NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Found Him.
POV: Zahak
As I sit in my office, reviewing the latest information on my cult's infiltration into other countries, I reach a conclusion. we cannot get too ambitious. Iran is isolated, with few allies worldwide, making infiltration difficult and time-consuming. If anyone were to connect this cult to Iran, it would delay my plans far more than I'd like.
The good news is that our expansion in the Middle East is progressing well. With Iran's numerous proxies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, my work is considerably easier. Palestine, in particular, is intriguing. The 2030 war between the Middle East and Israel devastated both Palestine and Israel, leaving a region of lawlessness, anarchy, and foreign influence. But that's beside the point; the real significance is that my cult grows there daily. Gradually, I may turn it into a self-sustaining nation that extends my influence to other regions. Of course, this will take time from gaining recognition from other countries to establishing stability in that area but it will be worth it.
[Sir, we have new information about the killer known as Div.]
My AI assistant interrupts my thoughts. Thinking about AI always takes me back to my days in the Inquisition and the idiocy around restricting AI and xenos technology. Fools. If they had only seen how powerful we could become with those tools, perhaps I wouldn't have had to go radical for our cause. Tsk.
"Show it" I sigh. I'm not particularly interested in this killer, but he's been disturbing my soul 'trade.'
A hologram appears on my desk, displaying footage from an automaton I sent to the slums to 'clean up' gang bosses, simplifying soul collection. I watch as a boy, no older than fourteen or fifteen, gets pierced in the head by a sword. Surprisingly, he doesn't die. Instead, he breaks the sword-hand of the automaton, pulls the blade out of his skull effortlessly, and begins to heal, revealing he's using Biomancy for rapid regeneration and strength. Then, he destroys the automaton and attempts to consume its iron body, but fails. The recording ends in a system failure.
Other automaton recordings of his fights reveal a similar style. He charges at opponents recklessly, oblivious to swords piercing his heart or head.
This is insane! How can he survive such injuries? Even I can't sustain Biomancy for long without exhausting myself or risking insanity. And with the Warp connection so fragile here, this kind of resilience is impossible. I have so many souls contained in crystals, yet I still struggle with such feats. Something is amiss. I know this boy's soul entered this world without the corruption that psykers usually possess. The whole situation baffles me.
I need him, for study, and possibly to recruit. By now, he should have some corruption, which might make it easier to bring him to my side.
"Amanda, bring up the Death Watch intel again" I tell my AI assistant, which I've named Amanda.
[Yes, Sir... Done.]
A list of Death Watch information appears on the hologram:
Subject Report: Experimental Operatives
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Subject: S-1 (Designation: D333)
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Medium build, 185 cm height, purple hair, and purple eyes.
Age: 27
Loyalty Status: Loyal
Quirks: Wing; expertise in ranged weaponry; heat vision; superhuman physical attributes and heightened senses; highly advanced tactical cognition.
Primary Weapon: Sniper rifles
Role Assignment: Death Watch Captain
Background:
S-1 was created in Laboratory No. [Redacted], engineered with a unique combination of abilities sourced from multiple specialized [Redacted] groups. Designed as an elite support asset, S-1 possesses the cognitive capabilities of a master tactician, originally leading Squad [Redacted]. However, following an ambush that resulted in the squad's annihilation, S-1 developed a resistance to taking on leadership responsibilities, though he was subsequently appointed as the leader of the newly established Death Watch division.
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Subject: A-1 (Designation: B89580)
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Medium build, 185 cm height, long black hair, and black eyes.
Age: 26
Loyalty Status: Not loyal
Capabilities:
Quirks: Manipulation of darkness and shadows, proficiency with both ranged and cold weapons, heat vision, and enhanced physical and sensory attributes.
Unique Abilities: Shadow-based teleportation; shadow inventory storage; shadow materialization.
Role Assignment: Death Watch Assassin
Background:
A-1 was developed in Laboratory No. [Redacted] with a focus on creating an optimal assassin. To enhance A-1's efficiency, an experimental procedure was conducted to suppress emotional responses, allowing for unencumbered operational focus. While the procedure successfully removed emotional barriers, it also eliminated any inclination toward loyalty. Due to A-1's exceptional abilities, disposal was deemed unfeasible, and he was integrated into Death Watch to maintain operational control. Thus far, A-1 has shown no indication of deviating from assignments.
---
Subject: E-1
Gender: Male
Physical Description: white hair, brown eyes, with significant robotic augmentations; slender build, 180 cm height.
Age: 25
Loyalty Status: Loyal
Quirks: Advanced intelligence; superhuman physical and sensory attributes.
Role Assignment: Death Watch Engineer
Background:
E-1 was developed in Laboratory No. [Redacted] as an intellectual powerhouse with profound technological aptitude. Driven by an obsession with technology, E-1 has progressively enhanced his body with mechanical implants. His fixation on transcending mortality and achieving a fully mechanical body aligns with ongoing research on artificial life extension. Despite the potential instability of his ambitions, E-1's unwavering dedication to his research renders him a valuable asset within Death Watch.
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Subject: V-1
Physical Description: Clad entirely in armor and a mask of unknown origin and material composition.
Age: Unknown
Loyalty Status: Unknown
Quirks: Fire generation; inhuman super strength.
Role Assignment: Death Watch Vanguard
Background:
V-1 was discovered in an isolated desert region and brought into experimentation to ascertain his origins and abilities. Testing was hindered by the extreme temperatures within his armor, which destroyed any instrumentation placed within. V-1 exhibits a strong compulsion to "experience" various phenomena, along with an unusual willingness to join the organization. Preliminary experiments confirm his capacity to devastate urban areas with fire, marking him as a formidable asset. To ensure control over V-1's power, he has been incorporated as part of the Death Watch unit.
---
I've read these files a hundred times, but E-1 constantly tries to delete or alter the data when he connects to our network. It's a constant annoyance. At least I plan to get rid of them soon.
I send the information and video footage of this new lead to Death Watch. Now, I just need to wait for everything to fall into place.
.
.
.
.
Death Watch Meeting
"Damn! Now that's what I'm talking about!" S-1 says, watching porn videos in his power armor.
"How much did he pay for this?" V-1 asks, looking at S-1, who's touching the air in his armor.
"Two million dollars. Full body package" E-1 replies.
"I'm confused" A-1 remarks, glancing at them.
"Oh, if you'd let me into that head—"
"No" V-1 and A-1 respond in unison.
E-1 shrugs, going back to work on a gun at the table.
Suddenly, the round table activates, projecting a hologram of the footage of Div.
Everyone watches in silence—except S-1.
After the video ends:
"Why does it say this Div kid only has one quirk? I see multiple" A-1 says, studying the hologram's files.
"Maybe a new 'All For One'?" E-1 suggests, resuming work on his gun.
"All For One? That shitty villain? His syndicate was a pain back in the day" S-1 replies, his mask retracting.
"You had a run-in with them?" A-1 asks.
"Long ago, with my old squad."
"Anyway" E-1 interrupts, "it's likely another quirk like All For One, but this one's probably fueled by consuming victims. It explains the cannibalism and what we just witnessed."
"Damn. So that's why Zahak wants him alive. What's the plan?" S-1 grins.
"You—"
"No, I'm not. V-1, you okay, dude?" S-1 deflects.
"…I'm fine. We need to blow his head off."
"What?!" everyone exclaims.
"Considering his regeneration, dismembering won't buy us time to capture him. Destroying his head might."
"If he dies, though? Then what?" E-1 challenges.
"I'll think about that if it happens."
After a pause, everyone nods.
"Seems they want us to hit him in broad daylight" E-1 says, pointing to the instructions in the hologram.
"Wouldn't that attract attention?" A-1 asks.
"Yes. Zahak likely has his own motives" E-1 replies.
"So, do we head out now?" S-1 asks.
"No, we need a strategy. I think we should…" E-1 begins outlining his plan. Only V-1 seems distracted, lost in thought.