Chapter 22 I Refuse!
"Being a true friend is a very hard job," Felicity said with a deep sigh.
Kiba was perfectly sure she was talking about his other ident.i.ty.
"You have forced me in so many adventures but yet you are not satisfied?" Kiba almost wept for his other persona.
Nevertheless, he felt warm seeing how she was worried about him. She might force him in her thrill-seeking adventures, but she was a true friend. For him, the friends.h.i.+p with her was more important than the s.e.xual and romantic relations.h.i.+p he shared with other women.
Otherwise, how can anyone force Kiba to do something against his wishes if he wants to truly resist?
Kiba dreamed to enjoy every phase of life. For him, Felicity was an important phase of his life. In the slums, he never had any friend nor in his ident.i.ty as Kiba.
Carole, Agatha and other women couldn"t be counted as his true friends. Agatha has gained a spot in his heart due to her recent actions, but that was the end of it. Eva was perhaps the closest to him, but he didn"t count her on the same level as that of Felicity.
The amount of power Kiba can use in his other ident.i.ty is very limited even though his other ident.i.ty is considered a genius. One can even say that the difference between the power of Kiba and his other persona is as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.
Felicity cared for him without knowing about his true powers or his ident.i.ty as Kiba. So how can he not be touched by her sincerity?
"Will you help me?" Felicity asked with a hopeful expression.
"I-I..." Kiba wanted to decline but seeing her hopeful expression he didn"t know how to refuse her. He was worried she would do something crazy if refused.
But he also couldn"t let her go to Paradox Dimension! If she died, he would never be able to forgive himself!
"Sure. But I will do it a few months later," Kiba said. He would have to find ways in the meantime to distract her from her crazy aim.
"Thanks. I thought you only help if you get a ride to the woman"s sacred ground but it seems you can never trust the rumors. If you had actually asked for such a thing, I would have cut down your b.a.l.l.s."
Kiba, Carole, Meghan, and others: "....."
Hank gave a cough to break the awkward silence. He was surprised by Felicity"s words but thought nothing much since she was a kid in his eyes.
"Kiba, l think we should start our meeting," Hank said. Hank"s other guest was about to arrive as well, so he wanted to have a private discussion before the guest"s arrival.
"Good idea," Kiba said. He wanted to get away from Felicity.
He bid his farewell to Felicity and Meghan before leaving the party hall with Hank and Carole.
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They went back to the 90th floor reserved for the VIP guests. This time though they didn"t go to the lounge area. Instead, they went to a conference room.
The conference room was heavily guarded by fighting droids from outside. Inside, the room was covered by electromagnetic sensors to make sure no form of spying can be done inside. This also prevented people inside to use any form of recording device.
Hank Webley, being the owner of White Angel Corporation, obviously sat in the main chair. Kiba and Carole sat nearby.
At the center of the conference table, a 3D hologram projector was located. The artificial intelligence (AI) automatically activated the projector.
Images of a silver suitcase were projected in 3D. The suitcase opened up and revealed 6 silver-like metallic biscuits made of an unknown element.
"My scientists have worked from last few hours nonstop, and we have found some interesting information," Hank said.
"Tell me something I don"t know already," Kiba said. The silver suitcase was something he got by killing Sky Fiend Group mutants.
The hidden spies inside Sky Fiend Group has pa.s.sed the information of a strange mineral to White Angel Corporation. Afterward, Hank contacted Kiba for stealing of mineral. When the mutants from Sky Fiend Group were in the middle of transporting the mineral to the downtown area, Kiba attacked them.
Kiba has killed the entire group of mutants to prevent future trouble. Of course, he knew Sky Fiend Group might suspect him due to his reputation of carrying out mercenary jobs, but he wasn"t overly concerned.
He has faith in the powers he possessed as Kiba, and if it came to worse, he would just lie low in his other ident.i.ty.
"Haha, of course, you know this much," Hank laughed before continuing, "What you might not know is that the mineral biscuits you acquired contained a faint trace of Divine Particles!"
"Divine Particles!?" Kiba asked in a curious voice.
The arrival of Evolution Comet in the year 1900 started the age of mutants. But the comet was just an omen of world-altering changes. The true evolution was caused by the thousands of meteorites which fell on Earth.
Science community believed the meteorites, which fell in the year 1900, contained an unknown but wondrous element which mixed with earth"s atmosphere and started the large-scale evolution.
This element is popularly known as the Divine Particle. Most of the Divine Particles have already merged with Earth"s ecosystem and thus can"t be retrieved even with the modern technology.
But some amount of Divine Particles exist in free-form! Still finding Divine Particles in their free-form is easier said than done even for top corporate.
World Government has full monopoly over the free-form of Divine Particles! Maybe some powerful corporate or top hidden organizations have some Divine Particles, but they would never let the world know!
It is believed that Divine Particles carries the secrets of eternal life!
"Hehe, like I thought you will be surprised. The traces of Divine Particles are very faint but it is still something!" Hank said in a delighted voice.
"Let me guess. Your top scientists are dead," Kiba said. He has a surprised expression even as he spoke but inside he was calm. It was as if Divine Particles were trash as far as he was concerned though he acted surprise on the outside.
"Kiba, you think I would be so cruel?" Hank asked with a smirk.
"I would be surprised if you don"t kill the scientists."
"I didn"t kill them for now. I have my ways to make sure they never leak the news."
"Oh? Is this perhaps related to your mutant powers?"
"Each one of us our secrets, my friend. I never asked you how you hide so well in this digital era, so don"t you think you should reciprocate the feeling?"
"I was only curious."
Hank was a fat old man but his power isn"t to be underestimated given the resources he has being the owner of White Angel Corporation. Kiba didn"t really care about Hank"s powers.
He also knew Hank has some schemes seeing him sharing the secrets of his discovery.
They had a deal of 50-50% on each job, but Hank could have definitely found ways to bargain if he didn"t reveal the info on Divine Particles. He didn"t even bring the deal but instead revealed full secrets.
"What is it you want from me?" Kiba asked.
"You know me. I don"t have the technology to retrieve the Divine Particles from the metallic biscuits, but I am sure someone from Sky Fiend Group intentionally inserted Divine Particles inside, so logic says they should have the technology to retrieve the particles," Hank said.
"You want me to steal the technology from Sky Fiend Group?" Kiba asked.
"Yes," Hank confirmed his intention and then continued, "You don"t have to worry about danger. I plan on forming a team of powerful mutants for the job so you will have help. Not to mention, I have my spies inside Sky Fiend Group headquarters! Just imagine the power we can wield if we have access to Divine Particles!"
Hank went on about the benefits and the ease of mission in order to make Kiba agree.
"Good deal, right?" Hank was confident Kiba would agree.
The allure of eternal life is not something any human being can resist. The allure is especially strong in those with power and influence.
Unknown to him, Kiba was feeling something he has rarely felt.
Fear!
Kiba"s back started drenching in sweat and his scalp was numbing in pain. The moment Hank started revealing his grand plan, Kiba started feeling a sense of crisis!
"Only once I have felt such a strong sense of crisis! And that was when those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds forced me in the mine!" Kiba acted as if was thinking about Hank"s offer but in reality, he was trying to judge why his instinct was acting crazy.
It was like a mountain was placed on his head. There was no physical pain but the mental agony was something totally different. This agony was a warning of impending doom!
"I was weak during the mining incident, so I could understand the sense of crisis back then. But now after gaining such strength from that incident... how can I feel such a danger... just what is going on? "
Even before the age of mutants, there were animals with a strong sixth sense. They could feel the arrival of earthquakes or other calamities in advance.
Kiba"s sense of crisis was similar to the animal"s sixth sense. It was due to this ability, he was able to survive the slums where surviving is no easy feat.
"Is this mission a trap by Hank? Or is there something in Sky Fiend Group which carries the power to pose as a danger to me?"
" The second scenario seems more likely! No matter what, I can"t partic.i.p.ate in this mission! I have gathered enough resources to last me for decades... so why should I take chance with my life? I only formed this partners.h.i.+p with him for gaining influence and not resources! Because if I truly want something, I can always have it as long as I will it!"
"Why should I risk my life for some illusory eternal life when I have all I want! As long as I can live my life according to my dreams... it is enough! I don"t fear death! What I fear is living a life in a way I don"t want to!" Kiba was lost in his thoughts.
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"I will gather members soon. You will be the captain," Hank said when he saw Kiba giving no response.
"I never agreed," Kiba said as he came back from his thoughts.
"What?" Hank was surprised.
"I am not going to help you in this mission," Kiba said in a firm voice.
"Kiba, we can negotiate!" Hank was shocked but he thought Kiba wanted more profit.
"My decision is final. There is nothing to negotiate," Kiba said.
Both Hank and Carole were shocked by Kiba"s decision.
"b.a.s.t.a.r.d, how can you disagree?" Hank angrily asked while banging the table loudly. His entire plan on eternal life depended on Kiba"s powers so how could he not be angry after his refusal?
"You are being too impudent," Kiba coldly said.
As soon as Kiba said this, Hank started feeling a tremendous pressure on his body.
"Y-you! How dare..." Hank didn"t even get to finish his words as the pressure increased as if thousands of mountains were suppressing him. He tried to resist but his kneels started bending on his own! The pressure made it impossible for him even to use his powers!
"S-sto... pl...ea...se" Hank tried to plead but the pressure increased once again which made it impossible for him to speak. Slowly he fell on his knees.
"I am Hank Webley! How can I kneel to a kid?" Hank"s face was full of popping veins as he used all his strength to stand up! He was a respected and powerful mutant in Delta City! How could he allow such humiliation!
"Yes! I can do it!" Hank thought as he stood up under the attack of horrifying pressure.
CRUNCH!
The sound of bone snapping into two came out from Hank"s legs.
"Aahhhhhh!"
With a thud, Hank fell on the floor again.
"I have a strong dislike towards those who call me a b.a.s.t.a.r.d," Kiba"s cold voice ringed inside Hank"s mind.