The Wastelander

by Tipsy Wanderer

  Chimp was caught in a rare moment of distraction, not to mention his hangover from his night of drinking. He reacted too slowly to Cloudhawk, who dropped from overhead with his white ghost mask and tattered cloak. A fierce and forceful karate chop to the neck knocked Chimp down and dazed him. Cloudhawk, peering left and right to make sure no one was around, flung the scientist over his shoulder and fled.

  An indeterminate amount of time later…

  Chimp groggily awakened to find himself in an unfamiliar place with his wrists tied behind his back and his ankles strapped together. A black cloth covered his eyes while his mouth was stuffed with fabric to keep him quiet. He couldn’t see, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t move either.

  “Hmph! Hmm-nngh-mmph! Phhmph!”

  He tried to shout through his gag to no avail. He was Academician Roste’s lab director! One of the top five most important people in the whole damn base! He was only passable as a fighter but was nonetheless one of Roste’s most important scientists. Blackwater Base didn’t list physical strength among the most respected traits. Otherwise, the Academician wouldn’t be leader.

  As a result, Chimp wasn’t strong, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t important. Usually, when he left the labs, he walked around with an escort, but his mind had been clogged with images of what he planned to do with Hellflower’s body. A security detail would only have gotten in his way, but he didn’t think leaving them behind would have led to this!

  Who the hell would dare? Who was the asshole stupid enough to kidnap him!?

  He continued to struggle but got nowhere. The fear inside him was growing by the moment. Suddenly, someone snatched the cloth from his mouth.

  “Who! Who the fuck – obviously, you must be fuckin' blind. Otherwise, you’d know who the hell you’re dealing with!” Now that he once again had the ability to speak, he recovered some of his courage. He spoke like a man chastising his subordinates, “How dare you kidnap me! Do you know you just signed your own death warrant?”

  Someone gave him a nasty punch in the ear.

  Chimp’s new-found courage immediately disappeared.

  “You-… you hit me?! I-I’m Academician Roste’s lab director!” The more frightened and angry he became, the more comically the lab director wriggled around. He was like a funny little worm flopping around in his chair. “If anything happens to me, you can bet your ass you won’t leave this base alive!”

  Another mean-spirited slap hit him across the side of his head.

  The smack was so hard that it stunned him for a moment. His assailant knew who he was, and that realization frightened him all the more deeply. Chimp lost control of his full bladder, and its contents soaked his crotch before slithering down his legs. A foul smell followed. He pleaded with his kidnapper, choked with sobs and his blindfold blotched with tears. “Don’t kill me – don’t kill me! What do you want! I’ll help however I can!”

  The voice that answered was raspy and unsettling like it had come from the throat of a demon. “I’m going to ask you some questions. You’re going to answer.”

  This director found this voice entirely unfamiliar. Did an outsider somehow sneak into the base? It seemed most likely since there was no one in Blackwater he could think of who would be brazen enough to kidnap him. After all, who didn’t know that he was Roste’s student and confidant? Yet, besides being an important, lustful, and all around gross person, he didn’t have anything worth being kidnapped over.

  The voice returned, low and threatening, “What experiments are being performed in Academician Roste’s laboratories?”

  His assailant’s question only confirmed Chimp’s suspicion that this was an outsider. Otherwise, how could he not know? Eager to stay breathing, he answered, “Biological experiments. B-b-biological recombination experiments. The Academician has f-found a way to c-combine different organisms.”

  His inquisitor was silent for a few seconds before continuing, “Combine? How?”

  “There’s a fifty percent chance of success on average, but even if successful, eighty percent of our subjects lose their humanity. They lose all racial identity, so we use drugs to wipe their memories.”

  “What about Hyena?”

  “Hyena is an exception. He hasn’t shown any signs of losing his humanity, so the Academician let him keep his memories and free will.”

  “Is there a chance he could lose control?”

  “This… this I don’t know. He is the only test subject who has managed to stay cognizant. He’s still considered a test subject but is our most stable product to date.”

  Cloudhawk didn’t continue his questioning. Chimp got nervous. “Killing me isn’t going to help you at all. Just say it. Anything. I’ll tell you everything I know. I’m begging you. Please don’t take my life!”

  What a fuckin’ worthless ass! How did this spineless shit-stain manage to survive so long in the wastelands?

  Cloudhawk already confirmed everything he wanted to know. He didn’t need to keep up his questioning.

  So Academician Roste wanted to use him as a test subject, eh? He wanted to use Cloudhawk’s body and turn him into some puppet supersoldier, one with the strength of a wastelands beast and the power of a demon hunter! Just think of what kind of price a weapon like that would fetch!

  This old fart never had any good intentions!

  Cloudhawk unceremoniously knocked Chimp out again, cut the ropes that tied his hands and feet, and returned his keys to his waist. His task completed, Cloudhawk quickly fled the area.

  At last, the kid understood why Roste viewed him so importantly.

  Somehow, the old coot was using ancient scientific methods to transfer mutant animal powers into human bodies, thereby turning them into incredibly strong fighters like Hyena. Before the procedure, he was probably about as strong as the Tartarus captains – nowhere near what he was now.

  Two years ago, Blackwater Base was attacked. At the time, Hyena was a normal man, a leader of one of the base’s defense teams. During the attack, one of the enemy flamethrowers caught him full in the face, nearly killing him right then. He was done, and even if by some miracle he lived, he would still be an invalid.

  Academician Roste felt that losing such a good soldier was a terrible waste. He decided to combine him with the essence of a mutated wolf, resulting in an unexpected and unprecedented success. After half a month, with his body neither rejecting the mutagens nor collapsing under the stress, he began to change. More importantly, he kept his mind, and as such, Roste promoted him to one of his most important subordinates.

  Hyena, it could be said, was Academician Roste’s single greatest stride forward in these experiments.

  Only now, the Academician wasn’t satisfied with just creating the likes of Hyena. He desired progress, to push the limits by testing his methods on a demon hunter. Just imagine a warrior with the build and strength of the most ferocious wastelands animals, who also simultaneously possessed superhuman demon hunter abilities. That would be – in a word – perfection!

  Of course, to Cloudhawk, this was unacceptable. Setting aside the high mortality rate, the vast majority of the successes lost their minds. They became beasts. Even in the extremely unlikely event that he turned out like Hyena, he wouldn’t even be considered human anymore. The essence of who he was would be something else – a monster. How could they predict what problems would arise in the future?

  Cloudhawk did desire strength and power, but a transformation like this…!

  Cloudhawk was starting to put the pieces together, but he knew that he was being closely watched. If he made his move now, the only thing he’d accomplish would be tipping off his captors that he knew what was up [1]. He had to pick the right moment, or else getting out in one piece would be difficult. It was just like Mantis would always say: an excellent soldier or assassin had patience and superb timing. The right time to act was when things were under your control.

  For now, his best bet was to continue pretending he was on board.
It was unlikely that the old man would risk his ultimate experiment.

  Cloudhawk pondered his situation as he walked back towards the residences. The only person who could help him was Hellflower. How she could help him he had yet to figure out, but he knew he would need her. He was too weak to escape on his own.

  Academician Roste was a crafty old fox with a few dozen intelligent mutated warriors at his beck and call, not to mention Hyena who was as devoted as any zealot. On top of that, Blackwater Base was ten times – a hundred times better equipped than anywhere else in the wastelands.

  And once he escaped? What then? There was still a marsh between him and freedom.

  Luckily, he had options for dealing with Hellflower as well. The translation he’d helped her with was kept safely in her apartments. He could use that knowledge to threaten her if needed. So far, it was his one hope to flee this evil place.

  When he was a few hundred feet away from his destination, lost in thought about his circumstances and what to do with Hellflower, he was met with something unexpected. Suddenly, he felt a tightness grip his heart, an omen of danger he had come to know intimately.

  Before he could react, an enormous iron net fell on him. He was captured!

  Eight poison-tipped darts shot at him from several directions. His face fell – someone was trying to kill him! Was it Roste? Hellflower? Hyena? Or had Chimp somehow found out who’d kidnapped him?

  1. ‘Hit the grass and surprise the serpent.’ Chinese is cool

  113 The Weapons Master

  Aside from being heavy and tenacious, the iron net that fell over Cloudhawk was immediately flooded with electricity. If he were a normal wastelander, the shock would have either killed or paralyzed him.

  It felt like a hundred million ants were slithering through his skin, but Cloudhawk didn’t lose his senses. Luckily, the cloak he wore deflected or absorbed most of the electricity. The young man was continuously surprised by the otherworldly relic, which, in addition to being a very useful relic, was also great for defense.

  So who on earth was trying to kill him? Cloudhawk’s mind was racing, several possibilities coming to mind.

  Academician Roste was unlikely to make a move against him, and Chimp didn’t have enough time to plan an ambush. The only other people with the means and motive were either Hellflower or Hyena; he had dirt on the former, and he’d stumbled on Hyena’s dark little secret not long ago.

  So were they trying to kill him to keep him quiet? Of course, the reason wasn’t important right this moment.

  His assailants knew what they were doing. The iron net was meant to pin down and incapacitate their prey, breaking down his defenses. Each one of them carried guns as well, though they fired darts instead of bullets. Darts were a better choice since they didn’t make much noise, allowing them to kill Cloudhawk without alerting anyone nearby. When the deed was done, they could flee and no one would be the wiser. Once the body was found, nothing could be traced back to them.

  A flood of anger raced through Cloudhawk. He’d faced death many times, having even gone toe-to-toe with a demon and came out alive. Was he going to allow these contemptible shits [1] to kill him? Fat chance.

  Cloudhawk’s eyes became blood red.

  A burst of energy his assailants were not prepared for exploded forth.

  The iron net could not be broken by hand, but when the spinning edge of the exorcist rod struck it, the metal threads were split like tendrils of hair being split by a sword. A gaping hole was carved open.

  Another dart was shot his way and struck his mask. It belched sparks and made him dizzy, but what weapon was capable of shooting through the Bloodsoaked Queen’s relic mask? Impossible! It wasn’t a very powerful relic, but even a point-blank shot to the face wasn’t going to break it!

  It was the darts from behind that hit their mark. They lodged in his dire bear armor and managed to deal some impact damage, but the upas poison [2] smeared on them was useless. The two layers of protection saved his life.

  While Cloudhawk’s would-be assassins stared in shock, he effortlessly rolled out of their trap. In response, a dozen or so masked men attacked from all directions. Their ambush had failed, so there was no choice but to attack head-on. They charged at him, brandishing electrically charged batons.

  Cloudhawk didn’t need to experience them himself to know their weapons were dangerous. If it came to a straight up fight, things weren’t going to break in his favor.

  So what could he do? Run!

  As he got back up onto his feet, Cloudhawk pulled out his revolver and fired a few shots randomly toward his attackers. It forced them back, giving him enough space to leap into the air. At his jump’s zenith, the young wastelander vanished into thin air. Now, while they couldn’t see him, was his chance to flee.

  “Don’t let him escape!”

  One of the masked men yelled the order, and everyone pulled out their lethal weaponry. They were already exposed. Stealth was now less important than killing their target quickly. Several of them pointed their guns at where Cloudhawk had been and sprayed the area with bullets. Typical wastelander weapons were single-shot while the rarer ones were maybe semi-automatic. These weapons were clearly superior and flooded the alleyway with hot lead.

  Cloudhawk desperately flung himself around a bend and allowed his invisibility to fade. He was so scared that he was drenched in sweat. The footsteps were getting closer, so he spun around with hands outstretched. Gritting his teeth, Cloudhawk pressed ahead with both arms as though he were trying to shove a thousand-pound boulder.

  The air was suddenly choked with sand.

  Like a flailing serpent, the sand writhed toward his pursuers and swallowed them up. It caused them no harm, but they blinded by the sandstorm. Cloudhawk turned back and ran in the other direction.

  “Where the hell did this sandstorm come from?!”

  “Never mind! After him!”

  The unexpected weather only slowed them down a little. They were obviously practiced assassins, and though Cloudhawk could probably handle two or three of them, there were ten on his tail. If they caught up and surrounded him, he wouldn’t stand a chance. He had to keep running.

  He was unfamiliar with the base’s layout, so he bolted down streets at random. It was only a matter of time before he came across a dead end. He stopped in front of a tall wall with his face twisted in panic. The others were close and would be on him any moment now. He couldn’t go back the way he’d come.

  Had this all been for nothing?

  Even before one considered skill, Cloudhawk was severely outmatched in regards to equipment. They didn’t even have to get close to turn him into a bloody honeycomb with their advanced rifles. They must have known he was caught because Cloudhawk could hear their footsteps slowing. He saw a dozen dark gun barrels pointing his way.

  “Kill him!”

  Cloudhawk felt like he was staring death in the face.

  Just then, a figure as agile as a mountain lion leapt from behind them. Hellflower soared through the air with a gun in each hand. They roared as she fired four or five shots, each one ripping through the skulls of the assassins.

  His attackers were taken completely by surprise. Struck dumb by the sudden change in the situation, they spun around to defend themselves. The newcomer tread along the smooth stone of the wall as easily as if she were running along the ground. Her hands moved with the speed of a phantom. Bang, bang, bang, bang! She continued to pull the triggers as fire belched from the end of her guns. The weapons themselves were unique, shooting so fast that it was hard to believe, and not a single bullet was wasted. One after another, they drilled deadly holes between the assassins’ eyebrows.

  It was absolute perfection, to the millimeter. Her gunplay was more than skillful; it was an art form.

  “Hellflower!”

  She languidly returned the guns to holsters on her waist as she landed on the ground. From her initial appearance to her running along the wall and landing in front of him, th
e whole process had taken seconds. Her targets were dead before she reached the ground – a hurricane that even Cloudhawk couldn’t follow.

  If you had asked Cloudhawk prior, Hellflower was the last person he expected to save him. He’d always known she was a dangerous woman but not in this way. In the end, Hellflower revealed herself to be a peerless wastelands gunslinger.

  Until now, the best shooter Cloudhawk had seen was Slyfox, but compared to what he just witnessed, the mercenary wasn’t even in the same class. Hellflower’s gun control and aim were close to flawless.

  What Cloudhawk didn’t know was that Hellflower was a famed weapons master.

  It didn’t matter what gun or tool she wielded, Hellflower could learn it almost immediately. She was a warrior no less lethal than Hyena, though the beast could easily tear her apart in close range. So long as she kept her distance, though, Hellflower could kill ten Hyenas before they got close.

  Cloudhawk felt like his heart was going to burst out his chest. Suddenly, he was very thankful he hadn’t mistreated the scientist in any way. If he had, Cloudhawk was sure he would have very quickly ended up with a few dozen bullets in his brain.

  Hellflower didn’t even pay the host of corpses any mind. Swaggering over toward Cloudhawk, she addressed him in an even tone, “Did you do what you were supposed to?”

  Cloudhawk quickly nodded his head. “Yeah, no worries. The papers and keys are back where they’re supposed to be.”

  Hellflower sighed in relief. At last, she turned her head and looked over the bodies, puzzled as she muttered at him, “Where did these men come from? Why did they want to kill you?”

  Academician Roste didn’t have any reason to want him dead. Chimp didn’t have the time or opportunity. Hellflower just took herself off the suspect list, leaving only…

  “Hyena!” Cloudhawk blurted out, “I learned his secret!”

  Before Hellflower could open her mouth to learn more, the streets were cast into a noisy din. Ten or so base security guards came rushing their way. When they came upon the scene, they were shocked and confused, for these sorts of violent encounters were rare, especially ones that resulted in so many bodies.