A Proactive Choice

Jisoo went back to Nikolai's apartment. She found him mopping the blood off his floor. He didn't look in her direction as he mopped.

"I could have been another attacker."

"I'm sure that I wouldn't get done like that. Well, you have a distinct way of walking and I'm on my toes now. Who knows what jealous boy or girl is going to go after me because of things like this."

"You're not going to forgive her easily."

"I'm not a fucking saint. She tried to execute me after beating me down and spitting at me like I'm some goddamn dog. If I wasn't able to move in time. I would have been dead or possibly worse."

"Worse? What's worse than death?"

"Something I hope that I won't become."

He quieted. He mopped the blood and squeezed it in the bucket. He sat on the chair and placed the mop aside.

"What did you bring there?"

"Medicine. I thought you needed it. At least better than Leiko."

"Are you angry?"

"I am not."

"Leiko is a reckless fool. That I know too well. So in a way I should have seen this coming."

"That' she attacks someone she hasn't even met or holds grudges on? Were you two so in-love that she'd act like this?"

Jisoo looked away. Nikolai inspected his wounds before taking the bag that Jisoo was holding.

"She was my partner. We've been together for two years."

He looked at her with interest. "Go on."

"I met her two years ago. She was working alone. So I thought that maybe I should partner up with her. Things happen and along the way there are misunderstandings that lead to us breaking up. It was not a pretty one, but she still holds on to that grudge or at least hates it when someone gets too close."

"So she's your ex-girlfriend."

Jisoo looked away. Nikolai found it amusing and snorted.

"Well, you folks sure like involving someone innocent. Don't care if it's some sort of bullshit about her being obsessed with you or not. It isn't fucking right to do that. Hope you don't judge me or blame me for fighting up. You saw what happened here."

"I won't. And even though she gave you a beating. You seem okay compared to her. You are very sturdy, Nikolai Orlov."

She inspected Nikolai with her uncovered green eye. Nikolai stared back with his mouth curved downward and eyes half-squinted. Then she looked away as if she didn't want to argue with Nikolai.

"She's broken."

"What?"

"You broke her. Dislocated jaw. Internal damage because you broke her ribs. Her throat is a mess. Her cheeks are swollen. And I think her diaphragm was injured. If anything she barely survived. If it wasn't for the auto-syringe that I had. She would have died without her regeneration kicking in."

She still eyed him with suspicion. Nikolai half glared at her before caressing the back of his head.

"Guess I'm lucky that repeatedly stomping my head didn't burst it open. I have no pity for her. Not a single ounce in me."

"I understand. It's already good of you to spare her after that beating. It takes a lot of character to hold back."

"Please, you know what you did. I would have continued punching her. Don't even pretend that I wouldn't have stopped without you."

"No, if anything, you stopped. That's something that some of us couldn't do."

"I don't like killing. I'm fine with beating a person down. But I don't like taking lives whether it's right or not. Call it cowardly, but even I wouldn't say that I wouldn't do it. If it's self-defense I'd think I can."

Jisoo opens her mouth slightly, then closes it. Nikolai noticed and said nothing as he nursed his forearm and stared at his living room.

"Well, enough talking about killing or maiming. Is she going to compensate me for this?"

"I had her agree on it. She was conscious, but you broke her jaw. But I have persuaded her to pay for the damages."

"That's good then."

Jisoo pulled on the chair. Nikolai leaned on his thighs.

"Looks like things aren't so great either. Guess I was being too lucky lately."

"You are lucky. Normally your head should be splattered on the ground. If anything I'm impressed that you managed to beat her down after what she tried."

"How did you know that she was coming for me?"

"Kastor told me."

"The Barista?"

"Yeah. He told me that Leiko was acting strange. So he sent me to check up on you and what I found instead? You, beating her head silly. She lost four of her teeth too actually. She looks like a potato grandma now."

"Good for her."

Jisoo folded her arms and exhaled softly.

"Look. I'm sorry for what happened. It's partly my fault. I should have warned her more sternly about you."

"I don't blame you, Veda. But don't expect me to get along with her."

"I think she understands. Leiko is usually strong. She doesn't usually get injured and being beaten like this by a non-augmented individual probably humbled her. She's been getting wild lately. So it's best that she learns this lesson early."

"Glad that I'm the one who taught her then," Nikolai nursed his chin. "She doesn't meet fools like me often. Who'd hold back. Who'd try his best not to kill like you folks. It sounds like a no big deal, but to me it ain't. I don't want to even think of what I'd do. I am no killer. I don't want to ever step over that line."

Nikolai stared at the floor. He stood up. Took his mop and started wiping the blood on the living room. Jisoo stared at his figure for a moment before she stood up and allowed herself to help at least remove the broken furniture on the side.

After cleaning the living room. The two sat in the kitchen without saying anything. It was only when she saw the distress on Nikolai's face vanishing that Jisoo found herself speaking again.

"You got any beer?"

"Why? It's still early in the afternoon."

Jisoo asked casually. She went to the fridge and unearthed the bottles of beer. She plucked the cap with her fingers and slid one bottle to Nikolai.

"Next time try to make sure that your exes don't lose control of themselves."

"I liked her, you know? I almost thought that we'd be like that. Turns out some folks aren't compatible."

She laughed. Bringing her drink to her lips.

"Two years is long enough. So what about your other boy or girlfriends? Anyone in particular are so jealous that they might see me as their rival and try to fucking kill me? I'm serious here, Veda. I don't like being surprised by love-obsessed folks."

She snorted. "I only had Leiko. Like everyone else I had a crush once. But that crush, well it didn't last long after I got Augmented."

"Hard to believe. That someone like you wouldn't have someone right now."

"I've been busy. From a prized pony to an errand girl lately. And now this trouble with Leiko."

"Were you that close?"

"Enough."

"Do you really have time to be here anyway?"

"I have no job lately. Besides, my superiors aren't so brutal that they'd work me to death. Who else would clean their mess? They have subordinates, but they are barely keeping our rivals in-check. Such is life here."

Jisoo leaned on the kitchen's table. She took another drink of her beer. Nikolai remained on the side. He would crack his neck. Tap his fingers on the table and then stare blankly.

"So other than coming here to tell me what this Leiko's state is, compensating me, and then drinking my beer. What else?"

"So are we no longer friends?" Jisoo asked him. "Mad that you got into this mess because of me?"

"Course' I'm mad. Just doesn't feel fucking right to have you here. Guess I'm being careful. But if anything I just want to be left alone."

"Could have said that when you saw me walking in."

"Bah, I have a few friends here. Rest are either working their asses off or at some beach mending their broken hearts. My old friends seem to have some disdain for me working as a dock worker."

She blinks. She wiped her mouth with her black gloves. "That reminds me… that you are so new to this kind of occupation or that you are so good at hiding it. I can't find anything for you. Even your parents aren't on record. A clean slate. Like they vanished."

"I don't know. I can't remember much. I do remember having a sweetheart. Then breaking up. Sad days, and I'd rather not think about them. I'm sure you don't like talking about your past. Or do you?"

"I am the same," she said. "I don't like looking back. Well, unless there is a need to look back."

Nikolai finished his drink. His fingers played with the beer bottle before setting it aside. "Well, I still have a lot of things to clean. And I need some space to nurse these bruises."

Her eyes inspected his body. "You need to rest up. You fared a lot better than her. Really, are you sure that you're not Augmented?"

"I'm just naturally strong and sturdy. You saw all of that."

"Guess so. Not that you need to hide it."

"I really am unaugmented. Besides, it's not like being strong is strange these days. Not that a bullet could just do a fine job as well."

She licked her teeth and blinked. She tossed the beer on the side of the table and looked at the living room.

"I will have the money sooner or later. I'll have someone who can procure some new furniture and clean up this mess. Rest easy, Nik."

"I will," Nikolai said. He showed her out and bid her goodbye. After leaving the apartment she contacted the person she was talking about and had them send some cleaners and a catalog to discuss which furniture should he get.

***

Jisoo left.

I found some peace again. My body wasn't tired. My health is back to a hundred and since I suffered a near-death injury. My health maxed out in hundred instead of a thousand. It'll take time for me to heal. After being beaten like that.

I mostly stayed in my third-person mode while keeping myself healed. It hurts less when in third-person and my regeneration works better when I'm at this. Well, I came to realize that my first-person mode ain't exactly useless either.

Or maybe it's because I got beaten hard that I can use bullet-time and have a better sense of aiming now. If I'm remembering correctly, then it was probably because of seeing red and then that bitch Leiko taking a lot of time that I was able to survive being stomped like that. Just like how in first-person shooters you start seeing red when you're near-death and then you just take cover to regain your health.

I don't know. If anything my 'powers' seem to have both sides of the world. Still, having this means that I have finally reached the peak of my 'powers' and cannot do anything unless I get proper equipment.

This was the last 'miracle' that I could have. And this incident made me realize that I need to do better unless I want to be surprised like that again. I couldn't even imagine myself feeling so helpless like that ever again. I don't want to think that I could. I have Morgan's N9 but from this beating that I got. It looks like I need extra protective equipment just in case something like this happens again.

The thing is that I just know the place where they are keeping the anti-personnel bracer that could be modified into my hook-bracer. Although it was well-protected, I know the damn way and for once I couldn't give a shit about staying low.