Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 589: Black Skull. (Part Twenty one)

Gathered inside the walls of a warehouse, an entire battalion of Black Skulls sat in silence. They didn’t appear to be ready for battle, but they weren’t relaxed, either. Each had a weapon grasped, but their postures betrayed a growing, unbearable exhaustion.

The tension that built up over time made it difficult to even breathe. Nevertheless, since they didn’t know when the enemy would show up or from where, all they could do was wait and try not to get caught off guard.

Milo didn’t like the atmosphere. Being the manager of one of the gang’s nightclubs, he and his crew were used to sleeping through the day and partying all night. Their routine got them into the habit of finishing jobs in no time, and extended periods of stress weren’t something they enjoyed.

Worst of all, they couldn’t even choose where to huddle up, being forced into sharing the warehouse with other crews. Brando’s crew was there, as well as Noah’s. Milo didn’t get along with either of those bastards. Despite being a part of the same gang, they butted heads often, mainly because they kept stealing credit for jobs his crew completed while messing around in his designated area. Though he might be a chill guy, there was a limit to how much he could let pass, and so their encounters always ended in a brawl.

Today, things were a little different. The three were forced to play nice with each other, joining forces to face the red demon whose wrath they had earned. That was the only way they would have a chance at surviving the monster hunting for their lives, or so Lieutenant Harry had told them.

The truth was that most had realized they were being used as bait right now. Numbers didn’t seem to matter against the enemy they were facing, so even with a hundred of them, it didn’t feel like they could do much of anything. Quality wasn’t their forte, either. They totaled more than a hundred, yet only five of them were past the threshold to Level 3. If the red demon hunting them is that Red Demon, then they had no hope.

’Maybe I should book it out of here...’

Black Skull was a big gang, so it wasn’t that strange for it to have members who wanted out. Obviously, there was no severance clause in the contract they signed. That’s what the face tattoo was for—a proof of commitment. Once the teeth were inked on your left cheek, you were in for life. That didn’t stop people from looking for a way out, and the chaos they currently found themselves in presented the best chance.

By the time things settled down, he could be on the other side of the plant, removing the implants that could be used to track him and getting a new face to rid himself of the skull covering the left side of the current one. If the gang lost the way, then all the better. He wouldn’t have to worry about being hunted that way.

The idea had a charm Milo couldn’t resist, and before long, he found himself looking for an excuse to slip out of the warehouse. He had a feeling that the other sergeants would see through him right away, but getting through them wouldn’t be too difficult if he just convinced them to join him.

He had a sure-fire plan, and so he went to execute it right away, getting up from the couch he had been sitting in. His gaze crossed Brando’s, then Noah’s, and without him saying anything, the idea got through. He headed for the break room in the back, and the others followed, ignoring the looks they were getting from their subordinates. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The room had been used for meetings before, so it wasn’t strange for three sergeants to gather there to have a talk. The lower ranks never got the chance to see its interior, so they likely have no idea that there is a back door that leads directly outside. Even if they did, they would never suspect that their leaders would just abandon them to their death and hightail it out of there.

Once he’s past that door, he will be only a few correct lines away from putting all this Black Skull business behind him. That was the thought that went through Milo’s head as he entered the security pin on the control panel, but when the familiar hiss of the door sliding open didn’t reach his ears, he quickly realized that something was off.

For a moment there, he almost panicked, thinking the unexpected problem was a sign of their enemy’s arrival. And he was right. Still, even though he was confident in his conclusion, he found it difficult to get worked up about it. The tension that had been grasping at his nerves was entirely gone, and he found himself more than a little relaxed. In fact, he was so relaxed that he began to question what he was up to until now.

Turning around, he caught sight of the people sitting around with their heads down. The gloom got on his nerves right away, and so his first thought was to get rid of it. Such a big crowd, yet no music was playing, and no drinks were being passed. That had to change, and now.

"Hey, hey, hey! What’s y’all doing!?" He walked back to the center of the warehouse, raising his arms by his side while speaking in a merry tone. "This place is way too quiet! C’mon! Get us some music! Let’s get this party-"

In an utterly pathetic display, Milo tripped on nothing and fell to his knees. Confused, he double checked what it was that caused him to fall, but there really was nothing. He turned his gaze back to the crowd of unsavory-looking characters, realizing they were watching the entire time. The corners of his mouth rose up, and he raised himself, shrugging as he let out a single word.

"Oops!"

The silence lingered for one more moment, then the entire warehouse was shaken by a sudden burst of laughter. The transition was so comical, as if every tough-looking gangster was holding back a laugh this entire time. Looking at them, one would never believe that they had been suffering from stress this entire time.