"Here's your orders." Weldwood Que, LEGACY cell team leader, slid the file across the desk to Frank. "Initial observations rated him as a complete wild card. His personae is one of a fractured soul."
Frank picked up the file and began to scan through it. There sat the photo of his intended target. A spiky-haired, 30-something man dressed in a grey t-shirt that declared ASSIMULATED. His intended termination project name stated him to be: Max Cube.
"A worthy opponent. Do not judge too hastily since he is a very dangerous man," Que said as he stood up and faced the window. Clasping hands behind his back and overlooking the city like a sentinel. "Consider him your top priority."
Frank stared at the face of his new nemesis and then began to do some reading on him. Learning that on a South American mission, Max shot his mentor in the back of the skull and fled into the jungle.
"He's gathering his 'dragons'."
Frank looked up at Que who continued to speak.
"He's got a small few under his guidance. This makes him extremely dangerous."
Frank nodded. This was going to be a hard kill indeed.
The first sensation he felt was that he was chilly.
Max awoke on the subway, naked except for the bright yellow t-shirt that declared Cool. The two"oo"s in cool looked like eyes looking down. He was cold and chilly and he didn't know where the hell he was and how he'd gotten here, and he was wondering where his pants were.
"Excuse me, mister," said a old lady standing over him. She was holding up a pair of shorts with a price tag on them. "I just bought these for my grandson but I think you could use them now."
Max looked at her and took the shorts. "Ummm, thanks ma'am".
The old woman gave him a wink and then went back to her seat. "One has to be careful in the city. Especially on the subway. You know how those jokers are."
It was early morning and Max glanced out the subway window to see the false dawn. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to figure out where the hell he was and what the heck had happened.
"Wild party?" the old woman asked from her seat. She went back to reading the City Sun paper and Max could read the front page story: "Man Wanted For Questioning".
"Not too sure," Max replied. His head pounded as if some small fairy had flown in through his ear and got en lost and was now pounding to get out again. "Where am I?"
"Purgatory," the old woman replied with a smile. She folded the newspaper and put it on the seat beside her. "You know that you are not going to last too long if you don't know what city you are in."
"Swell," Max whispered as he slid the shorts on. He looked down at his legs and could see that he would need to spend a few more days in the sun. The shorts were dark in colour and the next problem was to find proper footwear.
The subway car was slowing down as it approached a stop and the old woman got up and headed for the door.
"Can I get your name and a place to contact you," Max said. "I will pay you back for your kindness."
"You already have," the old woman said. "Years ago."
Before Max could ask her another question she had stepped off the car and onto the platform. It took him a couple of moments for the shock of her answer to wear off.
He stood and stretched and that's when he saw the Jester in the next car. And the Jester just smiled at him.
"Son of bitch," Max swore. He glanced around in his car and saw another one sitting in the back. "Those bastards."
drip
Max was staggered for a second; he didn't realize what had just happened until he brought his right hand up to feel his chest. Max looked up at the roofs and he didn't see anything at all. He didn't know where the shot had come from. He pulled his hand away from his shirt, the tips of his fingers were painted red.
drip
"You okay?" Maggie asked him. She tore a strip of her shirt to field dress the wound. Max held his hand up.
"It's only a flesh wound," Max lied. "I'm okay."
"Don't you die on me," Maggie told him. "Don't make me fight the forces of hell to bring you back to me."
Max chuckled and that hurt. "I know it wouldn't be a pretty sight."
drip
"We better get you to see the doc," Frank stated. He rushed over and glanced at Max for a second and then started scanning the rooftops.
"I'm too busy to die at the moment," Max said. "Remember the mission."
"Fuck the mission," Frank said.
Max looked at Frank and he stated, "We knew the risk of what we are doing."
drip
Max sat down and shook his head. "Damn. I got cocky. Acting like a rookie."
Maggie held the torn strip to the wound. "Hold it here as tight as you can," she told him. "Frank and I will be right back."
Frank looked at her in disbelief. "You sure about this?"
drip
Maggie stood up and brought out her katana. She just nodded at Frank and Frank shook his head for a second time.
"Yeah, I'd say she is sure," Max quipped.
"Max," the voice on the cellphone said, "are you ready?"
"That I are," I answered. I butted out the cigarette and fished another one out of the pack that said Smoking is dangerous to your Health. How dare they tell me something that I already know? A warning is like Dr. Phil stating the obvious. Makes me upset.
"I'll be in front of your place in nine minutes and thirty two seconds," the voice stated. "Be ready."
"You telling me what to do?" I asked.
"You want to play the game don't you?" cellphone said.
"Under my rules," I replied. "I am not your Pavlovian dog. If that's all you want then find someone else."
There was a long pause before cellphone finally said, "Sorry."
"Not accepted," I said. "I will be waiting."
I placed the phone back in its cradle; it somehow reminded me of a youtube video that I had watched when I was a few years younger. Before the opening. Before the gates of plureality opened. I laughed. I was ready.
