Kaiju Busters Online

Level 6: The Red Mark

I landed the ship on the landing pad at KBHQ and stepped out. The killing field had vanished a few minutes after killing Hecate. I stepped into the respawn room for my party to find Tomiko, Tyler, and several others pointing their guns at me. When they saw who I was, they dropped their weapons.

"How many," I asked.

"Twenty-five people reported KIA so far," someone said. "Three are MIA."

I sighed and turned away. "Log out for today. We don't know if they'll have another assault ready." I heard twelve log out. Two short. I turn around to see Tomiko and Tyler standing there. "You see it don't you?"

They nod with a sorrowful expression on their faces. I removed my helmet, revealing the red crystal hovering above my head, marking me as a red player.

"How are you red," Tyler asked. "Your Karma Level is moderately high."

"I think I know." I looked at my sniper rifle and sighed. "The red doesn't mark my Karma level, it marks the blood I spilled out of fear, rage, and animosity. I killed someone. That will forever mark me."

Shock inked their faces, fear flooded their eyes, and disappointment forced me to log off.

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I opened my eyes slowly to see my bedroom ceiling hovering over me. My hands took the VR system off of my head so I could sit there and dwell on what I had just did on the aircraft. Time passed but I didn't dare myself to move. A gentle knock on my bedroom door struck fear into my soul.

"Come in," I managed.

The door opened and Tomiko walked in. She shut the door behind her and sat down on my bed, touching my shoulder with hers.

"You had a reason," she finally said.

"Not to shoot when the fight was over," I replied.

"He probably would have killed you."

I threw my VR system at the wall. "No he wouldn't have! I pushed him off of the transport and shot him as he fell! I didn't defend myself, I killed him!" I turned to the wall. "What I did is not to be taken lightly! I killed him without wondering if he had friends, a family, or even a loved one. All I thought was that he was my enemy who needed to die! I should be killed for my crime!"

Tomiko grabbed my face and turned me around. Her eyes were filled with a mix of care and determination and her hands were soft against my skin. She pulled my head closer to her own and kissed me. Caught by surprise, I started to resist but the warmth of her lips quickly consumed me and I was left defenseless under her spell. After a minute, she stopped and slid back.

"No matter what you do, what you say, I will always defend you. Never wish for death because you made a mistake." She pulled my body against her own and wrapped her arms around me. "I've loved you since day one of our friendship. Don't leave me because you committed a crime."

I sat there motionless for a moment before I silently agreed to her terms and embraced her back.