In a bar in the middle of the sector, the Viper walked in, scanning the area with a predator's gaze. Patrons froze mid-drink or conversation, sensing the authority she carried. Her sharp eyes darted across the dimly lit room, landing on the one person she came to find. Without hesitation, she moved toward a table, her every step radiating control.
She slid into the chair with the ease of someone who knew she owned the room. "So this is where my former Razor is using up all the money from my sector's crude oil factory," the Viper said, her voice smooth yet biting, like a whip in the silent air.
The man at the table met her gaze, unease flickering in his eyes as he shifted slightly.
"If you're trying to pull some stunt, I suggest you rethink it," the Viper said, leaning back. She lifted a glass of red wine, letting the liquid trace her lips as she drank slowly, deliberately.
The man tried to mask his fear, his mind racing to anticipate her next move. "Relax," she continued, setting the glass down. "I'm just here to talk. I'm not looking for a fight… not yet."
"You're not getting anything out of me this time around, Scarlet," the man spat.
"Sorry, I don't go by that name anymore," the Viper replied with cold precision, her voice cutting sharper than any blade could cut.
"Ah, you go by the name of Viper now," he said, nodding slightly, trying to regain some semblance of control of this conversation.
"I'll get straight to the point here no need beating around the bush," she said, sitting upright. "I'm here for serious business, nothing else."
"You don't have any business with me anymore," the man said, though his voice wavered.
"I told you before war is coming. The other Sovereigns will come for you, and your head will be on the line," the Viper said, her eyes narrowing.
The man snorted. "Really?"
"You think that because you now control the crude oil factory, they won't come after you?" she said. "They know my position now all except one. The Red Sovereign… Talon."
The man's expression hardened. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. Talon is the most dangerous of all the Sovereigns. He commands the largest, most powerful soldiers, and don't forget… he has Sunny with him."
"The others might talk, but they won't cross the line. They won't dare attack without losing in return," she said, her tone firm, almost hypnotic. "That's why I'm here. We take him down first. Once the other Sovereigns see this… it's only a matter of time before they follow suit."
Taylor's hand trembled slightly as he lifted his own glass, the wine catching the dim bar lights. "For old times' sake," he said, downing it in one gulp.
Without warning, the Viper's lips curved into a small, deadly smile. She produced a small vial hidden in her sleeve. The liquid glowed faintly red. In a swift motion, she poured it into Taylor's drink while his eyes were on hers. He took another sip and staggered almost immediately, poison coursing through his veins.
"What… what is this?" he gasped, coughing, but before he could react further, his knees gave way. He collapsed onto the table with a loud crash, knocking glasses to the floor. The bar erupted into chaos as people screamed and scrambled for the exits.
The Viper stood calmly, twin daggers glinting in the low light. The crowd tried to form a defensive line, but she moved like a shadow silent, precise, lethal.
A man lunged from behind the bar with a broken chair leg. She spun, sliding under his swing, and drove a dagger through his midsection. Another attacker grabbed a bottle, smashing it across her shoulder. She parried with one dagger while striking the man's arm with the other, drawing blood and letting out a low hiss of controlled effort.
From the corner, two more men rushed at her, one wielding a chain and the other a short sword. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled one dagger with pinpoint accuracy, cutting the chain mid-air. The sword-wielder charged, and she met him head-on, unleashing her Art. Shadows lengthened around her, black as spilled ink, and her movements accelerated beyond the eye's capture. She became a blur, phasing through attacks, striking back with lethal precision.
Her twin daggers danced, slicing through bone and sinew. One man went down, another fell back clutching his gut, screaming in pain. The bar was littered with overturned chairs, shattered tables, and broken glass reflecting the chaos.
A brute larger than the rest entered from the side, wielding a heavy club. He swung with enough force to crush bones, but the Viper pivoted, catching his wrist mid-swing, twisting it until the club flew across the room. With a final, fluid motion, she dropped to her knees, spinning and slicing upward her dagger cutting through the man's chest.
She rose, calm, standing on the chest of the last man she had felled. His face was twisted in pain and surprise, the bar quiet except for the groans of the wounded. She looked around, taking in the aftermath, and her voice cut through the silence.
"This is your warning," she said, cold as ice. "The Deadlands are changing, and anyone who stands in my way… will not survive."
Outside, rain began to pour again, tapping against the broken windows like drums of war. The Viper sheathed her daggers, her eyes scanning the horizon for the next threat.
The bar lay in ruins, but she walked out unscathed, she dragged the a man who was about to die and she asked him who sent you
COUGH!
The man held is stomach which was blessing out
You better tell me his name or you regret it