Devil Equinox

It had been a couple hours of walking back to the city and back to my apartment. Where Felicia and Nate had left wasn't necessarily the closest, they could have left me, but it was better than nothing. They did inform me that it was going to be a long walk back as well.

I had arrived outside of my apartment building and spoke to a man who sat outside the building, sitting on a chair smoking a cigarette. He was a colleague back in our days of serving our time in military service. He aged quite a bit from last we saw each other.

He had a brawny stature, big shoulders, big arms and he stood at a height of one-hundred and eighty-one centimeters. His face wore wrinkles produced by war, his eyes light brown, his nose large, face was square and his nose long and round.

"The fuck happened to you? You look you went through shit, wherever you went." He said, sparking up a conversation.

"You don't want to know half the shit I went through. You should just know I didn't stay willingly," I told him.

"Shit at least made it back in sound shape," he said, flicking the cigarette. He then stood up from the chair and walked inside the building. He wore shorts and a tank top in this summer heat. On his feet were sandals he liked to wear since his rest days.

Hank was his name and he had a call from Mynde, giving me a place to rest and he knew something similarly to him, but he didn't say. One thing that threw me off guard is the worry of me being gone for so long to be nonevidential.

"Is she as bad as she looks?" he asked as we approached the elevator at the end of the lobby.

"She is not bad looking, but she made sure I stayed there a while," I told him. After pressing the call button for the elevator, the doors opened.

"How did she make you stay?" he asked as we entered the elevator. He then pressed the second-floor button and the doors slid shut. Waiting to reach the floor I answered him.

"What drug could she have used on you? It's impossible to drug you with the drugs known to mankind,"

"Yeah, I know, but she used one from a plant that doesn't grow on this earth,"

"She certainly has connections,"

The elevator stopped on the second floor, and we got off it and continued toward my apartment. We remained silent since we didn't want unknown ears hearing our conversation along the way.

When we got to my apartment, he handed me a spare key since I didn't have the key with me. "Marvin had me stock up your room with a few packages and some kind of inhibitor to calm your nerves down," he told before he left.

Hank took a couple of steps away from me, turned around and spoke, "Oh and before I forget, he wants to speak with you concerning your person of interest,"

I looked at him and nodded. Then I entered the room with the key.

Well, Hank and Mynde sure did give some stuff to work with. Two long rectangular boxes laid parallel to each other in front of the coffee table. They were labelled enhancements.

Instead of opening them, I opened and used my laptop.

It wasn't a moment before a call came from him. I answered the voice call. It was static at first but it clear. "Captain, was she what you thought she was?" he asked. The question was a character check for the one I was looking.

"She is far more different from what she claims to be. She even drugged me for blood. Whatever she has is potent," I responded.

"Oh fuck! Is it anything we know of?"

"No, nothing you know of,"

"Then where the fuck did, she get it?"

"She made it. The plant she used is from Hell, and somehow knows about it,"

"I will look into it. I believe you got the packages there,"

I looked over at the boxes, then book at my laptop screen. "Look, your inhibitor is in there a new and made specifically for your condition. The last thing I need is for you to get out of control,"

"I can handle myself,"

"I am very aware of that, but what would happen if you didn't hold back against her,"

"She lashed out on me and stabbed I don't know how many times! I can let that slide because she cannot fight me, but that hospital or whatever must go down! Even if she goes down with her,"

"Is that it, Captain? You wouldn't consider a life like hers to get a second chance?"

"When have we given the bad guys the liberty to terrorize people again!"

"Good, you still remember how impartial war can be to the good and bad. Do what you can to stop her operation. I am heading back out,"

"Marvin… I mean General, if I may ask, how are they doing?"

"… I can't lie to you, Captain. They need you. Your leadership and the care you gave them is what I can't replace. Donny nearly died under me, Marie got injured badly and Dante, well, he's trying to cope. I can never replace you. So, please, get done with that mission and come back. I will all I can to make sure they are well. Later, Captain."

He hung up the call. I wasn't told much about what was in the boxes but that wasn't what had me worried. It was my team. I closed my laptop and dipped my hand down and put my hands on my face. 'I trust you Marvin,' I said quietly.

I slowly raised my head up and glanced at the boxes. I got up to check what was in them. I opened one while kneeling beside either of them.

What the fuck do I need this for? Was a question I uttered looking a new sword with pistols beside them. The sword was long and edged and the handle was made for single wielding, and it was lighter than my usual blade.

A handwritten note was inside but it wasn't Marvin's handwriting. It wasn't written by anyone I knew. I read the note.

'I am sorry for not getting this ready soon enough. Titan Slayer is powerful and heavy and that can make it difficult for you to swing no matter how strong you are. I give this sword to you, lighter, easier to swing and only needs one hand to swing. Not only that it should be able to be summoned just like the other blade, but you also just need to touch it and do try to break it, I couldn't use it to test. It didn't allow me.'

The note ended there. This isn't right, it wasn't written in English, it was elvish. Could he be somewhere.

I checked the back of the note, nothing. Didn't say anything about the guns. The blade was not named. Nonetheless. I reached for the handle and slowly rose from the ground the box into my hand. I put my other hand under the blade to inspect it.

The blade was expertly made with intentional impurities. Some debris from the forge stuck to the blade, but knowing the elves that's exactly what they want to have the weapon retain some characteristics.

When I opened my hand, it vanished exactly like my other weapons.

Nothing else was in the box for the pistols, so, I took them out either way. They started to glow a yellow light around them. This had me confused and then my pistols appeared, but I hadn't call for them. The four guns started floating in the air and they spun on pistol around the other in both pairs.

Then the one was not spinning started to spin around the one that was already spinning. They slowly moved toward each other and they merged. Two pistols fell on the floor.

I tried to pick them up, but they instantaneously launched themselves into my hands. I caught both and they felt different, even more powerful from before.

Must've been an upgrade I didn't expect.

The other box had well designed clothes only for me. Was it to supress my powers or enhance I had no idea.

It was slick and not eye catching, good enough to wear out without eyes looking at me.

This time I was going to pay Dhalia a visit on my own terms.

But then someone walked out of my room from their sleep. It didn't seem like the clothes were mine.