Chapter 0: Vigil (Special Chapter) (Patreon)

The silence of the night mirrored the emptiness that grew within him the moment she closed her eyes. No, his heart held not only emptiness but also pain. He didn’t expect he would feel this way about committing the execution of an ally… of a friend.

He didn’t want to do it, but there was nothing he could do. An order was absolute, especially in disposing of someone within the ranks. Still, he couldn’t bear to see her lifeless. Thus, he looked away for a moment and pulled out his smartphone, calling someone.

It didn’t take long before someone answered the call.

“It’s done. Rena, otherwise known as Subject 218, is dead.”

“Good. Dispose of the corpse.” It was a deep and cold voice, not a show of emotion to once a favored agent.

“Understood, sir.”

The other end promptly hung up the call. Putting the phone back in his pocket, he let out a sigh. He forced himself to approach her body lying on the floor and crouched down. He looked at her beautiful face with longing and sadness. Memories of her resurfaced in his mind.

She was a cold and distant woman. But there was some warmth within her actions as well, even though how much she denied it. She could have become something more. But, perhaps, because of that, it became her downfall. But he wondered. Wouldn’t that be fine? At least, before she perished, something good changed within her, even for just a little. Maybe it was better than dying like a machine.

Still, even he wasn’t sure what was truly right or better. They were raised in the same organization, it was hard to tell which would be better for a person. But at least the two of them parted on good terms. There was nothing he could ask for more.

He gently touched her cheek. No, there was one thing he could ask — perhaps more time being with her. But that was impossible now.

As he was about to gently carry her, a car suddenly pulled out nearby. He immediately reached out for his pistol. Considering the situation Rena was just in, it was possible it could be the people chasing her. However, one person alone came out of the car.

It was a girl with short, dark hair and brown eyes. She wore a dark combat outfit. He knew who she was. She had a different role to Rena in the same mission. But to think she tracked them out here. He had expected her to have escaped somewhere else.

“What, what have you done?” she said with a hint of disbelief.

She stepped forward a little. Her eyes were wide in shock, staring at Rena’s lifeless body.

“Y-You killed her?”

“Aria, calm down.” He slowly stood up, holstering his weapon and holding out both hands.

However, enraged, Aria pulled out her pistol and aimed it at him. “YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

“Hold it, Aria! It’ll be bad for you if you shoot me.”

“Fuck you!”

“You know it has to be done! She failed! Once an order is given, there’s nothing we can do.”

Aria’s hand trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. Her glaring gaze was full of anger, she wanted to shoot, but was held back by her remaining rationality. “I-It was not that bad…”

“It was, Aria. I’m sorry.”

“I could kill you as revenge.”

“You’ll be killed. She wouldn’t want that.”

“I don’t care.”

Aria was the youngest among the group and a novice. It has only been more than a year since she graduated. Rena was basically her senior. And Aria loved Rena so much as a mentor, and a friend. Although Rena was most of the time conserved around people, Aria was very open when it came to her. Quite clingy, in fact. To Rena’s annoyance.

“Aria…”

She tightened her grip around her weapon, but she paused as she turned her head to the side a little. “Don’t try to stop me, Quill.” She was talking with someone through her earpiece.

Quill, the other member of the crew.

She retracted her weapon a little. “H-How can I let this go?” She listened to her friend’s words. “Quill…” Her expression softened as she put down her gun.

Suddenly, the man’s phone rang. He pulled it out, the call was from Quill himself. He pressed the button. “Quill.”

“Liam… Did that head scientist order it?”

“Yes.”

“I see… I think you should give Aria some space for a while before she kills you out of impulse.” Liam glanced at Aria, who was glaring daggers at him.

Aria, despite being an assassin, was an emotional one. It had something to do with the kind of upbringing she had within the organization. As among the newer generation at a particular division. The division that Liam, Quill, and Rena were transferred into.

Where unlike a few division attempts to rid the humanity of their agents, in this one, they experimented on giving agents a little bit of humanity. To make a bond with the organization, to the people within. And thus, they’ll be more sincere and work harder on their missions given to them by the organization.

That said, Quill also had a little more lenient upbringing compared to Liam. Although, not completely the same as Aria. Rena on the other hand, had the most severe among them. She was a fang that was specially sharpened. A masterpiece.

“... Very well… But I still have to take care of Rena’s body.”

“Can you leave her to us instead?”

“... I’m not sure.”

“Please, Liam. Do this for Aria… and Rena.”

“What will you do?”

“... A proper burial.”

“I see.”

Perhaps it would be better if he leaves her body to them. Besides, Liam was not thinking about casually throwing away her body, anyway.

“... Very well. Where will you bury her?”

“I’m still looking for a place. You should go.”

“Are you coming with Aria?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Liam ended the call. He stared at Rena’s face one last time, trying to remember as much detail of her face as possible. And as he stepped away, Aria approached Rena with a tearful expression. She delicately lifted her up and made her way to her car.

***

Liam needed time for some breather to process the turmoil inside him. He was at some beach not far from one of the organization’s secret headquarters. The chilly wind was great, the splash of the water was distracting, but good. The peaceful beach with barely any people around was just the environment he needed.

As he reflected on what he had done, there was something he realized. The professor that he, Rena, and the others were under had not communicated with him after Rena’s order of execution. Liam expected he would at least text or call. He pondered, there was a chance that the professor didn’t know. There was some sort of conflict that involved Rena, after all.

He pulled out his phone and called the professor. The phone rang, but it took a short while before the other end answered.

“Liam? Why did you call?” His voice sounded like he just woke up.

And that confirmed it.

“Professor Blake, you didn’t know about the organization’s order about Rena, did you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were surpassed, professor. Rena is dead.”

There was silence for a moment before the professor asked a question. “What happened?”

“The moment Rena’s mission failed, an order was given. Her disposal.”

“That quickly?”

“Yes.”

“Dammit! Meet me at HQ, now.”

And the professor hung up. Liam sighed and immediately went back to his car for HQ. It didn’t take long for him to arrive. Inside headquarters, there were normal people working, people in suits. Merely a front of the establishment. Services included accounting, investment brokerage, risk management solutions, and so on. Like any big corporate building.

Liam used an elevator and pressed in the secret number sequence on the panel. After accepting the code, the elevator descended into the secret basement. Shortly, the elevator door opened. Waiting on the pathway ahead was the professor, leaning his back on the wall.

He wears a simple outfit, not even his lab coat.

Liam approached. “Professor Blake.”

The professor raised his eyes. He was a man in his mid-thirties. He had a light brown complexion, short dark hair, and dark eyes. He seemed to be angry, and like Liam, grieving. Not a tear in the eyes, but still painful in the heart.

“Where are the others?”

“They’re… burying her.”

“I see…” He sighed. “I just heard, you were promoted.”

“Yes. I’ll get to oversee multiple groups now.”

“Who promoted you? Is it the one who ordered the hit?”

“... Yes. Professor Maxwell.”

Blake slammed his fist on the wall. “That bastard! Rena was under my supervision. What gave him the authority to order her disposal?!” With angry steps, he walked further into the hallway.

Liam followed behind him. “What are you planning on doing?”

“Confront him.”

“It’s late in the evening.”

“There’s no way that old man’s asleep right now.”

They entered the mini control room. The staff working greeted the professor, but he was not in the mood.

“Leave the room. I have an important matter to discuss.”

The staff looked at each other in puzzlement, but they complied nonetheless. Once it was just the two of them that remained, Blake used a computer to initiate a communication. A few seconds later, the other end answered, a live video displayed on the large screen up front.

“What a surprise,” the man on the screen spoke in a low and calm voice. “For what reason is your call, Professor Ryder Blake?”

He was an old man, whitening hair and beard. He had wrinkly pale skin. His deep blue eyes showed no emotion whatsoever. Pure indifference. Almost reminding Liam when he first met Rena. But perhaps that was to be expected. Of course she would take after the one who raised her.

The professor seemed to be working on something, as he was wearing his lab coat and in his control room.

“Maxwell, it has come to my attention that Rena is dead. And you gave the order.”

Professor Maxwell narrowed his eyes. “Indeed, I ordered for 218’s execution.”

“You dare?! On whose authority? She was mine!”

“On my authority. With permission from the board, I have been granted authority over multiple divisions. That includes yours.”

Blake’s eyes widened. “What? The board did? How?”

Even that came as a surprise to Liam. He didn’t expect that Professor Maxwell would be given control over multiple divisions, where he normally would have one, and under one program, as always.

“I was intending on telling you the news tomorrow. However, as you are here, I might as well tell you. My program is expanding across the divisions under me.”

Blake grimaced. “You can’t be serious.”

“My program has shown promising results, and the board was impressed. Therefore, for the development of the organization and its agents, the new young recruits will be trained under my program. Yours is discontinued, Professor Blake.”

“What?! All the work, you can’t just throw it all away?!”

In contrast to the agitated Blake, Maxwell remained indifferent. “Your experiments are deemed counterproductive to the organization’s endeavor. And a disappointment. Less efficient, and less effective.”

“We didn’t even have enough data yet.”

“You have used too much time, and spent too much money with no promising results. The board does not wish to support your experiments any longer. You already failed more than once.”

“And they want yours?”

Liam shivered a little. The same program that crafted Rena.

“Yes.”

“Then why was Rena executed at the moment of her failure?”

“218 has outlived her usefulness. After you stole her from me, she had become less effective.”

“Is this what it’s about? Me taking her away from you?”

“You dulled my finest tool. Further showing the negative results of your program. She was my greatest work. The finest executioner. But she has been deteriorating. Such a disappointment I no longer need.”

“For that petty reason you would dispose of our best agent?”

“Subject 218 is no longer anyone special. My program has made subjects that matched her performance and skills. And they will graduate soon. There will be more agents that are as or more effective than 218. Her loss has no negative impact on us whatsoever.”

“You created more of her…? A bunch of emotionless machines…”

“All that mattered is the result. Unlike what you have done, weakening my property. And now she failed, to an important mission, no less. There is no point in keeping an old unkeen blade when there are new and better ones. As like how she failed tonight, she will fail in the future, especially with those that matter the most. Such a failure I cannot bear to see.”