Genesis | Book One, The Genesis Series

FOUR

"I've come to save the world." Ajax finally answered the young man. Bianca had shut up around this time. While those agents from before were definitely intimidating, Ajax's voice caused her bones to shiver. It was his aura. That quiet, but dangerous presence.

The way his attitude could seemingly change in an instant reminded her of someone-herself.

Emerging from the pitch black interior of the truck, two soldiers carried a beaten, shaggy-haired teenager, dressed in a camouflage military uniform. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than them. Adam thought he looked to be around eighteen years old, fresh out of high school.

"This man's name....is Lance Porter." Ajax introduced the young man as the soldiers released him. "He's 18 years old, not much older than you all. His brother, Alex, was killed in action a few months ago."

Kai arched an eyebrow at the strange-looking fellow, feeling sorry for the guy. His father used to tell him stories about his fallen allies. The feeling of meeting someone, bonding with them, and then having that person ripped way from them in an instant had nearly drove his father insane multiple times on the field.

He could only imagine how this young man was feeling. That was his own family that he'd lost.

Troy felt for him as well, but his face carried an expression of indifference, for he already knew what was about happen. This was the end of the line for Lance. He knew violence, and that was it. After bearing witness to the deranged look on Ajax's face, nothing could convince him to think otherwise.

"What'd you do to him?" Amber straightened up and gasped, compassionately wondering what the man had been through. One look at the man's face told her that he was mentally gone. She and the others could tell simply by his demeanor. Any normal person would've been freaking out right then.

Lance, however, looked like he had the patience of a saint. Something had to be wrong with him.

"I tried to make him better, cleanse him of all of his flaws, but his body simply rejected the gift. You see, everyone wants to save the world, make it a better place for the future generations, but they never really want it to change." Ajax explained, slowly maneuvering his hand to the back of his suit as all of his fingers clasped around the hilt of his blade.

"I, however, am willing to make that sacrifice."

Adam looked at the man like he'd just gone insane, cringing as he heard the metal of Ajax's sword rub against that of the sheath it'd been carried in. His heartbeat quickened as he and the others finally realized what Ajax was about to do.

"No. What're you-" Kai began, attempting to stop Ajax's blade, but it was far too late at that point.

Lance's shrill scream stopped as soon as it started. The razor-sharp tip of the blade had been driven through the man's forehead, protruding through the back of his skull as blood washed out. Short breaths of anguish crept from the man's throat.

Those were the last sounds he'd ever make. Ajax retracted his blade from the man's head.

His lifeless corpse struck the mangled surface with a thud. A pool of blood flooded out onto the dirt only to be washed away by the rain. Ajax held his blade up in the rainstorm horizontally, letting the tears of nature wash it off for him.