25 The Boogeyman's Fury

Without any work I was watching TV in my living room. After what a weird experience with Jisoo I thought I could get some rest. The Solomons weren't calling either. Jon Locke told me that ever since I became a freelancer. He was the one who kept on driving the girls. He was used to the work, but he said that I'd help if I was around.

With my status as Freelancer associated with the Solomons. I didn't have to worry about much work unless the Solomons really wanted something done or driven. The heat around the city was still high since there were consequences after the robbery in the auction and the theft of the container's worth of gold. Not to mention that the new policy set by the Governing body of this city had made every criminal hide in the shadows.

In any case the cut from the job that I did with Jisoo was enough to cover my living expenses. But the thing is that despite earning a lot. I feel like I was still in the red. I bought this apartment, but the inner coward in me wasn't allowing me to do this right.

As I stay still in my living room. I was about to turn the channel when my reflexes told me that something was up. I tried entering third-person mode when I heard this loud bang that rang my ears and stunned me. I looked at my status screen unconscious and saw an electric warning tag on the right.

I was stunned. Because of that I was unable to move. Even my body wasn't able to move. I couldn't say a word as something fast hit me. I wasn't in third-person so I felt every blow.

I could feel my hardened fist meeting my skin. Maybe it was the impact of the blow or the status effects that made me unable to move. Nonetheless because I was caught off-guard I wasn't able to react properly. My body wouldn't act.

Another blow hit me and I was flat on my back. I tried to lift my head when a boot pushed my forehead down. I could feel blood seeping out of my head. It hurt so much that I was going mad.

"You ain't much. You ain't much at all. Why does she like you? No, I'm right. You tricked her. You seduced her, you awful sinful man!"

She stomped on my head. Her augmented strength was lowering my health points so fast. She kicked me like I'm a cadaver that wasn't going to fight back. Saying things that didn't make sense.

As I drowned in my own pool of blood. I tried to get up and begged for my body to work. Before I could do anything she hit me again, this time, I could feel my bones rattle. She threw me around and then started kicking me again. Honestly, I couldn't hear anymore of what she was saying. My ears hurt. Every part of my body hurts.

What did I do to her?

By what right does she have to make a fucking punching bag of me.

[Status: Near-Death]

I could hear my heart beating so loudly.

I heard a clock ticking.

My vision drowned in this world of red.

A figure stood before me. I know him. It's my instincts and reflexes telling me to stand up.

Why are you allowing this?

Why do you allow yourself to be beaten like this?

"Fight."

I heard a voice.

The foot slammed my forehead on the ground again.

"Pathetic. Stand up and fight. You'd die at this rate."

Another kick at the back of my head.

I was surprised by how hard my head was.

If anything, how clearer and angrier my head was becoming. I kept on looking at this figure who started to mouth so many things. I don't understand. I don't know who she is. What I did to her that would make her so mad at me.

She spat on me.

She dug her heel on me. She pulled something out of her clothes and pointed at me. It was the barrel of a gun. I was sure of it.

"She's going to kill you. Do you want to find out?"

I begged my body to move. It mocked me by not responding. The pain that I was feeling all over my body. My ringing head and my blood-filled vision. It made everything feel like I was in hell.

The figure that stood before me mocked.

"You'll die."

What can I do?

"Surrender?"

"No. I cannot do that."

I told myself that. I saw a glimpse of the figure that was about to shoot me in the head. Then it happened. As if the figure who had been mocking me the moment I kept seeing it dragged my soul out of my body and placed me over my shoulder.

I saw the figure who had beaten me down.

The self-satisfied and warped expression on her face. That self-righteous look as if she was eliminating something annoying to her.

For some reason I couldn't forgive her. And the imaginary buttons on my head kindly reacted as the electricity warning signs went out and I was able to control my damn body again.

I equipped my hook-bracer and aimed it without much thought. The weapon flew away and with her shock I tripped her and stood up. Then my vision went red. My body moved on its own and for a second she was beating me.

But then I was in control and at the same not in control of my own damn self. The clumsy way I fought was gone and my head filled nothing with red. I couldn't think straight and all I wanted was to beat her down as well.

***

Bloody. Beaten. Head painted with his own blood. Leiko stared at the man who she had made sure to rob of his senses. His expression changed. There was no longer that confused and desperate look that he had. She found herself unable to point her silencer-equipped gun at him seeing that it was struck by the wire that came out of his wrist.

Leiko thought that he was finally awake. No. She simply caught him off guard.

"I don't know why you're going after me. But I should make sure that you don't get to walk with your legs again!"

Leiko snorted. She rushed in hoping to knock him down. This time she found her attack casually parried. His fist on her jaw. She tried to react. The man took a quick step forward. He followed with two to three punches before elbowing her. Each strike was precise and on the same spot.

Leiko swung her arms intending to break his. Only for him to catch her swing, point it down, and kneed when she was looking on the floor. He didn't stop. He elbowed her neck. Pushed her and then followed with a kick.

His movement was not the same any longer. The clumsy way he fought when disoriented was no longer around.

His eyes beamed with rage. That cold glint made Leiko wonder when the wolf got out of his cage. Leiko tried to counter attack when his knuckles met her face. Desperate she tackled him only for him to elbow and knee her at the same time.

Dazed. She swung her arms wildly only for the man in front of her to chained his punches on her stomach before moving in with a swift punch to her jaw.

She tried to draw her other weapon when she caught a glimpse of a clawed hand gripping her thumb. Leiko tried to retreat. He moved in and chained his punches on her left rib before landing a heavy palm on her diaphragm.

Leiko saw a leg coming. She blocked it with her left forearm only to meet the right foot of the man. She tried to grasp for breath only for the man in front of her to thrust a claw on her throat.

Leiko looked up. Her vision was all red. The only thing left was the man covered in blood. His blood. The blood that she spilled injuring this man has instead made him realize that she shouldn't have aimed at his head.

The moment she tried to kill him. That single moment was her crossing the line. Leiko wouldn't go down here. She wouldn't allow herself to go down here. Whether the man intends to kill or cripple her.

She didn't want to go down here. She raged only for the man's punch to ruthlessly slam against her cheeks. She tried to roar her out only to be grabbed by the collar and repeatedly punched and punched until she could feel her head ringing.

She tried to free herself. To run away. But she was tackled down and the man started punching her again and again. The punch slamming the back of her head on the floorboard.

"Enough! You're killing her!"

The fist that was going to put her down stopped. She saw Jisoo holding Nikolai's forearm with her black glove.

"You don't do this, Nikolai. Or are you going to cross that line now?"

Clarity returned on his face. He exhaled loudly before standing up. He dragged himself on the couch and sat down. Jisoo kneeled and stabbed an auto-syringe on Leiko's neck. Leiko felt her eyes heavy and she was knocked out.

***

"Who's she? You know her?"

"She's Leiko… she's unstable… in some sense."

"I kinda know that."

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?"

"You're healing."

"I think I am. I lost a lot of blood, but thankfully I have a medical auto-syringe."

"I… can't excuse what she has done. She's not usually like this."

"I get that. I'm… angry right now, Veda. Right now I want to tear her apart. If you haven't stopped me. I might have just done it. I can't understand. I'm not nice. I am not. I don't deserve to be treated like this. There is a good reason other than that she's not stable, right?"

"Leiko is suspicious. She usually doesn't do this… especially not to someone. I don't know what triggered it."

"You know. Don't lie to me."

"She might be jealous… I… well. I usually don't get to have friends. And she's one of the fews that I'm close to. No, I'd understand if you want to keep your distance. After this kind of mess."

"She needs to stay away from me. I don't know if I can hold back again. I almost killed a person. I almost did."

I stared at my hands shaking. My health points have vanished. My armor has been obliterated and I feel my flesh again. At least this means that my third-person isn't as infallible as I thought it would be. No, if anything it still follows the usual, but being stunned and disoriented and being injured looks like a means to wound me badly. It's fucking odd that the moment she tried offing me that I was finally thrown to third-person.

Non-lethal attacks that aim to wound or stun me seems to be my achilles heel. But if I'm aware and on my toes it doesn't happen. She caught me off-guard and wounded me this bad because I thought it was going to be a good day.

I let my guard down. I really did. I almost forgot how cruel this world is. How one day some prick just enters your apartment, accuse you of bullshit, and tries to torture you for it.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," I said to myself. "You're a charmer, Jisoo. Even girls are so obsessed with you. Would you mind if you get her out of here? I'm not really in the mood right now and I need new furniture."

"I'll wait until she's stable."

"Do as you please. Just keep her out of my sight until she decides on what to compensate me after this."

I dragged my body out of the living room and washed myself in front of the sink. Staring back was the Boogeyman who was quite disappointed with my choice to hold back.