110 Errands

"Carl! Wrap it up," I shout, "This wouldn't have happened if you were in shape."

He adjusts his spectacles while slowly nodding. "Y-yes, ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am."

"O-okay. Uhm, m-may I ask why we are here?"

"You can ask whatever you want," I reply, rolling my eyes, "We're here to pick up my pets and then retrieve ammo from the Security Office since it doesn't seem like there is any in the Warehouse."

He blinks, seemingly processing my words. "...Your pets?"

I nod and move toward a pipe sealed with a thin red layer of blood. Utilizing my Blood Magic, the red seal slowly liquefies, and a cooing sound echoes from within the pipe. A moment later, out waddles three angry bear cubs. The three cubs coo at me, upset with being left in such a place for so long. However, that doesn't stop them from climbing up my legs, perching themselves on my head and shoulders, and licking my face.

'Sorry, guys, but I've been busy. Honestly, I wanted to put off coming to get you for a bit longer, but I was afraid something might happen to you guys if I waited too much longer.'

Carl blinks a few times, staring intently at the cubs. "Are… those grizzly cubs?"

"Ah, good eye. A lot of people wouldn't recognize them as grizzly cubs immediately. By the way, before you ask, the other side has a grate, so they weren't in any danger of suffocating."

"Right." Surprisingly quickly, he accepts the odd happening and resumes catching his breath. "Can I ask another question?"

"As I said, you can ask whatever you want; my reaction will depend on what you ask." With the cubs in hand, I flip one over on its back, summon a bottle, and feed it the formula I made a while ago. "I'm going to start walking toward the Security Office, ask your question, I may or may not answer, and after that, we're going to start running again. We've already blown thirty minutes sprinting here, and we need to get back as soon as possible."

Hearing that he nearly vomits again, but I hear him swallow it, forcing out his question, "Why did you do all this? Why did you attack us with those giants?"

"Your employer happened to come into possession of one of my people, followed by two more, and then only returned one of them. So I came to get them back and discovered some interesting things while doing so. One of which could be a threat, and I'd prefer to get rid of it sooner rather than later."

'An imposter god that specializes in Mind Magic. Everything about that is a threat to me, so that thing has to die if I plan to establish myself in the area. That's without taking into consideration that I just plain despise its very existence.'

"Hmm, well, the experiments rub me the wrong way since the methods employed are rather barbarous… But, I was originally just here for my people." He seems lost in thought for a moment, so I try to speed things along. "Why do you ask Carl? Are you disappointed I didn't come to make you pay for what you and your coworkers have done? Or are you simply fishing for information? Oh! Maybe, you're looking for somewhere you can go after all you've done? Do you want to pledge your eternal loyalty to me, perhaps?"

"A-actually, I was just curious."

Placing the now empty bottle into the ring, I swap bear cubs, pull out a new bottle. The cub latches onto it and coos in delight, sucking down the formula excitedly.

"You aren't much fun at parties, are you Carl? That answer was boring." I sigh dramatically and remove one last bottle for the third cub. "Anyway, you can spread what I told you among your coworkers, but you should also be sure to inform them that if they do as I tell them, they will see and experience things far beyond their imagination. Not to mention, they'll live longer, but hey, there are other perks as well."

He smiles awkwardly. "I'll be sure to mention that."

"Well, Carl, now I'm curious." He tilts his head and waits for me to continue. Hugging the feistiest of the cubs, I tuck the scythe clumsily beneath my armpit. "I'm curious why we're still talking and not running toward the Security Office. Didn't I say we're in a hurry."

"I.."

"That wasn't an actual question, now get going or I'll drag you there through the mud."

His face turns green as I motion for him to run. For me, it is like a light jog, but for Carl, I question whether he might die before we make it. While on the way, I contact Aponi, who tells me that the distraction seems to be working to an extent. The exo-soldiers don't wish to go on the offensive because of the possibility of Brutes, while the people planting the bombs are moving slower due to the sporadic volley of bullets.

Additionally, due to concerns about the tunnel's structural integrity and the fact they seem to wish to protect whatever is on the other side of the wall, their progress was already slow, and this has made it slower.

…

...

Arriving at the Security Office, I find Fred and his men have successfully returned along with a couple of dozen people they seemed to have rescued.

I begin to push through the crowd causing a stir as people are unexpectedly forced from my path. The cubs assist by biting and scratching at anyone who gets too close to my sides, helping create a circle around me.

When I reach Fred, I stand behind him and watch as his men utilize a hacksaw on the chair I used to bar the door into the Emergency Shelter.

Tugging his jacket, I yell, "Hey, Fred! What are you guys up to!?" He shudders and instantly enters a state of alert. "Oh, don���t act like that! I wouldn't attack you for no reason!"

He grips the bridge of his nose. "...Girl, what is it you want? Isn't our deal concluded?"

"Our deal?" I place my hand on my chin, pretending as if I have forgotten. Suddenly, I flash a look of realization."Oh, that deal! I suppose so, but that doesn't matter! Our relationship is just getting started, Fred!"

"What do you mean by that girl? Can you stop playing, and just explain already?" he responds, releasing a heavy sigh.

"Well, you guys will live here, and I'll live under the Warehouse. That means we'll be neighbors!"

Hearing this, Carl yelps, apparently only just realizing I have no intention to leave the facility any time soon. His reaction draws Fred's attention.

"No giants today?" he says, glaring at Carl, "You only brought him?"

"Yep, just Carl here, but don't underestimate him! He'll shoot you without a moment's hesitation! He's a true brute." I look toward the television screens where a man sits watching security footage. An image of me cutting down a guard is frozen on another nearby screen. "Besides, I think you already know I don't need them."

"Turn that off," he shouts toward the man, who promptly switches the screen off as Fred scoffs. He looks back at Carl. "I thought you were going to eliminate all those fucked up researchers?"

I look at Carl with wide eyes. "Wow! Are you going to let him talk to you like that? Should I have just let the Brutes 'eliminate' you?" I ask him.

Under Fred's intense gaze, Carl's body quivers as he lifts the gun threateningly. "L-like, she said I-I'll do it!" he inadvertently yells in a high, shaky voice.

"How fierce, I like the enthusiasm," I reply with a laugh, "Now, Fred, I'm here for as much ammo as you can give me, and then I'll be on my way."

"We can't give you any of our ammo. We need it if we hope to escape."

"Don't be silly, Fred! What with the blizzard and monsters on the surface! You'd be better off using the ammo on yourselves—it would be quicker and more efficient!"

He stares at me doubtfully while the crowd enters a bit of a tizzy.

"Blizzard? Is there a blizzard?"

"What does she mean, monsters!? Are they on the surface too!?"

"Did she just say we'd be better off killing ourselves?"

I nod confidently. "Yep, it's all true! The nearest safe place is a hospital, but I've already begun to lay claim on the people there... I mean, if you want, you can attempt to make it there, but anyone that survives will also belong to me!"

"Who the hell is this girl, and where does she get off saying such things?!"

"Laid claim? Why are we even listening to her!?"

"...Did anyone else notice the bear cubs?"

The crowd protests, confused and outraged by my words. Maintaining a smile, I simply stare at Fred waiting for his answer, but seeing him stalling, I get tired of the fools yapping at and around me.

"Oh, but if you don't wish to give me what I want, I suppose, I can just make do with all the food and water in the Warehouse." I glare at Fred, and then at the surrounding crowd. "You guys don't need food or water, right? I mean you probably have, what, a few weeks worth of food in the shelter?"

Everyone grows louder, and I'm starting to lose what little patience I have. Each second of this that passes, I am more and more tempted to cut some of them in half. However, sometimes the potential and thoughts of what someone might do are more effective than the actual act. Combine that with the fact that spilling blood would probably send the crowd into a panic, I'm hesitant to do such a thing right now.

Nevertheless, I don't mind showing them I'm serious in a way an average modern-day person can easily understand. "Hand me the rifle, please, Carl. It seems I need to show them I'm serious."

"Wait…" Frank stops Carl while glancing at the crowd dubiously. "How much ammo do you need?"

"How much do you have?" I ask with a fang-filled smile.

…

…

"W-where did all that ammo go?" Carl asks.

"None of your business and you've already asked your one question."

"...Did you put it in the same place as all these snacks?"

He holds up his arms, displaying a heap of Japanese snacks I had to remove to make room for the ammo.

"Hey! If you really want an answer, I'll trade you one question for all the blood in your body! You can ask literally anything you want! So how's that sound?" I glare at him licking my fangs expectantly. "It's a good deal, huh?"

"N-no, thank you. My… my blood holds a lot of sentimental value..."

"Oh, well, that's too bad," I respond, sighing.

Arriving at the Warehouse, I tuck the scythe beneath my armpit, remove a blood bag from the ring and have a quick meal while the cubs sniff it curiously.

All in all, the expedition took approximately two and a half hours. In that time, I was able to retrieve the cubs, establish a dominating relationship with the Security Office survivors, and retrieve enough ammo to 'distract' for days if necessary.

'Things are going well. Just need to keep an eye out for anyone who feels like causing problems or, worse yet, playing the "hero." Nothing worse than someone who believes themselves a hero.'