea stretched her fingers, staring at them for a second, thinking that she needn't all these gadgets to kill, she could have done it with her bare hands, however it was cool having them, the knives, the light armour, the gloves, they were all so cool she'd ask to keep them for herself when this would all be over. In a couple of hours at most.

“I just arrived, I neutralised the guards in the east side of the hill, I'm just moving toward you.” She said, her earphone on, taking cover in the bushes surrounding the area she'd have to stumble in in a few minutes if everything went the way it was supposed to. The large, artificial platform attached to the cliff, filled with boxes and soldiers was a playground to her. Besides, her companions were nearby, five men and women armed with weapons similar to hers, each of them possessing a gift. Hers not being really useful in battle, no telekinetic powers, no super visions, no super senses, she only relied on experience and guts, which was good enough on the field. Afterwards though, she could have bet thousands of coins the ability she possessed was the best. She could blow away any emotions she wanted, throw them away and make every painful moments look like insignificant scenes. The living proof of that was that she was standing near a ledge, unshaken by a past of misery, ready to rush into a field full of trained soldiers she knew would be dead soon without an ounce of fear, no remorse, as if she hadn't met death yet. Nothing. The mission, the goal she'd have to reach were important, the rest would only be collateral damages.

“Copy that, lay low Wren and I are getting closer to the headquarters on the north side. You know what to do at this stage of the operation.”

Deelea didn't answer anything, she had planned the manoeuvres, she knew what to do and knew where the others stood at this very moment. Taking a first step and a second, her boots sank into the wet and muddy, the dark grey pants stuck to her legs because of the heavy, unbreathable air being brushed by high stinky grass smelling like rotten fruits. She noiselessly landed ten feet from she was and progress towards two men unaware their end was coming. Like a cat getting closer to a prey he knew was doomed, Deelea sliced the first man's throat with her silver claws, blood spilt everywhere, on the containers it flowed smoothly, on the ground it created red stains. The second prey didn't understand what was happening either, rapidly Deelea put a hand on his mouth, preventing him from calling for help or screaming when she broke his right leg. Seconds later he was dead, his head hanging on a snapped neck. Analysing the situation, her eyes rolled and took pictures of the place before starting to move again, marching along the containers, her broadly muscled back sliding against the cold, metallic surfaces she stretched her ear.