Republic of Heroes
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 END ExtraChapter 43
Somewhere in a secluded swamp within the morning island of Japan itself lies a seemingly abandoned power plant with moss growing on its concrete walls as the building remains isolated in the middle of nowhere. Within that factory, there were many criminals from different countries working together with one goal in mind.
To hold Randolph Carter hostage for their own selfish desires. Despite the good he does to society in this country, some envy the wealth he possesses and want it all for themselves, while others seek the glory of capturing him as they can't allow a valuable individual to be left untouched for so long.
In one of the many rooms is a security office comprised of many monitors that show the feed of numerous cameras all around the building, while tables and chairs are placed in every corner. The surveillance system is clearly at work, watching everyone and everything that is happening around the complex.
Right now, many of them are casually walking around, awaiting the arrival of their billionaire, joking and talking with each other, including some gambling as they played cards. Everyone is so excited to be here, doing the biggest heist they have ever done in their entire careers as thieves or bank robbers.
They laughed and chatted amongst themselves, occasionally talking about how much they're going to get by holding the rich bastard as their hostage, knowing full well how much the worth of his life is equal to the fortune of the richest families in the world combined.
Standing in this midst is James Gill, a corrupt oversea politician in Japan for the sole purpose of making the criminal underworld flourish throughout the globe—a task rather easy when he holds this much power with the connections at his disposal.
Waiting patiently at his side was the young brown-haired man, Sato Makotori, in his usual black clothing, having agreed a deal with this low life just so they could rid of him from their lives altogether, allowing him and his girlfriend to live in a free paradise of being no longer tied by a dangerous man.
But James had other plans, preferably using Randolph Carter for financial reasons rather than outright ending his pitiful life. Despite Sato disagreeing with this take, there wasn't any choice in the matter, as all he wanted was to have that man gone for the sake of their own future.
Hands inside his pockets, he stared down at the floor with a contemplative look, contradicting himself on the decision he made to trade someone else's life for their chance to be more secure than ever. However, he felt a tinge of remorse for doing what he had to do for the sake of his lover, Nomi.
He regretted everything from the beginning after falling in love with her, but she is his only light in this world and his only reason for continuing on. Ever since Nomi revealed what she truly is to him, he realized that no matter what he does or thinks, he will never be able to leave her behind.
"Don't you think this is wrong?"
The sudden question caught James off guard: "What?" He glanced down to meet the younger man's gaze; somewhat amused when Sato was looking up to stare him in the eye, he said, "You want him gone, right? That's what we talked about in the first place; are you suddenly having second thoughts?"
Sato turned his head to the side, facing his attention to the monitors that display every section of the power plant and even outside of it. "Murdering and stealing others for the sake of money is one thing, but doing it for your own self-interest is something else," he retorted with a grimace, not liking this idea in the slightest bit.
"Come on, boy, what do you think life is?" James chuckled; having found it funny to see someone having morals when everyone in this very building has committed plenty of crime to get this far in life, "You're talking to someone who has done this all for a living; you can't seriously say something like that while being with us now, don't you think?" He asked in a humorous tone, enjoying the irony of the situation.
"You are supposed to be the law," Sato told him, revealing the anger in his eyes. "How can you not know the difference between good and evil if you are supposed to represent all the good in the world?" He narrowed his eyes at the man and said, "Or perhaps the world really is doomed when people like you are in charge; no wonder everything is wrong."
James sneered at him, obviously annoyed at his statements: "Listen up, kid, you either make the rules or someone else makes them for you; that's how this world works; in order for someone to succeed, someone else has to lose." He crossed his arms, showing his displeasure at having to explain this to someone like him.
Sato, in return, scowled at him. "There's no such thing as win and lose when it comes to good and bad," he said. "It's nothing more than a bunch of excuses from people who don't have the courage to stand up for what's right." His hand was then balled into a fist.
James sighed and shrugged in defeat, "You're no different than the rest of us," pointing out the boy's hypocrisy for taking moral high ground when, in fact, he isn't so different from the bad men and women in here. "Do you honestly believe the world will have the kindness to give you what you want if you stay in line and keep quiet, like a good boy?"
"..."
"Of course not, nobody cares what you feel or what you want," James said, placing his hand on his shoulder. "You do what you can in order to survive; that's all there is to it." He says before removing his hand. "Whether it's good or evil, in the end, all that matters is getting what we want and getting our needs satisfied; isn't that what we all want?"
He knew that he was no bother than the rest of these scum, but he will do what it takes to make sure he will survive and ensure his love is happy, even if it means risking other lives. "Your right," he answered, agreeing to his words, "that's what everyone wants." Sato finally accepted his resolve.
Patting on the boy's back, "good to know you see our way of thinking; you may be a little bit slow, but I like it that way," he joked, snickering at the silence that this teen is giving, "so let's hurry up and finish this, shall we? I don't like keeping Carter waiting." James is truly impatient, eager to finish this ordeal as soon as possible.
As he says those words, the door leading into this room opens with a group of people entering, both male and female, rifle in hand, wearing everyday attire with the exception of Kevlar strapped to their chests. James' eyes brightened at their sight. "Oh, glad you could make it!" He greeted them, welcoming their presence.
Between the two is a standing and unconscious Carter being forcibly held around his arm by cheerful Nomi while being guided by the group of two gunmen. She wore her signature smile that spread through her cheeks, and her eyes gleamed with delight while dragging the wealthy man along. Hiya! We've got him for you! She said this with her own arms still wrapped around his.
Another tinge of guilt hit Sato like a truck when he saw the very man he spoke with back at the bus stop. He started to have a liking for him to the point of almost seeing the guy as a close friend, wanting him to be someone who would always be there to aid him whenever he needed help. Yet here he is, with this man in their grasp.
"Sato-kun!" His girlfriend immediately let go of the billionaire to run in his direction as the captive fell on his back like dead weight. Sato almost got himself knocked over when he was pulled into a tight hug and asked, "Did you miss me?" She giggled at his startled expression, her face inching closer to his own while she had the desire to kiss him.
Normally, he would accept this kiss, but something in him isn't feeling so well after seeing the way Carter is dragged against his will like that. "Nomi," Sato gently pushed her away, not wanting her to distract him right now, causing her to respond in kind. "What's wrong, baby?" Nomi innocently tilted her head to the side, wondering what was bothering him.
Before he could say a word, everyone present in this capacious office ran in groups, surrounding them with loud comments and whispers about what's going on, especially at the captive being taken: "Are you telling me that's the Randolph Carter?" A woman with short black hair shrieked with a huge grin plastered on her face, "This is so awesome, man, I never thought we'd see this day!"
"We'll have one hell of a paycheck when we hold him as ransom," another male with slick hair and beard complimented as he scanned the body of their target with a scrutinizing eye, "a million dollars, maybe even a billion!" He shouted, all the possibilities in his head on how much they could earn by trading the life of their precious hostage.
"Come on, man, a billion is too much, don't you think?" His partner, a tall, bulky man, yelled back, denying that ridiculous suggestion, "Let's see if he will be willing to give us 20 million at the very least, just enough for the whole lot of us to share equally!" He suggested with a cocky grin, getting his pants to twist from how much he would gain from this operation.
Everyone is having their own discussion in regards to their future earnings as they speculate how much their future will be if they manage to get their hands on the billionaire's fortune, not that their deluded brains are able to realize that they aren't the ones in control of this situation.
"Shut the fuck up! All of you!
James ordered them with his deep voice, the very words of his voice echoing in this room while they sent all of their eyes at him in mere seconds. Smiling at their obedience, he continued, "Thank you for all of your hard work in bringing him over to us." He walked to their side, glancing at the fallen and still unconscious billionaire.
"I know how many of you wanted to have his wealth," his eyes trail from their eager faces around him, "and to be honest, I would also agree with that as well." Kneeling down, he inspected the young man's state to see if he was still alive. Much to his relief, "but like any other problem, we've got to solve this issue one step at a time," he chuckled, trying not to show his growing anticipation.
Standing up, he spread his arms like a bird with his smile still plastered on his face. "But after that, we can all split up and use his fortune however we please! I promise you all!" James' words seem to have given their audience hope in succeeding in their goal, especially after hearing what he promised as the loud noises of their cheers, praising the success of their mission.
However, Nomi had another idea as she approached James, leaving Sato confused by seeing her move away from him: "May I offer an alternative solution?" Her sweet and soothing voice called out to them, causing everyone in the crowd to direct their eyes towards the girl in the white dress.
"Hm?" James gave her a puzzled look, slightly irritated by the interruption. "And what is it, exactly?" He demanded to know while raising an eyebrow at her, showing how unamused he is at having some random teenager stop him from addressing his audience.
Without wasting a beat, Nomi already decided to make her proposal of making their worth more while asking, "Have any of you gotten tired of these rich folks taking and taking without giving anything in return?" She questioned everyone present in the room, receiving positive replies from most of them: "I know that this is a great opportunity," Her eyes shifted to their captive.
"It is our only chance to make them pay by starting with him," she said, pointing towards Carter on the floor, still asleep. "After all, wouldn't you want them to experience how much pain they've caused all of us in the first place?" Nomi put a finger on her own mouth, pretending to ponder to herself.
"Are you saying," an elderly man with broad shoulders and a green shirt eyed the young girl with interest, "that we should torture him?" He concluded with a hint of curiosity and satisfaction in his tone, seeing a great idea in her speech.
Many of them agreed with his words, seeing nothing wrong with what she is proposing, which is torturing the billionaire for the pain and suffering he brought upon them. "Well, ain't that a good idea?" Another person called out, pleased at her words, "I've gotten enough of those wealthy pricks thinking they own the whole damn world; it's time for them to learn their place," expressing enthusiasm, having found the chance to finally enact their revenge upon them.
James watched as most of them supported what she was saying, turning to her with a demanding look. "This isn't part of the plan," he whispered to her as she paid no mind to his disagreement. "This isn't what we discussed in the first place." He gritted his teeth, seeing her acting on her own while disregarding their agreement.
With the support of their allies, Nomi smiled back at him with mischief, saying, "Yes, it is, or did you forget that this is what your men and women wanted?" She returned the question back at him with a tilt of her head: "Can you blame them?" Her sweet smile seemed to have unsettled him.
Grunting in response, he looked away with acceptance of her proposal, seeing how many of them would increase their loyalty to his cause. "If that's what everyone wants, who am I to stop all of you?" He conceded in the end, deciding to continue with it.
As everyone celebrated this news, Sato could only watch in horror at how all of them in this very room, including the love of his life, would go so far to torture someone. Making him question further his love and humanity for the sake of someone as wretched as her, but at the same time, he can't help but sympathize with what will happen to Carter.
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