Vile Exile

Chapter Twenty-Three

Authors PoV

Truly bothersome. Juanita Roller made Sage's skin crawl, her voice, her scent, her presence, it angered him to his core, made his wrath light up like a match in a lit oven. Eventually Natalia and the other governors got him to move but it was difficult, he was so angry you could practically smell the rage radiating off of him. He looked as if he was going to pop a blood vessel, sitting with his elbows pressing into his kneecaps whilst he held his head in his hands, his right hand gripping tightly at his now messy black hair "I... don't..- I can't..." He whispers to himself, the soldiers appointed to making sure he doesn't go berserk looking at each other in slight concern at their superiors mental stability "Juanita Roller..." he growls, co-precipitated aluminium salts of naphthenic and palmitic acids dripping off of his chin like drool, his eyes holding such rage and fury it sent chills down the soldiers spines "I'll kill her." He says sternly now.

A few days later

It had been a while since the Governors, or anyone for that matter had seen Sage. Soldiers that were assigned to guard him stood outside his apartment in the frontlines headquarters almost constantly, not moving once. Natalia had decided it was time to check in on the swordsman, she was in for a big surprise though.

As she stopped outside his apartment door, the soldiers came to attention and saluted to her before easing as she nods. Opening the door with ease she enters the dimly lit room, a small candle on the kitchen table of his apartment, Sage passed out asleep on the ground, his right hand resting on his stomach whilst his left is left laying beside him, a few files and books placed around him. as she approached him to awaken him from his slumber she began to notice the words scribbled on the walls in black marker pen 'Juanita' written over and over again across the wallpaper, a look of disturb washing over her face as she looks to the sleeping swordsman, a troubled expression on his face.

After awakening the troubled swordsman, who's portraying guilt for locking himself away and trying to figure Juanita out on his own. It's no surprise though, he is a solo contracted killer, working with others wasn't his strong suit, like the assault squad, sure it was easier but it wasn't his style, he hated it. People learning of his last and sitting on the fence with trusting him. He can't work with people who don't know whether or not to trust him, that won't end good.

"She has always been a big problem for me."

Natalia almost kicked Sage in the face for saying such, like no shit buddy, you literally wrote her name repetitively on the wall. As she sighs, Sage scowls and tilts his head "Why?" She asks suddenly, sending a chill down his spine.

Sage's PoV

Watching Natalia stare at me, I look over her shoulder at the criminals name I wrote on the wall, inhaling uneasily I feel my metal prosthetic ache at the sudden movement "We have history. Back before the Rhikan war, Juanita was a well-known soldier. Cliche don't you think - once a well-known and respected soldier now a well-known and feared criminal." I laugh uneasily, resting my head in my right hand, I exhale happily at the coldness of the metal "Well, she had fought in many more wars than I and was now training soldiers for the Rhikan war. Of course I enlisted so I had to train." I continue, her eyes trained on me as she listens carefully "I humiliated her every time we fought. Every time she tried to show off her skill as a soldier I won and won over and over again and she was starting to get envious. Eventually after I fought in the Rhikan war, she was revealed to have become a criminal. Killing thousands of her own men." I say the last part in a low stern voice, my eyes glued to the ground whilst my hands rested on my kneecaps "It wasn't long after I retired from the military to become a contracted killer that she revealed herself to me. You want to know what she said to me?" I ask seriously, Natalia nodding in response "'Sage Kageyama... join my troupe and we'll rid this world of weak scum. With your wrath and your strength we can start a new race...' it doesn't seem as psychotic spoken from me, but when she said it holding the decapitated head of a soldier you once knew..." I whisper, sitting upright now I grip my knee angrily "It's a daily crisis that she's on the loose. People gamble with their lives everyday and they don't even know it. Death is a fate with which they dice, one wrong roll and they may end up lifeless." I breath.

My thoughts were interrupted by Natalia standing, the Governor clenching her fists tightly "Then we better get to capturing this psychopath." She says with a smile, laughing I  nod, standing too I turn my vision to the wall "right after I clean the wall... I got a bit lost down the rabbit hole.." I murmur, hearing her chuckle she nods and grabs her things "You'll go everywhere with bodyguards. I'm sorry To say this but she has her eyes on you, we can't risk you dying." She says as she leaves, sighing I nod "very well.." I respond.

After ridding the wall of Juanita's filthy name I found myself striding down the hallways towards the governors office, two soldiers following me as closely as possible their guns held tightly to their chest, their eyes shaded by their military hats. Arriving outside the governors office, I go to open the door but stop as it swings open revealing the assault squad "Perfect timing." Healthcliff shouts from behind the, pulling the killers back in by their collars, I walk in with the bodyguards "Sage Kageyama you have the equivalent rank of a general." Dior announces, tilting my head I scowl "A general... one under us.." Natalia whispers, nodding I look to the side at three task forces, the assault squad, Red Horizon and Jaguar eye "A task force assigned under your command." Justin states, nodding I scratch my jaw "well it's obvious he's going to choose The assault squad since he was apart of their group!" One of the Jaguar Eye's members shouts, tilting my chin upwards slightly I stare at them through lidded eyes "Or maybe I'll choose them because I've seen them in action. They all have exceptional skills and work together like a family would. Do not assume I have biased views of things." I growl, the member shutting up and clenching his jaw angrily "He's right though. I do choose the assault squad." I say finally after considering their opinions on me, I turn and walk towards the exit, the soldiers following me silently.