Testing: A little Sci-Fi adventure (chapter 4)

Chapter Four,
Underworld Overworld

VENUS’S PURSE, Planeshifters Casino,

“Ahhhh! This is the life! No worries, no cares, just relaxation!” Hiryu exclaimed as he plopped into the big bean bag and flicked on the tube.
“Don’t forget, we’re here on a mission not a holiday.” Naomi responded while taking out her binoculars from her purse and scanning the gardens.
“Hey! The only reason I took this job is because you forced me to!”
“If I didn’t make you take this job then we’d die of starvation!”
“The only reason we’d die of starvation is because you guys are staying on my ship and draining my supplies!”
“My, my, are we arguing already?” A foreign voice came from the door.
“Isaac! You’re supposed to be looking for Mr. Lucifer!” Naomi shouted.
“But I already have! He’s not very hard to find! Here!” Isaac threw a holodisk at Naomi.
Naomi activated the disk. It gave out a video of their target doing his usual ‘business’. He was indeed a big sized man, with a grand frame and huge jaw. He was going to be hard to take down. Isaac dropped his bag on the floor and slumped onto the bed. Layenne jumped onto the coffee-table and examined the whole room.
It had been three years since the eventful day and Isaac was now 19 years old. Hiryu looked the same as when they first met and Naomi had given up that ridiculous bandaged look and chose instead to wear torn dresses. Layenne didn’t change a bit. They were working together as bounty hunters, freelance, even though Hiryu never really wanted to take part in any of the missions. Naomi was more or less the manager of the whole charade.
“Hey! Let’s say we hit the casino and go for a seven-course dinner afterwards!” Hiryu blurted out.
“Not a bad idea! We could even visit the circus after that! I hear it’s one of the best!” Isaac chirped in.
***
“Heyyy! Why’d you do that for?” both Isaac and Hiryu shouted.
“How can you possibly think of going to the casino at a time like this! We have less that two hours to set up the assassination of Lucifer! Get to work!” Naomi was red with fury.
“Just leave everything to us. We’ll take down Lucifer and eat a banquet at the same time!”
“Ergh…men…”
Isaac and Hiryu laughed as they exited the hotel room. Over the years, Isaac became more and more like Hiryu, they were even beginning to look the same. Naomi took a seat and pondered.
“Remind me why I chose to follow those two idiots Layenne?”
“You thought that it would be safer to live with these two than risk going back to the Republic.”
“Now I wish I didn’t think that way.” She let out a deep sigh.
Isaac wandered around the massive casino. Lights were shining everywhere, the sound of ringing filled his ears. The whole place was colored neon and slashed with the atmosphere of sharks, crooks and the occasional gambler. All around there were beautiful girls, poor sods and rich bastards. He wondered how these people would feel if they realized that the most notorious kingpin was walking amongst them.
He saw Hiryu talking to some bargirls, making them blush and giggle.
“Thank god Naomi isn’t here to see this.” He said to himself. He took out some change from his pocket and headed over to the vending machines. If he was going to wait for the target to come, then he might as well fill his stomach until then.
The machine displayed food and drink from all sides of the galaxy. He was tempted to buy the Sichuan Turnip Mystery, who knows what’s in it. It was then that he overheard a gruff voice whispering in the next room. He placed his ear closer to the door and concentrated as hard as possible.
“The deal goes down at midnight tonight, late and you die. Capeesh?”
“….Well you’d better be!”
He heard a phone click. Quickly he resumed his position at the vending machine. The man who came out of the room was none other than Mr. Lucifer himself. He glanced from side to side and kept the cellular phone in his sleek tuxedo. Then he hurried off to join a group of other fancily-dressed people, not noticing a little device pinned onto his collar, emanating a constant signal.
Isaac returned to the tedious task of buying food. He had inserted his cash card and was deliberating over the choice of Woo Long Duck or Roasted Fettuccine over Dijon Cheese. He felt a friendly pat on his shoulder, he looked up and saw Hiryu posing with the two babes from the bar.
“Tell Naomi that I might be a little late in apprehending Lucifer.”
“You know you’re probably going to suffer for three days for this.”
He just waved his hand and walked off with the two giggling barmaids. Isaac just shook his head and reached for his handheld. He flicked a switch and waited for a response.
“Yeah, this is Naomi.” The gruff voice of his caretaker blasted through the speaker.
“Yo, this is Isaac. I’ve got bad news and worse news.”
“Sigh…give it to me.”
“Bad news is, Lucifer rescheduled the meeting to midnight, so we’ll probably have only one and a half hours to prepare.”
“What’s worse?”
“Hiryu just ran off with some barmaids.”
The sound of a phone dropping followed by a scream sounded off inside the phone. Isaac was wise enough to turn off the communicator before she had a chance to complain. He bought his dinner and decided to wait around the casino until twelve. He ate as people exchanged glances when they saw him sitting besides the toilet. He ate as the neon bathed the area with confusion and dismay. However, he looked up when he saw a band of men dressed in Armani’s and pinstripe suits walked into the casino.
One of them pulled out an ancient tommy-gun and sent lead flying through the air. The rat-at-at-at of the gun blew away the décor and reduced valuable treasures to dust.
“Okay! Now that I’ve got your attention, please put all your money and jewelry into this nice man’s sack. Or else.”
The leader of the gang acted, dressed and even resembled a shark. He kept one of his hands inside his vest. Another hail of gunfire blasted out from his accomplice’s machine gun.
The victims of the vendetta walked up feebly towards the gangster and threw whatever money they had into the linen bag. The leader let his men take care of the business and walked towards the bar. He slapped his hand on the table and called for a martini, with the little cherry on top. The bartender nervously created the drink with sweat running down his brow.
At that moment, the shark-like mobster noticed Isaac sitting in the corner, observing everything that has been happening. He jumped off the barstool and approached Isaac with style. He took out a revolver and jabbed it at Isaac’s forehead.
“Hey boy, didn’t you hear us just now? You are supp-”
***
The man bowled over in pain, his hands grasping at his privates. His face was blue and he was wheezing away. He looked at Isaac with hatred and tried to pick up his pistol. Isaac just got up and walked away from the scene, not forgetting to kick away the pistol in the process.
“Hey you! Boy! Get over here!” One of the other gangsters commanded.
“Why?”
“You! Who’s holding the gun here?”
“It’s just a gun. Bye.”
The man burned with rage and let out a hellish spray of burning fire aimed at Isaac. The blast ripped a nearby woman into shreds and tore away her partner’s arm. Blood splattered on the one-arm-bandits and the roulette tables. Chunks of human flesh rained back down on the crowd. Isaac jumped out of the way and ducked behind the bar counter. Bottles of fine wine exploded as the bullets peppered the area.
Isaac took his time to arm his weapon, his gift from the past, the Remora. He waited for it to be at full power before jumping back up and releasing the barrage of anti-tank shells onto the helpless enemies. All the gang members managed to jump out of the way but that maniacal gunman burst into pieces. The impact blew away everything within a one-meter radius that wasn’t nailed down.
Isaac ducked again to avoid the suppressive fire from the other gang-members. Bullet holes riddled the once lively casino. The crescendo of gunfire ricocheted off the walls and created a ghostly echo. Isaac looked to his left, the leader had managed to stand and reclaim his gun. He was already ready to press the trigger. He laughed loudly just before having a bullet shot through his skull. The bloodstain on the pillar would never come off.
Isaac scanned the area, the rain of shots never ceased but never met their mark. Isaac spotted his redeemer, the man in the tux, Lucifer. He wielded himself with a puny berretta but he made the best use out of it. Determined not to be defeated by his target, Isaac ran out of the safety of the counter. He dodged the bullets and flew past the exploding pillars and tables. Once a target was in sight, Isaac released carnage upon the pitiful soul.
Lucifer, noticing competition, killed a few more of the thugs with relative ease, one shot for each. This kept on repeating until the last three gang-members of the twenty-five men team raced out of the room. What was once a sparkling casino was now littered with dead bodies, both innocent and opponent. The few remaining survivors ran away, muttering to themselves that they needed a vacation. The only thing lighting the hall was a few flickering light bulbs and the old neon sign. The walls were riddled with bullet holes, craters and blood.
Isaac removed his weapon and returned it back to its original state, a bracelet.
“Boy, you’re pretty good for a rookie.”
“Yeah…and you’re pretty good for a has-been.”
Both laughed. Lucifer wiped his hands with a little silk cloth and put his gloves back on.
“Hahaha…see you later Mr. Chance.”
“Bye, Mr. Lucifer.”
The huge man dusted off his coat, put it on, and walked off. The crowd outside parted to make way for him. Isaac didn’t want to wait for the police so he left soon after. His watch read 11.20 p.m., forty minutes remaining till their next meeting, he couldn’t wait. He wondered what would the man be traf***ing for his price to be worth 19 000 000 credits.
He didn’t go back to the hotel room, the thought of Naomi freaking out sent shivers down his spine. Instead he went out into the gardens. The moons highlighted the fountains and statues and made the air sparkle. But of course, the air in this region was composed of precious metals due to constant eruptions on the system’s star. He walked past the many flowers, bushes, and streetlamps. He sat down on a wooded bench and relaxed.
To his left, he saw a couple in love, cuddling each other. To his right, he saw the privateer that belonged to those robbers, now being towed away by the officials. Out of the corner of his eye, he detected a shining silver man standing upon the tallest statue. Its brilliance was clearly recognizable and it’s shape was obvious. Isaac turned to face it, but there was nothing there.
Then he saw his Rivian companion approaching him. She sat down on his lap and lay her head on his hand.
“Naomi wants you to go back to the hotel room.”
“I’m sure she can wait. Is there something you wanted to know?”
“Do you mind if I stay here as well?”
“Not at all.” Isaac gave her a smile and Layenne closed her eyes for a quick rest.
They stayed that way for the next fifteen minutes, then he gently woke her from her slumber.
“I have to go now. See you later.”
“Okay.”
Isaac got up and placed his hands into his pocket. The cool wintry breeze sent him reminders of what was to come. He made his way to the docks, warehouse no. 66. He could smell the sea air and could hear the sound of dragon fish. Then he caught sight of his prey, a hovercraft making its way for the shoreline. Its sleek structure contrasted with the ten millimeter heavy artillery. Behind him the giant loading doors opened, creaking and grinding. Isaac equipped his weapon, the metal grasping his skin.
“Isaac, I give you one last chance to back down.”
“Why? When the odds are in my favor.”
Lucifer had a smug look on his face. He waved his hand and a storm of bullets rained down on Isaac, the second one in a day. Isaac dashed and dodged, returning fire whenever possible. Easily there could have been seventeen men. Lucifer himself boarded a platform which took him to the depths of the ocean. Sparks flew and bullets ricocheted. Isaac pulled off every single maneuver in the book and brought down the hired thugs with relative ease. After all, he held in his hand, a cannon which spouted out anti-armor shells at a machinegun’s pace.
Isaac looked out into the ocean. The submarine had already took off and bubbled under the waters. He saw some activity on board the hovercraft; they were letting down a rope ladder. Isaac looked at the time, it read twelve-two, he was late. Lucifer was already boarding the hovercraft. Isaac tapped his feet in impatience, if that jerk stalled any longer, their meal ticket was going to take off.
He heard footsteps behind him. A feminine voice came out.
“He can really be dependable when the situation requires it.”
“I hope you’re right.”
An explosion brought the ship into the water. It was already starting to sink. That was the effect of Hiryu’s serpentine blade, a chain of fire. Isaac chuckled when he saw the remaining gang members fleeing and jumping into the murky waters. Shots could be heard and more explosions sounded off inside the frame of the vessel. The night lit up as plumes of smoke and fire rose to greet the moon. The flames licked at the water and burned the spilling oil. Already it was looking like a firestorm.
A ship took off from the submerged deck and threw off a couple of stowaways. The engines roared in the cold silence and made a streak in the night. Shortly after, the plane landed somewhat abruptly on the warehouse. Hiryu clambered out of the smoking cockpit. He was coughing and had traces of sweat running down his face. Then he pulled something out. Isaac and Naomi ran up to greet him. He was kneeling down and panting heavily.
On the ground was a badly injured Lucifer. He had and cuts all over his body, not to mention burn marks all over. That wasn’t the strange thing, he had a lump the size of an apple on his head. Isaac looked at Hiryu and then at the bloody sword in his hand. Well, even heroes have to resort to desperate measures when all else fails. Isaac looked at Naomi who was shaking her head in disbelief.
“Hey! You try going after mafia family on your own next time! I’m just doing this because you forced me to!” Hiryu protested.
He climbed back into the smoking craft and took off. His cloths were torn in many areas but his hat was untouched, just like it always was. Isaac turned and faced Naomi.
“What did you do to him?”
“You don’t need to know. If you had seen the trouble he was in just now then you would understand.”
Isaac scratched his head again.
“What exactly was the Don traf***ing anyway to get such a high bounty on his head?”
“Fruits.”
“What? Fruits? Why?”
“The planets ecosystem has been too badly damaged till the extent that fruit trees are unable to survive. There is a big market in these luxuries. Usually, a trader would have to pay very high taxes to bring in fruits but this way, Lucifer could bring in all the fruits he wanted and reap the rewards.”
“Ah…”
Isaac nodded in conformation.
“Now help me carry this body back to the police station.”
“Yes, maam.”