Chapter 2: On Pain of Death

fiction by Grenzenlos

Hubarts systems came back to life, with a slow tingling that spread out form the core of his being with an agonizing slowness. One by one, his artificial nervous systems nodes reported to him in detail that he was in excruciating pain.

Hubart opened his eyes, and moaned pitifully. He was in a darkened room, the subject of several spotlights.

"Good morning." A voice said brightly. As Hubarts optics focused on the darkly handsome man before him, his head was knocked halfway sideways by a violent backhand, wrenching him sideways, restraints pulling at his wrists roughly. Hubart, to his credit, was in enough pain already he didn't cry out, though he did grunt in surprise and discomfort. "I have a few questions for you." The Core Stealer said, squeezing his knuckles with his free hands, making sure they were still properly set.

"I'm not telling you anything!" Hubart said, suddenly struggling against his restraints, as much in fear as in anger. "Let me go, you Core Stealer scum! Do you have any diea who I am?!" The words were simply coming on their own, even in his slow time, his thoughts were disorganized and terrified.

The core Stealer leaned closer, and slammed his fist against Hubarts throat, smashing it against the wall behind him, making him gag. "I think you should know, we Osmosis Types such as myself don't like being called Core Stealers." He emphasized the offensive word by slamming his fist into Hubart stomach, brutalizing the sensitive equipment stored there.

Hubart gagged, retching up displaced hydraulic fluid, the rusty red liquid spilling over his lips. The Core Stealer wove his fingers into Hubarts hair, and slammed his head against the wall behind him, abrading the artificial scalp. "And as for who you are, I don't give a damn; you're going to answer my questions, or I'm going to disconnect your limb one at a time, and make you watch as I dismantle them and feed them to the fueno."

Hubart coughed, spattering the Core Stealer with blood. "But I don't know anything!" He wailed. "I don't know anything, I'm just a volunteer!" He was backhanded again for his trouble, the restraints tearing the artificial skin beneath his gloves.

"I'm not interested in information that will turn the tide of the war, you damned fool." The Core Stealer Hissed, leaning close and pressing his body against Hubart in an intimidating fashion. His disturbing pale red eyes were barely an inch away from Hubarts own green eyes.

Hubart rembled like a coward, as his own eyes drunk in the Core Stealers. Deep in the red eyes, he could see the tiny lined pathways hidden in the iris of his eyes. The pathways pulsed with a dull light as the wretched creature stared into Hubarts soul, filling him with dread.

Hubart was helpless; the Core Stealer had him completely at his mercy. Were he a mere observer in the situation at hand, he might have reflected on the irony of the situation. He'd joined the Maverick Hunters 17th Supplemental Unit to prove that fighting men weren't useless, by becoming one himself. Now he was falling prey to the very enemy the Colony had united itself against.

When Mavericks first began to appear, Wafans suffering from some strange new disease, the Maverick Huters were re-founded, and a new generation of fighting Wafan were designed.

In their infinite wisdom, the colonists decided the best way of preventing the spread of tainted DNA souls was to create Wafan who could dispose of the DNA souls, and improve their own abilities at the same time. Not even thinking about the ghoulish ramifications of such a twisted form of subsistence as devouring others to empower oneself, or the mindset it would engender.

The Osmosis Types grew stronger and stronger as time passed, surpassing even the Earthly Veterans, even the most hardened Mavericks were ground to dust beneath their feet. They were not just effective killing machines, they were able to emotionally detach themselves from their horrible acts. As such, when the disease mutated, and even they were taken, the result was the most ruthless army history had even known.

Obsessed with power, their leader, the Wafan known as Faust, proclaimed himself the leader of their new nation, Nifelheim, the kingdom of souls. Mad with the power he obtained, he decreed that all low class Wafan were too great a danger to the world, and had to be devoured for the safety of mankind and other advanced model Wafan, blissfully unaware he had become the thing he was created to destroy.

"Now tell me," the Core Stealer purred, almost aristocratically. "Tell me everything about your unit."

Helpless before those eyes, Hubart began to speak, though not of his own will. A Core Stealers eyes could actually compel the truth from most individuals. Hubart was ashamed, but he couldn't resist. He told the Core Stealer everything it wanted to know.

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