Serial
117: Don’t Know Jack - II
June 28th, 48 S.D. 21:53 Kalon, Central Plains
“Shrieks, Viro. What is this place, a dungeon or something?”
Black Jackal shuffled around the room, looking at the walls and ceiling. What had originally been a cellar had long ago transformed into a sort of underground shelter. Its frame on the outside was reinforced by a layer of thick steel, while inside they’d added another coat of brick and cement. The sole entrance had a vault-like lock on its door, a complex contraption that could only open when the occupants chose to turn the wheel. Beyond that, a similar door stood facing a set of stairs that led up to the rest of the villa.
Viro hoped that all of these measures would secure them against any threat. He’d paid handsomely to have it all installed, and he’d designed everything himself. The nobleman didn’t exactly have any enemies despite his high status; nevertheless, he always believed in preparedness. His foresight, it seemed, had been very wise in this regard tonight.
“I admit, it is a bit drab down here,” Viro observed. “But I never imagined this as a comfortable location to begin with. If we are here, then the situation is rotten.”
“Still,” the Jackal continued, leaning against one wall as he shoved both hands into his pockets. “You got a totally dreary atmosphere down here. I mean, all you need is some chains and some rope, and you got the complete look of a little torture chamber.”
“Who would build something like that though?” Migal chuckled at the idea. “Seems a pretty outlandish thing to do.”
“Hah! You should see the kinds of things Gandians do. They make spots like this all the time in their manors.”
“What for?” Migal asked; his brows wrinkled in surprise.
“What? Seriously, you cannot guess?” Black Jackal laughed. “They use rooms just like these for... kinky stuff.”
“Quiet you two!” Viro said, shushing them with a gesture as he crept towards the door. Above the massive lock, a window with bars offered a view outside. A moveable slit shut everything away, so Viro pulled it back in order to peer ahead. A group of four guards were stationed out there. The second door was yet open, giving Viro clear sight of the stairs.
“Balo,” Viro said, shortly and urgently. “What is going on?”
Upon hearing his name, one of the soldiers turned around to him. “Ver Viro, it looks as if there is still fighting on the upper levels.”
“You mean to tell me they still have not neutralized her? I know she must be something else, but she is still only one person.”
“With all due respect,” Balo began, “we do not know if she actually came alone. Other intruders could be afoot. Rest assured, however, that we will-” Cutting into his sentence, a crash noisily burst at the top of the stairs.
“D****t!” cursed one of the soldiers.
“She is here!”
“Crap! Get ready everyone!”
“Hey!” Viro shouted. “Close the first door! Seal the path, now!”
“You two, at the stairs, retreat!” Balo yelled. His call gathered no response, at least not until one of them cried as he fell backwards down the steps.
“S**t, not good.”
“To arms! Close that damn door immediately!”
“Go!”
“Shrieks, we got contact! Move!”
Terrified, Viro shut the slit and slowly walked away in reverse.
“What did they say?” Migal asked. “What is happening out there?”
Viro could but open his mouth and shake his head, unable to speak for a time.
“Ksh, that bad, ya?” the Jackal said. “Well, tonight sure is gonna suck...”
Though the thick metal door muffled many of the sounds from outside, they could still hear the struggle in the passage. Judging from the ruckus, the men had failed to get to the other lock, and so a battle ensued. Although Viro knew his people had blades and pistols, their use was limited in the narrow space heading up to the safety room. For a while, there was a great deal of shouting and a whirlwind of movement. However, as yelps of pain rose, in quick succession, things quieted down.
“Ksh. I think she got them,” Black Jackal said. “Do you give your guys enough cash, Viro? They got wiped out fast. I mean like crazy-fast.”
“Would you please shut up?!” Viro growled “We are trapped down here until help arrives...” He began pacing about, every now and then glancing at the door as if he somehow expected a monster to tear right through it. Only silence came from the other side for about a minute or so. Suddenly, however, something banged twice on the door. Viro visibly jumped back a few steps.
“What the hell?!” he exclaimed, running back to the farthest wall.
“Hah! Looks like she is asking to come in!” the Jackal laughed.
“This is not funny! We are cornered!” Viro insisted.
“Shrieks. Can we just get this over with? Do we really have to put up with a whole night of this drama?” the Jackal groaned as he pushed himself off the wall. Leisurely, he made way for the exit.
“Where the hell are you going?” Viro demanded, reaching out to him, although he dared not move anywhere.
“Getting out of here. Getting sick of this dinky basement. Besides, this is not the first time the devil has knocked on my door.”
“Jackal, do not be a fool,” Migal said.
“Ksh. Never been a fool a damn day of my life. Listen, you two stay here. You can even lock up behind me. I can take care of her, so stop whining already.” Black Jackal unspun the lock and stepped out of the safety room.
“D****t!” Viro swore, leaping to refasten the door as soon as the Jackal had left. “Damn you, Jackal! I-I have no choice! I... I have to close it! Damn, son of a b***h!”
The Jackal could hear none of Viro’s anger once the door shut. Instead, he found himself standing in front of the guards, all of whom were scattered on the floor, unconscious. There didn’t seem to be anyone else near him though, quite odd given all the prior commotion.
“Ah s**t,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess she wants me to come out.” He sighed to himself and went up the stairs, carefully tip-toeing around the fallen bodies. At the top, he peeked around turning his head up and down the hallway. Still, even then he caught no trace of the supposed intruder.
For a bit, he walked around the villa, noting all the carnage that had ripped through the place. Tables and other wooden stands were completely smashed and splintered. Glass spread out underfoot as it dug into the carpet. The walls had visible dents and even a hole or two in places. Nevertheless, after a brief tour, the perpetrator proved elusive. Black Jackal halted and threw both hands up in the air.
“Look, can we quit the hiding game? If you want me, at least get this interrogation thing started.”
The moment he uttered that sentence, he felt a presence wrap around him. Faster than he could detect, Losha went up behind him, grabbing him in a chokehold while restraining one arm to his back. Swiftly, she pressed against the inside of his knees; he was forced to kneel.
“Gaaah!” he breathed. “Shrieks, you know your stuff, ya?” he asked all the while trying to grin.
“Black Jackal,” Losha began as thunder once again shattered the night sky. “Tell me what you know about the Zeroes. Everything.”
“Heh, you a customer, sweetheart? Because if you need a hook up, you got the squeeze on the right man.” Losha pulled his arm tighter, sending a flash of pain over his body. “Yow!” he snapped.
“I do not need a cheap middle-man such as yourself. I will see them directly.”
“Hah! They only work through trusted intermediaries like little old me.”
“But you do know where to find them, because you do talk face-to-face with them.”
“Well, yeah, but, heh... What are you going to do to find out how I work my magic? Because I certainly will not spill my secrets.” She twisted his arm even further as he sucked in his breath through clenched teeth. “Shrieks! You gonna really break it if you keep playing like that.”
“The thing is, Black Jackal, I do not play around. I will break your arm. Then I will fix it. Then break it again. Over and over, until you tell me what I need to know. We can start small though. Where do you meet them when you want to pass on a job?”
“Hah!” the Jackal laughed. “If you understand that much about these guys, you should know that I will end up dead if I talk too much. What is a broken arm compared to being dead?”
“Figures you would only think about your own skin.”
“Hey, we loners gotta watch out for Number One.”
“If it is protection you need, you will have it. But I need you to speak. Now!”
“Haha!” Black Jackal laughed once more. “You really think you could do anything against the Zeroes? They have serastone and serialists.”
“Ksh. I have dealt with both before. That is why I am after them. I am the only one that can stop them.”
He snickered as best as he could, what with Losha’s forearms wound around his throat. “You? Stop them? I find that pretty hard to believe. You are good, ya, but not good enough. Just look at all these poor b******s, passed out all over the place. Not a single one killed or even critically injured.”
“They are not the target. You are.”
“The point is, my dear, you are way too soft. You will never get rid of the Zeroes unless you flat out erase them.”
To that day, Losha had never killed anyone. Even during the Sventa-Henron war, she’d never caused the death of anyone directly. She was all too aware of the consequences of using her powers in such a way. Even if she’d brought peace to those two clans, killing others on the field of battle would only prove serialization a tool of murder. Neither her art nor the Central Plains needed that blood. At all costs, Losha had to avoid the grim fate Nabel Viska predicted and feared. Her means were violent at times, but always non-lethal. It had been enough to end armed conflict; surely it could eliminate the Zeroes.
While her mind ran through all of these thoughts, however, Black Jackal took the opportunity to free himself. Working around his mouth, his tongue probed about until it found a certain object. Pursing his lips, he spat something onto the floor. Losha heard a small item hit the ground, but by the time her curiosity kicked in, an acute “pop” sounded off. The Jackal had dropped a bead no larger than a marble. By some internal mechanism, it cracked open and spewed out a cloud of reddish gas.
At once, Losha’s eyes, nose, and throat began to burn intensely. With a cough, she jumped away, pushing the Jackal from her. As her senses stung, wiping seemed to only make it worse. As she started hacking up, Black Jackal stood up slowly, stretching his soar limbs. Later, he turned around to Losha and spread his arms out wide, cutting through the crimson haze.
“Ya! Good old cinder pepper!” he declared. Losha tried to look at him through tears, but the tingling fire disoriented her. She stumbled back a bit and could only vaguely see the Jackal. “I love this stuff; adds a kick to any dish. Plus, it makes a great little surprise when it works its way into you. Overwhelms the nervous system, attacking your taste and smell all at once. And as you can see - or as you cannot right now - it also packs a punch to your vision. Lest we forget, it beats up your lungs something awful too. Mix it altogether, and you have a hot cocktail that incapacitates anyone. Delicious, ya?”
“Probably wondering what happened, I bet. I keep special pellets in my mouth full of cinder pepper. Just in case, you know. This stuff has no effect on me, however. Seems my body has gotten immune to it. Been eating it since I was a kid, so, guess that makes sense. Still never loses its flavor to me though!” While Losha kept coughing, the Jackal reached for a long, thin sheath behind him. His weapon of choice was a machete. Light, agile, and excellent for slicing: any number of reasons to love the blade came to mind. The red dust at last began to recede.
“Heh, so that is what you look like,” he smiled, turning the handle idly. By then, Losha was on her knees, leaning an arm against a wall as she continued to choke. “Huh. You can be quite the looker, ya? Ooo, but kinda scary in a way. Seeing all that hair, makes me feel like you are some kinda beast. Who knows; perhaps you are. You certainly got skills. Not enough to take down the Zeroes though. Definitely not, since I am gonna have to put you down right here.”
He shot forward in an instant, all at once flying on top of her. His machete glinted briefly as it swung up high. His speed and acceleration - though she could barely see much - was unnatural. For a moment, ever so briefly, she recalled foes she had once fought against in the Sventa-Henron war. They had all been warriors with unusual powers, and each named after an animal: TRIBLADE. Was Black Jackal the same? She did not wonder for long.
Reacting quickly, Losha dove to the side. With a sickly “thunk”, the Jackal’s steel sunk into the floorboards on her right. Countering this, she kicked him in the nose before rolling backwards and standing up.
“Ow! Shrieks, lady, that hurt!” Black Jackal said as he slid his machete free. Calmly, he came to his feet and rubbed his wound. He then looked over at Losha. Though she was readying a fighting stance, her breathing remained labored. Her bloodshot eyes constantly blinked and watered up.
“Ksh. Lucky dodge,” the Jackal dismissed. “But I do not think a repeat like that is in your cards.” He aimed his deadly tool at her again. She said nothing in response, rather Losha merely focused completely on her opponent.
He sprang at her rapidly, launching forward with a rush. By now, Losha was positive that there was something extraordinary about him. His movements were far faster than any normal human being. He dashed towards her, dancing his blade up and down as he approached. The path of his machete was smooth yet erratic, elegant yet unpredictable. For anyone but Losha, the Jackal’s opponent would have been confused. She, however, knew just what to do.
As he came within striking distance, Black Jackal swiped horizontally at her. At that same moment, Losha curved just enough away to avoid the blow. A sense of shock washed over him, but only for a second. Again, he cut at her, slicing across at a diagonal. With only a twist, Losha felt the blade race harmlessly past the side of her head.
“Hmm...” the Jackal hummed amusedly. Taking no reservation, he unleashed a barrage of short yet quick attacks, whipping the machete back and forth. Despite the swarm, she managed to avoid everything, even as Black Jackal forced her down the hall. Ducking, pulling away, spinning out of reach, she made sure nothing ever landed on her. Though her foe tossed a flurry of razor edges but centimeters from her life, she remained collected. Losha knew she couldn’t keep this little game up forever, but she had the perfect solution on hand.
The Jackal missed yet again right as Losha stepped over another soldier. She stomped down hard on the short sword the man had once held. By pressing on the handle like so, the weapon flipped up dangerously into the air. As it whirled around, Losha snatched it deftly. To his dismay, Black Jackal found his next move parried by another strike. Metal-to-metal, the two of them collided and repelled.
“Ksh! The hell is this?” the Jackal asked out loud. “Most people would still be blind and gagging. No way you could keep up with all my moves either. That is not normal.”
“I heal fast. I think fast.” Losha said. Already, the effects of the cinder powder were fading thanks to her recovery rate. It was a benefit she didn’t even have to think about to take advantage of; the process was automatic.
“Shrieks. You really do want to take on the Zeroes. Just who the hell are you?”
Losha made no comment. Instead, she went into a series of pinpoint attacks. With equal speed, she pushed against the Jackal, assaulting him with a multitude of different slashes. At once, he was taken aback by the fact that someone could match his intensity in combat. Even so, he forced himself to concentrate and defend. As Losha chopped away, he threw his arm out with the same strength and velocity. Each time, their blades rang out sharply, bouncing from each other shortly after impact.
Though Black Jackal considered himself an expert with his weapon, he knew he was at a disadvantage here. Losha was dragging him to the limit of his abilities, and furthermore, a machete was not designed for this kind of hand-to-hand fighting. His tool had no guard; one slip and she’d nail him. To his fortune though, he saw an opening as Losha pulled back a little too wide and exposed her side. The Jackal thrust his machete at her. It really would have pierced her had she not planned a trap.
She’d left herself vulnerable on purpose, to lure him in. Once he got close enough, she took action. All of a sudden, she dropped her sword and stepped to the side and out of the way, grabbing and yanking his wrist. Faster than he could comprehend, Losha pried the machete from his hand, even as he was still moving. She flipped it around and slugged him in the face with the butt of the handle. He fell heavily to the side as his world went dark for a moment. By the time all of his faculties returned, he could but groan. Rope was being tightened around him, binding his feet and securing both hands behind his back.
“You do not thrust with a machete,” Losha said. “The end here is curved; that makes it poor for stabbing. You can only reasonably get away with slicing. The grip is good, but without a proper guard, you hands would slip trying to push it in.”
“Ksh. Spare me the lecture. I know that,” Black Jackal said, looking up at Losha as she stood before him.
“You also know a lot about the Zeroes. Tell me everything.”
“Hmph...” he shrugged as his body slackened.
“Fine,” Losha said. “We will leave and have a bit more fun. Then you can tell me. Do not expect a pleasant trip though.” She chucked the machete and hauled him over her shoulders. As she moved to exit the house with her target, he spontaneously broke out into a fit of uncontrolled laughter.
“What on the Continent is so funny?” Losha demanded as she turned down a hallway.
“This is perfect! This is rich!”
“Did I really hit you that hard? You sound delusional...”
“Look at that. You gonna have what you came for after all!”
“What?” Losha growled. But then, as she turned around, she noticed something was wrong with the environment. A change had slowly manifested unbeknownst to her, gradually encircling them. As her glance switched from side to side, an inexplicable black mist was growing, encroaching from all directions. Like a fog, it rolled in seemingly out of nowhere.
“Hah! You wanted the Zeroes, ya? Well, bingo! You got them!”
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