Chapter 21 - A third kill

Hello, dear readers! Here's Chapter 21! The situation is still tense!

With that, I'm really happy to announce that I reached 10 advanced chapters for both novels on Patre0n!

Next, I set up an Instagram account where I post AI illustrations of Places, Characters, etc. from my novels. I'll do my best to post at least once a week on there. If you're interested, here's the link: https://www.instagram.com/calmwandereroriginal/

Also, this week and next week will have less release for both novels since it's Christmas vacation and my family comes to visit. It will go back to normal after new year! In any case, I wish you guys Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Announcements:

-Don't hesitate to Follow, Review, Favorite, Power stone, share etc. (Depends on the platform you're currently reading on) if you like my different novels. It helps a lot with growing the number of readers.

-Subscribed patrons: 'Dylanshadow' and 'Angelo Meßmer'. Thank you guys for your support!

-Free patrons: 'Eduardo Tolentino', 'ya_smerti' and 'Felix Wagner'. You guys are great!

-I've set up a Stripe page, so if you feel like making a one time donation of any amount, don't hesitate to swing by. Thank you in advance! https://buy.stripe.com/4gwdTHfLo2fR2Xu6oo

(No need to sign up. Only a credit/debit card is needed)

-If you prefer having something 'tangible' for your donation, you can visit my patre0n page. For each tier, you get the equivalent number of chapters for both novels (Ex: Planetary Tier is 10 Euros a month for 10 advanced chapters for '[The Knight's Multiverse] - A Knight's Journey: A Cultivator's Journey in a Superhuman's Modern World' and 10 advanced chapters for 'My Name is Ben Parker'.) For those who never used Patre0n, if you donate on the 15th of a particular month, for example, then you'll be able to enjoy the privileges of that subscription until the 15th of the following month.

My patre0n: patre0n.com/CalmWanderer

Enjoy the read! :)

If you wish to read a similar type of novel, I'm writing a fanfiction in the world of Marvel with a lot of elements from The Knight's Multiverse.

A quick sum-up here:

Queens, New York City, USA. 2012.

Ben Parker, a former Special Forces' Team Captain, husband of May Parker and uncle of Peter Parker, was forced to take arms again when the chitauri attacked New York City and threatened the safety of his nephew and friends. Saving them successfully he however ended up heavily injured, prompting him to breakthrough and become a Supe(Superhuman), all due to one of the three Perks granted by the unknown entity who reincarnated him on this Earth.

Armed with almost all his previous life's memories, his skills as a former Green Beret, his three Perks and with the help of his loved ones and companions, he would have to face many threats, with some with seemingly impossible odds.

"The world is going batshit crazy. I can deal with normal humans, but how the hell am I supposed to deal with Gods and Universe-Ending Aliens?"

[If you want to access my novels, you can click on my name (Calm Wanderer) and then on Original works]

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Damovotsk, Molkovia, Earth.

Demian's P.O.V.

As if the two were synced, they both dashed toward the one-ear man's cold body and crouched down to unwrap it, saving much time by doing it together. Once they were done, Demian's eyes spotted a square bulge on the front left pocket of the guy's pants. 'There!' He thought while moving his hands as quickly as he could to grab the noisy smartphone.

Despite taking only a few seconds to pull it out from the said pocket, it was clearly not swift enough as the phone suddenly stopped ringing, plunging the two anxious people into an uncomfortable silence, with their bodies briefly freezing from the shock. Turning his gaze toward his beautiful Aunt, the young man asked, hesitantly. "Do you think he'll call back?" 

Frowning at his words, while her gaze was directed toward the phone, she shook her head slightly before responding. "I don't know. But we need to prepare in case he doesn't." Pausing for a second, she then turned her face toward his and added. "I'll clean the entrance quickly while you get the guns. After that, we'll load the bodies in the elevator, and then the RAV4's trunk."

Despite knowing that she was more experienced than him, he thought about something that she seemed to have forgotten. "What about their cars?" Shaking her head again, she replied. "The car doesn't really matter, since it can't prove anything. As long as there's no bodies or biological evidence, then we'll be fine. Don't forget that Bryn'll be back tomorrow and by that time, they would not dare push us too much." 

'Again with Bryn being our shield. But how? I mean, she's just human, and humans don't fare well against bullets. I would know.' He thought while putting the phone in his own pocket, before moving as swiftly as someone could with two bleeding holes in one's body toward the empty Glock he left on the sofa, while Adeliya went to get a mop and a water bucket.

Surprisingly, as soon as he took a few steps, the dead man's phone in his pocket began ringing again, prompting him and the older woman to stop. This time, he promptly took it out and read the caller's ID. "It says 'Dmitriy'!" A visible sigh escaped the redhead at his words before she instructed. "It's not Petrovich then. Answer the phone, put your hand in front of your mouth, and talk like you got punched. It's the only way for them to believe that you're that guy."

Hesitating for a second, he asked. "Are you sure?" She instantly responded In an urgent tone. "No, but that's the only thing I can think of. Now stop wasting time and answer the damn phone!" Nodding quietly, he followed her command by tapping the green button on the screen immediately followed by the speaker button, so that she could listen to the conversation.

As soon as the call went through, the two could hear someone yelling on the phone. "You're finally answering your fucking phone! What the fuck are you two doing up there? I've been waiting like a moron for 20 minutes in the fucking car!"

Feeling overwhelmed by the other man's aggressiveness, the young man froze for a few moments, prompting the other man to ask again, this time in a more suspicious tone. "Did you become a fucking mute?"

Those words however woke him up instantly, and with the adrenaline pumping in his system, he felt his mind both registering the fact that his Aunt was pretending to be punched in the face and a few memories he had from his previous life he suddenly recalled. A few muffled words then escaped his mouth in answer to the man's question.

"Of course not! It's just that your voice reminded me of your ugly mug, and I almost threw up in my mouth, that's why I couldn't talk." The insult ignited the anger in the other man, as his furious voice came through the phone. "Fuck you, Vladislav! At least, I get laid anytime I want, unlike you bitch!" "I'm sure it has nothing to do with how much you pay them." "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!" 

Listening to the enraged man screaming through the phone's speaker, a small smile appeared on Demian's face. 'I made it! The man truly believes that I'm that Vladislav guy. I only need to find a reason for him to... Oh! Got one!' He thought briefly before his words cut the other man's rant.

"You're right I'm a motherfucker and the one I fucked is your mother. Now, instead of acting like a bitch you better move your useless ass upstairs. We need your help to move the bodies." At his words, the man seemed to calm down, of course not forgetting to send a few insults while he was at it before he replied.

"Are you two up there? Why the fuck would you need me? Are two fucking little girls?" Shaking his head at the guy's choice of words, he could not help but slide in another smart-ass reply. "Unlike you, I'm not a pedophile, so no. And the reason why we need you is because I got my arm broken, so I can't lift them."

A growl of clear frustration came out before Dmitriy replied with another question, which started to get on Demian's nerves, especially since the guy could not stop cursing. "How the fuck did you get your arm broken? There are only a crippled middle-aged woman and two kids. Are you fuck... *cough* Anyway, why?" 

Maybe it was because his mental fortitude improved with everything crazy that happened this evening, but instead of panicking at the man's suspicion, he simply decided to put an end to the conversation with a warning. 

"Dmitriy, Mr. Petrovich is paying you for a job and not to ask so many fucking questions. So, this will be the last time I'll answer you and then you'll get out of the car, get in the building and move your lazy ass up the stairs and to the top floor. Am I fucking clear?" 

When those slightly muffled but still commanding words left his mouth, he instantly realized that he might have gone too far into his character and blew it. Fortunately, it was not the case, as either Demian was a better actor than he previously thought, or the Dmitriy fellow was truly mentally deficient because the man replied in a sullen voice.

"Fine, I'm coming. Fucking asshole..." Those last words were muttered in a low tone, but Demian still caught them, prompting a smile of relief to surface on his face. Not wasting any time, he tapped the red 'end call' button on the screen and shared his plan with his Aunt.

"Aunty, you and Sera will both hide yourself in the storage room while I'll stay right there to wait for the guy." He pointed toward the corner behind the door leading to the stairs, the latter opening in the penthouse entrance's direction. "Once he opens the staircase door and enters the corridor, I'll blow his brain out." 

'In any case, he won't miss it too much with how little the man uses it.' He thought jokingly, trying to avoid thinking about the fact that he would be killing another human being on the same night. Nonetheless, he was not given any time to dwell on that as the situation was beyond urgent. 

His Aunt gazed at his face for a few seconds, as if she was trying to find something in his somewhat ordinary brown eyes. Her next words hinted at the fact that she did spot what she was looking for. "Fine. Don't wait too long to pull the trigger or there might be complications." Nodding to her instructions, he noted her taking two steps away from him before she hesitated slightly and finally decided to turn back toward him.

Then, he felt himself being hugged by a soft body, the sensation lasting a second, followed by the feeling of tender lips briefly pressing against his right cheek before his increasingly alluring Aunt left the corridor quickly, only leaving a simple sentence, as nothing more would truly help him. "Be careful Dem." 

Feeling dazed for a second at the unexpected action, he suddenly woke up as he suddenly remembered the man climbing the stairs to kidnap the three of them. 'Let's hope he's not the runner type.' He thought as he swiftly dashed at the gun lying on the sofa. Grabbing both the weapon and the remaining magazine, he ran back to the corridor, placing himself in the corner.

Once he was done with loading his gun and taking off the safety pin he aimed at the door, with his index finger on its side, waiting for the man to arrive. As time passed by with nothing happening, his hurried breath slowed down more and more until it became almost completely quiet, his tense mind relaxing along with it.

After an unknown time, the young man heard noises coming from behind the staircase door, the sound going from something almost imperceptible to easily identifiable as someone's ragged breath and struggling footsteps. Once Demian noted the latter stopping, he readied himself, his body tensing up slightly, while his mind was completely focused on the currently closed door.

'Deep breath. In and out. In and out.' He thought as a few seconds passed with the man probably typing the security code on the other side of the wall. His heart which was previously beating slowly began to accelerate as the door's handle went down while the door itself started swinging open in his direction, hiding him from the man's view.

'Not now.' He thought waiting for the man to enter the corridor. A few steps in. A surprised exclamation at all the blood on the penthouse entrance floor and what seemed to be bodies wrapped in plastic. 'NOW!' He inwardly decided. His left hand pushed the door softly to avoid being discovered, leaving a perfectly clear line of sight for the teenager.

Noticing the distance the other man walked was further than he expected, he adjusted his aim toward the center of the man's back instead of his head. 'Breathe in and out. In and out.' He thought as he hesitated, the idea of killing in cold blood scaring him more than he previously thought. 

However, when the man started walking in the entrance's direction all the while loudly cursing, Demian understood that if he continued to hesitate, the results would be too dreadful for him to accept. Thus, his right index finger moved from the gun's side to the trigger.

A light pull and. *BANG*. Feeling that it was not enough, he lightly pulled the trigger a few more times before lowering his right arm which held the still-loaded pistol. 'Breathe in, Breathe out. In and out.' He thought in a slight daze, the weight of the metal object in his hand reminding him to check the safety pin. 

'Michael always said I needed to check the pin. Right, always check the pin. I need to check the pin.' Pushing the pin in place, he started to check the gun for... Well, he was not sure for what exactly, but as long as he could avoid looking at the new corpse with blood pouring out from his back, or even thinking about it then he would count that as a win.

Fiddling with the pistol for a while, he was suddenly enveloped by two soft bodies, waking him up from his clouded state of mind, and prompting him to say with a sad smile. "I... Shot him in the back... He's dead... I killed him..." His increasingly incoherent mutters were cut off by the voice of his Aunt.