I Refuse!

"Being a true friend is a very hard job," Felicity said with a deep sigh.

Kiba was perfectly sure she was talking about his other identity.

"You have forced me into so many adventures, and yet you are not satisfied!?" Kiba felt bad for his other persona.

Nevertheless, he felt warm seeing how she was worried about him. She might force him into her thrill-seeking adventures, but she was a true friend. For him, the friendship with her was more important than the sexual and romantic relationship he shared with other women.

Otherwise, how can anyone force him to do something against his wishes if he truly wanted to resist?

Kiba dreamed to enjoy every phase of life. For him, Felicity was part of one of those important phases. In the slums, he never had any friends nor in his identity as Kiba.

Carole, Agatha, and other women couldn't be counted as his true friends. Agatha has gained a spot in his heart due to her recent actions, but that was the end of it. Eva was perhaps the closest to him, but he didn't count her on the same level as that of Felicity.

The amount of power Kiba could use in his other identity was very limited, even though his other identity was considered a genius. One can even say that the difference between the power of Kiba and his other persona was as vast as the gap between heaven and earth.

Felicity cared for him without knowing about his true powers or his identity as Kiba. So how can he not be touched by her sincerity?

"Will you help me?" Felicity asked with a hopeful expression.

"I-I..." Kiba wanted to decline, but seeing her hopeful expression, he didn't know how to refuse her. He was worried she would do something crazy if refused.

But he also couldn't let her go to the Paradox Dimension! If she died, he would never be able to forgive himself.

"Sure. But I will do it a few months later," Kiba answered. He would have to find ways in the meantime to distract her from her crazy aim.

"Thanks! I thought you only help if you get a ride to the woman's sacred ground, but it seems you can never trust the rumors! If you had actually asked for such a thing, I would have cut down your balls!"

Kiba, Carole, Meghan, and others: "........"

Hank gave a cough to break the awkward silence. He was surprised by Felicity's words but thought nothing much since she was a kid in his eyes.

"Kiba, I think we should start our meeting," Hank rose to his feet.

"Good idea," Kiba nodded. He

He bid his farewell to Felicity and Meghan before leaving the party hall with Hank and Carole.

-------------------------------------

They went back to the 90th floor reserved for the VIP guests. This time they didn't go to the lounge area. Instead, they went to the conference room.

The room was heavily guarded by fighting droids from outside. Inside, the room was covered by electromagnetic sensors to prevent spying. This also prevented people inside from using any form of recording device.

Hank Webley, being the owner of White Angel Corporation, obviously sat in the main chair. Kiba and Carole sat nearby.

At the center of the conference table, a 3D hologram projector was located. The artificial intelligence (AI) automatically activated the projector.

Images of a silver suitcase were projected in 3D. The suitcase opened up and revealed 6 silver-like metallic biscuits made of an unknown element.

"My scientists have worked nonstop for the last few hours, and we have discovered some interesting information," Hank informed.

"Tell me something I don't already know," Kiba replied, bored. The silver suitcase was something he got by killing Sky Fiend Group mutants.

The spies in Sky Fiend Group had passed the information of a strange mineral to White Angel Corporation. Afterward, Hank contacted Kiba for stealing the mineral. When the mutants from Sky Fiend Group were in the middle of transporting the mineral to the downtown area, Kiba attacked them.

He also killed the entire group of mutants to prevent future trouble. Of course, he knew Sky Fiend Group might suspect him due to his reputation of carrying out mercenary jobs, but he wasn't overly concerned.

He has faith in the powers he possessed as Kiba, and if it came to the worst, he could lie low in his other identity.

"Haha, of course, you know this much," Hank laughed before continuing, "What you might not know is that the mineral biscuits you acquired contained a faint trace of Divine Particles!"

"Divine Particles!?"

The arrival of Evolution Comet in the year 1900 started the age of mutants. But the comet was just an omen of world-altering changes. The true evolution was caused by the thousands of meteorites that crashed on Earth.

The science community believed they contained an unknown but wondrous element that mixed with the earth's atmosphere and started large-scale evolution.

This element was popularly known as the Divine Particle. Most of the Divine Particles had merged with Earth's ecosystem and thus couldn't be retrieved.

But some amount of Divine Particles existed in free form! Still, finding Divine Particles in their free form was easier said than done, even for top corporations.

World Government has a full monopoly over the free form of Divine Particles. Maybe some powerful corporate or top hidden organizations also had Divine Particles, but they would never let the world know.

It was believed that Divine Particles carried the secret of eternal life!

"Hehe, like I thought, you will be surprised. The traces of Divine Particles were very faint, but it is still something!" Hank said in a delighted voice.

"Let me guess. Your top scientists are dead," Kiba replied.

He has a look of shock on his face as he spoke, but inside, he was calm. It was as if Divine Particles were trash as far as he was concerned.

"Kiba, you think I would be so cruel?" Hank asked with a smirk.

"I would be surprised if you don't kill the scientists."

"I didn't kill them for now. I have my ways to make sure they never leak the news."

"Oh? Is this perhaps related to your mutant powers?"

"We all have our secrets, my friend. I never asked you how you hide so well in this digital era, so don't you think you should reciprocate the gesture?"

"I was only curious."

Hank was a fat old man, but his power wasn't to be underestimated given the resources he has being the owner of White Angel Corporation. Kiba didn't really care about Hank's powers.

He also knew Hank has some schemes seeing him sharing the secrets of his discovery.

They had a deal of 50-50% on each job, but Hank could have definitely found ways to bargain if he didn't reveal the info on Divine Particles. He didn't even bring up the deal but instead revealed full details.

"What is it you want from me?" Kiba asked.

"You know me. I don't have the technology to retrieve the Divine Particles from the metallic biscuits, but I am sure someone from Sky Fiend Group intentionally inserted Divine Particles inside, so logic says they should have the technology to retrieve the particles," Hank explained.

"You want me to steal the technology from Sky Fiend Group?" Kiba asked.

"Yes," Hank confirmed his intention and then continued, "You don't have to worry about danger. I plan on forming a team of powerful mutants for the job, so you will have help. Not to mention, I have my spies inside Sky Fiend Group headquarters! Just imagine the power we can wield if we have access to Divine Particles!"

Hank went on about the benefits and the ease of the mission in order to make Kiba agree.

"Good deal, right?" Hank was confident Kiba would agree.

The allure of eternal life was not something any human being could resist. This allure was especially strong for those with power and influence.

Unknown to him, Kiba was feeling something he had rarely felt.

Dread!

Kiba's scalp numbed. The moment Hank started revealing his grand plan, Kiba felt a sense of crisis!

"Only once have I felt such a strong sense of crisis! And that was when those bastards forced me on the mining expedition!" Kiba acted as if he was pondering Hank's offer, but in reality, he was trying to judge why his instinct was acting crazy.

It was like a mountain was placed on his head. There was no physical pain, but the mental agony was something totally different. 

"I was weak during the mining incident, so I could understand the sense of crisis back then. But now, after gaining such strength from that incident... how can I feel such a danger?"

Even before the age of mutants, there were animals with a strong sixth sense. They could feel the arrival of earthquakes or other calamities in advance.

Kiba's sense of crisis was similar to the animal's sixth sense. It was partly due to this ability that he survived the slums.

"Could this be a trap designed by Hank? Or is there something in Sky Fiend Group that carries the power to pose a danger to me?

"The second scenario seems more likely. No matter what, I can't participate in this mission! I have gathered enough resources to last me for decades... so why should I take a chance with my life? I only formed this partnership with him for gaining influence and not resources! Because if I truly want something, I can always have it, as long as I will it!

"Why should I risk my life for some illusory eternal life when I have all I want? As long as I can live my life according to my dreams... it is enough! I don't fear death! What I fear is living life in a way I don't want to!" 

------------------

"I will gather the members soon. You will be the captain," Hank concluded.

"I never agreed," Kiba replied after clearing his thoughts.

"What?" Hank was startled.

"I am not going to help you in this mission," Kiba explained briefly.

"Kiba, we can negotiate!" Hank was shocked, but he thought Kiba wanted more profit.

"My decision is final. There is nothing to negotiate," Kiba declared, leaving no room for discussion.

Both Hank and Carole were stunned by Kiba's decision.

"Bastard, how can you disagree?" Hank angrily asked while banging the table loudly. His entire plan for eternal life depended on Kiba's powers, so how could he not be angry after his refusal?

"You are being too impudent!"

An overbearing pressure erupted from Kiba's body and crashed down on Hank.

"Y-you! How dare..."

Hank didn't get to finish his words as the pressure increased. It was as if a mountain was smashing into him. He tried to resist, but his knees started bending on their own. The pressure made it impossible for him even to use his powers!

"Sto... p...pea...se!" Hank tried to plead, but the pressure increased once again, which made it impossible for him to speak. Slowly he sank to his knees.

'I am Hank Webley! How can I kneel to a kid?'

Hank's body bulged with popping veins as he used all his strength to stand up.

He was a respected and powerful mutant in Delta City. How could he allow such humiliation!?

'Yes! I can do it!' Hank thought as he stood up under the attack of horrifying pressure.

CRACK

The crisp sound of his knee bones fracturing rang out.

"Aahhhhhh!"

With a thud, Hank collapsed on the floor.

"I have a strong dislike for those who call me a bastard."

Kiba's cold voice rang inside Hank's mind.