The hivemind is conquering for me?

As the assassin stirred I squatted down before her and smiled as I removed her gag. ”Hello sleepyhead. How are you feeling?”

The disoriented look on the woman’s face disappeared as she looked at me, I saw a hint of recognition alongside regret. However she remained stoic, simply keeping her gaze upon me with hostility.

”Good, you still have spirit. This makes what I am about to do less tasteless.”

In a moment I used my entire strength and punched the woman in the face. ”You think you can come into my home! Try to kill my Orchid! Are you fucking insane!” I then punched the woman in the throat and watched as she began to choke due to the trauma.

The assassin made no noise except the struggling breath. She didn’t cry out in pain nor attempt to beg for her life. ” A tough cookie huh?” I said crouching down next to her again. I then looked directly into her now one good eye as I had clearly broken her right eye’s zygomatic bone. Her eye was blood red and already beginning to swell over.

”You know. I also consider myself quite the tough cookie. It’s truly an advantage isn’t it? But here is the thing, my little gingernut, because of that, I also know exactly what it takes to make a tough cookie crumble.

The moment I said this, Janine, Orchid and Onyx took a step back as something appeared in my hand. I could see in the woman’s eye. A sickness came over her as I pressed the stick against her leg. And then she finally spoke, dread filling her body.

”W-What is that thing?” Her voice was raspy and naturally low, I kind of dug it, but I wasn’t in the mood for making new friends.

”Oh this?” I said, bringing the stick up to her eye level. ”This is my stick. Nothing fancy right now right? Well, except for the fact it’s made of Anti Psionic material.” The woman’s face radiated confusion, it seemed not all knew such a thing existed.

”Well, don’t look so confused, I am going to give you a demonstration naturally. Now while interrogation isn’t its usual function, I have the suspicion that my stick is more than happy to exert my will no matter the crime committed against me... Now”

*BANG*

I held nothing back as I took the stick and swung violently like I was striking a ball with a racket, against the woman’s head, knocking the chair over. I watched as she began to convulse violently on the floor. I wasn’t sure if it was a seizure or the effects of the anti psionic element at play, but either way I was satisfied.

I then turned to Janine who was looking at me with a mixture of emotions and declared. ”You can leave if you want, Janine. I don’t want you seeing me like this.”

Janine then immediately frowned. ”What? Fuck that! Apollo, she tried to kill Orchid, not to mention whatever else she had planned. The bitch has worse coming and I’m not missing it. Honestly, Apollo, if you weren’t acting like this it would be a turn off.”

I smiled at my Sepiidan for being so perfect before turning as I continued to watch the woman convulse in dead silence for the next few minutes.

Once she was done, I was relieved she was still alive, as it meant I could extract answers. Pulling the chair upright once more, the woman’s eyes were full of tears, her face covered in blood and the smell of ammonia was wafting into my nose.

My stick had done its job wonderfully. It had shown its antithesis what it’s capable of, striking fear into my enemy as a result. With a quivering lip, the woman’s eye remained glued to my stick as she begged.

”Please! I will tell you what you want! Just get that thing away from me!”

”Good, I do prefer softer cookies after all, personal preference. Now as you requested, because I am a nice guy, bye bye stick.” My stick immediately went back to my Mindspace, almost making me frown as the weight returned to my Mind. I then turned my attention back to the assassin and continued.

”Now, cookie, here is how things are going to happen going forward.” I started as I began to roll up my sleeves. ”I ask questions, you answer. If I hear something I don’t like I punch, I break and snap something on your body. If I hear something I really do not like. Well, you get another friendly bonk to the head. Understand?”

The woman simply nodded her head.

”Very good. Well, let’s start simple. Who were you here to kill today? I assume you are an assassin considering you haven’t denied the other times I have said. So who was your hit on?”

The woman remained silent for a moment, prompting me to frown. ”Do I really need to bring it out on the first one... Okay-”

”-You! You! Fuck, the target was you, Archon Apollo Lambdason! I just didn’t want to say in case it upset you!” She practically screamed her throat out towards me, but just hearing those words, I let out a breath of deep relief.

”Thank goodness, someone just wants me dead. I can live with that much easier.” I thought out loud before continuing. ”So, why did you try to kill my Orchid?”

”She spotted me entering the house. Collateral casualties were consented in my contract so-”

I immediately stuck out a volley of blows striking at her head. I then kicked one of her legs so hard that her bone began to show. The woman this time did show agony, but didn’t scream out in pain. Clearly she was trained to handle pain, just not pain caused by anti Psionics.

”Apologies. Never call my loved ones collateral casualties. That is one of my triggers. Now, who hired you?”

The woman went silent again before catching the look in my eye. ”I don’t know.”

I then raised my hand out to the side to collect my stick. Before I could even manifest it, she doubled down. ”I really do not know! All I got was a contract from my dead drop and a shit ton of money! I swear!”

I nodded, indicating I believed her before following up. ”So you don’t know who hired you, but you have some form of network? An organisation? Correct? Or how would you have a drop box? Tell me about your organisation.”

”They are called Cosmos. They only hire those Psionically gifted and only go after Psionically gifted individuals.”

”And where is Cosmos located? Their home base, bases? Tell me.”

The woman then sighed, clearly knowing she knew I wasn’t going to like what was said. ”I don’t know, everything is done without contact. I have never even met another member outside of a job. It’s done this way for situations just like this. Now please. I know nothing else. Just kill me.”

I then sighed. I was not good at interrogation, I was sure there were more questions I could ask, but I could feel my rage quashing knowing only I was at risk of assassination. ”Very well, how do you want it? Fast with my stick or slow and long with my fists?”

I expected her to think it over for a moment, but the woman yelled. ”Fists! Fists fuck do not bring that thing back out please! Just hurry up and kill me please! Please do not get that thing out again!”

”Alright! Alright Jeez-” I said before moving towards the woman, putting the gag into her mouth again and pulling the knife out of her clavicle. I then balled my hands into fists and stared the woman in the eye. She was ready and so was I.

I would internalise committing murder in a civilian environment later, for now I was doing this for my Orchid. No one attempts to hurt her. Ever.

Just as I pulled my arm back to punch the woman, the front door opened and I shat a brick. That was until I saw who it was and I immediately felt myself relax, causing me to casually ask.

”Oh, hey Nerissa. How was your trip home?”

...

After explaining to Nerissa why a very bloodied woman was in my home, Nerissa went silent for a moment leaving me quite nervous as although we were friends, she had no reason to allow me to continue with what I had planned.

However, unexpectedly, she chimed in with. ”Cosmos? Huh. I have heard of them, but tracking down assassins wasn’t my job. Check the middle of her back. If she has the brand, you can outright kill her and claim a reward.

Without even asking, Janine ran over to the woman and ripped open the back of the woman’s shirt between the metal BDSM rope. A few seconds later, she turned to Nerissa and asked. ”Three stars and a crescent moon?”

Nerissa nodded. ”Yes. And with myself as a witness, I can confirm your bounty. Congratulations. Plus the college will also reward you for dealing with an assassin on their grounds while compensating you as an apology. Other than the whole, an assassin tried to kill you, but you have actually benefited quite well from this.” She informed me before swiftly changing the subject, clearly not bothered by the whole thing.

”Now, Apollo, I know I have just arrived back and you have had to deal with all of this, but may I speak to you in private?”