Chapter Nine

"I like the ancient samurai look," Kaida said, making no effort to hide the amusement dancing across her features.

She was referring to the scabbard holding Vito's rapier at the waist. It was a weird fashion choice for the times, but Vito wasn't making a fashion statement.

"I was under the impression we weren't in a district still in the stone ages, and it had some sort of gun distribution business," an abnormally skinny man with considerable height, who Kaida had introduced only as Mikey said.

He was one of her specialized rebellion group who had appeared at the border as she said. They all wore full tactical attire, complete with modular vests that contained magazine pouches, a radio unit and slots for knives. They all had AK-47s which they kept strapped around their chest, the camouflage skin matching their vests. Their eyes were also in a constant state of alertness.

These were clearly men accustomed to being behind enemy lines with a fair amount of combat experience.

"Any weapon from any era is lethal in the hands of a skilled individual," Vito responded evenly.

"If I had to take a guess, that's one of the legendary weapons the Crimson Tides is known for hoarding," another man, called Laze said. He was much heavier-set than Mikey and had a hard, cold stare that had as good a chance of intimidating someone as the AK-47 on his chest.

"A man who researches both his allies and foes is a good asset to have," Vito commented. Mikey snorted, but kept his energetic lips shut this time. "I trust your stay these last few days at the inn has been smooth?" Vito continued, addressing Kaida.

However, Mikey took it upon himself to answer for her."'Bout as smooth as a fourth-rate hotel back in our district, mate. Stinks like a few thousand men died in here, which I don't put pass-"

"Then you're free to return to the comforts of your beloved home," Vito said, his voice once again even. Luckily, he was well versed in dealing with these types, thanks in part to the brother which sat at a table behind the group, glaring daggers at Mikey.

"You'll have to excuse Mikey," Kaida said quickly, "he doesn't do well after being holed up for too long."

"Guy's a damn wild animal," a new speaker, Carlo, said with a smile. This soldier was short and had dark rings around his eyes. He was the only soldier who had his AK-47 in an unready, relaxed position.

There was only one other soldier, introduced as Fidd, but Vito hadn't heard the guy speak even one word since meeting him two days ago.

"Just wishin' for some action, is all," Mikey said with a predatory smile.

Vito shrugged. "It seems like you'll get your wish today."

Kaida visibly perked up. "You found them?"

"Possibly." Vito removed his hand from his pants pocket and handed an excited Kaida an envelope. He knew firsthand it contained a picture taken from a drone which showed a group fitted to the bone with weaponry huddled around a campfire.

Kaida had assured him that Lafon would send a scouting group, and since then, it had been Vito's job to pinpoint when the group entered the rogue lands near the district. With the lack of groups in these lands, the difficulty was in being patient and persistent, rather than discerning between a large number of groups.

Vito still needed a positive ID, however.

Kaida nodded. "District 31 squadron, through and through. You can tell from the helmets and weapon choice." She passed it around her team, who echoed her sentiment.

Mikey was practically bouncing on his toes. "When do we move?"

Vito observed Kaida's response. She opened her mouth, then caught herself, before turning to Vito. Good, she knew who was in charge.

"Tonight."

"At night?" Carlo asked with a disapproving frown. "Making progress through the night was hard for us. Even with night vision, not knowing what supernatural twat might be lurking in the shadows is unnerving."

"You'll be with us this time," Vito stated.

"Real nice," Mikey replied in a mocking tone. "The rogue lands are not this dump of a district that you apparently rule. It's the wild out there, a possibility of supernatural creeps out for blood at random. They won't be scared of your little suit and Crimson Tide nonsense."

The excruciating sound of a chair being scraped against wood filled the air as Jekio stood and marched over to the group. He didn't stop at Vito's side, but continued onward until he was face to face with Mikey.

"Maybe you should be scared of our little suits and Crimson Tides nonsense because those little toy bullets and vest will do nothing to stop me from tearing you apart limb from limb," Jekio warned.

To his credit, Mikey didn't back down from the mad look in Jekio's eyes. "You want to test that theory?" Mikey cooed. The other men around them tensed and Kaida looked uncertain of what to do. Vito had long noted that despite her claim of being the rebellion leader, she seemed to have problems being in completely control.

Vito knew that Jekio would, without a doubt, and given the Aegis armor Vito had forced him to wear under his suit, he would be victorious. Still, the aim wasn't to embarrass their allies. Vito placed a calming hand on Jekio's shoulder and thankfully, he obediently stepped back to stand beside Vito.

"I understand why you would be scared of a few little lone supernatural crazies," Vito said. "After all, you lack the tools to do any real damage against something non-human." Vito removed a Djirin bullet from his pocket and displayed it to the man. "A headshot with this and you won't have to be so fearful anymore. I assume you're capable of at least aiming, and not just running that mouth of yours. We have reason not to be scared of the dark, and considering we occasionally venture into those rogue lands and kill any brave supernatural entity, they do have reason to fear our little suit and Crimson Tide nonsense."

Vito paused to toss the bullet to Mikey who warily caught it, then turned his attention back to Kaida. "Tonight it is?"

Kaida's smile was wide as she spoke. "Tonight it is."

As soon as the door shut behind them, Jekio whirled on Vito. "I'm sick of you stopping me all the time! I-"

"I'm sick of you having to be stopped all the time," Vito shot back.

Jekio grunted. "Who cares if I end that big mouthed clown? You and I both know that group of clowns won't be much help, with or without that particular fool."

"That group you speak of will likely take on the role of the leaders of the district once we dispatch of Lafon. It's beneficial to be in their good graces."

Jekio frowned. "Beneficial to whom?"

Vito grabbed a surprised Jekio by the face, using both hands to cup his cheeks and squeeze them. "To us, you blockhead! I need a right-hand man, not a boy. We're no longer teens out for a little bit of sport with our golden teacups, Jekio. We are men with the responsibility of a district on our shoulders. Learn to see the bigger picture."

With that, Vito released him and hurried to the Porsche at which Hades already had the doors waiting opened.

"Don't be too hard on him," Hades began.

"That's the problem," Vito interrupted. "No one has been hard on him."

The drive back to the mansion was quiet, which was fine with Vito. He had a lot to mastermind before their expedition into the rogue lands that night.

But priorities first. He needed to continue training with the rapier as he had done the last few days. He caught his brother's wandering eye in the mirror. "Maybe you can let off some of that steam in a spar."

Jekio smiled readily and spoke in a sing-song voice. "Careful what you wish for..."

Ten hours later, Vito was forced to pop a painkiller. Not only had his sparring session been exhausting, but his stab wound occasionally flared up with pain, and Vito couldn't have that interfering with his dealings tonight.

"I hope you don't make that habit," Hades said.

They were upfront in the first van of two, which transported fifteen Crimson Tides, not including Jekio, who would be accompanying them. In the second van was Kaida and her crew, along with a Crimson Tide driver and three more members.

Twenty-six people aiming to take out a twenty-person scout squad. Vito liked those odds.

Hades brought the van to a halt when they reached the border, and everyone from both vans piled out. There was another nondescript white van waiting, which Vito walked towards and everyone followed suit, aside from Hades, who walked over to a waiting Porsche. He had already instructed Millard to ensure the border was clear of other officers and wasn't surprised to see his old pal had delivered.

The other border officers obeyed him not because of seniority, which he lacked, but because they were aware of his ties to the Crimson Tides. It was smart for their health to stay on his good side and out of his way.

Millard pulled open the back of the van after a customary nod between him and Vito, as Hades drove the porsche away in the direction of the rogue lands after greeting the lone passenger. Vito watched the porsche disappear, silently wishing them goodwill before he refocused on executing his part of the plan.

At a hand signal from Vito, the Crimson Tide members advanced forward to retrieve their selection of the van's contents: guns. Rows and rows of guns. Vito easily could've arranged for the Tides to receive their arsenal of weaponry at the Tide, but he wanted to send a bit of a message.

Valko was the last of the Crimson Tides to grab a weapon, ultimately deciding on a machine gun. Naturally, all of the provided ammo was of the blessed bullets variety. Since they were drawing so deeply on their reserves, Vito was determined to make the operation a success.

Vito gestured at Kaida and her crew to come forward. "Here are the tools I spoke of. Take your pick of the litter."

Kaida nodded appreciatively, and all of her crew looked equally wistful at the firepower at their hands. Even Mikey had no quip to make as he eyed the arsenal hungrily.

Kaida got first selection of the group and came out cradling a carbine to her chest as if it was a baby. She met Vito's eyes and gave a slight smile as the rest of her crew descended on the van like vultures. Vito figured that being in a rebellion meant you took what weaponry you could find, rather than having the privilege of choice.

Stolen novel; please report.

"We really appreciate this, Vito," Kaida said earnestly.

Vito waved his hand dismissively. "I make sure my allies are well equipped for their survival."

"Good man," Laze announced from behind the pair. He had emerged with an AK-47, deciding not to shift away from what he was familiar with.

Of course, the arsenal of weapons didn't include any of the legendary, or even replica sort, and Vito had decided against offering them improved armor. He had been sincere about helping the rebellion group stay alive, but he wouldn't hold their hands. They had to be capable themselves.

It didn't take long for the vans to be reloaded with their passengers, though the members had now switched. Now, with Vito taking over the driver spot of the leading van, he offered Kaida the passenger seat while Jekio would be in the back with the rest of her crew. The second van would be full of Crimson Tides, commanded by Valko.

Vito initially worried of pairing the personalities of Jekio and Mikey in the back of the van, but both seemed to be silent and in their own mental worlds as they prepared for the mission. Truthfully, Jekio had been on the more silent side ever since Vito had told him off earlier, but that was a problem for Vito to worry about another time.

As he prepared to move off, Millard ran up to his window. "Hey, Vito." Vito gave him his attention and the boy hesitated before speaking again. "If you need an extra pair of arms and eyes watching your back, I could always tag along. Won't be hard to call in a replacement at the border." He cast a rather distrustful glance at Kaida in the passenger's seat.

Accepting his offer didn't cross Vito's mind for a second. Millard was simply too good-hearted to be sullied more than necessary with Vito's business. "I appreciate the offer, Mill," Vito replied, "however, I don't trust the other guys to hold down the border when I'm out of the city. You're needed here."

Millard's disappointment showed for a moment, and Vito suspected he saw through his words, but Millard obediently didn't press the issue. "Good luck then."

It was an uncanny transition from the noisy District 35 to the silent, haunting rogue lands. It always put an unsettling feeling in Vito's stomach and tonight was no different. Not to mention, the moonlight was insufficient for driving the bumpy paths, so Vito was forced to use the headlights, broadcasting their location for any threats.

Although he had undermined the threat levels of the lone supernatural forces, they were some powerful enough to make the drive an unpleasant experience, to say the least.

Vito calmly navigated the dark terrain, despite his alertness. It was easy to make fear your master in a situation like this, but one of the key lessons learned when their father, or most often Hades took them on camping trips in these dangerous lands, was that fear crippled your ability to perform. It caused every dark spot, shadow or branch to appear like a threat, scaring you with each step, so that your senses weren't sharpened when a real threat emerged.

He could tell Kaida didn't quite share the same experience with her heavy breathing. She was accustomed to pavements and buildings, likely more lavish than District 35's. "You described Lafon as overly arrogant and prideful. Why is he taking the precaution of a scouting group?" Vito asked, if only to ease her mind.

"He's not stupid. He knows that the rogue lands are full of danger; he's trying to make his journey as safe as possible so his forces won't be dwindled before clashing with yours."

"Are you positive he doesn't have a knowledgable advisor?"

Kaida considered this for a moment. "Even if he does, Lafon certainly wouldn't make a habit of listening to him or her. I don't think that would be much of an issue as a result."

Vito nodded. "Very well."

After five more minutes of navigating rough paths, Vito slid open the partition window section. Jekio and Kaida's crew weren't speaking, only steering forward with focused eyes, except for Laze, who had a tablet in his hand. "Are they still at their campsite?" Vito called.

"Still there," Laze confirmed. "I don't know why...not much path scouting going on there."

"The damn idiots must have bit off more than they can chew and or scared of this godforsaken jungle," Mikey added.

Vito closed back the partition window. He had no need for gossip, the answer would reveal itself soon enough. He killed his lights. "Five minutes out," he told Kaida.

Three minutes later, Vito stopped the van and everyone disembarked, as continuing further would chance the sound of their engines alerting the scout group.

Vito spared a moment to look Jekio in his eyes. They seemed less watery that usual, a sign that he hadn't drank as much today. "You ready?"

"They better be fucking ready for me," Jekio growled. He had a shotgun strapped across his back and a pistol clutched in his hand that Vito knew he hadn't released since entering the van.

Vito gave him a pat on the back and walked up to Kaida and her crew. "You guys can decide on our strategy, you're the military group after all. This should be your specialty."

"Thank you," Kaida said while the others gave appreciative nods.

A minute later, all of the Crimson Tides were huddled around Laze as he formulated a strategy. "The best bet, if we want to go with stealth-" he paused, looking at Kaida and Vito, who were next to each other. They both gave him affirmative nods. "Is using nature to our advantage. Climbing the trees gives us the height advantage and they might as well be sitting ducks once the ones not on watch come running out of their tents. It's a small number so we can finish fast once we execute right."

"You pampered foals can climb trees quietly right?" Mikey asked with a taunting note.

Vito noticed that all of the Crimson Tides seemed to bristle as one, but it was ultimately Jekio who spoke up. "You keep interrupting and I'll climb the tallest tree, tie your head to the peak using a ribbon and smear peanut butter all over your body so you're a human kebab for the damn insects, you turd."

That one even got a chuckle out of some of the rebellion crew. Mikey didn't offer a comeback, only smirked. Vito suspected the man had a growing respect for Jekio, who wasn't beneath responding to him directly.

Vito pointed to a spot on the tablet that Laze held, bringing everyone's attention back to the screen. "This guy by the fire screams some kind of supernatural being. The lack of armor and guns...he thinks he's untouchable."

Laze nodded his agreement. "I was getting there."

"I'll handle him. Alone," Vito announced.

Laze raised an eyebrow and the rest of the rebellion crew seemed equally skeptical. Vito touched the hilt of his sword lightly. "I have the tools to get it done." And I need to practice for the second act of this mission, he thought to himself.

"I hope you aren't underestimating these folks because they are a scouting squad, mate," Carlo offered. "They are capable, trained soldiers."

"I suspect that's the case." In truth, Vito wouldn't be surprised if they were in fact overexaggerating the skill of these soldiers. He had noticed they had a certain pride for their district, which Vito figured was a necessary characteristic given their job description.

"It's settled then," Kaida said with a clap. "We'll attack from the trees while Vito stays on the ground and seeks out the chance to kill the non-human."

Vito nodded. "Settled."

For a harrowing moment, Vito thought that the operation would fail, and it would be all his fault. He had positioned himself to the west of the campfire which his target sat next to, and by a product of bad luck, where one of the scouts decided to go to relieve themselves. Vito stayed deathly still as he observed the District 31 militant.

The man wore gear similar to Kaida's crew, except the camouflage had a distinctive blue hue. He was short, squat and carried the same snobbish air that his district mates did. In fact, Vito was able to tune into his muttering and catch glimpses of him complaining about the forest. He was quickly cut short by the sound of automatic gunfire.

He made a grave, unavoidable mistake then. He turned toward the sound with a wide-eyed expression. It was the last thing he ever did. Vito unsheathed his sword and, in one smooth motion, decapitated his unsuspecting victim in one clean arc.

Before his head even hit the ground, he was on the move, dashing toward the non-human. The non-human walked calmly forward, which looked rather out of place among his squadmates' panic. He seemed to believe these bullets weren't enough to mortally wound him when in truth, these blessed bullets were likely to incinerate him, but luckily for him, death by misguided arrogance wasn't in the cards.

Or unluckily.

The nonhuman turned at the last second as Vito rocketed toward him. The look of surprise that usurped his face was comical as he took in a man running at him with a raised sword. Such was the nonhuman's surprise that Vito very nearly managed to end the fight in one deft strike, but the nonhuman moved inhumanely fast to drift out of the way and spin into a kick. Vito read the move, however, ducking under the man's kick that would've likely taken his head off his shoulders.

Nonhumans had a physical advantage over humans, which is why Vito knew it was essential that he used his head to read his opponent, just as much as his body to combat him. Still, he wasn't operating as a normal human.

The Hematophagous rapier that he bore wasn't blood-red in color simply as a style. As the name suggested, the sword fed on the blood of slain victims. As the sword strengthened from this process, so too did the user of the sword. Vito could plainly feel the difference in his strength and speed.

The nonhuman hopped back and eyed him uncertainly. "Who...what are you?"

This was a moment where Vito's father would say something corny, like 'Your worst nightmare.' Vito had asked why he did this and he said for reputation purposes, leaving a mark to be remembered by.

But that wasn't Vito. Instead of a verbal answer, he once again charged forward, stabbing his rapier forward with killing intent. The nonhuman didn't appear too formidable, but his agility was nothing to sneeze at as he dodged to and fro. The two men must've looked like two apparitions lost in the loop of time, engaged in sword and hand combat while bullets flew all around them.

Vito was doing a good job holding off the nonhuman with the superior reach his rapier provided, but in a battle of stamina, he knew he would lose. Which meant he had to make a move now.

He'd learned early in combat training that hand-to-hand combat was much like a game of cards; fighters had tells that revealed themselves as time went by, too. The impatience on the nonhuman's face was evident. His body was made to withstand long, gruelling battles, but his mind didn't seem up to the task.

Vito relented from his flurry of thrusts and transitioned to horizontal slashes. The nonhuman's face developed a shadow of a smile as he took the bait, ducking inside one of the slashes and moving within Vito's guard.

With the nonhuman's speed, it would've been checkmate if Vito hadn't expected it, and that was clearly what the impatient nonhuman was betting on, because he was unprepared for Vito flipping his grip on the rapier while simultaneously sidestepping the errant punch the man threw. Even thrown off guard, the speed difference caused the nonhuman to adjust in time to advance on Vito again, but he had disregarded the rapier completely, thinking it was now useless.

A fatal mistake.

Vito pulled his hand toward himself as if he were aiming to stab himself, but the advancing nonhuman ended up the victim of the blade. It penetrated his neck from behind and and Vito wasted no time barging his shoulder into the man so that he slid farther along the blade.

He died with a surprised look on his face, marked with the disbelief that a measly human could defeat a supernatural being with just a sword. Arrogance was truly any creature's greatest weakness.

Vito took in the scene around him. Only now that he wasn't in an adrenaline soaked battle did he realize that the shooting had stopped. Everything had gone as Laze illustrated; with the high ground, the rebel crew and Crimson Tides had easily rained hell down on the unsuspecting scouting group. From the looks of it, only two remained, and their hands were up in surrender.

It was also clear that Vito had an audience. Both Kaida's crew and the Crimson Tides, barring Jekio, were staring at Vito as if he'd just blacked out the moon.

On the other hand, Jekio didn't seem surprised by the result. He jumped down from his perch in the tree and glared at the surrendering soldiers with blatant disgust. "What do we do with these cowards?"

"I'm sure they'll be happy to go tell their boss what occurred here," Vito commented as he retrieved his sword from the nonhuman's neck.

Laze recovered from his stupor and joined the brothers in the clearing. "Wait!" He turned to the soldiers. "What were you doing here, camped for so long?"

It didn't take much for Jekio to consider someone cowardly, but Vito found himself agreeing with his description of the fearful men who struggled to find their words. "A tunnel," one finally said. "Under that big tent over there."

There was no verbal command, but Laze, Mikey and Carlo slinked toward the indicated tent with their weapons drawn. They paused outside of the flaps, taking up spots on either side before barging in. They reemerged a few seconds later, confirming the existence of a tunnel.

"Is there anyone down in that tunnel?" Vito asked the hostages.

They shook their head. "We didn't even finish it yet," one offered.

Vito nodded. "Run back to Lafon before I change my mind. Make sure to give him a detailed description of how his forces were crushed, and will continue to be."

The two soldiers didn't need to be told twice. They scurried off, forgetting their guns in their haste. Vito wondered if they would even make it back to Lafon.

He felt eyes boring into him and turned to see Kaida looking at him intently. "Why don't you seem surprised that a tunnel is here?" she asked with suspicion lacing her voice.

"Because I'm not," Vito answered truthfully. His father hadn't only discovered the existence of spies in the district, but also the means by which they entered it. Tunnels. Vito suspected they might be in play.

"And why weren't we given this information?" Kaida asked with folded arms.

"I couldn't be sure you weren't working with them."

Kaida reacted as if Vito had slapped her in the face with a fish. Vito found the level of trust she expected appalling.

"What would've happened if we were working with them?" Carlo surprised Vito by asking.

Vito looked pointedly at their weapons, guns given by Vito himself. "They have a charge that would've been activated."

Laze looked half-impressed, half-skeptical. "How did you know which guns we would take?"

"I didn't."

He looked around at the surrounding Crimson Tides, with their guns taken from the same van. "Then-"

"Their guns are also charged. I figured you would hold me and Jekio at gunpoint and demand they disarm themselves before collecting the guns."

Laze shook his head in disbelief.

"And what if we just decided to skip the come with us bit and just rip you lot to shreds when your back was turned, mate," Mikey asked.

"You'd lose. But in the worst-case scenario, my troops are up to date and are aware of a signal to throw their guns in your direction."

Jekio made an exploding motion with his hands with a wry smile. "Big boom."

Kaida was the first to recover from the revelation. Though she looked anything but pleased, she knew there was a job to be done. "I assume you know where this tunnel was supposed to lead?"

Vito looked east. "It's a stop on our way back."