Tyrant. Scrapper. Part 5

Chapter 1. CEO

The Company.

A worldwide conglomerate that grew into a pure force of administration that crept into every single niche of life of Terrans. United in a single planetary human race, people have long forgotten their squabbles about their territorial and otherwise based wars and disagreements. The Company united them all into a single unit of a gigantic conglomerate-governed people.

At first, of course, there were still government officials, but as their debts to the Company grew – so did the Company’s influence in the everyday life.

What it meant over the course of time was that the rich people grew even richer and the poor ones fell deeper into debt. The only way to try and repay any debts – for healthcare, education and otherwise – was to start working for the Company in one way or another.

He was fortunate enough to have been born into one of the families that were in the top administration. To him it was rather a bother – as he was raised from the early age to become one of the CEO’s that were at the helm, making sure the Company continued working properly and making profits all over Terra and the Solar System.

At 35 years of age he was the youngest CEO ever appointed, when his father stepped back from his position, allowing his son to take over.

Now, almost 40 years later, Elijah Winchester was as powerful as the CEO’s that sat longer on the board. And even though every single higher-up in the Company always used genetic rejuvenation, he was one of those fortunate enough to have the best self-care possible in his position.

He never looked even remotely older than 30.

Refined, well-educated and intelligent, this man was sought by many influential families to become an ally through marriage. But he preferred to be a bachelor, basking in the free life of a single man, who could easily enjoy his vacations, living without a single scandal. And if there ever was any hint of one – his men took care of it, eradicating the threat swiftly.

The man stepped up to the mirror, combed his thick, dark brown hair and took a thorough look at his expensive suit. The old, classic style of business attire was still considered to be the best choice for any meeting or work day.

To Elijah it meant something greater.

He loved the feel of power that surrounded him whenever he wore the suits. And the sense of safety that came with them was too – a welcome thought. The fabric wasn’t usual by any means – woven into it were the thin bullet-proof threads that could protect him from most shots and knives.

«Meeting in ten minutes, boss.» one of his bodyguards said, checking the time.

«I know, John.» lazily replied Elijah. «Any news on my little… stalker?»

«No. Terrence hadn’t checked in yet. He’s taking his time.»

«I’m sure he’s just organising everything to the best of his ability.» Elijah chuckled.

He didn’t mind the stalling – he knew that Terrence will do everything the way he’s supposed to. It was his job after all – to seek out every threat Elijah had and take care of it all. By whatever means possible.

Elijah glanced at John – the big, muscular man towered over him, but always kept cool and collected. Trustworthy and strong, he was a perfect bodyguard, who stayed by his side all the time – wherever Elijah went. His most interesting trait wasn’t in his muscles or height, it was in the rare eye implants that allowed him to see much more than usual people did.

The eyes, shimmering with silver and bloody red circles for irises, always scanned the surroundings, seeing through clothes to find any hint of weapon being concealed. Even more – those very eyes recorded the day, each evening submitted to a special server that was accessible only with a special code.

«How do I look?» Elijah brushed his sleeves and checked his cufflinks.

«Dashing, as always.» John replied calmly.

Elijah knew this wasn’t a genuine answer – the man was working for him, after all, but still, hearing someone else note his sense of style always made him feel better.

«While I’ll be busy with these old bags of bones, organise a passage to Essara.» Elijah headed out.

«How long will we be gone?» John immediately took a miniature information tablet, to note all the information.

«A month. I need a vacation. We leave tonight. Tomorrow morning at the latest. We’ll see how this meeting goes.»

«Done.» John looked up at his employer’s back. «Company for the flight?»

«Not this time. I grew bored from all the whores money can buy.» Elijah scowled, but so slightly that no one even noticed.

Or, perhaps, his co-workers simply didn’t look up, allowing him to walk past.

Elijah tried not to look at the people he loathed. All he could think about is leaving this place and going elsewhere. It’s been too long since he took a proper vacation – a luxury he could have at any time he wanted. However, the latest projects he has been involved in took up so much of his time that he forgot all about any rest at all.

He hated boredom – and after finishing up the most relevant projects he found himself bored. And even though he was summoned to attend a typical meeting of the higher-ups in his region, he knew – he won’t hear anything new. It will be all the same again – profit quota, numbers and schedules that he’s heard and seen time and time again.

Sometimes he wished he could forget all about this company life and live like one of his private enforcers. Those, at least, saw some semblance of excitement that could soothe any deep-driven rage.

And that Elijah had tonnes.

On first glance he was a collected and calm man, but deep inside there was a void that he couldn’t fill by any means – not the whores or luxurious dinners, not the new addition to his vast collection of art, not a new ancient weapon bought from the less legitimate procurers.

Even his everyday training that he spent in the private ring weren’t as exhilarating as they used to. It kept his mind under control, but there wasn’t any real danger he could face in the controlled square with his opponents – however skilful they were.

But he knew he wouldn’t be able to enter a real match – his family could easily disown him for falling so low in terms of self-respect.

Walking into the massive conference room, he noted all the people gathered there – every man and woman of high status that always looked like they’ve been chewing lemons every single moment of their pitiful lives – and greeted them with polite nods as he passed them to his place.

For the next few hours he had to force himself to play by the Company rules and listen to the continuous babbling of his fellow administration with a semblance of respect for them and interest in what they have done for the Company.

By the time the meeting ended and all the etiquette chatter was done with, Elijah walked out, shedding the mask and becoming as bored and indifferent, as he was before he stepped inside that room.

John met him with a nod and they both headed off to the top floors of the skyscraper, where his space jet was already waiting for his departure.

Once in the comfortable seats of the jet, Elijah shared a drink with his bodyguard, enjoying the silence of the flight towards a place he could try and find some solace in the entertainment Essara offered. He looked at the Company motto that was embedded into the wall of his private space jet and couldn’t help it, scowling.

For the benefit of the Company. For the glory of mankind.

Chapter 2. Shores

Serena basked in the sun, enjoying the fine weather this vacation planet called Essara offered.

This place they went to was a perfect location to relax, recuperate after the hard work they’ve done and have some much needed rest before going after whoever next the Empress will order to investigate. Fortunately, they had enough time while the Empress’ men will be able to study everything they were supplied with – Falana’s ship that Serena’s crew delivered to them was a treasure of information and some prototypes that the criminal had produced in her travels.

So Serena and her crew could rest until they would be called upon or until they would get tired of being without anything to do. And that was exactly what the Captain was doing – lying in the sun and trying to enjoy her day.

Her thoughts, however, were far from being calm, still fixated on her irrational fear of Falana, when they engaged her on Helvette. Serena couldn’t forgive herself for falling prey to that fear, sparked by the fact that Falana wasn’t looking to fight the woman without the use of her multiple experimental devices and weapons. Perhaps, this fear threw Serena into a frenzy, forcing her to use Shimmer in a fight that could have been finished without the use of any stimulants at all.

«Ew!» a sudden disgusted voice sounded next to her and someone’s shadow closed her from the sun.

Serena opened her eye – her left one still covered by an eyepatch – and saw a bulky older woman that clutched a beach towel to her voluptuous breasts that were barely covered by what was supposed to be a swimming suit.

«Good day to you too, stranger.» Serena smirked.

«I swear! People nowadays take any lazy vagabond to work around here!» the woman scowled.

Serena twitched her brow – she was resting on the beach that was supposed to be their own little safe haven from all other guests in the area. After all, they paid a very high price for such privacy.

«I beg your pardon? Have you lost your way?» Serena asked the woman instead of the rude comment that was urging its way up.

«You are in MY spot!» the woman scoffed. «Get your pathetic ass off my beach and go do your job!»

«I’m on vacation, lady. This is my job. I am renting the mansion behind me and this beach. So get off my beach and find someone else to bother!» Serena sat up, getting annoyed.

Only now she noticed a whole group of children that were running off into the water.

«You have some nerve lying to me like that!» the strange woman raised her tone. «Never have I ever heard someone being so rude to a paying customer!»

«Lady, I rented this plot. You’re trespassing on my vacation spot. So leave now, before I throw you out without even calling for security!»

«Like I can believe a ruffian like you can afford such a mansion to stay in! You can’t even afford to get your disgusting eye fixed!»

«Is everything all right?» Hunter’s voice sounded behind them.

The strange woman gasped and ran up to the cyborg, immediately grabbing onto his arm:

«Ah! There you are! Escort this trash off my vacation plot!»

Hunter frowned and glanced at Serena, who sat silent with a smile on her face.

«Excuse me?» he turned and looked at the strange woman who somehow got into their rented plot.

«This trash! I want her out! She’s interfering with my family’s retreat! We’ve been here since last night!» the woman explained.

«I don’t know who you are, lady, but we’ve been renting this plot for the past three days.» Hunter unclasped her hands from his arm. «And I suggest you gather those little troublemakers you call your kids and get out of here before we have you arrested for trespassing.»

«Preposterous! How dare you! Do you even know who I am?»

Serena sighed and stood up, getting tired of this absurd exchange:

«I don’t give a flying fuck who you are. Or who you’re married to. Or whichever people are unfortunate enough to call themselves your parents or siblings. We are renting this place. You are trespassing. I am offering you one last chance to leave peacefully!» she said, her tone, though seemingly calm, hiding a low rumble of warning in it.

«But you are trespassing on MY spot!» the stranger screeched.

A security bot flew up, slowing down and circling everyone around to scan everyone on the beach, before descending to the heated exchange:

«Trespassers located. You have five minutes to leave of your free will.» the drone reported.

«See? Even the robot knows I am right!» the strange woman held her head high.

«You are mistaken.» the bot replied. «You and your family are trespassing on a privately rented plot. Leave now, or I will have to escort you out by force and ban you from this region for ten years.»

The stranger turned and saw more people coming towards Serena and Hunter. The intimidating look on the four men and a young woman with a girl skipping by her side made her shut her mouth.

«This isn’t over!» she hissed to Serena, glanced to her kids and whistled.

The children she was with turned to her and froze for a second, before their joyful faces turned sour and they slouched, quickly gathering their towels and other stuff, and walking back from the beach to their mother – the older children hurrying their younger siblings.

The drone followed the trespassers until they left the property line and Serena lay back down with a heavy sigh.

«Sorry.» Laneth said. «I heard the commotion and decided to call in the security drone.»

«It’s fine.» Serena closed her eye again. «Although, it might have made for some good fun beating her ass all over this beach…»

«Not the place to do that, Serena.» Lindon shook his head. «There are many powerful people resting here all the time. You don’t want to get on their bad side.»

«Yeah, like I haven’t gotten on that ladies bad side for being where I’m supposed to be.» Serena stretched. «I regret not paying for the additional security…»

«We can still order it if you like…» Wolfin walked past, heading towards the water. «But for the time being, I suggest we have some fun.»

«Race you!» Kayla screamed happily and ran off, leaving Laneth giggling behind.

The girl caught up to Wolfin and got ahead, as the man ran off behind her – only a step behind, giving her the advantage. Serena watched this and smiled, remembering how she used to «race’ Wolfin when she was a child.

Hunter watched how everybody else ran off towards the ocean, and sat down next to Serena, but not onto one of the deck-chair, deciding to sit straight on the white sand of the beach.

«Are you alright?» he asked Serena, watching Wolfin playing with Kayla and thinking what a wonderful father and mentor the Veluthian was.

«Irritated by the encounter and wished Laneth hadn’t called in security.» the woman replied. «I was about to have some fun.»

Hunter glanced at her, seeing her lying under the sun with her eyes closed.

«Not sure if that would be fun, Serena.» the man said. «That… uh… woman wasn’t very fit to be an interesting opponent in a fight.»

Serena sighed and turned her head to look at him:

«True.» she smirked.

«Can I make an observation?»

«Sure.»

«You seem like you aren’t very used to having a… vacation.» Hunter waved towards their friends having fun in the ocean waters.

Serena glanced that way and smirked:

«That is also true.» she said, stretching again. «I guess… I’m used to being busy.»

The cyborg looked to their friends and wondered if he could ask her something else.

«What’s on your mind?» Serena asked him, seeing his thoughtful expression.

He looked down, seeing his metal hands and shook his head:

«I was just wondering… when you all thought I was dead… Lindon said you ran to Daruta to fight in one of the cages there…»

«M… I did. So what’s your question then?» Serena sat up, hugging her knees and looking at him.

«Wolfin said they found you drinking and fighting… They said you barely slept.»

«I tried to keep myself busy. Because every time I stopped, I went up to the roof and sat there hours on end, contemplating if my life was worth living anymore.» Serena took a deep breath. «Is that what you wanted to ask me about?»

Hunter glanced at her and saw her looking down, her face saddened by the memories.

«Why?» he asked, his voice cracking. «I was ready to give my life for you, and you…»

He fell silent, when she raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

«It was my fault you got torn by that beast. If you hadn’t jumped to it to shield me, I’d be able to grow back my limbs…»

«It’s not your fault, Serena. It was never your fault. I was ready to die for you then, and I am ready to die for you now. There’s nothing you can say or do to make me change my mind about that.»

Serena shook her head with a sigh:

«It’s a pity we never found the chimera that…» she gritted her teeth.

«You won’t be able to.» Hunter sighed. «Because I killed it.»

The woman met his gaze again and frowned:

«I thought you couldn’t remember what happened after we lost you to Falana…»

Hunter took a deep breath, before answering:

«After the memory extraction you ran… When you found out that Falana… used me…» he gritted his teeth, shaking his head. «I started remembering. Bits and pieces, but… I remember fighting this chimera at Falana’s order. I tore it limb from limb.»

«And… everything else?» Serena’s voice grew quiet.

«I remember how I beat you… how I tried to kill you… I’m so sorry, Serena.» he looked at his hands. «I can’t even offer you anything more than an apology for those heinous acts that I’ve done… I know you won’t be able to look at me the same anymore. It hurts me, but I understand.»

Serena stood from the chair and leaned in, staying silent until he raised his face to her again. When he looked up, he saw her smiling.

«You say that, but I can’t believe you really believe that, Hunter.» she said with a smile. «You’re the one who caught me on Helvette and surrounded me with your metal body to protect me from the storm when I was knocked out. If it weren’t for you, I could have died. You weren’t thinking about yourself, even though I was under Shimmer and probably would have tried to kill you then if it weren’t for the bay doors being open.»

«I’d do that again, Serena. A thousand times over.» Hunter said truthfully.

«I know. So stop saying I will never see you in the same light I used to see you when you were a… human.» Serena looked at his body. «You might have new limbs and a much sturdier body, but inside… you’re the same Hunter I fell in love with. The same man, who was always so protective of me, whenever I needed it most. The same man I mourned for so long…»

She reached out her hand to him. Hunter hesitated for a moment and took her palm in his, rising to his feet. Serena smiled to him and shook her head:

«Now… tell me…» her smile grew wider. «Does that metal body of yours swim? Or will you sink to the ocean floor?»

Hunter saw her teasing glance and couldn’t help himself, stepping closer and gently embracing her:

«I love you, Serena. I hope you can believe that, at least.»

She didn’t recoil, didn’t tense up in his arms, and for a few long moments he felt happy to have her there by his side – almost like he used to when he was human.

«You still scare me.» Serena whispered, making Hunter immediately lean back, freeing her from his arms, but when she didn’t let go, he froze. «I still have issues to work through. Be patient. I started seeing you as the friend you were before. Perhaps, when I can get past the nightmares you embedded into my mind, we can share our bed again.»

«I’m not going to push you, Serena. I’ve hurt you too much and understand it. If you can’t have me as your man, then at least have me as a friend and part of your crew. I didn’t lie to you when I gave you that oath. I will remain loyal to you. In all matters…»

Serena lowered her eyes to his metal-covered chest and stepped up, pressing against it and closing her eyes:

«I’m beginning to like this new scent of yours….» she said quietly. «You smell like a…»

«A piece of scrap metal.» Hunter sighed.

«A Veluthian.» Serena smirked and leaned back, patting his chest with her palm. «Though, unlike one, you didn’t answer my question.»

The man twitched his brow, seeing her eyes lighting up with tease again, when she met his gaze.

«About..?» he asked.

«Do you swim? Or will you sink?» she chuckled, stepping towards the others. «Will you join us, or will you sulk all alone on the sands?»

Hunter looked down at his body. He knew he was heavy, but Laneth told him that, technically, he should be able to swim without issue.

«I mean… I don’t know.» he replied a moment later. «Laneth said it’s possible that I could swim, I just…»

«Do you want to try it out?» Serena nodded to the ocean. «Or are you scared?»

Hunter hesitated for a moment and looked at his hands again:

«You might say that…»

«Don’t worry, if you sink, we’ll fish you out.» Serena chuckled, heading to the water. «If I can overcome my fear of you… you can overcome fear of drowning.»

Hunter felt a smile appearing on his lips and followed the woman.

The next few hours they all enjoyed the cool waters of an Essarian ocean – even Hunter, who could, in fact, stay afloat and swim without having to fight against the water.

As the day continued, and Kayla got a bit tired of all the running and swimming, Serena and Laneth kept her company when she was resting on the shore, watching the men relaxing and discussing something in the water.

«Captain?» Kayla glanced at the woman. «Can we have a girls night out? Just us girls?»

«Girls night out?» Serena frowned.

«Kayla proposed to go out and see if the Entertainment Centre is as good as advertised.» Laneth giggled. «Our men agreed that you could use a bit of… a breather.»

«Even Hunter?»

«Hunter, Lindon, Wolfin, Cipher, Pher and Taliesin – all of them agreed with me!» Kayla grinned widely. «Why wouldn’t they? I’m smart!»

«And what will they do while we’re out?» Serena tilted her head.

«Who cares?»

«I think they said something about teaching Hunter and all the others the Veluthian poker?» Laneth shrugged.

Serena sighed heavily. That wasn’t a game she would prefer Hunter knowing how to play. Especially with his new body – he could easily leave a couple of broken bones with a single punch. And Veluthian poker was exactly that – punches thrown when someone lost. The winner was supposed to be not only good at cards and placing bets, but also receiving punches and staying clearheaded afterwards.

«Yeah, who cares about card games?» Kayla slapped her palms together. «Come on! Let’s go! I really want us girls to spend some time together.»

Serena exchanged glances with Laneth and sighed heavily again:

«Fine. I guess you’re right. I could use a bit of… entertainment.»

«Yay!» Kayla jumped up, happy to hear the Captain agree to her little plan. «Can we go shopping first? Laneth said we can buy some new clothes!»

Serena shrugged, smiling at the girl. Buying some new clothes could be useful and relaxing. Perhaps, she’d be able to find herself something interesting. Or, maybe, she’ll get her crew something as well – as a thank you for all the hard work they’ve done while they were chasing Falana.

Chapter 3. Entertainment

Elijah was bored.

Even though he owned Essara and had the best spots to have his vacation, there was nothing that excited him there any longer. He grew bored with the women that hung themselves onto him. He felt the drinks becoming sour. He no longer wanted to bask in the sun or gamble his money away in the casinos around the planet.

It was, of course, a great investment, but not a single establishment offered the necessary excitement any more.

Elijah wandered the streets of the Entertainment Centre – the city he build especially for the people on vacation, so that they could find every possible way to spend their money and lift their spirits before returning to whatever dull lives they had outside of their vacations.

He glanced back at the couple of bodyguards following him inconspicuously, but closely, and thought if he could ever escape them to find some kind of excitement in the simple attempt to keep them elsewhere.

The man sighed, realising that he couldn’t do that – the tracking chip, implanted into his body, would signal them his location.