"Why… huh? Did he just ask why?" Jester tilted his head, voice dripping with mockery.
He tapped his chin as if thinking, then snapped his fingers with a grin. "Umm… yeah, I got one. Because Y has two wide arms and a tiny little leg." He laughed at his own joke, the sound cutting through the blood-soaked quiet.
"Step away. Let me end his miserable life." Ghost's voice came through the comms, low and hard, anger plain as a knife. The static made the words sound crueler.
Kael coughed, bitter blood tasting in his mouth. His body trembled, but he forced the words out. "Ghost…" His voice broke, raw with pain and disbelief. "It seems you've been waiting for this moment all your life. You were the one I cared for most, more than the rest. You were like a brother to me. When your father was buried, I stayed with you. I made sure you were not alone."
"Wow. So touching. That's so sweet," Jester cut in, mocking every syllable with pleasure.
"Get the fuck out of the way!" Ghost barked through the comms, rage snapping in every word. "Let me blow this bastard's head off."
"Enough." Jester's voice flipped sharp and commanding for a heartbeat, then the teasing smile slid back into place. "We've neutralized him. No need to rush. Besides, I want to enjoy this moment a little longer."
Brick finally spoke, his voice flat and cold. "You dare bring up his father's burial when we all know how his father really ended up dead?"
Kael's eyes widened. Blood pooled warm beneath him, his breath coming in short, heavy pulls. He pushed weakly against the pillar, trying to steady his head. "What… are you talking about?" His words came rough, every syllable dragged from a body that was barely holding on.
"Don't act innocent, Kael," Brick spat, his finger tightening on the trigger. "We know what went down in that desert mission. How your dad sacrificed Ghost's father just to get promoted to Major General."
The old house creaked around them, its air thick with dust and the weight of buried secrets. Kael leaned against the broken pillar, his blood smearing down the wood as he coughed.
"Ghost… no," Kael said, his voice weak but steady. "Hiroshi Takeda, son of Colonel Kenji Takeda…"
"Don't you dare call my father's name!" Ghost roared through the comms, the rage in his voice enough to rattle the earpiece. "You're not worthy to even say it."
Kael chuckled, the sound broken and wet. "Hiding behind your sniper scope and shouting at me only shows how scared you are. You put me in this situation, remember, Hiroshi, but let me tell you the truth about your father's death. The truth no one told you."
Silence pressed in, broken only by Kael's rough breathing and the distant drip of water somewhere in the ruined house.
"October fifteenth, 2005. The day you turned twelve. The same day your father died. My old man told me the story, but it was buried as a top secret by the squad that survived. And now you'll hear it."
Ghost's scope wavered, his breath quickening.
"Your father, my dad, and two other soldiers were captured. The enemy wanted to test what kind of men they were. My dad—he was the captain of that squad—was handed a gun. The order was simple: kill his best friend, your father… or kill two children the squad had rescued. The kids were twelve and nine years old." Kael's eyes hardened, memories burning behind them. "Your father didn't beg. He told my dad to pull the trigger. He reminded him it was your birthday that day, and one of those children was your age. The other was mine."
Kael's voice cracked but pushed on. "He told my father that if he chose to kill those children, then it would be like killing us too. He said a soldier's duty is to die protecting the innocent, even if that meant laying down his own life. And so my dad obeyed. He shot his best friend. He carried your father's last wish, the promise to raise you into a fine soldier."
Kael coughed hard, his body trembling, but his eyes never looked away from the dark muzzle aimed at him. "That's the truth behind your father's death, Hiroshi. And that's where our story began."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Bravo!" Jester cut in, slow and mocking. His grin widened as he tilted his head. "Your old man was a hell of a storyteller, Kael. Makes me wonder if you inherited that from him."
Brick's voice rumbled low, cutting through the tension. "If it was true, why didn't you tell Ghost earlier?"
Kael coughed, blood dripping from his lips. His voice came out ragged, almost breaking. "You… were deaf when I said it was top secret?"
"You're a liar," Brick snapped, venom lacing every word. His rifle stayed locked on Kael, his voice trembling with anger. "A liar, just like your dead, lying father."
Kael's chest heaved as he struggled for air. "I can at least understand Ghost's motive for turning on me. But you two?" His voice cracked, both weak and bewildered. "Why do you hate me too, after everything we've been through together?"
Brick's grip tightened on his weapon. His tone came out flat but heavy. "You're not a bad person, Kael. But making Aiko fall for you… even after I told you how much I loved her. That was cruel. Wicked, even."
Kael gave a broken laugh. Blood gushed from his mouth, his voice weaker with each word. "So that's it… Aiko." He smirked faintly, though pain twisted his face. "You used to call her 'Baby-face Babysitter.' But deep down, you wanted to be the one she babysat." His words cut sharp despite the weakness. "Yes, she's the sixth in our squad. Maybe there was some chemistry between us, but you never made a move on her. You never told me a damn thing until the day you saw us kiss."
He coughed again, body trembling. "Now I understand why she wasn't part of this mission. Everyone asked her to stay behind… watch over her mother during surgery. I didn't think much of it until now."
The silence that followed was heavy, broken by Jester's mocking tone. "You're a national icon, Kael. Smart too. Probably the smartest man I've ever met." His eyes glimmered with mischief. "Killing you wasn't just some whim. It took years of planning and careful plotting to make sure it didn't spark a national crisis. Especially with your retired grandpa's influence."
Kael's lips curled into a pained smile. "You're not sharp enough to come up with this entire scheme on your own."
Jester threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, the sound bouncing off the broken walls. "There it is. That sharp tongue of yours. Always one step ahead of us." His grin turned cold, his voice carrying a twisted pride. "But today, Kael, we finally managed to beat you."
Kael's body shook as blood dripped steadily from his wounds. His face had grown pale, but his eyes burned with fury. He fixed his gaze on Jester. "I understand Brick's reason for this betrayal," he rasped. "So what's it for you?"
Jester tilted his head, a teasing smile curling across his lips. "Me? I don't have a grudge against you, Kael. I just got an offer I couldn't refuse. Let's just say it's way, way above my pay grade. So I jumped right in."
Kael let out a faint smile, even as blood seeped between his teeth. "I see… I guess I'll be joining my father soon. He died a hero. And today, I'll do the same."
Jester burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the broken hall. "A hero? Don't flatter yourself. Your father wasn't a hero. He was a murderer. And you'll share the same fate." He raised his rifle and aimed it directly at Kael's face.
But Kael didn't flinch. Instead, a weak but stubborn grin tugged at his lips. "I learned how to be a soldier from my father. But survival?" His eyes hardened. "That, I learned from my grandfather. He taught me how to take my enemies with me if it came to it. It's a shame he'll lose another family member today… but he's strong. He'll live on just fine." Kael chuckled faintly, mocking even in his broken state. "Though I bet he's watering his plants right now."
"Any last words?" Jester asked, smiling cruelly as his finger brushed the trigger.
Kael met his gaze with the same mocking smile. "No need to rush. Ghost… make sure you spin a perfect lie, just like Jester."
Kael slowly uncurled his bloodied hand. Sitting in his palm was a small device, its red numbers ticking down.
3… 2… 1…
"Oh, shit!" Jester yelled, eyes bulging as he and Brick stumbled over each other, desperate to get out.
But it was already too late.
The blast tore through the house, fire and smoke swallowing everything in a single violent roar. Kael had always carried a bomb—his grandfather's lesson drilled deep. If cornered, if there was no other way, he would make sure no enemy walked away unharmed.
[Ding…]
[Host Found]
[System Installing]