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Paladin Ascending Vol 2 #3: Vectors

Even if she was under care, Mason Gardner's failure to guarantee the safety of his sister sent him on a downward spiral further. Plus his family wasn’t enough to be trusted, when most of them only cared about money and luxurious lifestyles. But Yvette mattered to him no matter what, she was his anchor, and so was him to hers. The sibling bond remained strong, to say the least.

 

He had multiple issues with the agency his mentor worked for—-and recently started hitting him hard. With the occurring attacks, Gardner couldn’t stop thinking how the public would question him. The combined weight of everything must have sped up his incurable condition, as so he thought, from the big stress.

 

It all started when a Paladin agent went out on a hunt, daringly, to take down the ES but got captured in the process. Nearly two weeks he endured torture and suffered most before finally breaking his spirit on the third. Then he spilled his guts and was eventually killed. Right in a slaughterhouse in Guatemala.

 

North eventually knew the secrets and used it to his own advantage. Blowing up bases....hitting the list....lots of actions causes dealt a big blow to the agency itself. The board was embarrassed and cut off all ties with many of their allies in case of whistleblowing and being doublecrossed. It would be a PR nightmare, risking their reputation going down a sinkhole.

 

Gardner feared it more every day the feeling came by.

 

***

As the agents silently conversed with one another, the more they went deeper into the compound. Wreckage contained tons of damaged electronics and the floor was muddy with water. Files were spread everywhere. It looked to them as if an abandoned asylum had come to life.

 

Jesse: “So that’s how it started. From that very moment a tip was passed....we should be lucky they never found us.”

Harry: “Nobody knows if there’s trackers around even with our tech. It’s surveillance we’re talking about.”

Gary: “Apparently so.....it killed a couple of my friends already. They did it.”

Jesse: “You tried to save them didn’t you?”

Gary: “Maybe.....maybe the chi could”

Harry: “But it doesn’t work every time.”

Gary: “It may not all the time, but at least it's under my control. Having these powers paved me a new life to improve after I started meditating.”

Jesse: “What if there’s corpses down here? Can you feel the aura throughout?”

Gary: “Maybe....more or less. I need to tap in and see.”

 

Even if flashlights could be used, it wouldn’t fare well in the deep darkness. Then Jesse decided to illuminate the environment up with a spark of electricity, enough to get them through securing the area long enough for Gary to meditate.

 

15 minutes passed as the walked further, and scans didn’t prove much evidence around. It was far beyond destroyed. Nothing but littered by a couple more dead, rotting bodies. Files proved useless.....until Harry discovered something.

 

Harry: “I think this is interesting. This corpse.....looks really familiar. Gary, do a retinal scan for real.”

Gary: “Hmm....I sense no heartbeat. Yet it’s somehow twitching. Unless they’ve got rodents lurking around somewhere.”

Jesse: “Hold on.....you’re telling me this is a reanimated corpse? At least it’s not the lower half.”

Harry: “Nah. Look closely. The uniform has a badge of the ES. I’ll send this to the team.”

Gary: “No. wait. Something’s wrong again. Get behind me. I’ll activate my field.”

 

The three rose their weapons in a defensive position as the ground began to rumble. Right in front it led them to a door. A small one, about the size of the entrapped submarine doors.

 

Harry: “It’s getting darker. Charge up your powers, gentlemen. I’m going to render my invisibility.”

Jesse: “Copy.”

Gary: “Do your thing. I can try opening it.....hmm.”

Harry: “Shh....”

Jesse: “Lowering frequency. Voices down. Team, you seeing this? I hope you do.”

Gary: “There we go....slowly....my dagger should be able to lock-pick it.”

 

And it opened. The sight of bleak darkness opened up to the three agents. They went in one by one, slowly and carefully. Unlike the surrounding outside, the room wasn’t filled with the stench and odours, yet it looked as filthy with grease and rusting machinery. It was a room filled with clean files and a few advanced computer. Harry was the first to dig in, scrapping through the documents while Jesse lightened up the room further as Gary kept his dagger and aura in tow.

 

It took them much time they needed as the images were continuously sent. Then suddenly a flash of a shadow passed by, which Gary witnessed, as his instinct told him to throw a dagger at the wall. The other two looked up in surprise as the unknown shadow started to fire.

 

Jesse: “Take cover! I’ll see if I can fry this bastard.”

Harry: “I got a clean shot. Not sure if the tables do any good cover but ok.”

Gary: “Use the chairs!”

Harry: *keeps firing*: Hold on....I recognise that mask somehow...I can see it. Isn’t that Knifenight?”

Knifenight: *appears* Yes. You guessed correctly. Knifenight is here. Knifenight is here and would be pleased to end you Ghostforge.”

Harry: “The hell is going on?! How’d you get in here?”

Knifenight: “Knifenight survived the onslaught. Knifenight almost drowned but he found a way.”

Jesse: “Ok, lower your weapons for now....you’re telling me you were in this compound? For how long?”

Knifenight: “Knifenight stayed for 3 weeks. Knifenight can survive on his own. Knifenight needs no food nor water.”

Gary: “Ok....I’ve heard about you as well....you might wanna elaborate on that further.”

 

The confused trio stared at their enemy as they waited for answers. He eventually started explaining, as he had gone on a mission to deal with some black market dealers in the currently abandoned base. And then it started flooding. People started drowning, including the Spectres, but Knifenight was the lucky one, managing to get out in time, hiding himself in an abandoned room. Despite limited contact to call his boss/hirer, it went to no avail, so he believed, may have intentionally been on purpose to send him to die, condemned without help. Yet he managed to survive on his own....

 

Jesse: “Ok, I don’t care about your third person act or shit, but I still don’t trust you. You could have laid a trap on us like back then in Tokyo or whatever.”

Harry: “The main question is, why. Did he leave you to die as a sacrificial pawn to get rid of you? Weren’t you always loyal?”

Gary: “The threads in this is too suspicious. You gotta spill because I can see that tongue lying.”

Knifenight: “Ok....ok....Knifenight knows. Knifenight let the cat out of the bag. Because....it was a deal. It went wrong. Knifenight saw them Spectres gun down the dealers. North probably asked them to. I for my life have not witnessed him like this....as brutal and ruthless as he was. And....here, this info might serve critical. Knifenight can only do so many.”

Harry: “Can we trust you with this?”

Knifenight: “Yes. Knifenight is sure. Knifenight isn’t lying. Read more and you’ll see....Knifenight is no longer a part of North’s cabal. So, bye for now.”

 

***

 

Jesse: “And then he runs away. Just like that. Seriously, disappearing again without a trace. Not because we let him go, but just quitting in the most ninja way as possible. However, given our shared history....I really doubt it.”

Harry: “But at what cost....is critical to matter?”

Gary: “Nobody knows, but it somehow proved I can sense the good in them. Their aura. No, I’m not joking. I really can. You should try it someday.”

Jesse: “Y’know what? I’m on the verge of my post breakup with the dude....I could tell you more over green tea. This meditation thing sounds like fun.”

Gary: “Mhmm I could tell you about my ex. He was a great guy as well....”

 

And with that, Harry decided to call his team. They were slowly getting ahead. Maybe a chance to fight back....just maybe.

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Uploaded on March 11, 2019
Taken on March 11, 2019