(Laurinius 21, 56 / 9:22AM)

  A week after her death.

  A lone man walked through the hallway, the floors and walls coated in pure white. His hands in his pockets, his boots squeaked under the tidied floor, as the marbled sparkled under the winter sun. The roof had a see-through window, as not even the sunlight rained down on his face, leaving him to wallow with his head tilted down.

  Until he stopped.

  Standing in his way, a group of agents all cocked their heads to the right. The leader, a rge man with a big nose and buck teeth, pushed his right lip to the bottom of his ear.

  (Agent #1) What’s your problem? Think you’re so cool?

  Two to three more of his friends came in back of him, standing side by side with their hands folded over their chests. All of them had devilish grins, it didn’t flinch the depressed agent, as he stood in silence.

  Seeing he didn’t normally rub his head, or fiddle with his fingers, or try to brighten a shy smile; the agent scoffed.

  (Agent #1) Is this the day you had enough of me? If you’re going to fight me…

  He grabbed the blonde agent’s colr, his fingers gripping hard on the leather. His fingers wrinkled the fabric, and he pulled the agent's body forward, yet his eyes remained sunken down to the floor.

  (Agent #1) Come on, tough guy. Enlighten me.

  (Agent Eren) Let him go!

  Two agents ran toward the commotion.

  One of them had long silver hair, the tips of them reaching his upper back, while the other one wore sungsses. Her hair was the same length as the agent next to her, both had their faces wrinkled and scorned.

  Reaching the group, Eren pced his hands on the leader’s wrists, his fingers trenching themselves into his bones. Alexandra, who ran with him, soothed her hands onto the blonde agent’s shoulders.

  (Agent #1) Looky here, the best friend.

  (Agent Eren) When will you stop this? He barely returned to work, and now you’re bullying him?

  (Agent #1) Bully? Do you think this is some high school? No…

  The leader let go of the blonde agent’s colr, pushing him away while Eren kept his grip on his wrists. Turning his attention to Eren, he let his smirk fade away, repcing it with a neutral and monotone face. His eyes, fming under his irises, burned evermore the longer he stared deeply into Eren’s gray eyes.

  (Agent #1) What I want is to see this rookie fight. They say he’s a ‘prodigy’ in fighting, so I want to know if that rumor is true.

  A thought came to him.

  Pushing up both corners of his lips to his ears, he let his devilish side glow under the sunlight. The sun shone down onto him, it cast a hideous shadow along his face and chest, all the while he took a few steps forward.

  Standing in front of the blonde agent, he pushed aside Eren, as he let his attention draw to the blonde-haired agent.

  (Agent #1) I also heard you’re a widower. Not only that, but you’re no longer a daddy, are you?

  Both of his agents clenched firm, but they didn’t shiver.

  Noticing his hands were squeezing themselves, the leader thrust his right hand to his colr again. Feeling the agent’s body tighten and stiff up like a piece of cardboard, he leaned his face close.

  Eren and Alexandra cmped down their teeth, gritting them as they slid both their feet back.

  (Agent #1) I’ll do anything to see you fight. Hell, I would even spit on your little princess’s grave if I had to.

  (Agent Eren) That does it—

  He couldn’t breathe.

  Without blinking, he saw the ceiling above, his vision flickering between the void and reality. Feeling the back of his head sm hard to the floor, his vision went dark, yet he was still present; in the present.

  Why couldn’t he breathe? His lungs weren’t hit or fractured so why? Considering he smmed his head hard on the marble floor, it was safe to say…

  He failed to remember or to know how.

  His entire body convulsing like a fish, everyone backed away, with the group that stood by his side slowly paling their faces with utmost fear. Their feet pressed to the floor, yet their knuckles cracked by their fingers, they watched as the blonde-haired agent … Briggs …

  Grab him by his short hair.

  Both Eren and Alexandra watched with wide eyes, their hands and bodies going numb from the sudden change. Seeing him act on his own volition, they gulped down any saliva stuck to their throats.

  (Agent Eren) Briggs…

  (Agent Alexandra) H-Hon…

  As he dragged the brain-damaged agent through the marbled floor, the used-to-be shy agent garnered a rge audience. Agents, government workers, and even politicians all watched as he reached the marbled wall in front of him.

  His face, reeked with no emotion, almost lifeless, shivered all of their bones once he threw back his right hand. Having the agent in tow, he…

  Thrusting the agent’s face onto the marbled wall.

  His nose was the first to break, leaving chunks of blood to sptter the wall, combined with the loud crack splitting their ears. Uttering out a small groan, Briggs pulled the leader’s head back, and just like before, he smmed his face again.

  Again, and again, and again, each thrust to the wall broke every bone within his face. His skull, beginning to cave into his brain, poured forth blood from his ears to his mouth and nose. His eyes were blotched with red, and the bottoms of the agent’s feet kicked up repeatedly, looking like he was having a seizure.

  And then he stopped, letting his grip free from the agent’s hair.

  His breathing normal, his hands wiggling with the air, he slowly turned toward everyone who watched his unpleasant dispy. Eye bags, clouding themselves all around his eyes and eyelids, stretched down to his upper cheeks.

  Without saying a word, he walked toward the group, making them split open like he was parting a sea. His knuckles bloodied, and chunks of bone and blood staining his tuxedo suit, he pushed aside men and women alike to reach toward…

  An office, with a bar of metal, tightened on the door, the logo being titled—

  “Spartan Gabriel”

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  (Reverence 6, 59 / 7:57PM)

  (Luke)

  Back to the present.

  Every hair along his skin froze up, leaving the light-haired young man no choice but to trench his feet to the roof. Sucking air into his lungs, he pushed it down to his stomach, while his heels squeezed deep into the metal.

  He heard a service bell tap loudly against his ear.

  Jumping back, he didn’t blink, once he saw a foot barely graze the top of his nose. His luck, combined with his blessing, saved him by just the graze of a single millisecond. Seeing he had already pced his foot back, Luke took in Briggs sliding his left foot, his body hunched like a sniper bullet.

  And once he barely set both feet on the train, he saw Briggs lunge again.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Shoot!

  Unable to plunge his hands into his pockets, he had them raised to cover his chest and head. Sliding through the metal roof, he felt his body sink the more he leaned his feet on the edge of the train.

  But because of his luck, he remained standing. Arching his head back, he let his eyes scour Brigg’s trailing right leg that barely hit its mark. Walking back, while letting the tips of his toes surge and sunder through his boots, he had himself banced along the moving train.

  By using every muscle and tendon within his feet, he wouldn’t falter, unless—

  Briggs swiped both of his feet.

  Having already pulled back his right leg, he crouched down and made an ankle swipe kick. Sending Luke to falter, he raised both of his hands, his back on the verge of smming itself on the roof. Just as he was about to collide on the roof, he took the chance to thrust his right hand into his pocket.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Bite me!

  Grabbing the ends of a white crystal, he threw the little element without a second thought. The crystal, soaring and rippling through the desert wind, immediately roared itself onto the defenseless Briggs.

  And in that instant, an explosion muffled the top of the train cart they stood on.

  Arching his head up, he pced his elbows to hold his upper body, his eyes settling onto the already distilled wind. With the train in motion, the smoke couldn’t stay in one spot, letting him see Briggs…

  Unharmed.

  (Luke’s thoughts) How…

  Briggs looked at his right hand, his palm blistered and bloodied. As a couple of droplets of blood plummeted to the metallic roof, his eyes shadowed, leaving him to stare at his battered hand.

  He then jabbed his fingers into his palm, uncaring the pain that soared through his right arm and body.

  Getting himself up slowly, Luke stood up with both of his hands hovering over his waist. His back was slightly hunched, and his bck leather jacket spped itself onto his pants and white shirt, fpping with the wind.

  (Luke’s thoughts) He let it explode, inside of his hands…

  (Agent Briggs) I’m not letting you try any more tricks.

  Using the muscles along his heels up to his toes, he flew through the air, his hands low to his waist. Unlike the others, who pulled back their hands or arms, Briggs had them stationary to his body.

  Reaching the barely defensible Luke, he didn’t have enough time to defend himself, leaving him to widen his eyes at the incoming fist.

  His blessing already activated, he lunged half a foot to the right, as the tip of his nose scraped against Brigg’s knuckles. As the blonde agent raised his left foot, Luke crouched down, allowing him to grab Brigg’s arms—

  They were already pulled back.

  Moving his hands and arms at supersonic speeds, even Luke couldn’t reach that fast.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Just how fast is he…

  Instead of side-swiping his feet, Briggs raised his right foot, and…

  Let the tip of his boot sm itself onto Luke’s chin. Feeling his jaw dislocate upon the gunshot kick, groups of teeth broke free from his gums, leaving blood to solder whatever enamels stuck to his mouth.

  His back smming against the metal train again, he turned his body around, as he coughed out blood. Along with a few sets of teeth prying themselves out, it scratched and scraped against his red parched lips.

  His chin was swollen a dark purple, he felt his hearing bre loud like the world’s rgest arm clock.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Ah … it … it—

  (Agent Briggs) Get up.

  Luke had his left palm on the roof while having his right hand smoothing out his chin. Feeling it bleed, swole, he also felt a speck of bone sticking out through the skin. His eyes, gazing and flickering at the agent in front of him, felt the corners of his mouth river out blood.

  Bending his knees, he began to breathe harshly, leading his throat to coarse and muzzle like a motor. Rather than try to let his eyes and blessing take hold of him…

  He shut his eyes, leaving him to use just his blessing.

  In that single instant, he felt every hair on his body static out, causing his heels to leap through the air. Ignoring the burning pain that began scarring his face, he dug all four of his mors together, scraping and tearing pieces of enamel from their roots.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Guide me … please …

  His hands low to his waist, he slid and lunged, allowing his body to evade all of Brigg’s kicks and punches. Every attack he threw, he dodged, and every dodge he did, Briggs threw more. Stuck in a cycle, his body began to wear down, as his forehead and temples surged from porcein sweat.

  Without pulling out another batch of crystal, and not even his weapons, he balled his fists.

  The back of his head burning and swelling from the sandy wind, and his entire body going sore from exerting his blessing, he kept going. Pushing his body, pushing his spirit and drive, he opened his mouth slightly to let out trapped CO2.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Please … let me … hit … him.

  He slid his right foot back and straightened his body. Pulling back his right hand and arm, his knuckles creaked endlessly, leading bits of bone to crack and shuffle like a pair of sticks.

  Plowing the st bit of air from his lungs, he thrust his right hand forward, piercing the air with his hardened knuckles. Like feeling tiny ants biting the edges of his skin, he wrinkled his face, and bared his teeth—

  (Agent Briggs) You think you could hit me?

  He felt his hand enclosed in something.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes, allowing himself to see the world just beyond darkness. The early night, dawning upon the eastern horizon, gave way to the sight in front of him.

  Briggs had already trapped his hand with his, stopping it with just the palm of his hand. His face still reeked with no emotion, he tilted his head back and allowed Luke to see his pale face grow cold. By just staring at him, his soul shivered, making him try to pry his hand out from the lock.

  Feeling his muscles about to tear apart, he bit both of his lips, hissing out a long stream of air.

  (Agent Briggs) You thought wrong.

  He only put a little bit of strength, but that little strength was enough to crack a knuckle or two from his hand. Feeling like his bones might tear apart, he yelled from his parched throat, while smming his knees to the ground.

  Yelling, yelling louder and sinisterly at the metal roof, his vision turned red.

  His skin felt like it was in a boiling pot of water, making it turn purple and swollen. Ringing his eardrums with the sound of his voice, he felt his body go numb, as another pain swelled within his scrawny body.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I can’t … I can’t, I can’t, I can’t… no…

  He bit the insides of his cheeks. Letting the blood swirl around his teeth, his gums, and even down his parched throat, he lifted his head and arched his body back. Taking a couple of steps back, he raised his hands to the height of his shoulders, his knuckles bristling with the dry air.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I can …

  Seeing he was not willing to back down, Briggs cracked one or two of his bones, letting off an excess of steam and stress. Lowering his hands, he wiggled them with the air, with his nails an inch from scraping his bck scks.

  Taking a couple of steps back, he narrowed his eyes, and—

  He was in front of Luke.

  Unluckily for him, Luke had already pnned this.

  Once Luke had pushed the soles of his heels, he directed them to the right, so far right that he leaped off the train. Having his right hand stretched, he grabbed the edge of the roof, as he dangled his body from the exterior wall.

  Which left Briggs to crack his brow, leading him to be slightly surprised by this sudden action. Walking slowly, he let his boots thud the metallic roof, leaving behind dented marks.

  Reaching where Luke dangled, his boots stood right in front of…

  (Luke) Here!

  His left hand was extended, his palm clenching firmly onto a piece of pstic. Despite looking like gss, it contained a purplish liquid, with the top of it having a metallic—

  Briggs jumped back, covering his eyes with his right arm. Barely in time to see it was just a trick, he let his ears do the work, while he slid an inch back from the metallic roof.

  All the while Luke jabbed his left hand into his pocket again, repcing the perfume with…

  (Luke’s thoughts) My st fulminated mercury…

  Grabbing the tip of the white crystal, he angled his arm and threw it with all the force inside his left shoulder. Its trajectory changing with the howling wind, it arched back, making a slingshot as it soon hit…

  Another explosion unfolded, leaving the cart to wobble violently.

  Almost loosening his grip on the edge, Luke bit down on his teeth, shielding his eyes from the rapid plume of smoke. But it was only for a second since it fluttered back toward the previous train carts.

  Plunging his left hand on the edge, same as his right, he pulled himself up. Having his chest and upper body on the roof, he looked up at where Briggs stood, seeing he was…

  Still standing.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I got him good…

  The entirety of his body was covered head to toe with bck ash and smoke, his face and eyes clouded in the mess of Luke’s creation. On the verge of falling back, he coughed out one or two chunks of smoke from his throat, as his hands were motionless with gravity.

  Getting himself back on the metallic roof, Luke jabbed his left hand into his pocket again, feeling he had only a couple of gadgets left of his inventory.

  His fingers grazed two gss capsules.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I only have one st batch of bromine, and also that mysterious liquid I pyed with a week back…

  He held the capsule of bromine with just two of his fingers while keeping his hand in bay inside his jacket. Staring directly at Briggs, Luke walked slowly, as he hovered his fingers over his holster. Since he got hit directly by the fulminated mercury, without blocking or shielding himself from it, it put him in a dazed state.

  Just as Luke was about to pull the gss capsule from his pocket, Briggs took a step forward. With that single step, Luke stopped, feeling his body tightened once Briggs arched his head straight at him.

  (Agent Briggs) You got me good…

  He cracked his knuckles, letting off an excess of stung pain from his bones. Letting it crackle, ugh even, he sucked in the desert air through his nostrils, which plunged deep into his wrinkled lungs.

  His eyes already narrowed, his face already wrinkled, and he hunched his body again.

  As his left hand shivered inside his pocket, Luke trenched his boots to the roof, leaving his heart to pound against his chest. Waiting, scanning, analyzing everybody apart from his fingers to his feet, Luke hunched his body an inch forward.

  Once every hair from his body rose again.

  (Luke’s thoughts) He’s attack—

  He didn’t raise his arms or legs.

  In front of him, Briggs had his hands stationed on his waist, yet they didn’t bulge or harden. Unable to lunge back, since he was an inch away from the edge, he tilted his body back. Arching it the most he ever did, he put his body on the border between falling and being stable, as his hands were hovering frantically below his thighs.

  Luke felt a hand grip his colr, its fingers cold as gcier water from the northern caps. His hands, too slow to pry his fingers onto the agent’s wrist, were slumped low, low enough for his nails to touch the roof.

  (Agent Briggs) I could py tricks too.

  Using just the strength of his right arm, he threw Luke. Piercing the air around them, he let go of him, leaving him to soar through the air for a couple of seconds. Landing back on the roof, he rolled and tumbled, all the way to the edge of the second train cart, his face and upper body leaning on near the first.

  Hearing the sshes of swords coming from the first train cart, he looked up, seeing Luna and Kenichi’s fight. Embers from their metal, the cshing of air, what made his breath freeze in his throat was…

  Seeing Luna back to her prior self, her strength illuminating under the barely forming night sky.

  (Luke’s thoughts) She’s growing…

  He felt his back snap.

  As if a knife jabbed itself into his back, he scrunched his fingers along the metal. Screeching the roof, leaving off a leftover nail that scratched the surface, he tried to conjure up a deafening yell from the pain.

  But he only pushed forth a hoarse yell.

  And then he felt that pain again.

  This time, the stabbing sensation scoured through his upper back, leaving his spine to creak and crackle. Closing his eyes, trying to escape the cruel reality and pain, it still lingered even in his void.

  (Agent Briggs) Get up.

  Using just his right foot, he pledged his boot onto his back, kicking it repeatedly for his satisfaction. Avoiding his spine, he dug his boot into every skin and cranny within his back, leaving him no choice but to ball up. Again and again, he kicked and kicked, making him push up a little smirk on his right lip.

  (Agent Briggs) Get up, you bastard.

  Enjoying the little game he pyed, Luke felt his back go numb, his eyes straining a soul-gripping red. The stabbing sensation repeating over and over again like some evil cycle, he bit the inside of his cheeks.

  But he couldn’t rip off his flesh, he couldn’t do that even to himself.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I wanna die…

  (Agent Briggs) Get up.

  Pulling back his right foot, he smmed it onto his left shoulder, making a cracking sound that roared the inside of his body. Screaming internally, agonizingly, and cruelly, his body turned to let his chest and stomach face Briggs.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I wanna die … I wanna die … I wanna die …

  The same way he did to his back, he plowed his boot into his chest. Followed by his stomach, chunks of spit and saliva spewed out from his mouth, with every kick Briggs jabbed him with. Breathless, yet still wheezing, his eyes flickered heavily the more his nails broke on the metal surface, nails that tried to sink deep into the roof.

  He soon poured forth blood.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die.

  (Agent Briggs) Get … up.

  Unwilling to stop, he kept going.

  Leaving him to gleam with his sadistic pleasure, he arched his head back, as he pushed his left lip to the halfway between his ear and jaw. Kicking, kicking, and kicking; his foot basked from the strength he soared through his bones.

  Doing this repeated motion, he didn’t want this to end…