Outlaws and Origins

by Eric S Kim

The twenty-year-old Blackjack could find nothing of importance on the other side of the glass. On the ninth floor, he could see Lionel leaving his group and taking the stairs hopefully to defuse a situation shrouded by the walls. Jerome brought his eye away from the scope to look down at the crowd below for the umpteenth time. The scenery had become a little more different this time. Several cars had arrived and were parked beside the curb near the main building, away from the press.

  When the men and women exited their vehicles, Jerome received a clearer view through his scope. He kept his finger away from the trigger as he recognized the fancy clothes worn by the visitors. They could only be presumed as Zadith Disciples. With such luxurious-looking attire, there would be no doubt that they had belonged to a highly elite society. Their suits and dresses had been designed as a crossover: a mix of medieval and modern styles put together as one.

  One man in the group had caught Jerome’s attention. He led the rest of the Zadith into the building. He was a middle-aged Asian man with short black hair. His black and blue coat was quite stylish, with an East Asian flair that no other disciple had obtained. Jerome didn’t have time to wonder why they had arrived. These people would have been informed by such important news. Jerome just felt thankful that reinforcements had been brought in, hopefully as volunteers.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  8:12 PM

  Lionel had found his teammates in the middle of a hallway. The bison had been trapped in what must have been a thick gray substance specifically intended as a trap. Milton Han had showed off his new invention. Lionel listened to his vernacular riddled with positivity while keeping his eyes on the dead bison with a severed head. When he finished his description of the cement gun, Han handed it back to Bryce and discussed other matters with him and Rebecca.

  Woodrow whispered to Lionel, “Did you know this one?”

  Lionel shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”

  He and Woodrow stood alone, giving the latter enough of an incentive to say, “The past is rife for elimination, and my mind is experiencing mixed signals.”

  Lionel replied, “I feel the same way.”

  “How many more of these dragons have to die?”

  “Not a lot, I hope.”

  A beep in Lionel’s earpiece led him to answer the call.

  Hector had given him the news. “A kangaroo has been spotted on the tenth floor.”

  Lionel knew what to do. He ended the call and ordered two of his teammates, Nick and Bryce, to join him on the tenth floor.

  8:17 PM

  The three Blackjacks used the elevator to reach the tenth floor. They had already met up with Hector and Victoria, who stayed away from the cubicles in the main room. Hector whispered to Lionel that the kangaroo had been spotted in the other side of the room. Murdock and Hatchett had offices on this floor, as well as the Commissioners for Shadow Service and Social Adjustments. Lionel ordered his teammates to separate and check the different offices. The group had scattered within seconds.

  Lionel was the first to enter the room. It had four rows of cubicles and a small lounge situated in the corner. Two hallways were built in the center of a wall. Both would lead to the Commissioners’ offices. As the five Blackjacks separated, Lionel kept his focus on the doors. He stayed close to the wall with his Heckler & Koch HK416 rifle ready for use. He stepped inside one of the hallways. So far, all of the doors remained closed on each wall. He reached the one for Chester Yokoyama’s office. He slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open. The lights had been turned off in Yokoyama’s office. Lionel flicked the switch and the fluorescent lights from above illuminated the entire room. The Shadow Service Commissioner had kept a tidy place, with barely any layers of dust piling on his desk or his computer.

  Lionel didn’t find a kangaroo in the room, so he checked the other two rooms in the hallway. Arnold Murdock’s office appeared to convey the same sort of emptiness as the last room: not a Nevinoth animal in sight. Just as he closed the door, he heard a faint moaning noise. He took a left turn in the hallway and stepped closer to Richard Hatchett’s office, which was situated in the far end of the hall. It was the only door that had been partially opened.

  Lionel could hear the moaning noise once more. He crept across the hall and never let his finger move away from the trigger. As soon as he made it to the door, he opened it all the way and took a peek inside Hatchett’s darkened office. There was only one difference that separated it from the other two rooms. A kangaroo lay twitching on the carpeted floor. It had its eyes wide open, with red veins surrounding its irises. Its arms and legs shuddered.

  Lionel could only wonder how the kangaroo was attacked. Then, he noticed a small reptilic tail behind the kangaroo’s body, which finally stopped moving and lay limp on the floor. The room had grown silent. The tail behind the kangaroo slithered out of view.

  Lionel stepped inside Hatchett’s office and turned on the lights. The body of a snake slid closer to the dead wide-eyed kangaroo. It slithered its way to the top of the body. It raised its head up and revealed the hoods on each side of its head. It was a cobra with three colors on its scales: black, violet, and gold. It stuck out its silver-colored tongue.

  It spoke with a growly husky voice. “I think I remember you.”

  Lionel couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He had found a Korean Silver-Tongued Cobra in Hatchett’s office. Only one of these cobras had been known to speak. Lionel had widened his own eyes. He tried to refuse to believe that this snake had returned from the dead. But the voice was a dead giveaway, a grim reminder of what he used to fight against in the past.

  Bloodburn the Cobra stuck out his gray tongue again. “Yes, of course. I know you’d be here.”

  Lionel tried not to drop his rifle in shock. “This is impossible.”

  Bloodburn hissed at him. “Believe it, Mr. Tyler.”

  Lionel immediately threatened the cobra with his rifle. “Stay where you are. I’ll kill you even if I have to.”

  Bloodburn hissed again. “Don’t lose your temper at a time like this. They’ll never forgive you.”

  “Why should they be devastated by your demise? I’m sure everyone remembers everything you’ve done. The only thing that’s bothering me is how you made it out alive.”

  “It’s a very complicated story. I wouldn’t want to bother you with every intricate detail.”

  Lionel stayed calm despite the unforeseen discovery. “I’d rather you tell me now.”

  Bloodburn chuckled. “I knew you’d be so eager to hear everything.”

  Lionel kept his rifle pointed at his enemy. “How did you manage to even survive the fight?”

  “It’s hard to remember. All I can tell you is that it wasn’t a total loss for me. I now have a great career.”

  Lionel narrowed his eyes. “Doing what? Killing the innocent?”

  “Even better. I have found a new home overseas. You won’t even believe it. I get to do whatever I want, as long as I have Vincent by my side.”

  Lionel almost shuddered at that name. “Now you’re being delusional.”

  “I’m having trouble believing that you’re the sane one here.”

  “Vincent Yoon is dead.”

  “Are you really that foolish that you don’t even want to believe what I say?”

  “I’ve seen it happen, Bloodburn. He perished in the flames. He no longer exists.”

  Lionel had said it as a heartfelt statement hopefully passed on to another.

  But Bloodburn just hissed at him. “Oh, Mr. Tyler. You’re so wrong.”

  He stuck out his tongue, and this time, he took his time processing the chemical data he received. “Wait a minute.”

  He stuck out his tongue once more. And then, he smiled. “The bear is here. I do believe he is far away from here. Perhaps in the other side of the building.”

  Another call in Lionel’s earpiece led him to answer it right away without looking away from the cobra. This time, Kurt Nguyen’s voice was heard.


  “You better get over here! We’re dealing with a complete psycho!”

  The roar of a grizzly bear almost muffled Kurt’s voice for a short time. It was followed by the sound of wood snapping in two. At least Lionel hoped it was wood, and not a bone.

  The Blackjack captain turned off his earpiece just as Bloodburn remarked, “Let me have him. I’m in the mood for some old-fashioned executions.”

  Lionel refused the snake’s exit. “We will deal with this. And later on, I’ll deal with you.”

  Bloodburn slithered off of the kangaroo’s body and lifted his hooded head high. “You’re acting idiotic again. I didn’t expect all of this stupidity coming from you. If you kill me, you’ll have the rest of the Zadith to deal with.”

  Lionel took a few steps back. “You stay here. Don’t even dare to leave this room.”

  Bloodburn laughed. “You can really entertain me at times.”

  Lionel shut the door and left without a hurry. He exited the narrow hallway and found Nick, Victoria, and Bryce checking the cubicles. He ordered them to follow him to the other side of the tenth floor. Hector had appeared from the other hallway and joined the others.

  “Did you find anything?”

  Lionel had only one response. “The kangaroo is dead.”

  From behind, Bryce asked, “How? I didn’t hear any bullets.”

  “The cobra killed him.”

  “Cobra?”

  Lionel left it at that and led his teammates further away from Hatchett’s office.

  THIRTY-SIX

  8:22 PM

  They made it just in time. In the corner of the workplace, the grizzly bear was busy attacking both Kurt and Elliott as they protected themselves with leather seating chairs. The grizzly bear smacked at the chairs, piercing the black leather with its sharp claws. Kurt and Elliott stayed close together as their only defense started to waste away into small debris.

  Kurt yelled, “Stop it, you piece of shit! We’re supposed to kill you! Not the other way around!”

  There were two bullet holes in the bear’s back. The cracked windows on the wall led Lionel to believe that Jerome’s sniper bullets had no effect on this Nevinoth intruder.

  Lionel shouted, “Vilroz! Over here!”

  The grizzly bear stopped attacking the two Blackjacks and turned around. “You!”

  Lionel didn’t shoot him just yet. “Don’t waste your time with them. Instead, waste it with me.”

  Vilroz roared and had already disregarded the two Blackjacks in the corner. He ran straight for Lionel. His teammates were about to open fire, but Lionel ordered them to step aside.

  He waited for Vilroz to come closer. “Everyone don’t intervene! He’s mine!”

  He had already planned to have the Nevinoth Dragon follow him as he made a run for it. This would allow his teammates to avoid any further harm from the leader of the Nevinoth Dragons. He would use his Denial Dart Gun and bind the bear with his electric lasso.

  But another creature immediately spoiled his plan. Bloodburn appeared from behind Lionel and slid straight toward Vilroz, who must have identified him just by the three colors of his scales. Vilroz stopped running and roared at Bloodburn. The cobra threatened him with its sharp fangs, a terrifying reminder of his lethal venom.

  Kurt and Elliott had already fled from their corner and rejoined the rest of the Blackjacks. Vilroz tried to smack his paws at Bloodburn, but the latter excelled in its quick reflexes. He moved with lightning speed from left to right, undoubtedly avoiding Vilroz’s attacks. Bloodburn hissed loudly and tried to bit at Vilroz’s arms. Both Nevinoth animals fought each other in the center of the room.

  Lionel and his colleagues could just stand still and watch. The cobra lunged forward with a quickened pace and almost bit its fangs deep into Vilroz’s fur. But Vilroz quickly smacked the cobra away. Bloodburn flew in the air and crashed into the wall. But he raised his head up high and, without losing consciousness, slithered straight for Vilroz.

  Elliott whispered to Lionel, “Who’s the cobra?”

  Lionel couldn’t give him the answer. His mind still struggled with the reality of Bloodburn’s genuine presence in the building.

  The cobra made his next strike. He pushed his entire body forward and opened his mouth wide. He almost reached for Vilroz’s neck, but the bear stood straight and fell backwards. He crashed into the window and broke the glass entirely. Both cobra and bear fell off the tenth floor and disappeared from view.

  Lionel ran forward and stopped at the ledge. The view from below had only lasted for a few seconds. Vilroz and Bloodburn had their plunge shortened by their own actions. Bloodburn had used his mouth to grab hold of the open ledge created by Preston and the alligator. He slid back into the building without any hindrances in his path.

  Meanwhile, Vilroz had been forced to transform into his original form. His body grew within seconds, his fur transforming into scales. He spread his wings wide and glided away from the building. The crowd from below had already taken notice of what flew by their heads. Vilroz the Dragon flew higher in the air and swept past Lionel while moving directly upwards. Sorivo had taken this opportunity to chase after the Nevinoth Dragon. The Silver Skin roared as he jumped up and rose above the street. He followed Vilroz with quick speed. The press already had their video cameras ready. The employees could only stand on the sidewalk and observe the confrontation.

  Lionel turned around and ran. He didn’t hear anything that the other Blackjacks called out to him. He had reached the staircase and ran up the steps. He had hoped that the entrance to the rooftop wasn’t locked. When he made it to the top, he pushed the unlocked door open. He was now on the roof of the main building. He had a clearer view of the battle between Vilroz and Sorivo. Both dragons had clawed at each other in the air.

  8:25 PM

  Lionel ran past the air conditioning vents as he watched the sky. Vilroz had just pushed Sorivo away from him. Sorivo prevented his plummet as he flew back further upwards in the air. Vilroz’s arm had quickly metamorphized into a sharpened diamond-shaped blade, almost resembling the tip of a spear. He lunged forward and tried to stab Sorivo in the chest. Sorivo jumped out of the way and dug his metal claws deep into Vilroz’s back.

  Vilroz roared loudly in agony, his echo swept across the neighborhood like a cry for help. He turned around and stabbed Sorivo in the neck. It appeared to have done only minimal damage to Sorivo’s titanium skin. The Silver Skin Dragon dragged the Nevinoth Dragon further down. They bit at each other’s necks while speeding past the rooftop of the main building. Lionel crouched down to avoid an unnecessary collision. The two dragons created a gust of wind that struck Lionel’s body before they spun around in a circle away from the building.

  Lionel stood back up and seldom looked away from the fight. He did not choose a winner, though he had the unnerving suspicion that Sorivo would gain an advantage due to his advanced weaponry. Just as he punched Vilroz in the head and pushed him away, the Silver Skin brought his open palms together. A big glowing ball of red light appeared between them. He raised his hands high and tossed the glowing red orb at Vilroz. It struck the dragon on the chest and exploded upon contact. Vilroz swung his head back and fell backwards. A puff of smoke arose from his body.

  Sorivo opened his mouth wide. He launched two small missiles from its oral cavity, with both flying in the direction of Vilroz’s body. The two missiles were a direct hit in Vilroz’s neck. As his finishing move, Sorivo grabbed Vilroz and bit down on his neck. Vilroz’s eyes widened by the sharp and sudden pain. In desperation, he tightened his fist, which began to grow sharp spikes all around it. He punched Sorivo in the eyes, causing him to let go of Vilroz and have him fall.

  Lionel had to step back. Vilroz, now with severe wounds, grew smaller in size and reverted back into his mammal form. As a grizzly bear, he landed on the rooftop. His heavy mass resulted in the ground forming huge cracks just as he touched it. A thin layer of dust rose above his body. Sorivo had disappeared from the
sky for at least a little while. Lionel ran toward the wounded bear and got down on one knee. He checked the injuries Vilroz had sustained. He was bleeding profusely all over. His neck had giant teeth marks while his fur had been badly burned by the recent explosion.

  Lionel whispered, “Vilroz, can you hear me?”

  He slowly slid his hand across the bear’s head. Vilroz opened his eyes. His body couldn’t move at all.

  “Lionel…I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For bringing you into this. I thought it would work…I really did. But I failed…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

  Lionel couldn’t bring himself to feel apathetic to this helpless creature. “It’s okay. I understand why you did it.”

  “You do?”

  “I didn’t exactly make the right decision back then. I could have fought back, but…I didn’t.”

  Vilroz slowly lifted his head up. “Please, Lionel…fight back. You know Gorvex is not what he seems. Don’t let him destroy this world. Please don’t stay on his side.”

  “How can I fight back? I don’t have my dragon anymore.”

  “You’re wrong…he’s here.”

  Lionel was almost speechless. “Who? Tannitari? He’s here?”

  Vilroz still had enough strength to say, “Yes…he’s here. He’s in the building. Find him. Don’t let the Zadith destroy him. He’s…”

  Vilroz drew his last breath and brought his head back down on the floor. He lay motionless and remained silent. He was dead. Lionel spent the next few seconds grieving for another Nevinoth Dragon leaving the Earth. And then, a stirring sensation from within kept him eager for what might happen next. It wouldn’t have been confirmed that Tannitari was indeed in the building, but Lionel embraced the possibility. Tannitari was his dragon before the downfall. He wanted to see him again.

  And a familiar voice from behind almost broke his heart.

  “It still amazes me that these dragons have no idea how to win a fight anymore. They have become absolute weaklings, just as I expected them to be.”