NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 – NPA
A rugged-faced, middle-aged man with a distinct goatee is leaning over a table, gripping a phone tightly.
Middle-aged Man with Goatee: "What are you telling me? They're all dead?"
Voice on the Phone: "Yes, sir. By the time we reached the scene, only a handful of mutilated bodies were left. We suspect the others were consumed by beats here."
Middle-aged Man with Goatee: "And where's the target we're chasing?"
Voice on the Phone: "It... vanished, sir."
Middle-aged Man with Goatee, voice rising with disbelief: "Disappeared? With the amount of weaponry we had? Impossible!"
Middle-aged Man with Goatee, with a hint of urgency: "What about that beast offspring?"
Voice on the Phone, hesitantly: "The child... it also seems to have vanished, sir."
Middle-aged Man with Goatee, chuckling darkly: "So, we sacrificed lives, resources, and still came up short? How amusing."
Voice on the Phone, nervously: "It... it seems that way, sir."
Middle-aged Man with Goatee, voice cold: "I want that forest surrounded. Find the offspring."
Voice on the Phone, cautiously: "Sir, can we risk it? The deeper parts of the forest are perilous. And the child... it might very well be dead."
Middle-aged Man with Goatee, with a sinister edge: "Just simply search in the outer area of the forest to find it. If the offspring is dead, bring me the body. If you can't locate it, then slaughter every beast in that vicinity, dissect their stomach, and find it."
Voice on the Phone, audibly swallowing hard: "...Understood, sir."
Middle-aged Man with Goatee, his voice dripping with threat: "Anything else you wish to report?"
Voice on the Phone, stammering: "N-no, sir."
Middle-aged Man with Goatee: "Bear this in mind: if you fail to locate it, your rank will be stripped. Consider it your just punishment."
Voice on the Phone, fear evident: "I... I understand, sir."
Hang up.
The middle-aged man took a deep breath, his fist tightening as he quivered with indignation.
"The plan might take longer than expected," he muttered.
Then, rising from his seat, he donned his uniform. A few minutes later, he appeared at the location within the base.
"Sir!" Two guards stationed at the door saluted sharply.
The middle-aged man offered no response and simply proceeded inside.
ROAR!
ROAR!
Splash!
Splash!
Inside the cavernous base stood a formidable beast, its scales gleaming a brilliant shade of orange, radiating both power and majesty. But for all its fearsome grandeur, the creature was bound, iron shackles clamped around its wrists and ankles. A weighty iron collar gripped its neck. Its wings, once symbols of freedom, were now mangled and bloodied, held in place by two thick chains.
Encircling the central creature were two others of its kind, each trapped in a similar plight. Desperation filled their eyes as they struggled, but their chains remained unbroken. They were Dragonites.
Nearby, six individuals took malicious pleasure in the beasts' torment, each wielding a whip that lashed out, marking the Dragonites with fresh wounds.
Splash!
ROAR!
Splash!
ROAR!
Splash!
"Sir!" one of the tormentors called out.
Splash!
ROAR!
As a middle-aged man stepped into the fray, the whip-wielders saluted before eagerly resuming their cruelty.
Splash!
ROAR!
"Enough!" the man ordered, his voice commanding. "Stand back. I wish to speak with them."
"As you wish, Sir," came the response. The six halted their onslaught, recoiling their whips. They moved to the walls, eyes still locked on the Dragonites, brimming with malevolent intent.
The leader of the Dragonites, distinguished by its fierce presence, held the man's attention. As he approached, the six cried out in alarm, "Sir!"
With a raised hand and an assuring smile, the man halted them. "Do not fret. I know precisely what I'm doing."
Turning to the leader, his smile twisted into a taunt. "Well? Have you made your decision?"
ROAR!
"I know you understand me. Submit to us, and you'll be treated fairly."
ROAR!
The man chuckled and said, "You are remarkably stubborn. But perhaps this will change your mind." He reached into his coat and drew out a concealed item.
However, as he neared the range of the Dragonite, one of the shackles on his right hand broke free unexpectedly, and he used his claw to hold the body of the middle-aged man. His eyes were full of killing intent.
"Sir! Ready the electric shock!"
Fear crept over the middle-aged man as he felt the Dragonite press him. He hastily retrieved something from his pocket and presented it to the Dragonite.
It was a photograph: an injured Dragonite tenderly cradling an egg, her face fraught with anxiety, as if she were fleeing something.
Upon seeing the image, the Male Dragonite was stunned. He loosened his hold on the middle-aged man, but did not release him entirely.
"Heh, make a guess, who do you think is the one who holding the egg?" Despite his fear, seeing the Dragonite's shocked expression made the middle-aged man smile smugly.
Naturally, the Male Dragonite knew instantly: it was his wife. To his amazement, not only was she pregnant, but she had already laid an egg – an egg that likely was held is their child.
"Heh, that's not all, look at this." The man produced another image from his pocket.
This photograph was different. It was still the female Dragonite, yet she was more gravely wounded. There's a young creature who's cuddling to her, trembled with fear. It was a young Dratini.
"Your wife and offspring are in our hands. If you let me go now and obey our orders, we won't harm them. Otherwise..." Although they hadn't captured the mother and offspring, the man was confident that the Dragonite in front of him didn't know it, leaving room for deception.
The male Dragonite was filled with rage. He yearned to kill this man, to tear him limb from limb. Yet worry for his wife and son held him back. As he looked at the photograph of his severely injured wife, he felt like he was swallowing a bitter pill.
His grip on the man tightened.
"Ah! What... what are you doing? Do... do you have no... concerns for your wife? Your child?"
Of course, he was concerned. Despite his anger, the Dragonite was intelligent, and he didn't fully trust the man's words. They might still be pursuing his wife and son. But what if they were already caught? There was a feeling of dread at the thought. He hardened his grip further and throw the man against the wall.
Bang!
The middle-aged man's back slammed against the wall.
"Cough! Cough! You..."
The Dragonite tried to free himself from the shackles on his left hand, but then a powerful surge of electricity coursed through his body.
"ROAR!"
"ROAR!"
The eyes of the other two Dragonites turned red. Despite their efforts to escape their own shackles, they can't break it. They weren't as strong enough as the male Dragonite in front. Forced to bear witness the scene, they watched their comrade suffer. Their eyes filled with hatred.
"ROAR!"
"ROAR!"
"Sir, are you okay?" One of the men ran over to assist the middle-aged man, concern in his voice.
"Cough, cough, don't kill it," the middle-aged man managed to utter as he staggered up with the help of the man. His eyes brimmed with hatred as he looked at the electrocuted Dragonite. "Torture it, don't stop the torment until it responds only in bellows."
"Yes! Let's do it!"
The other men nodded in agreement and prepared for another round of cruel treatment.
"We still have time. There will be a moment when you will come and beg. Once we locate the mother and the offspring..." His voice trailed off menacingly, leaving the threat hanging in the air.
He dusted off his coat, stood up, and walked away, leaving through the door. The last sound he heard was the echoing roar of the three helpless beasts left behind.
As he emerged outside, the logo on the side of the base wall became visible. It read:
New People's Army.