88 eh.....

It was the first time Alex had done this. Jason never expected this. Instead of being angry, he was astonished.

'Stop being a child.'

Jason rubbed his face. He didn't try to fight back. He did not want to repeat what happened.

After he returned to England to receive his punishment, Agent Charles was chosen to be his supervisor.

More like he made them choose him. He accompanied him on his every day 20 km run and was also the one to whip Jason. David tried to talk his brother out from doing this, but Charles' stubbornness never faded.

For Jason, just thinking that his father will come to know about his failure and how he broke the rules was torture. Seeing that he would also be to punish him made him lose himself. Just the stern look of his father was crushing.

From the first day till the fifth, Charles' lash would draw blood every time it touched Jason's back.

David yelled at his brother, calling him a monster for doing this to his son, to any human, but Charles' expression was as calm as ever. David's words were deaf to him. To him, Charles wasn't someone who transcended humanity, he threw it away.

The punishment was bearable for Jason as gruesome as it was. What he couldn't stand was that from every hit, every word, every look, every breath, he only felt hatred towards him from his father.

His back still hadn't recovered from the punishment. Despite WS advanced medical technology, there were permanent scars left behind, in and out.

'Jason, are you okay?'

Jason gave a hollow smile. Alex couldn't bear seeing him in this state. He had lost something important, something precious. Right now, Alex was not looking at WS's youngest Agent. Someone who had an iron will and did not hesitate when he faced danger. Right now, he was looking at a lost boy who just seemed pathetic.

'This is out of my area of expertise. I am not dealing with this shit.'

Alex went out of the room, there was an awkward pause. Alex came back after a minute.

'Which is why I brought help.'

'Jason, dear.'

The said help had a familiar voice. She walked in the room in his usual attire, wearing her usual everyday smile, lightening the atmosphere. Rei Rei with her silver hair, short heels and lab coat, appeared.

'Professor?'

'Jason, I'm very disappointed in you. Your friend came from all this way, and you wouldn't get out of your room.'

Jason didn't reply. He didn't need to. He knew if he kept quiet, everything would be fine. He stared at the floor, silently waiting from them to go away. But something inside him beat.

'No response. Well, how about a story? You did like my stories.'

Rei Rei came closer and sat on the bed.

'Won't you listen to it?'

Jason sat beside her. To him, it was just a matter of time until Rei Rei and Alex gave up.

'The story begins when a well-known man comes into my lab. It was the early years of me joining WS.'

Rei Rei had always told fantasy or magical stories, but Jason wasn't surprised.

'He came and made a special request. A request to make a custom weapon. I asked him about the details and found out it was about a gun. A unique gun that can shoot lead bullets as well as an anchor, a net, can spew concentrated flames and even liquid nitrogen bullets.'

Jason thought that the properties of the weapon sounded familiar.

'I couldn't just tell him that it's impossible and leave it at that. He carried a special title, the title of being the strongest soldier.'

Jason unwillingly became interested in the story. His mind told him that it's a lie, but his heart wanted to hear more. Something inside him beat again.

'I listened closely to his idea and told him that it would be very difficult. Such a thing is unheard of even in the movies. He then showed me a file. My hands shook when I read it. In it were complex theories and a blueprint on how to make the gun. The problem was, it was ahead of its time. The technology needed to create the weapon was too advanced. I told him I would need three years just to make the prototype. He said I can take my time. The weapon was not for himself.'

Something inside him beat again.

'Not for himself?'

The words slipped out of Jason's mouth. His mind kept denying it, but its resistance was becoming weaker.

'Yes. When I asked him for whom it was for, he said it's a gift for the next WS agent who will take his title. He asked me to give it to him when the time was right.'

'You do not mean.'

Jason pulled his drawer and took out his gun. A gun that Rei Rei gifted him on the day he became a WS agent. He didn't want to ask, but his heart had taken control.

'Is this the gun?'

'No.'

Jason laughed at himself for expecting something. He thought to himself, "I really am pathetic."

'That gun is the prototype.'

Rei Rei reached into his pocket and brought out something wrapped in violet velvet cloth.

'This is the gift that your father requested for you seven years ago.'

Jason took the velvet-covered object and unveiled a matte black gun. It was no bigger than a Glock and was much smarter and lighter than his current weapon. For me?

He promised he wouldn't care anymore, but something inside him started beating painfully. It was his heart trying to break free out of the cage of darkness he trapped it in.

'Jason, if you don't come with me, Asuna and Hikaru will die.'

Alex saw it was time to give him one last push. The cage inside him shook violently.

'Vanessa will get captured.'

His body started feeling lighter. It felt pleasant.

'Watson will launch the missiles, and we will lose!'

His strength returned. He felt he had to do something. His locked heart was finally free.

'Jason.'

'Fine. You do not need to emotionally blackmail me.'

Jason firmly grabbed the gun and turned to Alex. Although it was cold, his smile was there. He had returned.

'I have one question. How are we going to reach Japan? The attack will commence this morning, and it will take a day by plane to reach there.'

'Good question…...'

Alex hadn't thought of that. He thought if he could get Jason to come back to Japan, all his problems would be solved. He didn't know how they would reach Japan.

'You do not know.'

Jason's motivation took a nosedive.

'I do know.'

Alex lied.

'Umm. ReiRei, have you built some supersonic jets that we can borrow?'

'WS does have many jets that can break the sound barrier, but I doubt they'll let you two use it now.'

'If WS won't help you, there is one who is willing to help you go there no matter who you are.'

A fourth voice resonated.