Vol 1 Chapter 4 (1/2)

Chapter 4

SPARK

01

It was four in the afternoon

Balot was stirring stew in a saucepan, but she suddenly stopped Oeufcoque was standing on the

counter sniffing the air coh the ventilation system Balot poked Oeufcoque with her free

hand

“Agh, that tickles” Oeufcoque covered his sides

But his nose was still to the ventilator

He spoke with just a trace of nerves “There’s an unusual smell”

Balot poked at the stew She lifted up the wine, bringing the neck of the bottle toward her

“I’”

Balot placed the bottle down and leaned her head toward him

“There’s a so to a party, or a festival…or

ain “There’s also the faint, bitter smell of fear As

if someone has been killed”

Oeufcoque looked at Balot, apprehensive But Balot was no longer afraid of this sort of thing She

turned the heat down and entwined Oeufcoque around her fingers

–Enemies?

“Probably Check communication lines with the outside world, will you?”

Balot put Oeufcoque on top of her right hand and touched the intercomon the ith her left hand as

he’d requested

She snarced the receiver without lifting it, putting a call out to the police escort that was staked out in

the neighborhood

–The lines are all ringing, but nobody’s answering

“What, all three of the bases? What about headquarters? And try the Doctor too”

–I’

Balot tapped the receiver with her fingers

–So up that the lines are engaged, but it’s weird It feels

like I’ somewhere entirely different

A claustrophobic, urgent atmosphere pressed in on themfromall sides

Balot took her hand off the intercom and turned the stove off completely, and then she took her apron

off and threw it over a chair She headed toward her room, Oeufcoque still on her hand

–They’re couard Co here to

assassinate us too

“Highly probable”

–I want to get ready Will you giveto do?”

–Take a shower

She spoke as if she were talking about tending to her firearms

Oeufcoque nodded “But be quick”

Dish, wash, brush…she felt the ditty spinning around the back of her mind as she savored the hot

water Dash, crush, rush, flush…

She knew that having dirt and grime on her skin weakened her natural abilities So, whenever she was

due to wear Oeufcoque she needed to make doubly sure she was clean To scrub herself up spick and

span, polish herself up like a stainless steel knife

As she washed she started to feel that she rasp each individual droplet of hot water

as it fell from above, down to the finest of movements She probably could have Even the destination of

the water She could alh her skin

Under her control

My body is my own

The seed of resolve was planted firmly in the back of her mind

She wasn’t going to hand it over to anyone else ever again

She would protect it—and fight

Why me? The eternal question was about to deliver up an answer that she had never even dreamed of

Or not an answer, to be precise, but a reversal, turning the question inside out, just like Oeufcoque

Whoever it is who’s targeting et their just rewards

That was the answer she had to the question of why everything had to happen to her; she would take

the question—Why ht back in her enemies’ faces

Dish, wash, crush, mash…

She turned the shower off She snarced the TowelJet without touching it, and strong warusts of air

blew fro her body

She rubbed oil on herself, luxuriating under the warmbreeze

She was now the perfect blade, or so she felt A blade so sharp it would even cut through its own

sheath She was a sharp sho had the right to choose what she would have wrapped around her

And, of course, she had already chosen Her one and only scabbard—and weapon

Goodish, fresh, wish…

Balot left the bathroom She stood in front of the desk, not a stitch on her body

She reached out her hand toward thehis surroundings

with a pointy nose

Oeufcoque juo?”

Balot nodded, wrapped Oeufcoque around her fingers

–All set

She inable iron fortress that would wrap her up completely

Working with this vague irams and

adapting themone by one

–Hug ht

Oeufcoque turned with a squish

Into the dress chosen—singled out—by his one and only

The night melted like chocolate and seeped into the town

The Bandersnatch Gang moved as one Rapidly, silently, they closed in on the forue from

three different directions

Welldone led the way, and Mediumfolloiftly behind

Welldone checked the surroundings while Mediumstuck his Lockbuster Card into the rear door

“It’s open It was a triple lock—we only just made it” Medium spoke and quickly slipped inside

Welldone followed immediately after, almost back-to-back with Medium, and closed the door carefully

behind them

The corridors were dark and narrow Medium proceeded down them with caution, and Welldone

indicated to hih their transplanted communication devices

–We’ll leave the Lockbuster in and use it to carry our hack of the circuits How long till we can

take over the building’s security systems, Fleshi+e?

–Two minutes should be plenty, Well

–Rare, you enter from the south the moment we’ve overridden their security Medium, you enter

fro full of firearms No transmissions from more than

three meters away until we’re sure their security system is completely down

–There are your orders, guys I’ve pinned down the location of everything in the building Heat

sources detected in the kitchen on the first floor and the north-facing bathroom

–Go and investigate, Medi See that the target doesn’t escape through aI’ to the

basement

Without looking back Mediulided down the corridor,

footfall silent, disappearing around the right turn

He reun from its holster on his hip, and his eyes flashed red behind his sunglasses His

computer-enhanced eyes picked up all the obstacles in the dark, clearly and accurately

–Building secured Sending through floor plans of the whole building now

Flesh’s voice echoed deep in his ear

Mediuramappeared directly over his retina There were little

were, and the rooet was

likely to be were highlighted in red

–Move in, Rare Mincemeat, standby on alert five

the instructions now

“Here we go!” Mediumused his real voice, not the wireless A smirk formed on his face

He pushed on, cross-checking the data on the map in his retina hat he could see, and decided on

his best route

If he’d wanted to he could have brought up an i members,

but Medium stayed fixed on the floor plans as he advanced down the corridor It was a long corridor

Soht Medium This is massive Why would you need a bathroom that’s

more than twenty square meters in size? Must be to clean all those dead bodies There was almost no

light now, and he passed by a number of doors but barely paid them any notice He’d already checked in

his retina that the target wasn’t behind them

And this hy he coed from one of the rooms

and started to tail hi in his footsteps almost casually

Mediumturned a corner in the corridor and before he knew it he appeared to be inside a small closet

Mediumfroze to the spot Darkness enveloped himand seemed to stretch out forever

–Fleshi+e? What the hell is going on? Where am I?

–Calht in front of you

–Door? I don’t see any…

But then Mediuht in front of him

–Found it A door What’s on the other side?

–So for you

–Waiting?

–So for you

Mediumsmirked

–Okay, Fleshi+e Let’s work out if it’s our target or the PI Give me their exact location and

physical characteristics

An ie silhouette of the figure beyond the door

–Wow, a giant At least two ht?

–That’s right And if you shoot, you’ll hit him for sure

Mediuun carefully at his enemy beyond the door

–Let’s see who’s the faster shot, tough guy

He fired

All fourteen shots in three seconds flat He swapped azines immediately, then kicked down the

door that was now riddled with bullet holes

So him

–What the…

Cold water

Mediu on

So himover in a backward somersault

He thought for a moment that he had been hit by some explosives that the enemy had planted

But, as it transpired, he rong

His eyesight returned to hi entirely different

that floated to the surface A large white mass

Mediuun shot up, a reflex action

It was a bundle of wet toilet paper

Soaked through now, Mediulasses off and opened his eyes wide

He was in a toilet stall

This was the place that he had kicked the door down to and rushed in

The toilet was in ses fired at it, and it was vigorously

spewing out water

“What…what the hell is all this?” He spoke out loud again, unthinking

He left the cubicle On the wall to the right of him he saw four urinals On the opposite wall, mirrors

and sinks

The giant expanse of space he’d been in had disappeared without a trace

Mediuain

It was the only stall in the bathroo on the wall above the destroyed

toilet

Written on the tiles, in a bright poppy-red color:

I’M GONNA TO SNARC YOU UP!

–Fleshi+e, what the hell a at…

–I’…

–What?

–Let’s see who’s the faster shot, tough guy

The bathroomdoor opened

All Mediumcould do was stand and stare

A girl stood before him, dressed in brilliant white

Pure as snow, fromtip to toe

Her clothes had a bondage-gear feel to them, as if she rapped up in white restraints Or it could

have been an evening dress, or a wedding dress

One thing he was sure about—the striking figure in front of him was unmistakably the Teen Harlot he

had seen in the video

Rune-Balot

An unusual name…

He wondered whether it was the PI in charge of her case that was responsible for her extraordinary

appearance

“Drop your weapons” A un Had the

voice eht in front of him?

Balot’s left hand rose, and the snohite silken glove turned with a squish into so else

A gun

Light glinted off its silver barrel

Mediuun almost reflexively

A tre up the room

Mediuh to split his eyelids apart He realized with horror as

happening:

The girl in front of him had actually shot at, and hit, his bullet

Howling like a dog, he fired again

Sparks Explosion

Steel shrapnel splattered against the walls, spilled to the floor

But this ti hand All four fingers, his

thuun had all been pierced by shrapnel

The very definition of perfect marksmanshi+p

“Uh…” Medium’s face hite

His left hand disintegrated and fell to the floor along with his destroyed gun The water continued to

gush out of the ground behind hi the tiles

Mediuun on the floor At the grip, the azine

that he had craed bullets

All the bullets exploded at once, and a blue-white flame enveloped Mediumfromthe feet upward

He had no voice left in hi he danced a bizarre dance in the flashi+ng light

His whole body stiffened and burst at the seams

The air was pregnant with the stink of burnt flesh and hair

The blue-white light traveled across the water-covered tiles and struck Balot’s body too, but was

repelled by the white rai away harmlessly

Thunk—Medium collapsed in a heap Sparks continued to leap from the side of his head The various

electronic devices implanted in his head had short-circuited, and now pitch-black blood was pouring

fromhis eyes and ears

He wasn’t quite dead yet—but he’d seen better days

Balot looked at the geyser of water that was jetting out from where the toilet had been She intercepted

the building’s water supply system—and snarced it The floater slowed, then stopped

She approached Mediuhtest of touches, put her hand on Medium’s forehead

She sensed a weak current and recognized it as a voice being transmitted directly into his head

–What’s the h? Was the target there? We’re

not getting any response from Medi, Well Medi, If you can hear…

–I’m fine

Balot answered, in Medium’s voice

–There’s nothing here No sign of our target I’ll continue searching

Then she stopped snarcing the transmission, left the men’s toilets, and closed the door behind her

02

–No, it’s definitely weird It doesn’t add up

Mincemeat heard Flesh’s voice at the back of his mind

“Wassup, Fleshi+e? Explain tounder one arm,

waiting leisurely just outside the entrance hall

–According to Medi’s audio records, he’s just heard a nuunshots One of them doesn’t

show up anywhere onabout some pretty unusual

equipment

“So there’s someone with different equipment fromus One of the PIs?”

–Yes, but Medi seeht…

“Hmm…”

–You’re the closest one there to Medi, Mincemeat

“Fine, I’ll check it out” Minceht for the entrance “If

the target runs froet Rare or Well to catch her, ’cause I’ in to see

if there are any ene in on Medi Open the door for me, will ya?”

–Sure

Mince open without resistance

He walked straight on into the hall

Checking that there was no one behind theat the reception area, he shoved his hand into the

Boston bag He pulled out the reserve firearms—in the shape of an attaché case—and walked down the

corridor in large strides

He shed his Boston bag and pushed on farther down the corridor, where he heard an elevator door

chime and open

He slipped deftly behind a pillar and silently opened the lock on the case in his hands

The box folded out in both directions, and a double-handed grip appeared in the middle, which he held

fir outward—this was a fearsome automatic

weapon

After taking note of his surroundings, he opened transmission channels

–Is this elevator your work, Fleshi+e?

–That’s right

–You want et in it?

–That’s right

–I thought Medi was on the first floor, though? Do you think he’s found the enemy?

–That’s right

–Send ht, so that’s where Medi is I’ on out

–That’s right

–Huh?

The transmission ended abruptly But the floor plan showed clearly the route he needed to take

Minceed his shoulders “Jeez, talk about impatient”

Paying close attention to his surroundings, Mincemeat slipped into the elevator

He looked at the operating panel inside There were five buttons, one for each floor from the basement

to the roof The button for the second floor was already flashi+ng yellow

The elevators closed, and Mincee body as best he could

The pressure pulled hi noith ferocious speed Mincemeat just about

over

The violent screeching of the wires could be heard overhead

Then the elevator shuddered to a sudden halt, throwing Mincee frame into the air for a

second before he crashed back down onto the elevator floor, slaainst the steel

Mincemeat’s face isted in fury

–Flesh, you little shi+t! This isn’t a fucking carnival ride!

–That’s right

–Huh? That’s all you’ve been saying since…

A cold sweat broke out on Mincemeat’s brown skin and his lips trembled as he heard:

–THAT…IS…RIGHT

An unfaht in his ear—inside his own head

“Who the hell are you?” Mince out

The elevator i Minceain It stopped

suddenly on the third floor before plunging straight back down again

“You shi+thead!” he roared He pointed the firearms in his hands at the panel on the door and shot it to

pieces with both guns

The elevator stopped

A smile returned to Mincemeat’s perspiration-bathed face “I used to be a pilot, you know That was

nothing…”

The lights went out, but that didn’t worry him A click at the back of his eyes and his pupils shone red

Dark, light…it was all the sa in his retina

The bottootten as far as the second floor With his two-hundredthousand-dollar

butter knife in his left hand, he burnt off the rest of the panel and pulled out the wiring He

pointed his other hand, firearmand all, at the door

His eyes skipped over the wires until he found the one that opened the elevator door

Just then, a fizz, and so up under his feet An unbearable heat ran through his body He

jumped with a shriek

Soht through his firing arm

He rolled up his sleeve to take a look

There was clean, round hole right between a pair of eyes on his arm The eyelids were open wide, as

if the transplanted eyes were surprised

Mincemeat broke out in a cold sweat

It was one da after another

The shot that ca hand

A series of screaain, in his hands, legs, and

buttocks

Mincemeat danced his bizarre dance to an audience of no one, yelling inside the box, where no one

could see When he dropped his knife, that too was shot to pieces An intense surge of sparks erupted

forth, scorching his right leg

He found a ht hand He pointed the gun straight

doard

At the sa into his left eye His ht in

the socket Sparks and blood spurted out, littering the floor

“I’ to rape the shi+t out of you for this, you fucking bitch!”

Mince it intoup to his nickname

Plenty of steah them, but saw no one He

turned to the elevator door, shooting it up just as he had the floor When the bullets in the top half of his

gun case were spent, he flipped it up into the air and gripped it the other way around

He pulverized the door, leaving it a bullet-riddled mess

“I’ to kill you!”

He charged the door with his shoulder, and it bent open He pushed it open with his left hand—now

minus a thumb—and tumbled into the corridor, out of breath

Blood and sweat trickled down himin equal measure—his whole body was drenched

He crept down the corridor, crawling, and hid in the shadow of a pillar

–Fleshi+e! Answer me, you bastard! Well! Flesh has been hacked! Well! Medi! Rare! shi+t, answer

me, someone!

But the only answer he had ild laughter fro all around

Confused, Minceht

No one

The laughter was happening inside Mincemeat’s head

He tried to cut the circuits but found he couldn’t

Tears welled up in his one reood eye

Regression disorder, someone had called it

The sounds of battle brought all the bad memories back to himin a haze of black smoke

His helicopter had been shot down, and two days later he was taken captive It was on the day of his

release, a year later, that he thought up his plan to transplant his wife’s eyes into his arm His ex-wife,

actually—she had served him with divorce papers earlier in the year, when he was already at the limit of

hu all sorts of ill-treatment as a prisoner of war

And his ex-wife had been giving hiht

bicep

Minceed at his hair and ripped off his blood-soaked clothes, revealing all the eyes

transplanted onto his upper body

He screamed a wordless screamas he forced himself up

Brandishi+ng his gun he pulled his behind him

The laughter in his head continued loud and shrill, driving himto distraction

A pair of shutters slaht in front of him—and behind him

They were fireproof shutters—and odor-proof, ’s particular requirements in

mind

Minceain trapped in a small space, cornered on all four sides

“I’ood and proper, you little bitch! I’ll rip your eyeballs out and skull-fuck your

eye sockets!”

He was firing indiscri he had in all four directions Empty

cartridges flew in all directions, and the walls were ree of bullets

Just then he felt heat behind him Mincemeat turned around

The shutters were right in front of his eyes

And fro

Both his knees were shot to pieces at al his

teeth in agony

As he collapsed both his elboere blown off His front arms drooped down, useless

Every single bloas accurate to the extreme

And in the twinkling of an eye—literally For each of the eighteen pairs of eyes implanted into his

body were being targeted, methodically, ruthlessly The liquid from the eyeballs was splashed around the

rooled with blood and tears, seeped across his body in

a thick soup

Screaht chamber

Still Minceed to stand, and even as blood and vitreous humor poured from his body, he

e the shutters like a frenzied bull

With a violent crash the shutters buckled under the impact of Mincemeat’s shoulders Blood splattered

the duralu of liquid lingered behind

He charged the shutter again

The gunfire had already stopped, but he was no longer interested in that

Then, without warning, the shutters opened, retracting into the ceiling

Minceure

Gathering the last of his strength he screaed at the silhouette

He beca down over a pair of sunglasses

By the time Minceure’s butter knife was

already embedded deep in his heart

≡

Rare was overcole himself out from under Mincemeat’s dead

body, which had collapsed on top of him

He looked at his own knife, then screa voice of a little

girl

–What’s going on? I thought you’d ed to trap the PI in there? Why is it little Minty? Do you

want me to come over there and kick the shi+t out of you? What were you thinking, Flesh, you stupid

fuckwit!

–Oh, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it

–What?

–That is the PI, right there

Rare’s pale face darkened as the blood rose to his head

–You fucking hacker! I’ll tie you down and have you gang-raped by pigs, you piece of shi+t!

Rare ranted on in this vein for a short while before bursting into tears of anguish and pulling the

Hutchinson Knife from Mincemeat’s chest

“Oh, you poor, poor thing, little Minty, all because that fuckwit Flesh didn’t notice that we’d been

hacked…you poor, poor little darling”

Suddenly there was a click in his ear, and a transan

–Come in, Rare

–Is that Well? The real one? Not the piece-of-shi+t hacker?

–Yeah, it’sall he can to restore our secure line What’s the situation over there?

–Little Minty…

–They got him?

Rare howled an unearthly wail as an answer

–…I see According to Medi, the target has run down to the base with the PI They’re

protected by thick shutters—Flesh is trying to find a way to open them You head downstairs and meet

us

–Okay, Boss Are we going to sell little Minty’s body of for parts too?

–No, we’re a band of brothers We don’t sell our family members ofThose of us ant to use

Minceht?

–Of course That’s right, Boss

Rare gripped his knife tightly and meandered down the corridor

–I’ll see you downstairs in the baseh the floor plans, please?

Rare’s eyes glinted red Tears fell, blood-red under the reflection of the colored light

He followed the route toward the baseth drained from

his arms

–Head into the room to your left, Rare There’s a shortcut

Rare did as Welldone said, opening the door on the left-hand side He descended the stairs and

entered the room

–Lock the door behind you

Rare was about to do so, then came to with a jolt

“What did you say?”

Rare looked around, grinding his teeth

A large nue room for corpses—and no

sign of anything that could resemble a shortcut

Gripping the hilt of his knife even tighter, Rare glared at his new surroundings

The electronic lock on the door behind himshut automatically

Rare snapped back to look at what had happened, and he saw a ridiculously long release code flash up

on the display of the electronic lock

He tried the numbers several times, but there was no trace of a response He kicked the door with a

high-pitched whine

“How dare you, you piece of shi+t! Where the hell a at the

door, apparently not even noticing that he was now yelling out loud

–You’re in the Archaeozoic Era

Well’s voice—no, a voice identical to Well’s—fromdeep inside his own ear

–And now you’re in the Proterozoic Era And now Paleozoic, Cambrian, Mesozoan, and finally the

Diluvial Epoch

Rare spun around in surprise

–You’re in a sea of fossils

Countless numbers of spirals flashed before his eyes