Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 579: Black Skull. (Part Eleven)
A glass of wine came to rest on an antique wooden table, lowered by a weathered hand. It reflected the light seeping from the nearby glass wall, the source of which was the dense cityscape adorned with countless neon signs and colorful billboards.
Fisher watched the scenery in silence, savoring the calm of the dark room and the subtle aftertaste of his drink. He wasn’t alone, as it might seem. His butler was right there, standing in the shadows and pretending not to exist, and the chair next to him was occupied.
Even as the minutes continued to tick by, Jason continued his effort to blend with the furniture. He ignored his growing anxiousness, and though it likely wouldn’t have been a problem, he still avoided turning his NIM on. When the silence of the room was finally shattered, his neck almost snapped as he turned to the old man.
"I’m not faulting you, Jason," Fisher said. "These things can happen sometimes. People with good hearts do exist, and the moment they get their hands on some power, the first thing they try is to fix the world."
The old man shook his head, his exasperation getting across even with how burned his face was.
"The problem with those people is... they don’t realize that the world isn’t broken. This is how it was built. This is how it is supposed to be. People made it this way, so what makes you think you can just come in and change things?"
The philosophy didn’t get through to Jason. Despite everything he had done, not once did he try to justify it. What they did was undoubtedly a clear-cut example of what evil is, and he knew that to be a fact. He simply didn’t care. To him, it was nothing but business. So what if the riffraff didn’t agree to what he was doing? Their opinion never mattered to him, and it never will.
"They are all the same, those people..." Fisher raised his glass, holding it up to a particularly bright point of light. "At one point, they all realize this game always had other players, and those players aren’t going to just sit around and let someone ruin everything they have built."
Bringing the glass to his mouth, the old man tilted his head back and held it up to his slightly parted teeth. A few drops seeped through the gap, and as a pleased sigh escaped him, his gaze returned to the scenery facing him.
"You are one of those players, Jason. The same goes for me, and Krueger was no different. We might not be the most powerful out there, but we helped shape this world. If we don’t fight to keep what we built, no one would. In fact, many would happily watch us fall just so they could have the chance to take our place. We can’t let that happen, and that’s why we have to fight."
The butler came forward and leaned to whisper something to the old man before holding a phone up to him. The screen displayed the simple interface of a messenger app. A message had already been typed into the chatbox, and all that remained was to hit send.
Staring at it for a moment, Fisher sighed, then took it into his hand.
"I’m not faulting you, Jason," As he repeated himself, the old man turned to look into his lieutenant’s eyes, sending chills down his spine. "Still, you messed up big time, and you failed to clean up after yourself."
"Boss, I-"
"Don’t." Fisher silenced him with a shake of his head. "You lost, and there is nothing you can do about it. You can’t fix anything at this point, so don’t bother."
Left with his mouth hanging, Jason felt the horror seep into his flesh.
"Michael has no interest in taking over once I’m gone," Fisher spoke slowly, disinterest lacing his tone. "That leaves you and Harry. You understand why your brother will be the one to lead, right?"
Not offering a reply, Jason stared at the burned face for a long moment. He pressed his lips into a thin line, grinding his teeth like that of the skull tattoo covering his face. The decision has been made, and nothing he does or says will change it.
Sparing him a glance, Fisher turned his sight to the phone in his hand.
"I had to call in every favor I still had," He said, his thumb coming down the send button of the messenger app. "Trust is very important in your line of work. You cannot allow your clients to suffer because of your failures, and for that reason, you have to do everything in your power to protect them. Not only when they seek your services, but also after they are gone." Pressing his teeth together, Fisher narrowed his eyes. "This will be the last time I clean up after your ass. There won’t be a next time, so you better make this count."
The message went out, and the butler came forward, taking the phone away. That device would later be disposed of, turned to dust to ensure that no one would ever know about the message it had sent.
As the silence returned to the dark room, Fisher tilted his head and looked at his lieutenant. The Black Skull, who had once ruled over Red Hill, had gone soft in his old age, and Jason realized that much. Though he was grateful that things hadn’t turned the way one would expect them to turn, he couldn’t put away the frustration of having failed to inherit the throne.
Light flashed in the distance, and he turned to witness it fade. The fire that rose to the sky represented his failure, but it also signified his chance at a new start. This time, things wouldn’t go the same. He would make sure to eliminate his enemies, and only once that was done would he turn his attention to rebuilding what he had lost.
===========================================
Author’s Note:
This is a little message to those reading from pirate sites. I understand why you do it, and I don’t resent you for it. Still, if you enjoyed the book enough, please consider supporting me through Patreon. com/Nomanalive (it’s only 1$ per month)
Be like the GOAT BuzzAlpha22
As for everyone reading through the official site/app, know that I truly appreciate your support. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you, so thanks for everything. I hope you continue to enjoy the series.
