civilwarnovels Chapter 203: Charlie Cooper
Chapter 203: Charlie Cooper
The PSC and CPV responded to the situation the moment the chaos died down.
The whole area was cleared just minutes ago, with the neighbouring houses told that a fire has caught the place; a leaking gas line could cause a bigger explosion which created enough panic to people not question things further.
Timothy heeded the Commander’s warning and dispatched the cleaning crew to the incident site as well.
Though, even if she hadn’t told him, Timothy knew that if the Commander herself was getting involved, chaos was inevitable.
And once Kyle was at risk, it almost became inevitable for her to interfere.
Once the debris was cleared and the inspection team went inside, Timothy noted that two bodies had been recovered.
Well, calling them bodies almost felt disrespectful.
One had been bisected into multiple pieces, looking less like a corpse and more like something prepared for sale by the kilo.
As for the second one...well, it was better not to talk about that.
"Sir... we could barely retrieve any information from the second body. But from the first one, we found this."
The officer who had inspected the bodies approached him while holding a black dog tag.
Timothy frowned the moment he recognized the engraving.
"The League. Why were they here in Montclair?"
He knew of the notorious criminal organization that operated out of Guhang while extending its influence across multiple regions.
Their true objective remained unclear, but they had already been linked to several acts of terrorism. One of the most notable incidents was the recent attack on City Estate Tower, which had been brought down during a public celebration.
Their name was spreading throughout the country, and according to rumors, even overseas. Naturally, finding their involvement in Montclair came as a surprise.
"There is no doubt they were here for Kyle. But why?" Timothy muttered. "As far as I know, the Astortia Clan isn’t in a position to help the League in any meaningful way. If anything, the Maylith Clan would have been the more logical target."
A thought crossed his mind.
"Or perhaps this wasn’t something aligned with the League’s interests at all."
He took the dog tag and turned it over.
Red Hound - Charlie Cooper.
"Charlie... Charlie..."
Timothy’s eyes narrowed before recognition struck.
"Ah."
Charlie had been a trainee in the same academy year as him.
"Charlie joined the League?"
The last Timothy had heard, Charlie had been assigned as a security officer to one of the major clans after graduation. That meant there should still be records of him somewhere in the system.
Timothy tightened his grip on the dog tag and looked toward the Commander as she emerged alongside Kyle.
Ironically, the person they had been targeting appeared far better off than the Commander herself.
She looked exhausted, and one of her arms hung uselessly at her side.
It was obvious she had been injured.
Timothy’s gaze hardened.
That sight alone was enough to make this matter personal.
’Charlie Cooper... I’ll find out who hired you for this.’
...
Kyle and Veronica were being transported to the hospital.
Inside the ambulance, Kyle kept the lantern directed toward Veronica.
After examining her, the doctor concluded that she had inhaled a significant amount of toxin and that the poison from the blade had clogged portions of her bloodstream.
"I honestly can’t understand how you’re being so casual about this," the doctor muttered under his breath.
Veronica paid him no attention and continued looking at Kyle.
Naturally, Kyle was worried.
He turned to the medic and asked, "Is she in immediate danger?"
If she was, he would use the elixir on her without hesitation. Aside from saving his life, Veronica was a dear friend, and the thought of losing her was not something he wanted to entertain.
"The artifact..." the doctor said while continuing his assessment. "Somehow, it’s preventing the toxin from damaging her internal organs. If that continues, we should be able to refine her blood once we reach the hospital. So no, there doesn’t appear to be any immediate danger."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the lantern, undisguised greed flashing in his eyes.
"By the way," he added, "can you tell me where you got that?"
Kyle responded with a wry smile.
"It was a gift."
Before the doctor could ask anything further, Kyle turned back to Veronica.
"Want some water?"
Veronica shook her head lightly.
"I’m good." After a brief pause, she asked, "What about you? How are you feeling?"
"I am good...just need some rest." He really doesn’t understand his own body at the moment.
This was the first time Kyle had experienced something like that, so he was still trying to make sense of it.
Berserk was an ability that amplified his physical capabilities several times over, making him somewhat comparable to a powerful Special-Grade.
Yet that man...
He had moved faster than someone like Ava, without the slightest hesitation.
And somehow, Kyle had not only managed to evade his attacks but had also countered with such precise slashes that the battle had ended in less than half a blink.
Then there was whatever he had done with the weapon.
’I have so much to think about...’
But not now.
Right now, his focus was on Veronica.
"What exactly did you do back there?" he asked. "You covered my eyes. Does your ability make people go blind?"
Veronica froze for a brief moment.
Then she looked away.
"You could say that..." she replied quietly. "No one who has seen my Field has survived to tell others what they witnessed."
Kyle blinked in surprise.
"Is that some kind of curse? That sounds pretty cool."
A sheepish smile appeared on Veronica’s face.
"You could say that..."
Silence settled between them.
Kyle leaned back in the small chair provided to him, his thoughts drifting for a moment.
Then he reached out and gently took her hand.
Veronica’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected gesture.
She looked up at him.
There was no fear, judgment, or curiosity in his gaze.
Only warmth.
And gratitude.
"Just how many times..." he asked softly, his fingers tightening slightly around hers. "Have I become the source of some mess, only for you to come and clean it up?"
Veronica’s eyes were half-lidded, exhaustion evident on her face.
Yet she still managed a weak smile.
"All this strength... all this authority..." she murmured. "None of it would mean anything if I couldn’t help you."
Kyle lowered his head.
He had heard something similar before.
And that only made him more frustrated.
Frustrated because he still couldn’t understand why she would say things like that.
Frustrated with himself because he couldn’t return those feelings.
The ambulance continued forward as silence settled between them once more.
As drowsiness slowly crept into his consciousness, the only person occupying his thoughts was her.
And soon, even in his dreams...
Or perhaps, in his memories...
She would be the only one he saw.
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please leave a review.
The sudden strength gain part would come into play here. I know he gets injured in most battles but it’s been like twenty days since he awakened.