BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM C.815 Police Station (3)

Zachary. Now everything clicked. He was one of the guys that attacked him in the forest when he went on an outing with the Red Palace.

No, it wasn't just that. He was one of the guys he wanted to kill and that he was eager to find.

<Maybe I can take advantage of this twist. >

"Excuse me, sir," Erik said. "I came here to inform you a patrol of five had been killed."

Zachary's ears perked. He raised his head as he was looking at his computer. "A patrol was killed, you say? Why didn't I get words of this sooner?"

Zachary sighed.

"I'm sorry, sir, we just got words of it."

"Where?"

"At the park nearby, sir."

Zachary's expression darkened as he processed the news.

Frustration and concern flickered across his features, overshadowed by a growing sense of pressure.

"How could have this happen?" he said under his breath, the question more to himself than to Erik.

His mind raced. The park was supposed to be secure, a safe zone within their controlled territory.

That such a bold assault had occurred there was a grave sign, one that demanded immediate attention.

"Howell won't like it. There had been many attacks already and we don't have that many men."

<Howell? Attacks? > It was clear something was going on inside New Alexandria.

"Sorry If I ask you this, sir, but do you have an idea why they are attacking us?" Erik didn't have a magical hat, he couldn't know the reason all of this was happening to them, he had to ask.

That question surprised Zachary. "Shouldn't you know? What have you been doing until now, hiding your head in the ground?"

<Mother fucker… > Erik then tried to put up his best poker face.

"No, sir, it's just that I don't understand fully what is happening."

"No wonder you are a moron." 𝖋𝔯𝔢𝔢𝔴𝖊𝔟𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑.𝔠𝔬𝔪

Erik's face darkened. "S—sorry, sir. I will try to do better."

<Especially after I rip your face off…>

"The reason is simple, really. Volkov is too pushy. It was already bad with the permit required to leave the house, but public beatings? The fact you guys can't keep your hands in your pocket is also another concern. Why are you all so itchy to beat people up?"

"Cause it's fun?" Erik said.

"Yeah, I figured that was the reason you lot had." Zachary wasn't happy.

His journey with the Crystal Cross Gang began in his youth, driven by necessity rather than choice.

As an orphan, his options were limited, leading him to a life of petty thefts and occasional, more serious crimes.

That went on while inside the Crystal Cross Gang. To kill or kidnap people was an uncommon occurrence for Zachary, and in general, it was much less than now inside the gang.

However, as time passed, he observed a disturbing shift within the gang. The newer members exhibited a level of brutality that went far beyond the gang's original ethos of survival, engaging in violence and crimes that Zachary found increasingly disgraceful.

The turning point in his life came with Greg's death. His partner, albeit a simpleton, knew how to do stuff when required.

He wasn't a prick nor overbearing. He was a tremendous help and made their weird line of work less overbearing.

Zachary also had a sort of change of heart. In an unexpected twist, Howell informed Zachary of Volkov's directive to integrate gang members into the city's police force.

He was an opportunity to exert some control and curb the gang's escalating violence. Zachary stepped forward to lead the initiative.

He wanted to keep his men under control, but it turned out to be impossible since it was Volkov's policies that were causing the trouble.

Yet, he was unaware of the deeper manipulation at play.

The decision to co-opt the gang into law enforcement wasn't Volkov's; it stemmed from Shade acting under the Blackguards' commands.

Howell just had to obey. No one had concrete proof Shade existed, only Howell and the Blackguards knew something.

"Do me a favor, just shut up," Zachary said. He was clearly irked by Erik's reply.

"I'm sorry, sir."

Zachary sighed. "We've been under constant pressure since the new policies were enforced."

Erik nodded, pretending to absorb the information. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he said, seeing an opportunity to gather more intel from within.

Zachary studied Erik for a moment, considering his options. "Go to the place of the murder and investigate. We can't afford any more attacks."

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure to stay vigilant."

Zachary, already on edge from the unsettling news, waved dismissively, expecting the officer to leave.

However, the man lingered, his posture suggesting a mind teeming with further inquiries.

This unexpected hesitation baffled Zachary, sending his already low opinion of the officer plummeting.

The room, thick with tension, seemed to contract around them as Zachary's patience wore thin.

It was clear he saw the officer's continued presence not just as an annoyance, but as a failure to grasp basic instructions.

To Zachary, this wasn't just incompetence; it was a blatant disregard for his authority.

"Is there something more?" He asked.

"Uh… yes. Can I ask you something else, sir?"

"Sure." Zachary turned to his computer again, but he was clearly annoyed.

"I heard you attacked some guys from the Red Palace once. Is that true?"

Zachary raised his head. "Who told you that?"

"These are just some rumors. So, is it true?"

"I'm not allowed to talk about this." Zachary grew restless.

"I heard you wasn't alone. There was also a guy who could induce pain, and one that could erase the surrounding sounds."

Zachary looked at Erik with suspicious eyes. His hands quickly went to his Panabas.

"There is no need to go on the defensive," Erik said.

He started channeling mana into his Instability brain crystal power's neural links and started affecting Zachary to make him calmer and keen to talk.

Zachary felt dizzy, that were the effects of the foreign mana.

The man was now many times weaker than Erik, and the mana he had could do nothing against the amount Erik held, which was now at least twice than his, so he couldn't even resist him.

The more time passed, the more Zachary felt weird.

"Sorry. It's just an old habit of mine," Zachary said in a subdued tone. "Well… yes, we were tasked to kidnap Erik Romano, the awakener…" the man didn't know why, but he felt like the officer in front of him was really trusting.