Page 33 of Fatality

The glow in my eyes brightens, and my grin stretches into a full smile.

She didn't ask for help, that's new.

She probably didn't even register me, everyone else does.

Not her.

The warehouse, the one Crimson Velocity uses to deal with people discreetly.

I can hear the screams, the begging echoes through the warehouse.

Ah.

Now that's a sound I know how to control.

I step into the vast room, steel beams stretching across the ceiling, and there they are.

Two men who owe me credits hang upside down from chains hooked to the overhead beams, twisting like fish out of water.

I walk over until I'm beside Neo, who's already grinning as he cracks his knuckles in anticipation.

A literal tornado waiting for my order to unleash.

Next to him towers Varek—the calm one but also the biggest.

He's even bigger than me, his entire body reinforced with enhanced musculature and skeletal impact plating.

His modifications are enough to terrify anyone who doesn't know him.

Hell, even without them, he'd still be a fucking giant. He's the one who hits when something needs hitting. It's cold and efficient.

Where Neo and I are complete fuckers who enjoy chaos loud and proud, Varek is the kind who could break every bone in your body before you even realized what happened... then go right back to standing there with that calm, unreadable face, waiting for my next order.

That's terrifying, even for me.

“Well, boss,” Neo says, cutting through the screams. “When do we finally get to break some fingers?”

Varek doesn't say a word, but his stance shifts almost imperceptibly.

I glance at them before looking back at the two men hanging from the chains.

“Well, it depends,” I tilt my head. “Do they have my credits?”

The redhead with green streaks in his hair and a neck implant starts thrashing against the chains.

“Come on, man!” he shouts, swinging helplessly. “We're gonna pay you back!”

“Yeah, man! No need to go this far!” the white-haired one adds, his voice shaking despite his attempt to sound tough.

I sigh and a disappointed smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.

“Remind me, Varek.” I motion for him to tell me “How long have they had?"

“A month.” His voice is flat and final.

“Right.” I snap my fingers as I speak. “A month.”

I crouch in front of them. Even like this, I'm still too tall to be eye level with either of them.