"You smell like blood, immortal killer, like in the war." A smile spread across Kashan's face as he slowly turned his head toward the voice that came.
He saw a man in black standing in front of him, with two guns and a blue vein on the firearms, grinning.
"It's been a while, isn't it, Arkam?" leaning towards the long table between two men.
"It is, Kashan. Been almost 10 years or more." He holstered the guns and deactivated his GEAR.
Kashan analysed Arkam's appearance, narrowing his eyes.
"So, the rumours were true, you were captured by Empire 'B', and then adopted by Rond Dre Marqus." he tilted his head, and slowly stepped towards Arkam.
"Yeah, that's the summary of it." A composed and cold gaze followed Kashan's movement, as Arkam wiped the dripping blood from his face.
Kashan was almost 10 steps away from Arkam.
"You're still making a mess, huh. After all, a beast can't forget to hunt, and you're the most vicious I have known."
Arkam narrowed his eyes,
Bang, he shot.
Kashan ducked and pulled his gun.
Arkam took one step forward—
—and vanished.
Kashan's gaze searched for Arkam.
Arkam reappeared behind Kashan, his eyes wide open.
Arkam punched him in the ribs. He flew.
—crashing into a wall.
He stood up, gasping for air, "Son of a bitch," he thought.
Kashan glanced around, but no one was there.
He looked at the entrance to the room beyond, filled with many crates.
Arkam stood at the far end, bathed in red light.
He raised his right hand—
and curled a finger.
A silent command: "Come."
Kashan clenched his jaw, then grinned. He tightened his grip on the guns.
He headed toward Arkam, exiting the room he was in.
Six pillars stood in the room, with Arkam in the middle of them.
When the light flickered—
He vanished again.
But Kashan, still and calm, stood.
Arkam lunged from the side—
Kashan ducked and hit Arkam with the gun's butt.
Arkam recoiled, his nose bleeding.
He pulled his knives out and lunged toward Kashan again.
Kashan leveled his guns at Arkam—
shooting at him.
Arkam dodged the bullets and leaned left—
slicing empty air. Kashan tilted to the right and dodged.
Arkam's face wrinkled furiously. " fuck… how is he so fast?" he thought.
Kashan aimed his gun at point-blank range at Arkam's face.
Bang—
The bullet ricocheted off the wall as Arkam leaned his head to the left of the gun.
Arkam pushed him.
Both stepped back, almost six steps apart. Arkam licked the blood that dripped from his nose.
A grin spread on both faces. Arkam activated GEAR, which surged through his arm, coursing through the knives, making them bigger—
Almost eight-inch machetes.
"Ohh, if you're not going to play fair, then," Kashan said.
Two arm attachments, black, matted GEAR enveloped his coat, covered his back, and went toward his shoulders, transforming, attaching the hinges to his shoulders.
Nano-tech coursed through the shoulders, and the other hinge connected to his elbow.
It covered his forearm and created a gauntlet to cover his fist—
The green tint glowed, and a vein surged with energy.
Arakm's eyes were wide open, clutching his jaw. "… how the fuck do you have a… GEAR?"
Kashan, with a wide grin, said, "You should know, you're an imperial police, right?" As the guns got bigger, with a green vein on them.
Arkam's nose wrinkled while narrowing his eyes—
"A month ago, there was an 'incident' on a military ship in the 'B' Empire sector. So, it was you."
Kashan was still smiling.
Bang-bang—
He shot kinetic energy bullets at Arkam.
Arkam lunged at Kashan while dodging bullets.
He cut one bullet and sliced Kashan—
Kashan dodged, a few inches from his eyes.
Kashan reversed his grip, using the handle end of the gun to strike.
Blocked it with his hand, GEAR absorbed the force—
Arkam sliced with the machete GEAR—
Pairing with the gun, Bang.
Arkam sliced it with the machete as Kashan rapidly fired.
Both unscathed, no one backed down. They glanced at each other—
"Why are you holding back, Arkam?" Kashan's grip was tight on the guns.
"Huh, what are you talking about? I am at my best—
"Don't fuck around Arkam, you know what I'm talking about" Kashan interrupted Arkam.
"You mean the hollow eyes. Well, I don't need them." Arkam was blanketed in the red light.
"What do you mean by you don't need them? Are you suggesting you can defeat me without them?" Kashan was rubbing where Arkam punched him.
"No, I'm done with them; they reminded me of the war and my crimes." Arkam gazed at Kashan while walking clockwise.
Kashan's slow, cold gaze followed his movement, and then he also started walking clockwise, opposite to Arkam
"Well, that is a waste, if you were old Arkam—
You would have killed him, but I am not the same now; I have made my preparation, too."
Kashan, holstering his one gun, held a crate close to him. Throwing it at Arkam, he sliced the crate in half.
Kashan, just behind the half-cut crate, lunged at him—
Arkam's calm and insane reflex blocked Kashan—
He punched Kashan in the gut.
"Oh yeah, this was your preparation, you dump fuck." Arkam smiled.
"…urgh shu…t up, you motherfucker." As Kashan gasped for air.
Arkam felt a piercing pain in his chest— a knife.
His gaze went downward—
A small combat knife punctured his chest.