Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 71 - Assassination(Part 2)
Point-of-View: Neo Cronje
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"Huh? N-Neo...? I-is that...is that really you, big brother? Y-you...you did this? Why...?"
I couldn’t say a word in response...even if I had something to say, the words just wouldn’t come out. This...this had to be done, if I didn’t do it, someone else would have.
It’s not like I haven’t done something like this before...this case shouldn’t be any different, i-it’s not...just because the target is my younger brother, I...I can’t let my feelings come into play...
"I...I’m sorry...," I whispered, uttering the only words that I could bring myself to say, as I shakily took aim and charged up another Piercing Flame attack.
"Oh...I see," Lance responded with a defeated tone in his voice, his shoulders slumping as a bitter smile spread out across his face, "Guess I should have known...you’ll remain a slave to Harmony’s rules till the very end, won’t you?"
Yeah, he’s probably right about that...I may complain about and disapprove of some of the decisions that the higher ups make, but I’ve never actually gone against them.
Years ago, when I was about fourteen years old and still in training, my parents took me along with them for what should have been a simple, easy Monster extermination mission...they only took me at my insistence, I was too eager and impatient to test out my powers, even though I hadn’t even fully mastered them at that point.
But once we got to the place, everything went wrong. There were far more Monsters than expected, so many that there was absolutely no way we could take them all out without sustaining civilian casualties and collateral damage.
We had no choice but to stay hidden and pick the Monsters off without revealing ourselves...but unfortunately, I was too naive to fully comprehend how important that was.
I saw a couple of children, about to get stomped by a large Monster passing through, with no idea that they were in the way of such a creature. Without thinking, I found myself running out of my hiding spot and killing the Monster...but I didn’t save the children. I only delayed their deaths, nothing more.
Several people saw me using my powers, and Harmony had been keeping an eye on the situation the whole time...the next orders that my parents received was to eliminate all witnesses, along with the Monsters.
It was a small, rural town, and a peaceful one at that...but that night, it was engulfed in a sea of flames, with not even a single survivor making it out of that hell alive.
And I could only watch on helplessly as my parents were forced to massacre every last man, woman and child in that town, their screams ringing out and echoing into the night, and haunted my dreams for years.
After that incident, my mother slowly but surely began to lose her mind, wracked with guilt over killing so many innocent people for no real reason. She was a kind and gentle person, and couldn’t handle the burden that incident had placed on her.
And it only got worse after my father was executed, as he took full responsibility for what had happened, sparing my mother and I from any punishment. About a year after that massacre, my mother killed herself, throwing herself off a cliff while on a mission.
It was all my fault, my parents would still be alive had I only stuck to the rules...even back then, I was fully aware that secrecy was our top priority as members of Harmony...but I ignored it and foolishly exposed myself while trying to save two people.
In the end, my actions and disregard of the rules resulted in the deaths of every single person that lived there. Had I just controlled myself, most of them would probably have survived.
People in normal society wrote off that incident as a tragic forest fire that went out of control or something, ignorant to the truth of the matter. And before long, it was completely forgotten, the world just moved on, as it always does.
But I didn’t move on with it, I couldn’t, I was stuck...the agonizing screams of people burning alive, the foul stench of burnt flesh, the blazing inferno that swallowed them all up...every last detail of that night has been deeply etched into my memory.
And all of it was my fault. Because I broke the rules, and I didn’t even suffer for it...no, all those innocent people and my parents are the ones that suffered for it.
None of them deserved it...I should have been the only one to have suffered the consequences of my actions. But in the end, I was the only one that didn’t.
And that’s how I came to realize the bitter truth...the rules that we’re bound by can often seem cruel and unjust, but...they’re there for a reason.
You can’t maintain peace by trying to save everyone...sometimes, you have to sacrifice the few in order to save the many. To me, that’s an undeniable truth.
And those that break the rules for their own selfish desires, must be eliminated, regardless of whether those desires are good or evil...I know that.
I know that, and yet...I couldn’t help but hesitate now. Faced with the task of killing my younger brother, I just couldn’t help but hesitate...regular humans that find out about or witness the powers of Meta-Humans must be eliminated, there are no exceptions. Half-breeds must be eliminated, to prevent them from endangering themselves and those around them...there are no exceptions.
For those reasons, I killed my brother’s wife and child...and now I must kill him. Because he broke the rules. And because if I let him live, after what I’ve just done to him...he’ll never forgive me, or Harmony.
After our parents died, he developed a deep resentment towards Harmony and Meta-Humans, refusing to fight for them.
Harmony doesn’t force those of us that don’t want to fight to take on missions, they’re allowed to live normal lives, so long as they don’t break the rules. Specifically, they must continue to keep their powers hidden, and that they cannot get too close to any normal humans.
But my brother broke the latter, before going into hiding. And now, here he is, having lost everything he held dear, because he gained them by breaking the rules...
"What are you waiting for, brother? Go on, do it...thanks to you, I have nothing left to live for. Just put my out of my misery...," He spoke up ruefully as tears began streaming down my face, before adding, "If only I were stronger...maybe I could finally put you out of your own misery, huh? You’ve been suffering ever since that day, haven’t you? But tell me, how many atrocities have you committed like this one? And how many more will you commit? Is this...is this really what you wanted to become?"
"I...I just...I don’t have a choice but to-...," I began shakily, when suddenly, a heavy black mist burst out all around us, obscuring my vision and snapping me out of it, "Huh!? Who’s there!?"
Lance doesn’t have a Dark Skill, so there’s someone else here!
"Light Skill: Negate!" Came Inoka’s voice from behind me, as he dissipated the black mist.
Negate, a technique that clears and cancels out the effects of simple Dark Skill techniques...unfortunately, he was a bit too late, as the mist cleared to reveal...no one.
Lance was gone...someone came to his rescue. As I realized that, I suddenly felt incredibly drained, collapsing onto my knees wearily...but more than anything, I felt relieved. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Relief at the fact that I didn’t have to kill my brother...but it was short-lived, as I realized what it meant. Now that I’ve failed, someone else will be sent to finish the job when he’s found again...yet again, I only managed to delay the inevitable, thanks to my hesitation.
"Hey, you don’t look so good. Guess murdering an innocent woman and child was a bit much for you to handle, huh?" Remarked Inoka in a slightly cold tone of voice, as he stepped out beside me, a grimace on his face.
"Yeah...maybe so...," I responded with a weak smile, my gaze downcast.
"We’re done here, right? Then, let’s leave already."
"Right...I suppose I ought to report my failure to the higher ups," I sighed wistfully, as I got back up onto my feet.
"Huh? What are you talking about? There were three targets here, and now there aren’t. Simple as that...so, in other words, mission successful."
"What’re you-...no, you can’t be serious, I couldn’t possibly do something so selfish for my own-!" I began to refuse immediately.
"Yeah? Alright, then tell me this...what’s so wrong with being selfish once I a while, huh?" He countered objectively.
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Point-of-View: Lance Cronje
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"Hey, let me go...I said, let me go-...woah!" I exclaimed, as my rescuer dropped me onto the ground.
"That was pretty awful, wasn’t it? To have your peace and happiness torn away from you so cruelly like that," They responded, as they glanced back and met my gaze.
"Wait, aren’t you...?" I began, as I recognized them.
"Long time no see, huh? Anyway, let me get straight to the point...how would you like to cause some trouble from Harmony?" They offered me with a smile.
"Huh? Excuse me?" I responded incredulously.
"You might as well explain it to him a bit better, you know," Came another voice, as someone emerged from behind a nearby tree, their face hidden under the shadow of the hood they were wearing.
"Hm, I guess that only makes sense...okay, open up a portal, we’re heading back," They sighed in response.
I thought Neo was the only one who could use the Portal technique...what’s going on here?
"Just what are you playing at, you’re a member of Harmony too, why the hell should I trust anything that you have to say, huh!?" I remarked skeptically, taking a few wary steps back.
"Hm? Well, it’s simple, really...I despise the way Harmony does things too. And the same goes for Eden. That’s why I’ve started a third faction, gathering like-minded people like you for my cause."
"And your cause is...?"
"Oh, I didn’t mention? It’s simple, really! All I want, is to tear both organizations apart, and establish a new era for us Meta-Humans...one where we no longer have to live bound by the rules set by others, one where we make our own decisions and are responsible for the consequences ourselves! So, what do you say? Are you interested?" They inquired with a smirk, before adding as they turned around and headed towards the portal, "If so, then follow me through this portal...just walk through, and we’ll give you the means to fulfill your current desires. I won’t say anything else to try and convince you...that’s not how I do things. The rest...is upto you, and what you want to do."
What I want to do? But...what do I want to do? All I wanted was to live a peaceful life with my wife and son, there was nothing else I wanted...but that’s gone now, and all I’ve got left now is...is an unbearable, burning hatred.
My hatred of Harmony, which I had started to forget over the last couple of years, has been rekindled and amplified several times over...and now, all I want is to burn Harmony to the ground, and put my brother out of his misery. He’s suffered enough.
"Wait for me...I’m coming with you..."
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