Published at 6th of May 2026 6:48 am

Chapter 27 Blood For The Blood God

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FINALLY! FRESH MEAT FOR THE BUTCHER, He yelled out in a booming, deep voice. I cant promise I wont break him, but Ill leave him alive.

He calls himself The Butcher, I said neutrally. I do not need another escaped mental patient; I already have Tuesday. What did you do to him?

That's the best part; he was already like this! Kai exclaimed. As soon as he woke up, he started punching the walls until his hands bled like a madman. And then once he discovered he couldn't escape, he just started to laugh. He's only become more energetic and animated the longer he's been here. Hes created a routine where right after he awakens, he starts slamming his fists into the walls. Im honestly not sure what his reasoning is, but it seems to make him happy.

Another lunatic? His sanity and well-being don't actually matter to me. All that matters is Kai's experiment bearing fruit. My power doesn't help me fight or defend myself, and the longer I'm in Quinstin, the more it becomes clear that a pistol can't stop everyone who might try to take my life. The higher we climb as a group, the more people seem to become bulletproof. Even the offensive additions that Kai put in my helmet are situational. A pressurized burst of acid can melt through a lot of things, but those arent the ones I need to be wary of. I need to be wary of the ones who can shrug off acid. I need an ace in the hole, a secret weapon that my enemies won't expect. Glow Guardian almost killed me by accident, an accident that I caused. I'm too fragile, and eventually my luck's going to wear out. I'll abduct hundreds of people and put them through the grinder if it means Kai can succeed.

Does he have the same modifications as Ten? I asked.

Yes and no. Thirteen and Ten share a lot of the same upgrades, but they also have some that are unique to each of them. It took a bit, but they did eventually find certain additions that they liked more than others, Kai answered.

Interesting. I'll be looking to see what differences they have.

Prepare to be wowed.

Kai switches back to the prisoner's feed. Time to see what you can do. He holds down the button on his microphone, and the captured Security Director whips his head around for the source of the sudden noise. Has Kai not spoken to him?

Hello? Is someone there? The man asked.

Quiet, Kai said coldly. In a minute, you will have the opportunity to fight for your freedom. If you are successful, you will be free to go unmolested. If you aren't, well, you're going to wish you were.

Has StarGaze not paid the ransom? I've been here so long already, and you haven't spoken to me yet. What has changed? He asked desperately.

One of the walls of your cell will open up. On the other side is a tunnel. Follow it all the way until you reach your destination. There will be a man there; if you can defeat him, I will let you go. How you go about it is up to you. All that matters is your victory, Kai said, ignoring the man's questions.

Kai lets go of the button, even as he continues to ask the doctor questions. Kai starts typing away, and the feed switches to a side-by-side view of both men's cells. They couldn't be more different in their reactions. Thirteen is silent, with a fanatically ecstatic look on his face. He is so eager to harm. The Security Director, on the other hand, is tense. The man doesn't seem to have accepted his fate. He keeps trying to appeal to Kai's humanity. I'm not sure he has any.

Then the walls open, and the prisoner begins to accept the reality of the situation. He stops pleading, hopping backward, and placing his right hand against the wall to his right. Let's see what you can do. When nothing comes out of the tunnel after five long minutes of growing tension, he finally relaxes a bit. Removing his palm, he steps forward carefully, slowly approaching the opening leading out of his cell. With the smile on Kais face, you would think hes watching a beloved movie instead of a trial by combat.

Moving through the winding tunnel, he keeps one hand against the wall at all times, ready to use his power at a moments notice. I am interested in seeing how it manifests visually; is it too distinct a power to give to someone in my camp without StarGaze Dynamics recognizing it? Back on the screen, the man continues on like a rat in a maze, not knowing that at the end of the tunnel lies a psychopath. Kai lied to him to motivate him into trying, but there was never an option for us to let him go. Im taking his power regardless of how the fight goes, and then he becomes just another Subject to experiment on.

Turning around the final corner, the dark corridor ends twenty feet ahead. The light from the room shines down the hall, illuminating his figure. Thirteen is standing perfectly still in the middle of his cell, ready for war. His massive body wouldnt have fit down the tunnels, so we had to make the Security Director be the one to go to Thirteen. The size difference between the two men makes the director look like a child next to his father. Instead of attacking from range to exploit his advantage, he instead calls out to the gigantic beast.

Hey, you there. My name is Hassan, and like you, I have been captured by whoever has placed us in these cells, Hassan said to Thirteen.

They call me Thirteen, Thirteen said, turning around to point at the number sewn into his uniform. His tone is quiet, calm, and polite. Its completely unlike the way hes acted in his conversations with Kai. But you can call me Butcher.

Alright, Butcher. We need to find a way out of here. Im not sure how long Ive been here, but I have to get to my family. My children, my wife, they must be worried sick about me. Im sure you must have people who are missing you as well. If there are others like us, then we should band together and try to escape. If I get to a phone, I can call my employer, and they will send a squad to rescue us, Hassan explained.

No.

No? Hassan asked, confused by Thirteens response.

I dont want to leave here. I like it here. Three square meals and a room to myself? Its like prison but better. I aint got nothing out there for me. Sides, I know why youre here. Come and get me, little man. Its been too long since Ive tasted blood, Thirteen responded.

Im not here to fight you. Its what they want us to do, Hassan said, his voice raised a bit higher.

Refusing to engage in Kai's experiment when that's the only way he'll be freed says a lot about him. This is a man of principle, not someone who will let his value system be debased by outside influences. You will not survive this.

Its what I want, too. Youre lucky Im too big for that hallway youre in, or we wouldnt be talking at all, Thirteen smiled, his lips peeled back to the gums.

There is no point to us fighting. Be reasonable. I may be smaller than you, but you are not my opponent, Hassan warned.

Can you lock the tunnels behind him? I asked Kai.

Kai clicks a few buttons, and the path Hassan came from seals itself off. He turns around at the sound of the closing corridor. There is no way back to his cell now, and the only source of food and water, or a usable bathroom, is in Thirteens room. Either Hassan gives in and fights the Subject, or he can slowly starve to death. Make your choice.

Looks like you've got no choice. Stop hidin in the dark and come fight me. Otherwise, you won't ever see your family again, Thirteen said, goading Hassan. Maybe I can pay them a visit sometime, see if ya kids inherited their father's cowardice.

Hassan doesn't rise to the taunt, ignoring Thirteens blatant threats against his family. His impassive expression only further ries up Thirteen. How far can you be bent before you break? As I'm trying to figure out a way to force Hassan to act, he strikes without any kind of warning. Thirteen and I are in the dark when it comes to the man's abilities. I don't know which ones he has, but Subject Thirteen doesn't even know superpowers are on the table. Because he isn't aware Hassan's a Neuvohuman, he isn't expecting a surge of physical force to explode out underneath him, slamming him into the ceiling with enough force to knock the air out of his lungs. What was that?

Thirteen falls flat on his face, lying still. But then he pushes himself up and looks no worse for wear. Seeing him undamaged, Hassan sends out another pulse, and now that I know what I'm looking for, I spot it. An orange line, about as thick as a crayon, emerges from his foot, racing across the floor like an eel after its next meal. The orange line reaches Thirteen's right foot, and then it explodes again, blasting the giant into the left wall. It's like a grenade went off next to him, but it doesn't damage anything but the target. Kai wasn't kidding; this is quite the interesting power. It does make me think of how the others could've defeated him.

Thirteen rolls his shoulders, still cackling in glee. He cracks his knuckles, and the noise it makes sounds like firecrackers popping. The behemoth hasnt taken any damage from Hassans attacks; it doesnt even seem like hes dazed from smashing his head against a metal wall. Is this a result of Kais modifications, or just the natural physique of the man? Thirteen begins to walk toward the hallway Hassan has hidden in. The smaller man finally makes a direct move, gritting his teeth, he slams both palms out into the sides of the corridor and two much bigger orange lines spread from his hands, speeding down the hall at Thirteen. The line on the left moves to the floor, and the one on the right goes to the ceiling. I said the previous attacks were like grenades, but these two new ones are like RPGs. The floor detonates, shooting Thirteen into the ceiling, where the second one blows up. Trapped between two explosions, the redheaded man is put through the equivalent of the kinetic spin cycle on full blast. Wow. Dust fills the air, and even the cameras installed in the cells cant see anything.

I tried warning you, Hassan said solemnly. Never threaten a mans family.

From inside the dust cloud comes a wet coughing sound from the giant man as he shudders on the floor. The coughing clears up, revealing he's laughing hysterically as he gets up off the ground. Clapping his bruised hands together, he applauds his opponent, still rocking that toothy smile. Hes bleeding from his ears, his bottom lip is busted open, and his nose is bent. The uniform Kai made for him is in tatters; its little more than a mangled shirt and some frayed shorts at this point. Despite the damage to his face, there arent any injuries on his body. At first, I think I must be seeing things, but as the dust clears, its revealed my eyes are not deceiving me. Metal is spreading across his arms, covering his biceps, forearms, and then both hands. One hand is frozen as a fist, and the other is like a knife. His wrists, shoulders, and elbows remain flesh, which must be because Kai hasnt figured out how to handle the mobility problem from the rigid metal coating.

Fuck ya family, Thirteen said, spitting a glob of blood and saliva onto the floor.

Why isnt his bleeding stopping? Dont tell me hes choosing to let himself bleed out.

Hassan looks genuinely worried for the first time since their fight started. Thirteen dashes over to his bed, moving much faster than his bulk and size would suggest. He crouches down and waves his knife-hand under the bed, slashing through the steel rods bolting it to the floor. Kai switches camera views, and slashing might have been the wrong word; it looks more like someone forcibly bashed through the rods rather than cutting. Using the knife-hand like a spatula, he picks up the bed and tosses it down Hassans hallway hiding hole. Tosses might be an understatement; he throws it, and the other man is forced to dodge forward to avoid getting hit. Kai slams shut another wall, forcing Hassan even closer to his opponent. Hassan, realizing that the corridor is no longer deep enough to avoid Thirteens reach, jumps into the belly of the beast. Kai slams the wall behind him, and both men are now trapped together in the cell.

THE BUTCHER WILL GET HIS POUND OF FLESH!

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