"To the left! Left! MY LEFT!" Sin yelled as he directed Pogs, Jiggles, and a couple of Nate's orkands.
They were carrying the arena enchanted item that we'd used yesterday for the Solaris Wolfen exhibition. This time we were inside the Sadamas center and taking up all of Sho'lajah Artifact Company's space and a little bit of another company's. Not that they were complaining, at least out loud.
"That's it! Right there!" Sin commanded when the evos had maneuvered the arena where he wanted it. The evos all dropped the area and took a massive step back. "Perfect!"
I looked at the set up of the arena from my position which was near the ceiling on top of one of the support beams. It was easily the largest exhibit inside the building and it wasn't even complete yet. The containment cages for the evos that we were exhibiting.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" A familiar and annoying voice screamed. I groaned inwardly then turned around on the support beam to see Beaufort, my brother and his gaggle of soldiers stomping over to Sin.
Sin turned around, already knowing that Beaufort was referring about the arena and walking towards him. Sin eyed Logan and the other soldiers that accompanied Beaufort before raising his hand slightly to calm all the evos who had all gone on alert thanks to Beaufort's yelling.
"President Justice…why are you yelling?" Sin asked calmly. Beaufort stormed up to Sin and pointed a angry sausage finger at the arena.
"What is that?!" Beaufort snapped, spitting into Sin's face.
"Our exhibit." Sin replied in a deadpan voice.
"That doesn't answer my question! What the fuck is that?!" Beaufort snapped. Sin wiped his face with his hand then took a calming breath before leveling Beaufort with a glare.
"What gives you the right or authority to demand anything of me?" Sin asked in a steely tone. This made Beaufort's face turn beet red with rage.
"I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE ZEONIC STATES OF AMERICA!" Beaufort yelled.
"And that means so much when we are in Japan." Sin replied. The soldier I knew as Lieutenant Cross gritted his teeth then jumped in Sin's face and pointed a finger at him.
"Mind your manners, you crystal cursed fuck!" Cross snapped.
I drew Dia Caos and fired a ice bullet at the ground next to Cross feet. A small ice spike shot up from the ground and freaked out both Beaufort and Cross. Sin simply arched a brow at them then looked up at support beam I was standing on.
"Who dares?!" Logan shouted as he pushed Beaufort behind him and the rest of his squad. Everyond had their guns drawn and looking for where I shot at them from in the ceiling.
"Really Logan? You have to ask?" I said, sounding insulted as I looked down at them.
"KINGSTON!" Beaufort bellowed as he pointed a finger up at me.
"You talking to me or my hero brother?" I asked sarcastically.
"Chase you dumbass you could have hit the president!" Logan snapped. I rolled my eyes and fired two more bullets at the ground on either side of the group. Ice pillars shot up and made the youngest of squad fire a shot in my direction.
The bullet flew by me and ricocheted off a nearby beam. I channeled accelerate attribute mana throughout my body and the world started to slow to a crawl. I saw the bullet bouncing between beams, now moving at the speed of a slug.
I jumped from beam to beam and grabbed the bullet in mid-air then then kicked off a wall and fell to the ground, rolling on impact then skidding to a stop right beside the soldier that fired the gun. I stopped channeling accelerate attribute mana and time started moving at it's regular pace.
"Shot a little wide there." I said to the private. He screamed and pointed his gun at my head. I grabbed the barrel of the gun and yanked it out of his hand before he could pull the trigger. "Why do they always give the jumpy ones a gun."
"My gun!" The private exclaimed while the others in his squad pointed their guns at me.
"How did he get next to us?!" Cross exclaimed.
"Fairly easily." I said with a cocky smirk. I then pulled the magazine from the private's pistol and emptied the chamber, tossing the empty gun back to the private. "I'm confiscating the bullets until you learn how to shoot better."
"Those bullets are property of the Zeonic States military!" Beaufort snapped.
"You really want to try and 'big dick president' me over a couple bullets? If the last few days has shown you anything it should have been that never works out well against me." I said then casually channeled disintegrate attribute mana into the hand holding the magazine. The magazine turned to dust in my hands and I let the ashes fall to the floor.
"Boss, you good?" Sin asked. I looked over my shoulder at him and nodded.
"Of course…the president and his babysitters will be leaving any moment now." I replied.
"Babysitters!" One of Logan's men exclaimed.
"I ain't leaving until I know what the hell this is for Kingston!" Beaufort demanded.
"Again, you talking to me or my brother?" I asked.
"Half-brother!" Logan snapped predictability.
"I'm obviously the half with some brains." I said with a roll of my eyes.
"Last warning Kingston!" Beaufort snapped. I narrowed my eyes at him while crossing my arms.
"Or you'll do what?" I asked tauntingly.
"Put a bullet between your eyes!" Cross growled and took a step towards me with his gun pointed at my head.
"The moment you try it will be the last thing you do." I replied calmly. Jiggles stepped from behind Sin with Pogs flanking him and cracked his knuckles. Small explosions going of with each cracked.
"I guarantee it!" Jiggles confirmed with a savage growl.
"Might be worth it!" Cross growled.
"I wonder if those soldiers that died a few days ago thought the same thing?" I said in a calm, mocking tone. Cross' expression turned murderous, his hand gripping his rifle so tightly I was surprised it didn't crack in his grip.
"Chase! Watch your fucking mouth!" Logan barked.
"You should be snapping at your oh so mighty president instead of me. If he hadn't have ordered your men to attack my people they'd all be alive. Their families back home wouldn't be waiting for them to come home, their children counting the days until they can see them again. Not knowing their dad died on the orders of a coward and a bitch…!" I growled back.
"YOU CRYSTAL CURSED SHIT STAIN!" Beaufort roared and had to be held back by two members of his security team. I rolled my eyes at Beaufort then looked to Logan.
"Funny how he gets angry when someone calls him a coward and a bitch and not when mocking the deaths of his men…isn't it Logan?" I asked sarcastically.
"Chase…" Logan growled through gritted teeth.
"Master Kingston!" A commanding and familiar voice exclaimed. I turned towards the sound of the voice and saw Ziana, Logan's wife walking towards us. She stopped just beside Logan and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him relax slightly.
"Ziana, I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you'd be spending time with your family…" I said. I couldn't help but notice the way her eyes seemed to darken at the mention of her family.
"I am not attached to them at the hip." Ziana replied then stepped in front of Logan. "Though if would like to remind you that as Logan's wife his family is my family. And in the spirit of family I would appreciate it if you refrained from antagonizing my husband any further."
"Would you now?" I asked then narrowed my eyes at her.
Something about Ziana didn't make sense. There were times when she seemed like a bumbling mess that stuttered all the time and seemed to shake in thr wind. Then there were other times; like now; where she showed off the confidence I've come to expect from a splicer noble.
"Tell you what, in the interest of family cohesion I'll go back to setting up my company's exhibit…Sister." I said then started to turn back to my area.
"Wait! You still haven't told me what that thing is for!" Beaufort snapped.
"Imagine that!" I replied then kept walking. "Unless you're buying something piss off!"
***
"Master Kingston…?" A Japanese soldier called out to me. I was currently helping Haws, Jiggles, Pogs, and Nate's orkands move one of the containment cages into place beside the entrance to the arena.
"Little…busy…here!" I managed to spit out through gritted teeth as everyone crab walked while carrying at least three tons. We set the cage down with a slight thud, suddenly grateful that I designed them with raised edges so they could be moved without risking your fingers getting cut off.
"For fucks sake Chase! You need for design a better way to move these things!" Haws gripped. I nodded in agreement while breathing significantly heavier than I would have liked.
"At least it's the last one." I replied.
"Master Kingston…?" The soldier called out to me again, a twinge of annoyance in his tone. I ignored that and turned to face the man.
"Yes, yes, what is it?" I asked curtly. The soldier pulled a letter out of his coat's inner pocket and handed it to me. The letter had the Shogun's personal seal on it.
"My orders were to give you that letter, and advise you to open it at your earliest convenience." The soldier said then bowed and quickly walked off. I frowned at the retreating soldier then looked down at the letter in my hand.
"Special delivery? From who?" Haws asked as he looked at the letter from over my shoulder.
"The Shogun." I replied. Haws arched a brow then patted me on the back.
"Look at you. Getting fancy mail from the leader of Japan!" Haws exclaimed. I rolled my eyes then opened the letter.
The letter had a single word printed on it: Hoshi. I frowned and looked up from the letter, feeling more confused than before.
'Why should he send me a letter that only says Hoshi?' I thought. Seeing that I was confused Haws walked over and read the letter over my shoulder.
"That supposed to mean something?" He asked.
"Maybe…?" I replied, admittedly not sounding too sure myself. I channeled mana into my manacite communication ring and focused on Jane.
"OW FUCK!" I exclaimed and rubbed my ears.
I arched a brow at that suggestion but shrugged and channeled burn attribute mana into to the palm of my hand. I then held the letter a few inches above the flame. Like magic, more words started appearing on the letter.
'Master Kingston, I must speak with you. It's about Hoshi. I have an agent waiting to meet you outside the Sadamas center to escort you to my location. With great respect, Hideyoshi Ascred.'
I frowned and crumpled up the letter, turning it to ash with burn attribute mana. I closed my eyes and borrowed Bone-lasher's electromagnetic vision, focusing on the area outside the building. There were dozens of people outside but on stood out to me. A woman standing close to the entrance by herself and not in a group like everyone else.
"Haws! I need to head out for a bit!" I called out. Haws was directing a Nate's orkands to push one of the containment cages to the left and bit. Haws waved me off without even looking my way.
"Go! We got things here. Just be back before things get going. And be careful!" Haw ordered. I rolled my eyes at that and turned on my heel.
"Yes Dad!" I replied sarcastically.