The order prepares (part 2)

The order of blight gathered around a cemetery near the forest they were to meet at. They had good enough cover as they were surrounded by large trees and headstones and also because it was night time, so visibility was naturally decreased.

The group crouched down as 1 addressed everyone.

"We have lost too many members of our group, and have been derailed way too much. The failure at the Horizon Academy caused our current predicament. If we had achieved our goal, 9 would be here celebrating with us"

2 cleared her throat before asking, "so what exactly is the next step, 1?"

"Enough is enough", he replied "We are going to find a way to rescue our incarcerated group members, retrieve the last piece of the staff, and do what should've been done ages ago. Even if it means getting a little outside help."

He paused briefly before adding, " but first, we shall make that police officer rue the day he was born. We shall destroy everything he's created and make it known to the public that the police officers and task force agents are no better than us "

Listening to 1 speak, 5 couldn't help but smile. "You're finally sounding like the leader, 1. Let's unleash carnage"

"controlled and directed carnage" 0 added immediately. "If you fall out of line this time you will be dealt with accordingly, 5"

5 raised his hands defensively, while laughing.

1 continued.

"0, your job is to use whatever pull you may still have left in the police department to find out everything we need to know about this officer. I need this done by tomorrow afternoon."

Asaka nodded

"2, 5 and 6, your job is to find out whatever you can about the whereabouts of our members. Do whatever needs to be done"

They nodded

3, 7 and 11 you're with me. I need you on your A game. There are a few people we need to meet. We have a big day ahead of us, ladies and gentlemen. Let's get to it "

The two groups and Asaka dispersed and went in separate directions to do what they needed to do.

Asaka

He quickly made his way to his old precinct. He arrived at the main gate, with a hoodie covering his head. He looked around to see if anyone was around. It was the night shift, so there wasn't a lot of people roaming the streets. He had a rough idea of who was working and what cameras were in what position.

He raised and squeezed his hand into a fist, crumpling the camera in front of him to the side of the building.

He slowly levitated above the gate, flying above the line of sight of the remaining cameras.

As he got to the back, he used the same crumpling motion to destroy the lock on the back door from the inside. He destroyed one more camera, then floated into the precinct.

He knew it was only a matter of time before the officers inside rushed to intercept him so he moved quickly.

Past the evidence room and holding room, aiming for the break room.

Right before he arrived, an officer appeared in front of him.

"What the...? Who are you?" The officer said, immediately reaching for his gun.

Asaka swiped his finger downwards, causing the officer to fall head first into the floor due to the immense gravity hitting him. He fell with enough force to incapacitate him.

[You're not the guy I want] Asaka thought.

At this point, he heard multiple footsteps coming towards him.

[This is going to get messy]

There were five of them with their service pistols drawn. Increasing the gravity beneath their feet, he sent them and part of the floor beneath them spiralling into the ceiling then caused the ceiling to crash into them.

An officer who had just come from the evidence room saw what was going on, drew his pistol, and fired several shots at Asaka.

He dropped his arm to the ground with his jaw dropped after realising who he just shot.

"Hello, Hibaru" Asaka said, as the bullets stopped right in front of him, seemingly levitating in mid air before dropping to the floor one after the other.

"I've been looking for you. I need information, and you're going to give it to me."

Officer Hibaru began to back away slowly. Asaka sighed. "I don't have time for this. He pushed his hand down, and the floor beneath the first officer he incapacitated began to crack as he slowly increased the vertical gravity acting on him.

"Tell me what I need to know or your friend here gets crushed slowly and then I'll move on to the other officers and do the same. Their lives are in your hands"

Hibaru stood still before reluctantly cooperating , realising he had no choice.

"What do you want?"

"I need the name of the agent who murdered one of my partners"

"That is classified information I do not have access to "

Asaka immediately increased the gravity acting on the officer on the floor and raised his voice " do not insult me Hibaru. Why do you think it's you I came to find? I know you have the information"

Hibaru grit his teeth. "His name is Kiba Yahashi"

Asaka sighed deeply, right before exponentially increasing the gravity around Hibaru. About a second later, this crushed his bones, killing him in the process.

Asaka walked slowly to the records room and searched for kiba's file on the police staff database.

After he found what he was looking for, he headed to the control room and destroyed all the camera tapes and recording devices before calmly exiting the precinct.

Group 1 (2, 5 and 6)

"0 should be the one doing this" 6 said angrily. "How are we meant to find out anything?"

2 had been thinking about it and decided to reply before 5 said something dumb.

"1 is risking everything to get us to where we need to be. He's even going out himself which he never does. I'm guessing it's time for drastic measures."

"So, what are you suggesting? "

"We have to head to the precinct of the detective that arrested him."

5 laughed,"you want to have another encounter with that crazy cyborg?"

"Ideally, no. That man is extremely problematic but going back there is the only way we can get good enough information"

"it'll be easier if we target his partner. The woman with the sword. It'll force their hands. "

"If the opportunity arises, and no killing. We need attention at a minimum"

5 sighed, while 6 remained unsure. She was skeptical about the plan as they were putting themselves in serious harms way but she was with two strong individuals, which put her mind at ease a little.

On their way to the precinct, 5 hot wired a car to get there faster and for a quick get away if needed. It also provided some cover from the cameras and officers.

They parked opposite the main entrance but at a place where the camera's could not see who was in the vehicle or what they were doing.

They waited about 40 minutes, 6 was already falling asleep at the back seat, just as Yagita drove out of garage of the police station.

Seeing her drive past, a new idea popped into 2's head.

She got out of the car, and said to the others, "I just had an idea, you two keep tailing her. 6 keep him from killing anyone. I'm going into the precinct.

As they drove out, 6 said to 5. "I hope she knows what she's doing. They will have fortified that station since her last visit"

"2 is smart, she'll be alright " he responded, slowly tailing Yagita's car.

2 wasn't sure what to do as she stood on front of the precinct but she knew she had to make it inside somehow.

[Wow, this is going to be harder than I thought. There are so many cameras. From the look of things, there are still a lot officers in there. Should I have left the car?]

She put her hoodie up and covered her nose and mouth with a mask.

[Well, here we go]

Yagita was a little tired as she'd had a stressful day, so she turned on the radio so she could feel slightly energetic.

The drive was a smooth one, she hummed along to the music playing, oblivious to the danger behind her.

A few seconds after making a left turn, her dashboard lit up.

"Detective" Enma (the AI) said, "Are you aware that a car has been tailing you for a few minutes?"

"What? Show me" she responded as she tapped her bracelet, covering her body and neck in her protective armour.

There were high quality cameras hidden in the taillights of her vehicle. The images they were capturing was displayed on the interactive screen of the car.

Enma spoke again, "It started following you just after you left the station. Should I alert everyone at the station?"

"Enma, can you zoom into the face of the driver?

Enma slowly enlarged the footage. Although slightly blurry, Yagita was still able to make out 5's face.

[No way] she thought, as she recognised who had been following her.

"Enma" she said, "Alert everyone at the station. Tell them I'm being pursued by a member of the order of blight"

A few seconds later, Enma returned and informed her that they had been alerted.

"What's your plan?" It asked

"take the wheel, maintain our current speed" As Enma began driving the car itself, she reached for the bag of weapons in her back seat and began assembling an assault rifle given to her by Aihara.

She took aim immediately she finished, slowing down her breathing before telling Enma to drop the rear windscreen.

She started firing immediately the screen wasn't in the way. The bullets ripped through the windshield of 5's stolen car, causing him swerve violently off the road into a lamppost on the sidewalk as Yagita continued firing.

[Shit] five thought, realising he'd been hit as blood poured down his arm.

"6, you alive?" He asked, before looking at the backseat to see her coughing up blood and clutching her Chest.

Yagita exited her now parked vehicle with the assault rifle still in her arms and slowly walked towards the car 5 and 6 were in.

As 2 prepared to walk in through the main entrance, she overheard an alarm ringing through the precinct. She wasn't sure if the alarm was sounded because she was recognised, or for an unrelated reason but she prepared herself for the worst.

However, as the officers ran out of the station, she realised they were not after her as Kaneda, who was clearly in a hurry said, "What do those order of blight dickheads want? Tailing a detective. The rest of them must want to go to supermax too"

Right before the last officer ran past her, he said, "there are still some officers in there if you need to file a report"

2 nodded and kept her cool, but her heart was beating so hard, it felt it would pop out of her chest.

She took a deep breath as the officers went past her and got into their vehicles. Sirens blazing as they hurried to help their fellow officer.

To 2, this meant that they were already running out of time. Fortunately for her, Kaneda in his anger had given her vital piece of information.

She pulled out a burner phone, and dialled a number as she walked slowly away from the precinct.

"5, she knows you're tailing her. Get out of there right now there are more officers coming"

"Noted" 5 responded, right before the bullets ripped through his windshield.

*

As Yagita walked slowly to the car, 5 knew in a few seconds, both himself and 6 would be dead if nothing was done.

"6, you're a fucking healer. Stop yourself from dying I'll deal with this detective"

He had not noticed but from the moment she was shot, 6 had been trying to heal herself but it was not doing anything. The wound was not closing up, instead, it was getting worse.

After telling her to heal herself, 5 turned his arm into a quad rocket launcher and fired out of his window in the direction Yagita was coming from.

She was momentarily stunned seeing grenades come at her from multiple directions, but Enma was also watching.

Mini turrets suddenly came out the back of her car and fired at all four grenades. The resulting explosion sent Yagita flying backwards into shop window.

5 immediately reversed, drifted into a 180, and sped off in the opposite direction.

While driving away, he noticed his arm was still bleeding heavily and figured it would be the same for 6.

[What are these bullets she's using?] he thought to himself, driving very fast as the roads were fairly empty.

6's breathing had now become shallow as she continued trying to heal herself. She only had a few seconds left. She closed her eyes and took one last deep breath.

5 felt her aura spike temporarily before a white circle appeared at the bottom of the car. From an outside view, the circle seemed to cut through the body of the car.

"You alive?" 5 asked a few seconds later as his wound closed up.

6 sat up finally and coughed a little, "Do you remember when 3 came in with a bullet wound that wouldn't close up?"

5 laughed. "Yeah, I remember the idiot bleeding out on the floor"

"yeah, this was the same thing, but amplified, it was damaging me faster than I could heal it. A few more seconds and I might have died. That woman is just as dangerous as the cyborg"

5 nodded in response before suggesting they get out and change cars.

They coordinated with and picked up 2 along the way who was relieved to know that they were okay, after hearing them crash.

6 explained what had happened on their way back to the rendezvous point.

GROUP 2 (1, 3, 7, 11)

"We require your help with a problem we've been having" 1 said to a mysterious man sitting on a throne, hidden in the shadows of the building they were in.

He remained silent, there was an audible sip of a drink before 1 continued speaking.

"We have a plan that will force the hand of the government to give us a priceless relic that we have been after. However, as you already know there is a lot of heat on us at the moment which is restricting our movements, making this "plan" impossible to execute. In simple terms, one of the kids at the Horizon Academy needs to be captured for this plan to work"

The man on the throne spoke in a deep and extremely commanding voice.

"This is beneath us. Why should we help you?"

1 responded, "The artifact in question is worth over 500 million dun (currency of the country of Northal) in the hidden market.

As long as I can get it to my contact, he'll be able to sell it. I'm willing to do a 40/60 split, with 60 going to you ."

There was complete silence in the room for a few seconds before the man on the throne finally spoke again "I am the one who decides what the split will be. Not you."

"Yes, my apologies " 1 said, smiling as he bowed his head slightly.

"I will speak to my top enforcer when he returns" the man said, "that will be all. You may all leave"

1 bowed again and signaled for the others to follow him.

After exiting the compound they were in, 7 spoke up, "1, who the fuck was that? That guy seems like serious bad news"

"yeah" 11 added, "I don't think we should be making any deals with him"

"1, you do realise there's absolutely nothing stopping him from taking the artifact for himself assuming his enforcer or whatever manages to capture one of those kids"

1 smiled again, "it'll all be fine. I know what I'm doing. In the mean time, let's go shopping"

The others shook their heads.

After they met back at the rendezvous point, the respective groups discussed all they managed to accomplish. 0 seemed to have the best news as he had found out a few things, including the name of the agent who had killed 9. They were also pleased to hear what 2 had to say regarding the potential locations of their remaining group members.

After resting for a little while, 1 split the team up again, and gave new orders.

At 3am, dressed in all black suits, 0, 1 and 7 stood outside the front door of a house with their hands in their pockets.

"Is this the right place?" asked 7 as they all stood in front of the door

0 nodded, and shortly after, 7 loudly knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds before a young woman opened the door.

"Hello Mrs Yahashi" 0 said, with a menacing smile on his face.