Goodbye

{We found them.}

In the aftermath of the initial shock and excitement, his mind raced with the realization that Kiera and her gang had finally located the culprits responsible for the hit on him.

'It's time for the hunter to hunt,' he thought with grim determination, only smiling further because of it.

'But before I do anything, I better tell them about what's happening before I go off-grid for a while.'

After all, he couldn't risk being caught off guard while trying to increase his rank...

Especially with this noose of death still hanging around his neck.

He needed to nip them in the bud before they were ever close to harming his people.

After a few more minutes of small talk, Laura walked towards the table carrying plates of food, and Lily followed with utensils in hand.

While they ate, Lily chattered about her day at the academy, and although Emir was outwardly nodding, conversing, and joking with her, he was consumed with thinking of how to break the news to his family.

And as soon as she finished telling her story, he knew what had to be done.

"We need to have a family meeting after we finish eating," Emir said, his voice taking on a grave tone.

"There's something important that I need to tell you both."

Silence filled the room as his family members redirected their attention towards him, their faces riddled with concern.

They seriously felt like there was something wrong happening every other day.

A few moments passed, and they finished their meals, gathering around the table again for their first of many family meetings.

Emir began to share the details of the situation with them as their expressions shifted from concern to shock.

He mentioned the hit and moved on to explain that he needed to handle the situation before it escalated any further.

As his mother, and sister listened to his situation, he noticed the obvious... relief?

Yes, it was relief.

He was sure of it.

Why?

Was it because they thought he would drop a bomb similar to his reincarnation in size?

Probably.

But their faces returned to show worry, yet even then... they didn't discourage him.

They knew enough about the hunter world to understand that Emir had to take matters into his own hands.

And quickly.

"So!"

Lily always the curious one was the first to speak up:

"What's the plan?" She asked eagerly.

Emir leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers.

"First, I need to gather intel on them." 

"Kiera's gang should be able to help with that..."

"Once I have enough information, I'll strike."

"They won't see it coming, but if they do, I have another plan for it."

His mother's frown deepened even further.

"Sweetie, this sounds dangerous... Are you absolutely sure that you're prepared for this?"

He let out a sigh as he attempted to deal with her mama-hen mode again.

"I didn't mention it earlier, but I've faced a similar group before, and well, you know how that ended up, don't you?"

"I was trained for this, and I've already dealt with it. I can handle it without any issues."

He extended his hand, grasping his mother's, attempting to alleviate her apprehension.

"I understand your worries, but I have to take action. I simply can't let this go..."

'I have to kill them... all of them.'

Lily chimed in, giving Emir her support:

"He's right, Mom! Emir knows what he's doing, and he's a training maniac..."

"So, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Laura looked between the two of them, her face a mixture of fear and determination.

"Okay," she finally said.

"But be careful, alright?"

"I will, don't worry."

"I'll keep you updated with what I'm doing down there." Emir said while walking back to his room.

Donning his augmented suit once again, he loaded up his weapons and gathered all his ammunition from the crates, carefully packing them into his rucksack.

Before leaving, Emir hugged his family one last time and reassured his mother.

"Love you," he said, giving them both a kiss on the forehead.

As Emir walked away, their farewells echoed in the empty hallway.

'Since I don't want any loose ends, it might be a while before I return home again...'

'Man… I'll really miss them.'

A chuckle escaped him as he realized how attached he had become to his family.

…

…

Emir soon arrived at the slums, after descending into the sector's bunker.

Making his way through the grimy alleyways, he finally reached Kiera's gang's building.

He knocked on the gate, and a few moments later, the gate opened, with Kiera appearing behind it with a sly smile hung on her face.

"Emir, it's been a while!"

"Come in, come in."

He stepped inside and followed her to the living room.

They exchanged a few pleasantries on the way, and they got down to business as they sat around the table.

"So, after a while of searching, I believe I found the group that you are looking for," she said, leaning back in her chair.

"This information might help you, but it isn't much."

Leaning forward, his interest piqued, Emir spoke with an authoritative tone, his words carrying a sense of command:

"Tell me."

"I don't know the name of the group yet, but I do know that their gang has access to some ruins, and they sell stolen relics they find there in the black market." Kiera, replied, appearing unbothered.

Nodding, he absorbed the underlying meaning behind her words and followed up with a question:

"Do you know where they are?"

Kiera shook her head.

"Not exactly. But I do know that they're at least rank 20 and up hunters. They're not an easy group to track down, especially for a small gang like us."

He sighed and said:

"That's not much to go on. Is there anything else that could help me?"

She thought for a moment before speaking up.

"Actually, there's a hunter named Max who's been asking around about the same group of people, he's easy to spot, and he is wearing a cheap knockoff augmented suit."

"You might want to try finding him and see if he has any leads, be careful though, it might be a trap."

Considering her suggestion, Emir nodded.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the help, Kiera."

"No problem, Emir," she said with a smile.

"Just be careful out there..."

"These guys are dangerous."

…

Emir decided to follow Kiera's advice and set out to find Max.

He asked around the slums and eventually learned that Max was often found at a bar called 'The Last Stand.'

When he arrived at the dusty bar, he saw the person who looked to be Max sitting alone at a table, drinking.

Emir approached the table while eyeing the guy suspiciously.

"You Max?" He asked, his tone cold.

Max looked up, sizing Emir up, before nodding warily.

"Yeah, that's me. Who's asking?"

'Good.'

Emir leaned in closer, his voice low:

"I'm the one who's been sent to find the people you've been asking around about."

His eyes narrowing, he continued:

"And I want answers."

Max shifted uncomfortably, clearly feeling the tension in the air.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, his voice faltering slightly.

Emir slammed his fist onto the table, causing Max to jump in surprise.

"Don't play dumb with me!" 

"I know you've been following the same group as me. I want to know what you've found out."

Max hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting nervously around the bar.

"I don't know anything for sure," he said finally.

"But I think they might be connected to a larger organization that deals in illegal relic trade."

Emir's expression darkened.

"That's not good enough," he spat.

"I need more information. And if you're not willing to give it to me, I'll have to do some questionable things."

Max gulped audibly, his eyes widening in fear.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Emir raised his hand, his grip threatening to snap Max's neck.

"I'll have fun with you, bone to bone, muscle to muscle, all will be cut."

"I'll take your intestines and shove them back into your mouth..."

"Trust me, you'll regret ever existing." He hissed.

Max paled, clearly believing his threat.

"Okay, okay," he stammered.

"I'll tell you what I can."

Emir leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving Max's face.

"Go on."

Max took a deep breath, his hands shaking slightly.

"I've been keeping track of their movements."

"And I think they might be operating out of a warehouse on the outskirts of the slums. But be careful, they're heavily armed."

Emir nodded, considering Max's words carefully.

"And why were you following them in the first place?" He asked, his tone still threatening.

Max looked away, clearly uncomfortable.

"My little brother was killed by that gang, I've been trying to find out who did it so I can make them pay."

Emir felt a flicker of sympathy for Max but quickly discarded it, knowing that it was most definitely a lie.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said coldly.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you're involved in something dangerous. And if you ever try to follow me or interfere with my mission, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Max nodded, his eyes wide with fear.

"I understand," he said quickly.

"I won't interfere. Just promise me you'll make them pay for what they did to my brother."

Emir noticed Max's reaction as he said those words; it wasn't relief but a different emotion.

Satisfaction.

So he didn't respond, instead, he leaned closer to Max and unsheathed his electric knife, holding it dangerously close to Max's neck.

It was evident that Emir meant business, and that Max was caught in the act.

Emir didn't need to say a word.

Max understood that death would be a mercy compared to what Emir was capable of if he failed to comply.

He had to spill all he knew to survive.