"Yes boss." Blackbear surprisingly did not crack a joke. He could interpret the urgency just from his boss's calm tone. Atlas has never spoken like that for a year. It spooked him.

Atlas wiped off his tears and lifted Nam up. His bittersweet smile still remained.

"I'll introduce myself later. Let's go complete whatever you need to accomplish."

"Um. Could you help me buy an expensive coffin? The best one over in that store. It's uncanny if I went in a store with him."

Hugh sat by the dinner table, drinking Apple juice from a carton. He heard the door creak open.

"Yo Atlas! You're back..." Hugh quieted down. "Are you ok? You look really... Bloodthirsty."

Atlas raised his brows, gently placing the stiff coffin on the red carpet.

"I am and will be do something about it. Wanna join?"

Hugh clenched his fist. "I'd love to."

Techno track blaring from speakers rendered all else inaudible in the bar nearby factory sites. Men with tattoos or bulky sizes partied like it was their last day on earth. Some were hugging and fondling women in their arms, throwing lecherous glances as they pa.s.sed around bags of white powder or syringes, bobbing their heads.

Two men guarded the entrance, envying the people inside.

"Man, I should have been in there if it weren't for you losing one of those syringes."

"Blame it all on me. Weren't you the one who sneaked a pack of cocaine last time?"

"Cocaine and unknown syringes. Sounds like mischief." A third voice appeared out of nowhere. Before they could react, their heads has already hit the ground.

A loud metallic creak added a twist to the blaring music, whereas the lights started to go out. One row by one row. The bar was ablaze with a red siren like glow.

The men reacted instantly, wielding weapons that were clearly illegal in the city.

"Help! Demons!" Frightening screams drowned the Techno tracks that were still playing.

"He's a one man army!"

"Watch out for that knife."

"We can outnumber them. They're just three... Nooo!" A random voice of encouragement turned into a shriek of despair.

"There are invisible objects flying."

"It's needles."

"Jesus please forgive me... I shouldn't have been attracted by the money." The agonising screams broke the spirit of many men. Few of them were fiercely kowtowing, begging for mercy.

"Mommy, please save me. I won't partic.i.p.ate in anymore activities."

"G.o.d please forgive me for sleeping with ***'s wife."

"What the f**k. You did what?"

The sound of despair abated and deafening silence continued for five whole minutes.

A young man who was the first to bow down looked up slightly in fear. He regretted. Vomit splash the floor. Hard.

The bar was barely recognisable, showing resemblance to a uncleaned meat grinder. Decapitated arms and legs and weapons and blood splattered all over the walls, the bar and even the ceiling. The speaker sizzled in a manner similar to a broken tape recorder, producing occasional hisses that annexed spine-chilling s.h.i.+vers to the few survivors.

"Boss is not gonna be happy."

"You think so?" A voice said sarcastically. "I'm leaving this place. Grunts like us aren't valuable to the Underground a.s.sociation. I've saved up enough for a lifetime anyway."

"Me too. This place is disgusting."

The survivors scurried sequentially. None of them bothered to even report it to their superior because of the unerasable scars from today's incident. All they wish, is to never see those three monsters again.

The night was restless.

"The two attacks yesterday, respectively at 10am in the early morning and 12 o'clock midnight, has been confirmed as terrorist activities. Three were killed in the explosion last evening, including our city's respected hero, Mr. Nam of the once renowned Talia orphanage. His grave has been buried in the Talia orphanage by an unknown personal, granted permission by the city mayor. Next on Daxrim news, will be the mayor declaring his speech in the City Hall this afternoon. We advise you to stay home for safety while the police force continues to arrest the mastermind behind these attacks."

Iris and Kristine listened to the morning news, eating cereal on the sofa.

"What's going on recently?" Iris shook her head. "These terrorist are a menace to society and should all be punished and hunted down. Want any milk?"

"No thanks." Kristine munched on her cereal like a snack. "Eating honey cereal individually is amazing."

The bell rang.

"Hugh! You're back." Iris's eyes lit as she saw Hugh by the doorstep. She gave him a hug. "Where have you been? The streets are dangerous due to terrorist attacks."

Hugh placed his arms in the air awkwardly, his cheeks dyeing a light shade of red.

"Ew. You stink a lot. Did you go to the fish market? Gosh." Iris fanned her small straight-edged nose, rolling her big black eyes. "Go wash off. You'll stink this place."

Cheeks blushed, Hugh ran to his room. His big build that nearly blocked the whole door was now cleared, revealing Nova who was fidgeting his fingers.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. You're a new friend of Hugh and Atlas? By the way, where is Atlas?"

"He's busy. I'm taking the right side of the first floor." Nova answered coldly, walking towards the room on the right symmetrical to Hugh's.

"How rude!" Iris stomped her feet.

Kristine sat quietly, still munching on her cereal. [Atlas is busy? Is he ok? He didn't look well since yesterday. Why am I so worried about that goofball? But seriously, is he all right?]