Soldier of Time

XIV: Hanibal King (2)

He bent down slowly and placed his weapon on the ground. For a second, the blood that Karen was spilling distracted him, and there he heard the shots.

Two direct shots to the neck of the man ended his life, and his dying body had been pushed towards the table, falling precipitously and attracting everyone’s attention.

All except for Slevin, who ignored the man or the injured Karen, began the chase.

Hanibal moved with agility and dodged shots that were going towards him from different points, Slevin tried to shoot, but the murderer moved quickly to leave the place.

Hanibal ran with speed into the restaurant, and the Deer followed closely as they both passed the tables, the kitchen, and the back of it. Hanibal left through an alley just behind where the square was located and ran down the opening of the same that would take an industrial zone.

Slevin chased Hanibal as close as he could but lost sight of him in the industrial zone. He slowed down as he walked near what looked like a printing press. He could hear how the sounds of the machines adorned the afternoon.

He walked slowly and little by little, turning around that plant, he came to a gate that showed a channel behind it. Where the river would pass when it grew up

The fence was shaken as if someone had used it to jump, but the Deer did not take that hook and turned on his heel, but his response was not as quick as he expected.

A kick made him drop the weapon, and a punch that he managed to stop with his forearm sent him back. Hanibal smiled as he jumped on the balls of his feet.

Slevin matched his breath to this movement when he heard his opponent spoke.

“You are strange, my friend. This is not you,” Hanibal said as if he was said.

“I’m not your friend!” Slevin retorted, gritting his teeth. There was no way he would accept that.

“That’s what I mean. You are all tense and hostile. That is not entertaining, and it does not look like who you really are,” Hanibal explained.

“Stop talking like you know me!” And with those words, Slevin charged.

He advanced recklessly and realized his mistake very late. He tried to freeze time but failed just before Hanibal landed a strong punch on his chin, and there was no way Slevin would avoid that punch, so he decided to receive it in the best way.

The punch landed as expected on his chin. Instead of resisting the blow, she shook his head strongly in the direction of where the blow was throwing him to lessen the impact.

He tried to freeze time once more but failed again and had already another blow on his body.

On several occasions, he could only cushion the impact while he was unable to use his power, the speed of the punches did not allow him to get out of the problem, and his ability to cushion them was reduced more and more.

He received two punches to the chest that he managed to muffle, a kick to the knee that made him lose his balance, and finally, a strong kick to the chest that threw him violently to the ground.

Slevin took some air as he saw how the buildings danced around him. When he tried to sit down, he looked at Hanibal smiling and holding one of Karen’s weapons.

Around the young man, a kind of mist was seen at his feet.

“This girl is right if you have a power that allows you to see things slower, right? Sorry, today you can’t use it.

Slevin tried to freeze time again but failed. He started at Hanibal and then demanded, “Who is helping you bastard!!?

Hanibal ignored that question and, ducking a bit as the fog cleared, he said, “How long have you been resting?”

A look of disappointment took hold of his eyes. “This was pathetic. I hope you return to normal on opening night. I don’t want the show to end too soon for you.”

Slevin managed to sit up while he watched as Hanibal started to walk away and asked, “Why are you doing this?”

“Because it is what I am. I always have been. It’s my place and yours, even if you don’t want to accept it. Our destiny is to die in the hands of a better warrior, whether it is you or someone else. That will be the way the king dies.”

And with an arrogant smile, Hanibal walked away, leaving Karen’s gun on the ground.

It took Slevin a few minutes to come to his senses and take the gun to return to the square, Hanibal had hit him a couple of times, but he felt as if a pack of elephants had run over him. He was exhausted and nervous, and his hands were shaking. He could not calm down.

Walking through the kitchen of the place, everyone in shock watched him and getting back to the square, for the first time since all this event had begun.

For the first time since he had met her in Sue’s cafe, it was at that moment the first time that the Deer looked and honestly noticed Karen.

He looked at her with her blond hair tied back, crying inconsolably as she, in one handheld the credentials of her soldiers, and in her other hand, had bandages because of the wound Hanibal had caused her.

Slevin looked at her tall and slender, very beautiful, frustrated, and in pain. Her gaze reflected strong remorse and an almost palpable panic.

The Deer approached and handed over her weapon when the young woman asked, “Could you reach him?”

The Deer nodded with a complicated gaze.

“Did he escaped?” The young woman continued to ask.

The Deer nodded once more, this time staring at the young woman’s shoes.

“And I’m the useless one?”

And with those words, she brusquely pushed the young man out of her way.

Slevin raised his gaze while she walked away, and there he saw himself enslaved by frustration and remorse impossible to understand.

“Deer,” Simón said, walking towards him, “That miserable is not alone. Steven is with him.”

Slevin looked at Simon, and he was not surprised that this guy was involved, but his mind galloped more for the person who managed to nullify his powers.

That same night, Slevin was confused by everything that had happened. What happened left him with strong feelings of guilt and with the clear image that he was not the right one for the job.

Confusion rushed into his head as he sat on the porch of the house where he slept. Nothing seemed to make sense when a message came to his cell phone.

A lot of work?

The young man saw the message and the voices in his head immediately subsided. He touched the contact’s name, and the phone began to ring.

“I thought you were busy.”

Those were the first words he heard from her on the phone.

“Not right now.”

“It’s nice to hear your voice,” Amber said, and Slevin couldn’t help but remember her smile. “You don’t sound good, though.”

“What are you talking about?” He asked, confused.

“You seem depressed...” Amber replied softly.

“How can you tell that with two sentences?”

“Because I know you, Deeeeeer.”

She lengthened that last word to emphasize it. The Deer smiled and began to tell her how crazy those days had been.

The girl listened patiently, and when he finished, she said, “Slevin, you act like an asshole!”

“Huh?” Slevin thought about what to answer, but those words were not really expected.

“I’m sorry, Slevin, but if fear is at the service of escaping, it is nothing more than cowardice.”

“But Amber!” Slevin said, somewhat puzzled, “They need to be afraid to survive that guy.”

“Maybe. I’m not saying you’re wrong. Maybe they do need fear, but you didn’t defeat Hanibal twice just with fear. There were also other things, other things that frankly seem more important to me.”

“Technically, I did not beat him twice...” Slevin said, trying to divert the subject.

But the girl ignored him and continued, “Yes, surely you were afraid, but you were also brave, intelligent. You had a good strategy and good support, all under good leadership and trust.”

The Deer smiled under the scolding he received and continued to listen.

“You must show and teach those things if you want to survive. I know that jerk can be scary, but you need to think about the alternatives. Or you will end up like today again, and he is not an ordinary human being, neither can you be.”

“Not facing him has an alternative. Surviving.”

“And then living in a war started by him, it doesn’t seem like the best plan, love... I’m sorry.

The young man smiled over Amber’s last words and then said, “You’re Right as always. I’ve really been seeing this the wrong way.”

“Luckily, you’re still on time. Stop that maniac. You’ll do us all a favor.”

“I know,” said the Deer as a scent appeared in the air, “I’ll call you later, Amber, rest.”

“Okay, take good care of yourself,” she said softly.

“Really, thanks, Amber. You’re the best.”

And with that phrase, he ended the call. Out of nowhere, the Deer said to the night air.

“I know you are here.”

And behind him, Karen appeared. The girl was now dressed comfortably in shorts and flannel, and the bandage on her hand looked fresh. She did not have her usual expression of anger. Now she had sad and repentant eyes red from all the tears she had shed.

“Thanks,” Karen said without really looking at any point.

Slevin was frowning when he asked, “Why?”

“That bastard said that if it weren’t because he saw you, he would have killed them all,” she said weakly, full of helplessness.

“I wish I had done more. Sorry about the four boys,” Slevin responded.

She looked at her hand and said, “I never thought it would hit me so much.”

“Death is always painful and more so when it comes to your men.”

“No,” Karen said, “What hits me is the fact that it destroys me more to know that I am useless than to know that those boys died under my responsibility.”

Slevin turned to face the young woman, and while she continued, “I hardly knew them. I’ve only been here a month. Their death is tragic and destroys me, don’t get me wrong. But it destroys me, even more, to know what that guy thinks of me.”

“He thinks that of everyone.”

“Cool! I would hate to feel special in some way!” Karen said brows furrowed deeply, showing that the idea was really unacceptable.

Slevin smiled, and she even slightly shared that smile, “Being recognized by him is not exactly a blessing.”

“I know, but at least you know you’re good. Someone like that gave you credit, I… I’m just the niece of the genius.” The girl’s eyes began to fill with tears.

“That is not true. You are much more,” Slevin tried to comfort her.

“Please do not be condescending. I could not defeat you with an army and my power, and I could not even draw my weapon without being humiliated before him, do not encourage me, tell me what I need to know, tell me what I am missing.”

            “You lack fear,” Slevin said after thinking for a second. “Fear can save you, and it can make you survive.”

“When fear is at the service of escape, is nothing but cowardice...”

When the Deer heard those words coming out of Karen’s mouth, his skin prickled. A strong wind whipped through the place as if the world agreed that those words should be heard that night. The girl looked at him without hatred for a change.

“But still, it is necessary,” Slevin spoke truthfully.

“You were afraid, and yet he ran away today. I don’t think even you know what it takes.”

“That may be true...”

“Then you being here is useless,” the young woman said, looking severely at the boy.

“That may also be true,” he replied.

The girl turned her back on him and started walking, but before leaving his sight, she heard Slevin spoke further.

“But I beat him. His life was mine, so I may not know what it takes, but it is for sure inside me.”

The girl turned once more, and giving him one last look, she withdrew.

Slevin returned to his room and opening his briefcase, and he observed the set of knives that he used at his time in the squad of child soldiers, the real reason why they called him Deer.

He remembered the person who taught him to use it and remembered the last words she said to him.

Your horns should be sharp little Deer, but nothing should be firmer than your mind.

In the open briefcase were seven throwing knives, a pocket knife, two Kukri knives, and a military survival knife. All with the mark of the Deer on their handle, the Deer took one of the kukri knives, and at that moment, the earth shook. He was no longer in his room now, and he was a child again.

His bloody daggers rested in his hands as he listened to the screams and the explosions around him. His hand was unable to hold that dagger, he released it, and the sound of it falling on the suitcase filled the room.

He took a deep breath as the sweats of war washed over his back and looked at the small razor Amber had returned to him.

He took it before he released a heavy sigh, and then he muttered to himself, “Just a small part.”