A Hunter's Blood: The Crimson Contracts

Drakx couldn’t think straight. He couldn’t pull a gun. He didn’t even try to defend himself. His mind raced with the possibility of the survival of his brother. He had a darkness creep into his soul when he realized he left him. The only brother he had; his idol. The reason he fought so hard for the planet; he left him. Even when Teryn ordered him to escape, he should’ve found a way to rescue his brother’s body. He was happy to see him. Drakx based his whole life on correcting his brother’s sacrifice. Since he thought his brother dead, the only way he saw to correct it was to punish the wrong with absolution. He became a master at his subconscious vow. If they committed a crime, he became the destroyer of unlawful men.

Bring them back. Restore balance, his mind interrupted.

Dammit! Not Now! He screamed at his mind to himself. This is defiantly not the time!

Drakx was trying to focus on the situation. His brother was alive, and he felt terrible for leaving him. Why was he even there?

Teryn answered his question by ripping him from the car, and throwing him over the roof.

As Drakx landed on the other side, on his back, his thoughts became clear once more.

Why do the wicked love throwing me over my car? He thought as he began to sharpen his mind back to the immediate situation. He found that gravity was a helpful aid in the process.

He refocused on everything that was immediate at the time. The woman in his car that was running from the scariest, most relentless hit man ever recorded. A hit man that was a dream for a Hunter to Erad, and also a figment. A hit man that was legendary for his evil actions, and also Drakx’ prize. The most unholy menace ever. The one contract that was the most deserving of his justice, but was also the person who inadvertently triggered his absolute justice for criminals like him. All of this due to his, so called, death in the war. Now, the great soldier, Teryn was the reason Drakx had to Erad the terrible hit man, Teryn. What a wild concept to be mind fucked by.

Bring them back. Restore balance.

With the clouded confusion of thinking, and the precise clarity of the thought, Drakx began to feel insanity creep in.

Teryn moved to the driver’s side of the car, and reached for Kimi. Through glass shards, he pulled her upon the roof, through the window, As Teryn placed his gun to her temple, Drakx snapped back to sanity.

“Back off, Teryn!” Drakx yelled, interrupting Teryn’s motion. “Leave her alone!”

Teryn’s plan was to complete his contract first. After she was dead, he would have ‘fun’ with his brother. With Drakx screaming orders at him, his plan wavered.

“Who’s got the gun here?!” Teryn asked vindictively. “You obviously can’t see. Well, let me open your eyes!”

Teryn swung the barrel of his gun at Drakx, and fired twice. Drakx felt burning pain on both cheeks. Teryn had fired at his face, and grazed both cheeks just under the eyes. The cheeks bled, and Drakx felt as if he was crying blood. It also felt strangely familiar. Not remembering why it felt familiar, Drakx became mentally stronger, instead of being disturbed. It felt more like ‘Been there, done that. What else ya got?’

Drakx saw how terrified Kimi was, and had to find a way to save her from certain death from the best hit man living. He wasn’t fast enough to draw a weapon before Teryn would’ve shot her. He wasn’t a hit man to be reasoned with. Drakx tried something no one else could do, get personal.

“Is this how the mythical legend executes his victims? When they’re helpless, and begging for their lives? Wow, I knew you when you had more honor than just shooting a girl in the face. Hell, a drug addict has more honor than that!” Drakx yelled, trying to taunt Teryn to anger. The type of anger that hits a nerve, and stings rationality away. He knew he would be the only one to knock Teryn off his game. He hoped his taunt was personal enough.

With Teryn’s festering hatred consuming him, with his brother being thrust back in the picture, the taunt worked well.

“Know this, Drakx,” Teryn spun to his brother once more. “I will kill both her and you tonight! And if you don’t shut the hell up, I WILL change the order!”

“Oh, that’s so brave!” Drakx returned the verbal shooting. “Kill me first. The only one who could ever Erad you anyway! I know that by my outfit, you’ve deducted I’m a Hunter. Hell, the only reason you’re still alive is because your contract chip never crossed my desk!”

“You think you would’ve killed me?!” Teryn barked in disbelief.

“I declared you dead in the war, and everybody believed me then. Killing you now would just be a way of making sure history was correct!” Drakx barked back.

Teryn was quiet. Nothing he could say would’ve slowed his rage. He was just shaking, and glaring at Drakx. He wanted to shoot him in the head, but he didn’t want Drakx to be right about his “executions”. He knew his brother knew nothing about what he went through. He wanted to kill him, but at that moment, he wanted to make sure Drakx ate his words, before eating a hot bullet. His plan had defiantly changed.

“Fine, boy! I’ll give you a chance to survive with this...wench for a little longer,” he said, calming down, and regaining control. “You’re a Hunter, but being hunted is a different story. I’ll give you one hour to run, and prepare yourself for me. Make it worth your while. In one hour, death is coming for you, and your little dog. I will make you understand my legend will truly be your worst nightmare.”

“You truly don’t know me, Teryn,” Drakx retorted. “I’m a Hunter, and I don’t run from fugitives. It won’t take an hour to prepare for you. Since it’s four in the morning meet me in the Commerce Zone in twenty minutes. Nobody will be in our way this early. It’ll be just her, you and me.”

“Fine Hunter!” Teryn screamed in rage. “In twenty minutes. I will finish this!”

Drakx wanted to anger him one more time. He knew his brother well enough to know that pissing him off impaired his judgment, and performance.

“You know, I would think that reuniting with my long lost brother would’ve been the happiest day of my life, but you’ve really turned into an asshole,” he said, topping the verbal assault.

“When I’m wearing your spleen around my neck in triumph,” Teryn fired once more at Drakx’ feet. “I’ll remember you said that.”

Teryn threw Kimi at Drakx. Drakx caught her before she hit the ground aggravating his ankle again. The pain shot up his leg as he watched Teryn Jump from the roof of his car into nothingness. He thought, cloaked vehicle.

As Teryn began to close his door, he yelled to Drakx. “Twenty minutes, Hunter! Death will be waiting!”

As he closed his door, and began to speed away, Drakx yelled back. “I’ll be there! Trust me, death will be waiting, but not for me, I promise you!”

Drakx watched as Teryn turned a corner, and disappeared. He had done it. Kimi was alive for now. All he had to do was defeat the greatest hit man ever recorded twenty minutes from then.

As he felt his ankle swell once more, he thought, this should be easy. Yeah. As easy as explaining Quantum mechanics to a two year old, deaf child that doesn’t know my language.

He limped to his car’s trunk to get ready for this new impossibility. Strangely, as much as he should have been, he wasn’t nervous.