Liam broke the silence.
"Where are your Elite Guards to defend you?"
Mr. N snapped his fingers. A steel projectile screamed past Liam's face, embedding itself into the wall.
"Aspera eliminated most of them. She's already sniped seventy men." Mr. N checks his watch.
He tapped into his surveillance feeds. Aspera completely zoned out, she looks dead inside as if her mind was somewhere else entirely.
As she cant even speak she simply whispers to herself "This must be my karma."
Mr. N moves away from aspera he checks the other sides to his base. "The flank was reduced to nothing by Demisaux and his lieutenant. Karmel Kan likely came through the Kitchen window, was injured from fighting Yara and abandoned his men to die. Attacked us, killed by Liam. Everyone else—dead or captured. Solomon will handle the interrogations."
Liam frowned.
"Where's Osprey?"
Mr. N's irritation flared.
"I should be asking you that."
The room fell into uneasy silence. Siegfreed shifted uncomfortably, his usual arrogance slipping. He spoke slowly, almost reluctant to voice the truth.
"He's dead."
Mr. N's eyes narrowed. "What how would you know?"
Siegfreed continued, his tone grim.
"My animals are circling the area of the shockwave that happened earlier right now. The black birds are a few kilometers out—they're flying erratically. They can sense death and energy very well.
And the way they are flying, its not the death of someone ordinary… but the loss of someone with a lot of life force, of someone who radiates the same energy as that girl on the roof. If not more."
Mr. N stated with quiet confidence not sure to be worried or confident:
"Osprey is not dead."
But it makes sense, if the other person who died had a lot of life force it's likely the Osprey is still alive and just injured. He should have known better, he should have stayed at the base.
Mr. N walks to his desk
"This entire three-hundred-man attack was only possible because he and Aspera left their post. The assault was just a scare tactic—a distraction to isolate one Elite Guard and kill them."
Liam's voice cut in.
"So they planned for this? To reduce our forces for the Presidency battle."
Mr. N's jaw tightened.
"Yeah. Someone fed them information."
Siegfreed yawned.
"Who?"
Mr. N's thoughts turned inward, colder than his words.
Who wouldn't? My respect only extends to my elite guard, Everyone else is inconsequential and mistreated. As he thinks of Demisaux, Hero or even Dreyfus and how they treat their underlings. Every ally is a potential knife in the dark. I've given them reason to betray me, reason to hate me. To them, I am just as dangerous as the enemy outside these walls. Maybe more.
Siegfreed's eyes went blank in mockery, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Not very trustworthy are u N?
Liam tried to redirect.
"You're not going to confront Aspera?"
Mr. N's voice stayed level, but the faint sweat on his brow betrayed him.
"There's nothing she can tell me that I don't already know. I'll scold them properly in my own way. But that isn't the focus right now."
Liam noticed the change, his gaze narrowing.
He's sweating. That means he's concerned. He slipped—he never slips. He knows something we don't… or maybe he's afraid. Afraid his friend really is dead. Afraid his plans are unraveling right in front of him.
Ill have to rewrite this reality myself. Mr. N realizes
Mr. N says, "This isn't good, I can't—"
The words die in his throat as Demisaux pushes through the broken door a slight bruise on his cheek. His eyes instantly lock onto the corpse. Without hesitation, he lunges at Liam, bloodlust radiating like heat. Liam, sensing it, dashes forward at full speed. They both move at such speeds Siegfreed is dumbfounded. Demisaux throws a punch; Liam answers with a kick. Their clash echoes like steel on steel.
Siegfreed's eye twitches, "What—?"
Mr. N snaps forward, cutting through the chaos. He forces them apart, voice sharp. "Enough! Demi, this is Liam—the human weapon we have spoken about wanting to secure for some time."
Demisaux smiles flashing his broken knuckles he mocks "ENOUGH" "Lame ass, you sound so pussy." he scoffed "Who helped you get onto the island? Osprey? Pool? Demi locks eye contact with Mr. N who simply says
"If I want a job well done I do it myself."
As Demi laughs greedily he cackles with his hands in his pockets "HAHA You're a mad man. You got him? By yourself? Maybe you're not washed afterall."
As if brothers bonded by the same skintone Demi and Mr. N have a unique relationship.
Liam narrows his gaze at the short, dark-skinned man, something gnawing at his instincts. He's hiding something.
Mr. N taps his watch. The floor hums as a new door 3D-prints itself into place, layer by layer, rising to replace the broken one.
Demisaux watches, visibly unsettled. The last thing he wants is to sit through a
Mr. N speech afterall. "So can I leav–"
"Yes, you're dismissed."
"Yes you're dismissed." He mocks his face like a child mocking a teacher. Walking through the door. 'Talk about being indoctrinated by the white man.' Demi keeps to himself.
Mr. N snarkly remarks as if reading his mind "Says the black guy named "Demisaux".
Demi ignores it.
Siegfreed is seen staring at Demisaux for a little too long as he catches himself "S-So you're not going to apologize for that baboonery? What if he hurt Liam—"
The word hung in the room. Baboonery?
Mr. N's mind flickered. He's not racist, is he? Considering I'm Black, I'd hope not. Maybe that explains his disdain for us… not that it's relevant. He pushed the thought aside before it rooted deeper.