Jayhawk+, Nick Venom [i have read the book a hundred times .TXT] 📗

name for him would be, ‘A guy who thinks he’s a killer by killing defensive kids, but he’s truly a loser who deserves to die’? How about that?” Saim smiled. 

AJ let out a small chuckle. “Better than Slum Ripper. Anything’s better than that childish name.” The two roared in laughter.

Meanwhile, Breanna took the vacant position of leader, taking them through the druggie-ridden streets and dangerous side streets. By her side, following like a puppy, was Tayler. She had her weapon sheathed, greeting everybody she saw with a smile. Women hid their kids while men’s eyes lingered on her. Breanna would then step in, deterring the grumpy old men.

“Watch yourself. A smile, in their twisted minds, could be an invitation for sinful acts. Be wary of them, they’re like feral animals here.” Breanna warned her.

Tayler nodded, apologizing. “My parents taught me to greet people with kindness and they’ll reciprocate it.”

“Yeah… not here.” Breanna continued walking, glancing over her shoulder at Saim and AJ. She checked to make sure that they were following.

“Oh, yeah, do you trust the intel we got from Greg? Greg Hitsen?” Tayler asked, greeting a street rat with a smile. The street rat looked disgusted by the smile, running away. Tayler’s smile faltered for a brief moment before being rejuvenated.

“Mentor Sand told us this, so it has to be true. He wouldn’t send us to our deaths if he knew that the intel was false or exaggerated. Plus, there are many cowards in the Slums, so who knows.” AJ and Saim heard her, both smiling. Breanna half-agreed with them. “ Maybe he’s just a twisted kid-killer.”

“Oh,” She looked away, a street rat staring at her. Tayler pointed at the street rat, a small filthy kid, and motioned her forward. The street rat hesitated but took the first step.

Tayler took out a loaf of bread, breaking it in half. She offered half to the girl. She hesitated to grab it but went against her better judgment. She grabbed the bread before running away. 

“You know that you get only a loaf of bread and some water for this trip? Nobody’s sparing you any food.” Breanna told her.

“I know, but we’ll get a refuel at Empire. These kids won’t get any food, especially fresh food.” Tayler told her, staring deeply into her eyes. Breanna’s mind filtered through memories of Tayler’s conversation with Kodi, some jealousy rising to the surface but she quickly suffocated them.

“As long as you remember my words.” She turned away from Tayler and trudged forward. They were nearing their target, finding a drunk old man lying on a faded red couch with patches of vibrant red. He was sleeping, his head resting on the couch arm, a cloak masking his body. He didn’t appear to be buff nor frail. He seemed fit, strange for a drunk.

“What do we do? Cut his head off now?” Tayler asked.

“Yeah, he’s a murderer. Let’s cut his head off and call it a day. You guys don’t even have to step in, I’ll deal with him by myself.” AJ overconfidently stated. 

“Hey, be careful. Remember what Mentor said. He may be a kid-killer, but he’s still a killer, nonetheless.” Saim warned, his hand hovering over his sword.

“Yeah, be wary of him. He might be putting on a facade. It could be a trap.” Breanna said, brandishing her sword. She glanced around for any obvious traps.

“Come on! He’s a weak killer!” AJ responded, approaching the man. He didn’t move a muscle, seemingly sleeping. 

“Don’t touch him!” Tayler whisper-shouted.

“Yeah, stay away from him,” Saim added. “I think he’s faking sleep. He could have a weapon under his cloak, ready to slash you.”

Saim was correct.

 

TBC…

The New Guard: Season One [Episode Five "Battlefield"]

“What do you mean they haven’t reported in?” Kodi questioned. He stood in front of Sand, his teammates by his side. They were standing on the first floor of the Empire. “It’s been an hour and there’s nothing?” 

“Firstly, don’t yell at me. Second, Group 2 has failed to report an hour ago and efforts to track down and rescue have been put on hold due to an ongoing skirmish that takes priority.”

Priority? Aren’t we training to be the king’s guard? How are we not important?” He shouted in Sand’s face. Rahim and the others buckled, distancing themselves. Kodi was going against their Mentor, their unit leader, the figurehead of the Wolfstein Royal Guards.

Sand grabbed Kodi’s collar and raised him in the air. “I am Captain Charlie Sand of the Wolfstein Royal Guardians and I answer to no one but the commander-in-chief.” Sand carefully spoke, making sure his anger wasn’t betraying him. 

Kodi glared at Sand, nearly brandishing his teeth. Before the situation could escalate, however, Rahim stepped forward. “He doesn’t mean any harm, Mentor.” He respectfully addressed Sand. “Can we organize a rescue team with Group 1 here?”

Sand glared at Rahim, who didn’t cower under his glare, before letting out a sigh. He put his glare away, lowering Kodi to the floor. “Out of respect for General Marshall, I’ll drop this incident.” He turned around, heading to a desk laying against the wall. He reached it, opening the drawer and brandishing a sword. He turned to face the Enlisted. “Rescue operations begin now. Refuel on what you need and let’s head out.”

***

“They went through here?” Maysa asked.

“Slum Ripper’s name needs to make sense, doesn’t it?” Rahim pointed out. “Otherwise, he’ll be called Neighborhood Ripper… and that doesn’t have the same ring.”

“He’s right,” Kodi muttered, his attention far away from the conversation, staring farther down dim streets and alleyways. He half-paid attention to the conversation.

“Shut it!” Sand barked, his hand hovering over his sword and his eyes darting to look at every dark corner in the Slums. There were many.

The others, except for Kodi, nodded. They ventured farther into the Slums, traveling through winding roads and dead-end alleyways for a half-hour before they emerged into a crowd of street rats crowding around a trash bin.

“What’s going on?” Maysa asked.

Kodi tilted his head. “I… I have no idea. They’re tearing at whatever’s in front of them.” He concluded, his eyes darting to a street rat running off with black fabric. Fabric? It’s not food?

Alita glanced up at the makeshift apartments, some not standing straight and leaning while others were threatening to collapse. She leaped up and grabbed a hold of a balcony’s crude rails. She pulled herself up, jumping over the railing, and turned to stare at what the street rats were clawing at. Her eyes widened as she noticed a familiar sight, the black metallic outfit of a Wolfstein Royal Guard.

“It’s one of our own!” She declared.

Sand squinted his eyes as he walked towards the street rats with long strides. The others tried to match his pace, but he passed them by leagues. He approached the rats, brandishing his sword. “Move out of my way!” He growled. The rats moved out of his way, allowing him to reach their comrade---AJ. He had been beaten horrifically by someone -  welts, bruises, and gashes everywhere. Nothing that couldn’t be healed, but it was a disgraceful sight.

Sand touched AJ’s face, feeling the blood running around and over his fingers like water. He grabbed AJ’s body and turned to face the rats crawling around him. He glared at them intensely. “Who did this?”

The street rats backed away, frightened by his glare and words. None of them spoke, their oxygen suddenly vanishing from their lungs. 

“Who did this?” He repeated, his aura suffocating the rats near him. They grabbed at their throats, trying to stop the pain. They couldn’t do anything but gasp for air.

“It wasn’t us!” A female rat shrieked. “It was an old man!”

“An old man hurt one of my soldiers?”

“He’s the Slum Ripper!” The rat shouted.

Instantly, the aura dropped and the rats were released. They collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Sand ignored them, walking back to the Enlisted. “Who-” His tone reverted to normal. “-will take him back? He needs his injuries healed.”

Rahim glanced at Kodi. “Kodi will.”

Kodi jerked his head back. “Why me?”

“You’re the weakest.” Rahim bluntly said. “Alita is needed to help with flanking Slum Ripper and Maysa, Mentor, and I are good at fighting.”

“But… But I defeated as many bandits as you guys!” Kodi exclaimed.

Maysa shook her head instantly. “I kill more bandits than you, Kodi. You killed two, I killed three. Alita got two as well, but she took down the leader.” 

Kodi looked at her, his jaw unloosening. He felt betrayed. “But… But… But.”

Sand approached Kodi, holding out AJ. “Take him to the Empire, that’s an order… Enlisted’s Kodi.” 

Kodi gritted his teeth. He’s still looking down on me. Enlisted’s Kodi? Just call me Kodi. He threw his thoughts out of the window before grabbing AJ’s body, spinning on his heels. “I’ll be back.”

“I know you will.” Sand coldly responded before turning around and approaching the female street rat. Kodi trudged forward, ignoring Maysa and Rahim. What can I do? He asked himself without a word spilling out. He was the weakest so being dispatched to do a job he’s fit for, made sense but it still irked him. Breanna was being injured by the Slum Ripper and all he could do was act as a medic, being placed far from the action. Place far away enough that he couldn’t help her.

I’ll be back… to show them that I’m not a liability. I will save Breanna on my own.

 

Sand asked the female rat, the one that Tayler gave half a loaf of bread to earlier, about where Group 2 went and she replied with, “follow me, I know where they are.” Sand and the others followed the female rat to an open area---in between two apartment-like buildings. The area was stained by blood, Saim laying on the ground near them. He had noticeable wounds, but nothing fatal. 

A man, dressed in a cloak, with frail features stood in the middle. His frail body popped out of his thin cloak, the fabric tightly massaging every inch of him. His tan skin stuck to the cloak, treating it as skin.

The man turned around, noticing the arrival of Sand and the others. He had blue hair that shot up and created the shape of a three-dimensional pentagon. His black eyes looked white in the sunlight. 

“Who are ‘ya?” He barked.

“Did you injure my soldiers?” Sand asked, his glare and intimidating aura bubbling to the surface. 

The man smiled a wide smile. “You're the Mentor I hear ‘bout?” He mocked Sand’s nickname with a loud and piercing laughter. He brandished a long and curved dagger.

Sand brandished his sword. “I’ll beat you until you beg for death!” He took small steps towards the old man, who grinned a twisted grin.

Rahim equipped his sword, glancing at Alita. She had traveled via the rooftops, now perched on a rooftop overlooking the battleground. He nodded at her, activating a silent order. She began Rahim’s flanking order.

He glanced at Maysa, nodding his head. She nodded back, rushing forward to grab Saim and pull him back as the two men stared at each other. With Saim out of danger, the two looked forward, waiting for the first strikes before acting. 

The battlefield was set.

***

Kodi delivered the wounded AJ to a medic knight on standby. She took AJ and began patching him as he spun