Renegade Reborn

Part 2

"We were driving, my daughter and I," Ren explained. "We were talking about...We were just having a discussion. Going up to a picnic area at the top of a mountain." His mind flashed back to a week and a half ago. They had been curving around a corner in Ally's little silver hybrid, the one where he had to push the seat nearly all the way back so he could fit. Ally had just tentatively broached the subject of dating and boyfriends, and he had been embarrassed as anything. Crudity, brutality, violence, torture, he could handle those. Boyfriends? Gah. That was you-know-your-own-self territory, and he had turned away to look out the window. Unfocused, not paying attention, thinking of...her.

He started speaking to Director Halvarsson again, recounting the tale. "Another car rammed us from behind. We spun out, broke the guard rail, went off the edge. Her door opened and she fell out, because she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. All this while the car was falling.

I didn't have the time to teleport the car, so I went after her. Tried to reach her. But she fell off. Then I teleported out, caught her, got us to the ground. But I didn't account for the car. A few moments later it landed, and the gas tank blew. I used my body to cover her...but it wasn't good enough." His voice tightened, and he looked down at the table. "She still got hit by shrapnel, and one piece even went through me and impaled her. And then a sniper, probably from the car that rammed us, shot her with a poison-laced demonic bullet. She was bleeding out, her vitals slowing down. I can doctor wounds, but I don't know of anybody who could have worked this. Her body was fighting it, but she doesn't heal as quickly as I do, and it wasn't fast enough." He grimaced. "I've lost the ability to stimulate regeneration, and I could do nothing but try in futility. And then some of your guys showed up with my Gibborim. The COBRA guys cut a deal and then took her away. Next time I saw her, somehow, she was still alive. And now I will discharge my part of the bargain by doing whatever you require."

Ren's mouth tightened at the last sentence, and he stared at Ragnar. "So what is it? You want me to kill someone? Destroy some shipments? Make an enemy base rubble? Or maybe some intel. Go and tell you how big the Russian, Chinese, and Korean guns are. I could cut out the Taliban for you. Or maybe you want something more personal and private. Whatever you want, I've sworn to give it, kill it, find it, do it. So. What are your orders, sir?" Ren's voice held a vitriolic bite at the end; his face was cold, his spine a steel rod, his hands straight out in front of him.

The Director was silent for a long time before he replied. "We need your assistance with a sting operation. In the eight months since the battle at Armageddon and the demons' banishment, a new threat has arisen. We don't know exactly what they want or even who their leader is or what they call themselves, but a band of supernaturals has been assassinating key leaders, both human and other. COBRA has been tracking them to the best of our ability and trying to intercept hits, but we've had almost no success." He paused. "We believe that you could stop this organization and eliminate its leaders."

Ren relaxed a little. Well, that wasn't so bad. And he'd even be doing some good. "So I answer your questions and take down this group. Then that's it? We're finished?" The Director nodded. "After that, you're free to go and we'll never bother you again unless absolutely necessary."

Ren hesitated and then thrust his hand out. "Fine." Director Halvarsson smiled and shook his hand. "Welcome to COBRA, Mr. Malachai."