Chapter 9 - Regan's Rise

A military jeep tore through a dense forest, kicking up gallons of mud, as it sped towards the sounds of gunshots and explosions in the distance.

In the passenger seat sat Regan, leaning back on his chair with an assault rifle on his lap. He casually tossed a handheld radio in the air and caught it, as the jeep bumper over tree roots and ditches.

There were calluses on the hand he caught the radio with and his muscles were more defined than they had been four years ago. Regan didn't flinch as the jeep jumped over a mound, bouncing as it landed.

The radio buzzed to life and an impassive voice came through, "Special Agent Regan, come in."

Regan couldn't help but smile as he heard that. 'Special Agent.' Over the past four years, he had been training regularly with Warrior. And it definitely paid off. He took on solo missions from the Agency to take down some small-time villains. He completed them with relative ease.

After that, he went after stronger villains. Using his training with Warrior to get close to them and his psiblade to finish them off. After, he would always find some sort of excuse to destroy the body. At first, he was worried that the Agency would be suspicious of the missing bodies, but Warrior had assured him that the Agency wouldn't care as long as he bought in results.

It seemed Warrior was right, as just a few months ago he had been promoted to the rank of Special Agent. This was a unique rank outside of the usual chain of command. It was reserved for those who had the ability and were willing to hunt down and kill Altered. It was a dangerous and unpredictable role, meaning that it garnered a lot of respect in the Agency.

Regan had aimed for it because it was the quickest way to gain an important position. He was also one of the few non Altered Special Agents, which only served to help him gain more respect from his colleagues.

Back in the forest, Regan bought the radio closer to his mouth and spoke into it. "Command, this is Special Agent Regan."

"Special Agent, a vehicle is attempting to escape the forest. We're currently satellite tracking it, I'll send you the location now. You are to intercept the vehicle and eliminate any threats. Be warned, they seem to be guarding the vehicle, high chance for Altered to be on board."

"Understood, Command."

Regan then turned to the driver and said, "make a beeline to intercept them. When they're in range, ram them off the track."

"Yes, sir," said the driver as he accelerated the car.

Regan looked back and saw the two other agents strapping themselves in their seats. He turned back and did the same.

A minute later, a black SUV came into sight, speeding down a small forest track.

Regan looked at the driver next to him who didn't hesitate to put his foot down.

*Bang!*

The jeep slammed into the SUV, sending it swerving off the side of the track!

*Bang!*

The front of the SUV wrapped around a massive pine tree, the back wheels lifting into the air, threatening to flip over before falling back down with a thud!

Regan couldn't see through the blacked-out windows, but he was certain that crash would incapacitate any non-Altered or any Altered without a defensive power.

The driver next to him unbuckled himself, grabbing the rifle strapped around his chest, he jumped out of the jeep, along with the other two agents. At the same time, someone kicked the door off the SUV and stepped out.

It was a large woman with curly brown hair and enough makeup on that Regan could notice it from ten metres away. She picked up the SUV door and flung it like a frisbee at the driver.

Regan's eyes widened as the door shot out like a bullet, slicing the driver in two!

"Shit!" one of the other agents shouted, "Altered!"

'No shit, Sherlock,' thought Regan as he unbuckled himself jumping out the jeep.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The agents opened fire from behind the jeep, where Regan also took cover. Their aim was true, a wave of bullets slammed into the woman, and promptly bounced off.

'Bulletproof,' thought Regan, 'I'll have to use the psiblade.'

Regan grabbed it from where it was secured in his belt and held it in his hand, the rifle discarded.

Before Regan even had the chance to activate the psiblade, the large woman smiled, bending her legs. She leapt over the jeep and onto one of the agent's heads, slamming it into the ground and leaving it a bloody mess. She then turned to the other agent.

'Shit, superstrength as well, she's multipowerd!' thought Regan, 'this will be hard to explain, but I can't just let the guy die.'

He activated the psiblade and jumped in front of the agent, swimming the paper-thin, silver blade towards the large woman's neck.

The large dropped her smile and raised her arm to block the blade. The psiblade cut into her forearm but stopped at the bone.

Regan quickly pulled the psi blade out of his arm. The large woman jumped backwards and landed at the front of the jeep. Regan ran forward to press the attack, however, the woman reached down and grabbed the jeep, picking it up with one and swinging it in a sweeping motion.

The jeep slammed into both Regan and the other Agent sending them flying into the forest.

Regan counted seven trees pass by, and, by some stroke of luck, he missed all of them, landing in a bed of soft pine needles. He felt an ache in his left side which was hit by the jeep and he was extremely dizzy, stumbling about the place, but that was it.

The other agent wasn't so lucky, he wrapped around the first tree he met, breaking his ribs and possibly his spine.

If that wasn't enough, seven seconds later the jeep came flying through the forest and straight into the agent, crushing him and any hopes for his survival.

'Damn it,' thought Regan, 'she's stronger and quicker, able to block the psiblade and I can tell she has experience. Any old trick won't just work on her. How the hell do I beat her?'

Regan would never get an answer as the woman jumped in front of him and, without a second delay, her fist shot towards his face.

Regan let out the breath he had been holding and shut his eyes. This would be the end. He knew the risks he was taking and he knew there was nothing he could do in this situation. But he was still pissed off. He was certain he worked ten times as hard as most Altered, yet because they were lucky enough to be born with power or gain them later in life, they could kill him just like this.

Regan kept his eyes closed, waiting for the hit.

It never came.

Opening his eyes, he saw the woman's fist, an inch away from his face. Her wrist was gripped by a blacked gloved hand.

Connected to that hand was a man in full combat gear, two swords strapped to his back and a black, metal mask in his face.

'Warrior.'