AX-1

CHAPTER 5

Pain. Fear. Resentment. Fury. Sadness. Despair. Loneliness. Hopelessness. These emotions swirled inside of Midnight like a rampant beast clawing and tearing at its cage, Its only desire to be released and wreak havoc upon the world that had done it wrong. One arm lost. Destroyed by a certain Bomb lucky enough to find its mark from the heavens above. Eleven bloody holes bored through his skin by the awesome power of rotary cannons. One eye, its twin lost to the searing heat of a high power laser. Things have turned to shit for Midnight. Every slight movement he made brought about a severe, flinching pain that shot up through an entire section of his body. He wanted to die, to be done with it, to feel safe, calm, collected, and without pain. But he could not die. Not while he still had things to live for. With this, he continued step by step, moving at an excruciating pace. His one remaining hand clenched tightly on a dirty backpack hoisted over his shoulder. He was almost there. He could smell it, literally. The same stench that man gave off led to a grand building that stood in contrast amongst the small, poor, outdated houses amongst it. He wobbled forward, intent on not letting his knees suddenly give out beneath him. He was close to hyperventilating. Must be the Bloodloss. He thought. Minutes passed, feeling stretched out like days. Midnight's eye caught its first glimpse at the door. His eyes widened with euphoria and relief, and he only barely caught himself from falling over. He let out an exasperated, weezy chuckle and picked up his pace ever so slightly. Two men stood beside the double-door on each side, their stance and sleek crimson uniforms demanding fear and respect. The men saw him in his sorry state, but remained in their spot unflinching. Midnight slowly walked up to the guards and whispered a faint sentence.

"I'm here on business, I would like to propose a job for them."

"Did you schedule an appointment? And why would we let you in like that?" One of the guards spoke in a calm, emotionless voice. Midnight scoffed.

"No, but I've got the next best thing..." He took the backpack off of his shoulder, and poked his arm in. He pulled out the contents of the bag, and saw the composure of the guards' faces turn to unsuppressed horror. Midnight glared at them, his facial expression unchanging.

Inside the building, the man called OMA resided in his chair, managing the outpost's business requests. The great room he resided in was adorned in different shades of sweet, potent crimson that TA embraced as their color of pride. It was an organization built on strength, sacrifice, and most of all, blood. The hallway was peaceful, void of sound and disruption, then all of a sudden, the sound of doors slamming open echoed throughout. The two front guards came walking in, their rifles, armed with bayonets, trained strictly on a half-dead man. It was a sight to behold. OMA stood up, wondering why the guards bothered to take such a man to him.

"what's the matter?" OMA spoke loudly.

"Sir... this man, he..." the guard couldn't finish his sentence. OMA looked at the grotesque face the guard was making, and then looked straight at Midnight.

"Something's happened, it seems. Go ahead, speak, boy." OMA said sternly

Midnight revealed the contents of the bag yet again. OMA's eyes widened with surprise. Midnight dangled the bloody, severed head of a man by the hair. It was cut off sloppily at the neck, looking as if it took several hacks to come off. And when the head rotated, a hole entering the skull from the back of the neck was visible. OMA let a short "hmm" escape from his mouth before pausing and speaking again

"You must be Midnight. Coming into a lion's den with its cub's head, you're damn suicidal." OMA said, in a half aggressive, half calm tone.

Midnight stood unfazed.

"But I know that the lion cares not if it's cub is already dead." Midnight said in a faint, but confident voice

OMA stood motionless and silent. Screw the avenge risk policy OMA thought. Midnight continued.