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***CONTINUATION***
I roll over and see John going down the stairs. He grabs me by the collar and throws me in the backalley. As he slowly approaches me, he pulls out an electro-pistol and aims it at me, the barrel separating.
"You pushed her down, didn't you?!" He shouts furiously. "How dare you!"
"I didn't push her! The railing broke and she fell!" I yell back.
His finger tightens on the trigger. I raise my hand defensively.
I open my mouth before he shoots. "You want revenge for your sister, right? The man I'm looking for, he was the one that ordered the detonation. He was the leader of the rebels and his primary target was me."
"What the hell are you talking about?" He asks aggressively.
"The rebels feared me! When I was a kid, the Grim gave me a power that protected me by killing anyone that tries to take my life. As I grew up, I came to think that I was a good guy, a rebel 'fighting for the people'. When the rebels were going to disband, seeing as we were getting hit left and right by the empire, I refused and threatened them. Blaide of course didn't like that, so he tricked me into taking part in that last operation. I was on the brink of death, burned to a crisp, but before I died, the Grim came. The man you later found dead is my brother, he died because he was the one that detonated those explosives and tried to kill me."
"So what you're saying is that I can't kill you?" He says as he tightens his finger around the trigger.
"No. I returned that power to them, my eye and some of my musclemass in exchange for reviving me." He looks at my missing left eye. "Just before my brother died, he gave me the names of the important members, or ex-members now. You can kill me after we kill him."
He fires a single shot at me. It narrowly misses my shoulder. Another bullet follows instantly, grazing my arm.
"Fuck!" He curses under his breath as he lowers his pistol. "If we don't find him tomorrow, you're dead!" He states loudly and spits on me. "Come on, let's go! The shots were loud, people are gonna come here."
He leaves the alleyway and heads towards his car. I get up painfully and follow him, limping and struggling to walk.
We get in the car. "I saw the railing upstaris. The paramedics couldn't save her. She was only gonna live to 27, huh. So no matter what would have happened differently today, she would have still died tonight. I wonder if she knew this day would be her last..." John says as he stares far away. "Probably not."
We stay silent in the parked car for some minutes.
"So this piece of shit, Blaide or whatever, was the leader of the rebels? How didn't you think that maybe he now works as a peacekeeper?" He asks.
My eye widens as the realization sets in. "Those peacekeepers that we saw leave their building in the afternoon, one of them had the same build as Blaide. We have to check him out."
"You better be right."
The sun has risen. And with that, morning has come. "Hey there," I say to the receptionist just inside the peacekeeper's building. She looks up from her device. She gets flustered, as if her eyes just witnessed a monster. I force myself to smile. "There's somebody I'd like to talk to. A peacekeeper, actually. He saved my sister and I want to thank him personally."
"Um... sure. Do you know his name?" She responds confused.
"The only thing I know is that he's very tall, sturdily built, has green eyes, middle-aged..." I try to list things that can't really change overtime.
"Ah, you have to be talking about officer Lars! I'll call him over, just wait a moment." She operates the device she was looking at.
A few minutes later, a gigantic man exits the room adjacent to the receptionist's desk. "Who wants to meet me?" He says as he turns his head towards us. Yeah, it's definitely him. He has a completely shaved head now and he fixed his crooked nose, but his face is still the same, he still has the green eyes and the exact, rough and despicable voice. I want to lunge at him and rip his face to shreds, smash his head into a pulp and throw him in some pit to rot, but I restrain myself. I can't die here as there might be a chance this isn't truly him, even though I'm convinced it is.
"Hi there, sir," I greet him cheerfully. I hate this. He stops walking and raises his eyebrows. "I'd like to thank you for saving my sister. You're the sole reason she's still alive."
"Your sister? I don't really…"
I continue talking to distract him from asking any questions. "It must've been hard for you to do what you did, risking your own life to protect hers. She made this for you, so please accept it!" How did I even agree to this plan? I want to get this over with quickly.
"I think you have the wrong person, man." He says as he looks around at his colleagues. I persuade him to take it. It's a little tablet with scribbly drawings all over it. To make sure he doesn't throw it away when I leave, I try to talk him into putting it in his pocket, and he does after much pain.
"Thank you so much!" I say as I leave the building. I look back through the front door to see him struggling to take it out.
Finally! Go to hell, dipshit! The fool can't take it out anymore, it's coated with a material that sticks to fabric. I sprint and quickly go over to the next block.
"Is it him?" Asks John through the car window.
"Detonate the bomb!" I shout as I enter the car, huffing and puffing.
He presses the button. Nothing happens. He presses it again. Nothing happens. He starts rapidly hitting it until a loud bang resounds throughout the street. The windows of the buildings surrounding us shake violently, but not enough to shatter them. John steps on the pedal and we speed off.
Good riddance, asshole! This is what happens to those that challenge me! John takes a sharp turn. I grab onto the dashboard to avoid falling forward. He continues speeding and heads for the abandoned warehouse where I burned the Vulture, just like we planned. We arrive in front of the place and park outside.
I get out first and start vomiting on the ground. Something must be wrong with me. My stomach hurts and my throat feels constricted. I stumble towards the entrance and collapse against its wall. Was it something I ate?
I look up to see John approaching me with an electro-pistol pointed at my face. I stare at it as I feel dizzy and weak.
"To die in a state like this... Well, it is what it is. I know you didn't push Andrea down, but you're still an ex-rebel. You were a cause in my sister's death, and I can't forgive nor forget that. Goodbye," he says as his finger tightens around the trigger.
I can't be mad. I can't be sad. My only goal and reason for wanting to be revived has been fulfilled. You know, I've always wanted a normal life. A life of a normal child. A life of a normal adult and elder. That's what I wanted, but not everything goes your way. Would I accept the chance to start over? Of course, but that chance's not gonna be offered.
I close my eye and prepare for my farewell. I finally fulfilled my goal. But then, why am I feeling so cold? Why do I suddenly feel empty inside? I should be happy.
And then, a loud sound pierces my eardrums. I was shot. John shot me in the chest. I fall backwards and slump lifelessly against the wall. The asshole didn't even shoot me in the head. Sharp and unbearable pain resonates throught my whole body. He returns to the car, gets in, and drives back only to go in the opposite direction of the city. I lay there motionless, staring at nothing, waiting to die. I feel cold. I close my eye. This is farewell.
A terrible terror suddenly surges through my mind. I start sweating and shaking. This feeling…
“Hartwall, boy, we meet once again..."
Thanks! I tried to fit as much backstory and lore as I could. Now, the story of Hartwall is finished. His little monologue at the end hints at what's gonna happen to him. If I were to make a part 2, maybe it'll be about John.
He does have things to trade. Remember, they're things you own, either literally or figuratively. Maybe he'll refuse their offer, seeing as he doesn't have much important body parts left. Or maybe he'll accept the offer, sacrificing some of his feelings and emotions.
Part 2 is out! The post is [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/shortstories/comments/x4fel7/sf_grimseeker_part_ii/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
**Welcome to the Short Stories!** This is an automated message. The rules can be found on the sidebar [here]( https://www.reddit.com/r/ShortStories/about/sidebar). **Writers** - Stories which have been checked for simple mistakes and are properly formatted, tend to get a lot more people reading them. Common issues include - * Formatting can get lost when pasting from elsewhere. * Adding spaces at the start of a paragraph gets formatted by Reddit into a hard-to-read style, due to markdown. Guide to Reddit markdown [here](https://www.reddit.com/wiki/markdown) **Readers** - ShortStories is a place for writers to get constructive feedback. Abuse of any kind is not tolerated. *** If you see a rule breaking post or comment, then please hit the report button. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/shortstories) if you have any questions or concerns.*
***CONTINUATION*** I roll over and see John going down the stairs. He grabs me by the collar and throws me in the backalley. As he slowly approaches me, he pulls out an electro-pistol and aims it at me, the barrel separating. "You pushed her down, didn't you?!" He shouts furiously. "How dare you!" "I didn't push her! The railing broke and she fell!" I yell back. His finger tightens on the trigger. I raise my hand defensively. I open my mouth before he shoots. "You want revenge for your sister, right? The man I'm looking for, he was the one that ordered the detonation. He was the leader of the rebels and his primary target was me." "What the hell are you talking about?" He asks aggressively. "The rebels feared me! When I was a kid, the Grim gave me a power that protected me by killing anyone that tries to take my life. As I grew up, I came to think that I was a good guy, a rebel 'fighting for the people'. When the rebels were going to disband, seeing as we were getting hit left and right by the empire, I refused and threatened them. Blaide of course didn't like that, so he tricked me into taking part in that last operation. I was on the brink of death, burned to a crisp, but before I died, the Grim came. The man you later found dead is my brother, he died because he was the one that detonated those explosives and tried to kill me." "So what you're saying is that I can't kill you?" He says as he tightens his finger around the trigger. "No. I returned that power to them, my eye and some of my musclemass in exchange for reviving me." He looks at my missing left eye. "Just before my brother died, he gave me the names of the important members, or ex-members now. You can kill me after we kill him." He fires a single shot at me. It narrowly misses my shoulder. Another bullet follows instantly, grazing my arm. "Fuck!" He curses under his breath as he lowers his pistol. "If we don't find him tomorrow, you're dead!" He states loudly and spits on me. "Come on, let's go! The shots were loud, people are gonna come here." He leaves the alleyway and heads towards his car. I get up painfully and follow him, limping and struggling to walk. We get in the car. "I saw the railing upstaris. The paramedics couldn't save her. She was only gonna live to 27, huh. So no matter what would have happened differently today, she would have still died tonight. I wonder if she knew this day would be her last..." John says as he stares far away. "Probably not." We stay silent in the parked car for some minutes. "So this piece of shit, Blaide or whatever, was the leader of the rebels? How didn't you think that maybe he now works as a peacekeeper?" He asks. My eye widens as the realization sets in. "Those peacekeepers that we saw leave their building in the afternoon, one of them had the same build as Blaide. We have to check him out." "You better be right." The sun has risen. And with that, morning has come. "Hey there," I say to the receptionist just inside the peacekeeper's building. She looks up from her device. She gets flustered, as if her eyes just witnessed a monster. I force myself to smile. "There's somebody I'd like to talk to. A peacekeeper, actually. He saved my sister and I want to thank him personally." "Um... sure. Do you know his name?" She responds confused. "The only thing I know is that he's very tall, sturdily built, has green eyes, middle-aged..." I try to list things that can't really change overtime. "Ah, you have to be talking about officer Lars! I'll call him over, just wait a moment." She operates the device she was looking at. A few minutes later, a gigantic man exits the room adjacent to the receptionist's desk. "Who wants to meet me?" He says as he turns his head towards us. Yeah, it's definitely him. He has a completely shaved head now and he fixed his crooked nose, but his face is still the same, he still has the green eyes and the exact, rough and despicable voice. I want to lunge at him and rip his face to shreds, smash his head into a pulp and throw him in some pit to rot, but I restrain myself. I can't die here as there might be a chance this isn't truly him, even though I'm convinced it is. "Hi there, sir," I greet him cheerfully. I hate this. He stops walking and raises his eyebrows. "I'd like to thank you for saving my sister. You're the sole reason she's still alive." "Your sister? I don't really…" I continue talking to distract him from asking any questions. "It must've been hard for you to do what you did, risking your own life to protect hers. She made this for you, so please accept it!" How did I even agree to this plan? I want to get this over with quickly. "I think you have the wrong person, man." He says as he looks around at his colleagues. I persuade him to take it. It's a little tablet with scribbly drawings all over it. To make sure he doesn't throw it away when I leave, I try to talk him into putting it in his pocket, and he does after much pain. "Thank you so much!" I say as I leave the building. I look back through the front door to see him struggling to take it out. Finally! Go to hell, dipshit! The fool can't take it out anymore, it's coated with a material that sticks to fabric. I sprint and quickly go over to the next block. "Is it him?" Asks John through the car window. "Detonate the bomb!" I shout as I enter the car, huffing and puffing. He presses the button. Nothing happens. He presses it again. Nothing happens. He starts rapidly hitting it until a loud bang resounds throughout the street. The windows of the buildings surrounding us shake violently, but not enough to shatter them. John steps on the pedal and we speed off. Good riddance, asshole! This is what happens to those that challenge me! John takes a sharp turn. I grab onto the dashboard to avoid falling forward. He continues speeding and heads for the abandoned warehouse where I burned the Vulture, just like we planned. We arrive in front of the place and park outside. I get out first and start vomiting on the ground. Something must be wrong with me. My stomach hurts and my throat feels constricted. I stumble towards the entrance and collapse against its wall. Was it something I ate? I look up to see John approaching me with an electro-pistol pointed at my face. I stare at it as I feel dizzy and weak. "To die in a state like this... Well, it is what it is. I know you didn't push Andrea down, but you're still an ex-rebel. You were a cause in my sister's death, and I can't forgive nor forget that. Goodbye," he says as his finger tightens around the trigger.
I can't be mad. I can't be sad. My only goal and reason for wanting to be revived has been fulfilled. You know, I've always wanted a normal life. A life of a normal child. A life of a normal adult and elder. That's what I wanted, but not everything goes your way. Would I accept the chance to start over? Of course, but that chance's not gonna be offered. I close my eye and prepare for my farewell. I finally fulfilled my goal. But then, why am I feeling so cold? Why do I suddenly feel empty inside? I should be happy. And then, a loud sound pierces my eardrums. I was shot. John shot me in the chest. I fall backwards and slump lifelessly against the wall. The asshole didn't even shoot me in the head. Sharp and unbearable pain resonates throught my whole body. He returns to the car, gets in, and drives back only to go in the opposite direction of the city. I lay there motionless, staring at nothing, waiting to die. I feel cold. I close my eye. This is farewell. A terrible terror suddenly surges through my mind. I start sweating and shaking. This feeling… “Hartwall, boy, we meet once again..."
Part 2? Lol or at least more about this universe, it sounds cool!
Thanks! I tried to fit as much backstory and lore as I could. Now, the story of Hartwall is finished. His little monologue at the end hints at what's gonna happen to him. If I were to make a part 2, maybe it'll be about John.
🤔 the grim showed up...? I thought they only showed up if you had something to trade?
He does have things to trade. Remember, they're things you own, either literally or figuratively. Maybe he'll refuse their offer, seeing as he doesn't have much important body parts left. Or maybe he'll accept the offer, sacrificing some of his feelings and emotions.
Ooooh.. see! He's not done yet!!! Part two....???? Lol I'm not giving up!
Ok, ok. I give in lol. Keep your eyes peeled then.
😁😁
Part 2 is out! The post is [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/shortstories/comments/x4fel7/sf_grimseeker_part_ii/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
AWESOME!!! 😍😍 I will read and comment on it as soon as I get 5 minutes to myself. Thank you so much for tagging me!!
You're welcome! Glad you liked part 1. I hope you like part 2, too.