The Deadman

Robert applied salve on his body. His fingers and palm caressing the swollen limbs. It had lessened after a few touches. 

It had been two days after taking in the concoctions. He had once again underestimated the future. The serum he thought less and inferior were somewhat more effective. He had thought of a reason. But Robert could only conclude that it’s the condition of his body and various factors that affected the purity of concoction.

Most of the people in the future are chipped by metal to keep themselves alive. Not to mention that they were injected with all sorts of vaccines and boosters that makes them more durable than the usual person. Hardship brought stronger bodies and creating the serum in this day and age was significant. He may not think it was. But a formula that came nine hundred three years from the future was still revolutionary.

Robert wondered how strong the effect would be if he was able to concoct what those tier one operators used. Still, he wasn’t planning to make the concoction after doing it once.

The cramps. The swollen limbs. The hallucination that came with it was something he barely survived. He was sure that the only reason he survived was because of his body.

The healing process took a while. The situation outside while he healed was growing more than ever. The fight between Yaga and the Old Syndicates was escalating. No one wanted to back down. The tension had risen.

The phone call that Robert expected came. The person behind the call was Juliana. Her tone of voice was fiercer than usual. Robert could guess the reason.

“You haven’t shown yourself. Are there problems?”

“There is. I should be good tomorrow.”

The pause came. The voice behind the phone was contemplating.

“Are you disappointed?”

“Hmm?”

“That we aren’t as righteous as you think?”

Robert chortled.

“Please, I did work for a drug-pushing cartel, Madam. I was a mercenary and a criminal. I understand the need for some things like these.”

“Wilson told me that you were upset. About the bombing.”

“Pisses me off,” Robert said. “Kids shouldn’t die like dogs. Might sound awful, but at least adults have reached that age.”

“A strange way to look at it. You changed, Oswald. Or that you aren’t as meek as you thought you were.”

“Being almost buried in a pit of corpses can change you.”

“Fair.”

Another pause behind the phone.

“Simone’s making a fuss.”

Robert wiped his face.

“Am I his keeper?”

“The Lieutenant asked you. And that there are people on our side that are righteous. Old habits die. And even if the world they know fades away, that belief isn’t easily extinguished.”

“Where’s he?”

“Trying to start a fight with Yaga’s crew.”

“Worse than ever?”

“They are picking fights with anyone now. Russians are starting to gear up to take them on. They’re confident because they are well-armed, but the collateral damage will be horrible. CASE is neutral so intervention on that side isn’t allowed.”

“Even if we get caught in the middle?”

“That’s different. Mhm, are you going to use Simone’s logic as well?”

“Might.”

The voice behind the phone stopped. Robert wiped a salve on the wound on the base of his head and then pressed the phone with his left shoulder.

“Just find Simone and keep him calm once you’re done with whatever you’re doing.”

Robert put the phone down. He sat on the couch and switched the channel to the documentary station. His finger pressed on the button, changing the channel to the cat chasing the mouse.

His eyes swooned and maybe it was the drugs. Robert tilted to the side and then leaned with his arm. He looked at the ceiling. Then to the guns placed on the surface of his living room’s table.

He stretched his legs on the bathroom mirror where he examined himself. The face was not Robert or Kato. It was strange since the drastic changes that had happened changed the way he looked. It can be explained that he was just working out, but the sharpness of his features were noticeable. The eyebrows were sharp. The jaw was defined. The muscles on his torso and limbs were solid. His face was swollen and there were wounds on certain parts because of the needle.

The coloration of his fair white skin was gone. His eyes still had tiny red veins because of the stress that it went through. The ears have returned to normal. It was different two days ago where he was half blind, deaf, and was unable to taste anything. Washing himself and then sitting cross-legged without an article of clothing. He practiced the breathing techniques of a madman who could go to the top of the highest mountain on earth with only his underwear.

The painkillers he took were also instrumental in reducing the pain. He had taken 500mg vicodin and two doses of fentanyl to reduce the pain. His stash was full of kits and painkillers. He was anemic because of the blood loss, but two days was enough to regain some blood after patching himself

“No my face. Not your face either.”

There are traces of Robert’s face on the mirror. But it was improved or changed to the point that old pictures wouldn’t be able to tell that he was Robert.

His body was a bit stronger. He was sure that he could at least do the things that he could do in his previous life even with a natural body like this. 

“I guess in both worlds I’ll always be artificially enhanced.”

From metal to strong flesh. It was quite the change from the normal. It was much more comfortable compared to metal. Without the wiring and worries of your control unit and battery being blown out by an EMP. It was all-natural. If he had the strength of two men at their physical peak before, then right now he had ten. He really had underestimated the strength of his previous body.

No, he loathed the heavy and slow body that couldn’t even save her. That was it.

 

***

He was wearing his suit. The holsters on him still had his pistols and on his thigh was the shorty and wootz steel dagger that Simone gave him.

His smell was back. The moment he stepped out of the doorway. He saw familiar faces. Stato’s team was waiting in civilian dresses. Looking like they were American Tourists that found their way to this city.

“Got time?”

“Need to find someone?”

Strato pointed his thumb on Simone that was crossing his arms. Strato eyed Robert.

“Been working out, Enforcer?”

“You can say that.”

His eyes were on the needle markings. 

“Got beaten up?”

“Running inside a burning building usually does tha.”

They escorted Robert inside the SUV. Robert sat on the backseat with Strato, Smoke, and Simone while Sloth and Vermin were in the front seat.

“Don’t think you’re here to meet and greet.”

“Yaga’s one of our capture list. We want him alive and taken to Alcatraz.”

“You got an idea of how things are lately?”

“Got an idea. Terrorism in broad daylight. Need to understand why your group ain’t doing shit.”

“‘Cause it ain’t our side. We are the Commission Against Supernatural Entities. We deal with the supernatural and this current affair isn't in our list.”

Strato snorted. He looked outside.

“Well, he’s using magic and fighting people in this city. We got into contact with Sinclair and had negotiated things.”

Robert leaned forward.

“So you want Yaga but refuse to check out this affair.”

“We’ve our own considerations. We don’t try to interfere unless it’s listed in our book.”

“Okay. So what do you need from me and Simone?”

“We want you guys to take care of the monsters. Simone’s been briefed about what we want. Our job’s to capture Yaga, that’s all.”

“Gave up on Ferric?”

“He’s still on the top of the list. Problems that he’s still at the top of the food chain. He’s useful for now. But if he becomes less in the future then he’ll be a good target.”

Robert shrugged. Strato’s crew was the best among the best. They were good enough to fight against this side of the world. That was made clear when he worked with them in the bunker.

Robert could just imagine what they’d be like with an artificially enhanced body and cutting-edge gear.

“So are you going to cooperate?”

“That prick killed a kid in his bombings. Always hated people like him. It’d be a pleasure to get him out of this goddamn city. But I know you folks ain’t dumb either. Miss Sinclair, I get. But there’s another who’s out to get rid of that Yaga, right?”

Robert’s eyes were on him.

Strato chewed and then leaned back.

“The one that gave us the go was the daughter of the Lionheart.”

“Leona?”

“The lioness wanted Lupus's dog out of their city. This is her own volition and with her approval we can work here.”

“You make it sound like she has the reach.”

Smoke laughed behind the seat. He was on the back, crouched.

“She’s a rich individual with a keen eye for investments. She’s a lobbyist, and a smart one. Her brother might lead the Lionhearts in the future, but her wealth will fund it.”

“She’s loaded.”

“More than you can think. These families might have control of the illegal side of the trade here. But the Lionhearts have control of the legal side of the city. It remains a city state that pays a big check to the unitary democratic parliamentary republic of Croatia. This city shouldn’t even exist.”

Robert did not reply to that. He became quiet in the car as Strato’s team drove them to the meeting point in the center of the city. It was a safehouse with Anna Ford waiting for them with a team monitoring CCTV footage. One of the screens showed Yaga’s compound and unlike the last time he visited. It was armed to the teeth with men carrying assault rifles and grenades.

Robert crossed his arm. He took a glance of Simone being quiet in the background.

“Are you feeling well?”

“Doing well,” Simone said. “Considering how things are.”

“So you agreed with them? How to handle this?”

“I do. Don’t like how we aren't doing anything about this.”

“I’m more surprised how they are willing to do this.”

“Not me,” Simone said. “CASE has been buddies with the Americans for a  while now. It’s easy to do business with them and the dollar has value. It’s natural for them to be much more agreeable when it comes to them. Our organization hasn’t forgotten the fear of the nuclear bomb. We might have the magic, but they have firepower that could wipe us out. No magic can withstand the might of the atom. No magic can perceive an object moving at Mach speed. If they send a squadron of fighter jets. They can just end us with overwhelming power.”

It’s not hard to see why they’d be reasonable to a country that spends ten percent of their budget in their military. They have the overwhelming advantage in this age. Magic was esoteric and as a skill it takes years to spend. The stronger ones cannot fight in the open and with how things are. The threat that the millennium bug possessed to the magicians was making them reasonable and agreeable. And making friends with people like them was something that CASE needed. Nonetheless, both sides can hurt each other. And with Strato’s team making this request earnestly.

It would solve a problem on their side as well. The benefits that they might be able to get from these people were enormous.

Personally, this was something that Robert was hoping to do. Whether it was luck or their own interests colliding. Robert didn’t care as long as he’d get a shot of taking care of Yaga. He can’t stomach folk like him.

He can’t be cool with a bastard acting like he’s already King.

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