The Pact

Rescuing Jisoo was reckless for my company. But I wasn't going to let her die or get done in by whatever evil they were planning. The plan was simple enough: overwhelm the holding in the center of Pacifica with a drone swarm.

Managed to get Jisoo out of the prison. My emotions are usually contained. But facing her I couldn't contain them as easily as I thought I could. I let go of the control and told her while having emotions.

After we got out of Pacifica. I headed back straight to Karagi. Waking up with Jisoo alongside me again was strange and familiar. It somehow dented my resolve, but I knew that stopping now would mean that there would be a time where I would feel helpless. I couldn't allow myself that, not when she's around again.

Of course, when morning came she had many questions. How I survived. How I was able to rescue her. Why didn't I contact her? She wanted to know everything that we spent the entire morning just talking about where I was. By the time it was noon she managed to recollect herself. Had food in the fridge so I had cooked us some dinner.

She was looking at me as if I was going to disappear. There was this helplessness in her that made me worry. Still, Jisoo was the type to get better as time passed.

"I knew that you were holding back. But I didn't think that a few months would be enough to become something else. If you were around, no, I can't think that. Not that it will change anything."

Her saying that made me worry. She caught my glance and smiled thinly. "I'm going to be fine. Well, at least, it isn't so bad."

I looked at her. "Are you really, really, okay?"

"No, but you being around helps. I have had bad days lately. You know what I lost and I usually do not speak of them openly. Am I an easy woman, Nik?"

"Don't think so. Maybe I was just too charming?"

"Maybe," she smiled. "I guess I can't stop being under your spell."

I froze at her words. That saddened yet smiling gaze. The way she just looks made me want to comfort her, but still that flame of ambition managed me.

"So, what do you think of the operation?"

"You're using their name. Do they know?"

"They do. Marion and Sai at least know who is the real me."

"Are you connected to Morgan?"

"You could say that I follow his footsteps. I mean I was recovering his N9 when we met."

"Oh, you were. I see, no wonder you ranked up so easily. Still, you should be able to do more than this, right?"

"It's not as easy as you think it is. There are many factors that discourage me from immediately becoming top of this city. We are still nothing more than a group, facing a country without thought will take years and schemes to do so. Besides, better to rule in the shadows than out in the open, no?"

"What are your intentions?"

She blatantly asked. "I don't think you're doing this simply because of money. With your skills, it should be easy enough, what's the motive?"

"That is a question I ask myself."

It was true. The abilities made it easy for me to function in this world. But the problem was that being passive itself doesn't necessarily mean that I'd be able to stay alive.

There are many problems in this world. There are many factions in this region alone. Imagine the world outside of this state, outside of this country. I could get killed thinking that I was already powerful when in truth I was nothing more than a frog in a well.

I understood some parts of this world. I also understood that I have already reached the limits of my potential. I'm simply making use of them to the best of my interest. You cannot fight everyone unless you have a plan. The drone swarm that I used was something that I was hoping to use against the people of Karagi and kept an eye on the events. They were supposed to be Sai's eyes, but some of them got destroyed when he had them rescue Jisoo.

"Sorry to say this, but I might have helped you in running things. I'm not a good fighter."

"I can watch your back. Besides, it's what I do best. I'm not good at anything else it seems."

"You did your best."

"Perhaps, but that little girl is dead. I don't understand these people, but when I do catch them. I don't think any mercy will happen."

"That's understandable. Still, we need to be careful. Thoroughly dissecting these enemies will make a difference once we are able to do so. Make sure that we don't cut the poison sac and hurt ourselves in the process of trying to survive."

"Do you think that there is something going on?"

"There is. But it will be a path paved with hardship. I don't even know if we'd survive long enough. Or will the path forward matter."

To save the world. You need to have everything working with you. Fate's invincible hands must be pushing your back and helping you win. I have almost died twice ever since coming here. People will call me spineless, but there is no shame in admitting to be lowkey.

Being out in the open makes you unable to truly think ways. My mistake was being in the open. Better to make my own than let others control me. It was better to take this road with someone other than being alone.

"So will you help me?"

She looked me in the eyes.

"I will help you. But as I said. Die in front of me again. I'll kill you."

I smiled, "That doesn't make sense."

"It does to me."

She offered her hand and I grasped it. Silently, we made a pact today. Where this pact would take us is something that I don't know myself. Still, it made me feel better that I wasn't alone in this hope for survival against what is coming