Beep… beep… beep…
The distant sound slowly grew louder.
John slowly opened his eyes.
The white ceiling, blurred shapes melting into each other.
He blinked. Again… then more.
Hospital.
Not the good ones. Stained walls, poor lighting, the strong scent of medicine in the air.
John tried to move. His body refused. Even breathing felt borrowed, as if his ribs were no longer his.
Something tugged at his arm…A needle.
He turned to the other arm…. Empty. It's still gone.
Something whispering beside him.
Crow.
Crow was speaking urgently, but the words barely reached him. A faint buzzing sound ringed in his ears.
"..., John?..John! John !!" Crow shook him
"So… I didn't die." John muttered.
"You kinda did"
"Huh?"
"You just woke up from the dead. It's been two weeks John"
John laughed at the words 'two weeks', a dry, broken chuckle slipping out before reality kicked in.
"How did I get here"
"Oh. Now you believe me?"
"How..did…I…get here, Crow?"
Crow sighed "It was a day after the accident. The news of the battle was everywhere! The damages, the casualties, and You weren't home yet."
John muttered to himself, "I escaped?"
Crow replied, "hardly…" Crow's voice dropped "It took two days before I could find your body. I flew everywhere, the entire city. You were wrapped up in a pile of shit. The sewage trench outside the city"
John raised his eyebrows, a faint smile appeared across his face.
Crow tilted his head, giving John a hard look, "you really like shit"
John smirked, "I survived"
"How did I get here?"
Crow snapped "I remembered saying I found you.. dipshit"
"Yes, but…." He stared at Crow's wings.
"Motherfuc—" Crow exhaled, "I called friends"
"Friends? You're a bird, Crow. Who could possibly—"
The door bulged inward. The Jumper stepped into the room. Holding flowers, Lilies. All black attire, and gloves. His eyes dimmed slowly as he saw John. Disappointment.
"You're alive"
John arched an eyebrow "Were you expecting otherwise?"
He chuckled. He reached into his pocket, brought out a Silver Coin and tossed it to Crow.
"Noo, we never doubted"
John stared at Jumper, then at Crow with the coin clenched in his beak.
"Motherfuckers!"
"Look at the bright side boy, at least birdy actually believed you'd survive. After what you experienced"
John stared at Crow confused, "what happened, I can't remember much….I remember drowning in a sewer"
Crow flew to John, placing a Tablet on his chest.
"You survived….That!" tapping his beak against the screen. John Clicked on the news thumbnail.
Smoke, shattered concrete, overturned vehicles, collapsed buildings and burnt structures. A complete aftermath of a cataclysmic explosion. This couldn't be caused by humans. The drone-view drew in closer, with emergency dispatch and fire service flooding the streets. Bodies. Burnt. Hardly any survivors.
Multiple news channels followed. Fifteen pages. Each thumbnail, a different channel, a different angle, but the same story.
'18 DEAD, MULTIPLE INJURED IN RECENT EXPLOSION' — The Daily Sun
'OUR CITY, THEIR BATTLEFIELD' — Vice City News
"Dahmm" John was in complete shock.
"Four Dimension Thunder. One hell of a move, she has." Jumper leaned by the door, pulled out a cigarette, "She's around your age you know?.... Melissa Sachs. A bright kid. A brighter career."
Jumper tossed the smoke into the air, "Taking down The Dancer is no small feat. A legend even The Bureau couldn't handle"
John, in complete awe, looked down at the screen, searching for more hints of how the battle went.
'THE BOLT QUEEN vs THE DANCER — BATTLE OF THE YEAR'
The Insider Report. Popular news channel for trends on rankers and the entire world of awakeners. The post was filled with thousands of boiling comments. A massive engagement amongst fans and critics.
@chrchillbruce46 "Melissa proved her title!!! A-rank is no joke #queenofbolts"
@thewicked "She blew up an entire neighborhood dumbass! She's a Terrorist. #recklessheroes"
@no1gooner "The Dancer is worse. A real terrorist. She did what many guilds and even the bureau had no balls to do. She's the real hero."
@wilsontheFrank "I heard her skill (4dimensionthuder) was voted the powerful skill of the year. She could face S-ranks."
@doop6969 "woah, woah….. take it easy noob. S-ranks are no joke. There's a reason they're called Gods."
...
Millions of other comments stormed. The news also highlighted: Melissa Sachs hospitalised. The Dancer captured.
John began to close the tabs, "She's hospitalized. I thought she defeated him?"
"Do you think The Dancer is a joke?" Jumper continued, "One of the most feared fugitives... a shame the bureau would have him locked up in LIMBO"
"Limbo?"
"A very dangerous place, for very dangerous people."
John snapped upright. His eyes locked onto the screen. His eyes picked up something from a previous tab. "ahhhh !!! Fucking Bird !!!! I gave you this tablet for a good reason"
Crow flared, fluffing his feathers. "No, wait. You don't understand."
"Jesss, Crow !"
Jumper snapped his fingers as the tablet teleported to his own hands.
"well, well…. Let's see…"
Jumper smiled at the screen. "Dahm !, you're bad bird "
Jumper scrolls further, his smile fades to awe "Woah…. you're a nasty bird"
Jumper clicked through more feeds, his face twisting into complete disbelief. "Jesus Christ !! You're a sick bird."
Jumper tossed the tablet onto the bed, grabbing a towel and wiping his hands. "Get rid of that device…" He turned to Crow. "…and the bird. He's damaged."
....
Jumper leaned back, "ok, so let's get down to business. I believe I owe you much"
"A lot, and.. including my hospital fees"
"Yes, yes. Multiple bullets were dug out your body, wounds, minor fractures to the waist, Three broken ribs, internal bleeding and the X-ray shows your remaining arm has been severely infected"
Crow interjected in, "Amputation?"
"It's what the doctors advised. It has to be done sooner it later"
Crow turned to John "wow, someone is about to become a worm"
John immediately grabbed Crow by the neck.
"mercy, mercy…" *cough*
"You two are adorable," Dancer smirked, clicking through the hologram interface with ease.
[Alert]
[35,000XPs received.]
[Balance 36,959xps ]
Both windows dismissed.
….
"You'd be dismissed in a week. Eat well" Jumper settles the cigarette against the wall.
"I have a few questions before you leave, Jumper"
Jumper arched his eyebrow, he raised three fingers up. "Three!..... I have a meeting soon"
"There was a sniper. He was preying on me. He was brutal. He would've killed me multiple instances, but he missed—"
"Missed??...." Jumper laughed. "His name's TARGETthe sniper, B-Rank. Veteran. Ex-right-hand-man to president, Now Ex-convict. Rumours have it he makes political rivals disappear. He's one hell of an assassin."
Jumper gave John a cold stare, "He has five eyes and one behind his head. He doesn't miss."
John understood perfectly.
"Did you send him after me?"
"Is that your second question?"
John frowned "No"
"Look, kid. Your meeting with him is merely a clash of interests. Someone sent him; I don't know who. But whoever it was is no small person, and they really wanted the briefcase too. Not your problem to worry about."
John sighed.
"Second question: I'm in need of some real good technology and materials. Any good places?"
Jumper chuckled. "Magic Technology !! Makes so much sense now—the eye. At first I thought your powers would be… Running away, given your experience. But Magic-Tech? That's lower."
John threw his face, shamed.
"Well…" Jumper snatched, and a black card appeared. Metal. Red outline. Inscribed in encrypted magical symbols. "This is mine… but you need it better. This is a VIP membership card to the BLACK MARKET. You'll find some decent stuff there… and more, actually."
John caught in mid air. He was stunned, his eyes burning with disbelief. He has landed his hands on a treasure. The Black Market is an exclusive auction house for almost everything that exists. Anything could be found there. Anything!
"Thanks!"
"No mention, you owe me a favour now, though"
John rolled his eyes, "of course"
"Third Question..."
"What was in the briefcase?"
"Nothin—"
"No!" John snapped, "I nearly died, at least tell me what it was for"
Jumper sighed.
"Boy, you know, when the first atomic bomb was created, men felt like they have created the greatest weapon. But, on the day of the 202-Wuhan-Disaster, two of those, on the demon was still standing."
Jumper walks up to the window, staring at the clouds. "Ants ! We felt like ants. The whole world… F-ranks, S-ranks, everyone. Ants! Before us that day, stood a greater being. Real Power...we knew it."
Jumper turned slowly, making his way to the door. The intensity could be read from his cold expression, unfitting for his usually blissful demeanor.
He paused at the door, hand on the handle, "It's been 12 years already, that was the first appearance of a S-rank Demon. There would be more….. Someday. And there will be More."
John raised his head down, he gently stared at his missing arm and his wrecked body covered in bandages. He understood. The whole world is in a pursuit for power. Only the weak would be prey, the strong survive. He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth, but released no emotion. John wasn't a man of plenty words.
Jumper saw John's resolve, he smiled. He opened the door to leave.
"One more question, Jumper."
"I never knew you to be much of a conversational person."
John smirked, "It's just a random thought."
".....could you defeat The Dancer?"
Jumper paused, dazzled, "ohh…" He burst out in laughter. His laughter echoed through the walls and the entire floor.
"You mean Gramps?" He continued laughing.
He exhaled. "You've made my day, boy."
He disappeared instantly. Thin air.
....
John and Crow stared at one another. Silence followed.
"John, I have a feeling that Jumper is an A-rank"
"His energy," John muttered. "Whenever the Jumper is around, Iris doesn't detect any energy, no signal, not even his presence—like Iris is completely blind to him. He's completely invisible. It's as if He……"
Crow replied, "...is a ghost?"
John stared coldly into the empty room, "As if He doesn't even exist"