Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 141: The End Of The World.

Chapter 141: The End Of The World.

Whatever Garvin had expected, it wasn’t the person standing before him.

"Kato?!" Garvin yelled, his voice laced with shock, his expression mirroring his disbelief. "What are you doing here? Don’t tell me... you’re the boss of this organization?!"

"Oh, yeah, Garvin." Kato’s voice was dripping with smugness as a wide smirk spread across his face. He casually pulled out a chair and sat down, folding his arms as if he owned the world. "Surprise, right?"

Garvin let out a sharp, incredulous scoff, his gaze fixed on Kato. "Of course. Why am I even surprised? A shitty person like you would obviously be mixed up with all kinds of evil." His body tensed as anger radiated through him. "Now, speak. What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here? And where are Scarlett and the others?"

"Whoa, calm down, tough guy," Kato replied with a burst of laughter, his amusement almost mockingly exaggerated. "You seem to have forgotten something important. I ask the questions here. You just sit back, relax, and listen to my orders. Got it?" His grin widened as he leaned back, clearly reveling in the power dynamic.

Garvin gritted his teeth but chose to stay silent. The rage bubbling inside him was almost unbearable, but he knew better than to let it spill over.

’How had none of them suspected this? And Scarlett...had she known? Had she been playing her own long game, waiting for the right moment to strike?’

Kato interrupted Garvin’s train of thought, his tone suddenly more serious. "To answer your questions, Scarlett and the others are fine... for now. But that might not last long. You see, the reason you’re here is simple, you’re the key. A special tool I need to get her."

Garvin’s eyes narrowed as he scoffed. "What the hell do you mean, ’a tool to get her’? Why me?"

Kato’s smirk returned as he rose from his seat, pacing back and forth. "It’s obvious, isn’t it? You and Scarlett are close, so close it’s almost disgusting. Even though you two haven’t accepted or even aware of your feelings yet, I know. You think I stayed with your little group for nothing? Slaying monsters, saving those pathetic humans? No, Garvin. I had my reasons. I was studying you. All of you. Most importantly, her....the queen of monsters."

"What are you planning to do to Scarlett?" Garvin demanded, his voice tinged with both curiosity and dread. "Why do you want her?"

Kato stopped pacing, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous, calculating light. "You see, Garvin, Scarlett’s... condition makes her a priceless asset. And I’m not just talking about her strength or her ability to control monsters."

Garvin’s expression was filled with so much anger and despair. His mind raced, conjuring worst-case scenarios. "What are you talking about?"

Kato’s sinister smile widened as he leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a near whisper. "I’m talking about her blood, Garvin. The queen’s blood holds the key to unlocking new possibilities....possibilities that could change the very fabric of this world. And yes, I could obtain those qualities from her by... other means. The answer was right in front of us all but we couldn’t see it since all these while."

Garvin’s eyes widened in horror. "You’re not serious. What answers are you talking about?"

"Oh, but I am," Kato interrupted with a wicked glint in his eye. "And with your help, I’ll make it happen. You see, you’re more than just a tool to me, Garvin. You’re my bait. Scarlett cares about you, cares enough to walk into a trap willingly if it means saving your sorry ass." He added, making sure not to spill the part of the answers he was talking about to Garvin.

Garvin strained against his restraints, anger flaring in his chest like wildfire. "You wouldn’t hurt her, you bastard! You’ll regret it!"

Kato laughed again, a cruel and condescending sound. "Oh, calm down, Garvin. Who said anything about hurting her? If I wanted to harm Scarlett, I would have done it long ago. But you see, I’m a patient man. Besides, she’s too powerful to take head-on. That’s why I’ve planned ahead. Once she’s here, we’ll administer a little something, a set of injections designed to suppress her powers temporarily. Just long enough for me to... carry out my task."

"You’re insane," Garvin spat, his voice shaking with both fury and desperation.

"Spare me the clichés," Kato replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Anyway, I should be heading back before Scarlett and the others start looking for me. You see, there’s a lot happening right now. This world is in chaos. People with powers have abandoned their noble goals of saving humanity. Now, their only aim is destruction. The creators of this world? They’re liars, manipulators. They want humanity to go extinct, even if they claim otherwise. But not me, Garvin. I’ll survive. I’ll rule. And Scarlett will rule with me as my queen."

"You’ll fail," Garvin growled through gritted teeth. "Scarlett will stop you. We all will."

Kato smirked one final time, his confidence unwavering. "We’ll see about that. But for now, sit tight, Garvin. The show’s just getting started."

"Stop being delusional," Garvin said, letting out a dry chuckle despite the pain coursing through his body. His gaze locked onto Kato, filled with equal parts defiance and disdain. "You keep saying the owner of this world wants humanity to go extinct, but the truth is, we all have a chance to save ourselves. The problem isn’t some cosmic plan; it’s human greed. We’re the deadliest of all creatures. If those given powers worked together, humanity could be saved. But no, humanity was doomed the moment some of you started drifting away from the original goal."

Kato rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested in Garvin’s sermon. "Spare me the philosophy, Garvin. You’re wasting your breath." He waved dismissively, already turning toward the door. "Anyway, see you later. Like I said, I’ve got more important things to handle right now. But don’t worry, you won’t be stuck here for long. Once Scarlett shows up, your role will be over. And I’ll discard you... by killing you."

Garvin’s jaw tightened, his teeth grinding together in rage, but he stayed silent, unwilling to give Kato the satisfaction of a reaction.

"Oh, don’t look so surprised," Kato continued, pausing briefly to glance over his shoulder. "All of humanity is going to die anyway, and you’ll be going with them. Once Scarlett is here, the next thing is for you to die, but..." He grinned wickedly. "All in due time."

Kato turned fully to face Garvin one last time, his smirk stretching wider across his face. "Before I leave, I think you need a reminder of who’s in charge here." He gestured to the guards flanking him. "Beat him up."

The guards didn’t hesitate. They descended on Garvin with ruthless efficiency, their fists flying in a brutal assault. Garvin struggled to shield himself, but with his hands bound and the guards outnumbering him, it was a hopeless effort. Pain exploded across his body with every punch, every kick, until the world seemed to blur.

Just when it felt like the beating would never end, Kato raised his hand, signaling the guards to stop. They obeyed immediately, stepping back, leaving Garvin slumped in his chair, battered and broken. Blood trickled down the side of his face, and his breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. The room spun, but through the haze of pain, he could still see Kato’s smirking face.

"See you soon, Garvin," Kato said mockingly, giving a mocking little wave before disappearing through the door.

But Kato’s departure didn’t bring relief. The guards moved in again, fists raining down on Garvin as cries of pain escaped his lips.

________________

Meanwhile, in an enclosed control room, Victor sat in his chair, his eyes glued to a massive screen in front of him.

The footage displayed monsters being taken down in rapid succession, but something was off. Victor’s brow furrowed as he watched the scenes play out. Scarlett and her group were nowhere to be found.

"What kind of trick are they pulling?" Victor muttered, his tone sharp with confusion. He leaned forward, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. "I see them in one area, but the next moment, they’re gone only to reappear somewhere else. It’s like they’re teleporting. The queen sure has a lot of abilities."

"What do we do now, boss?" asked a middle-aged man standing nearby. He was dressed in a crisp white lab coat, his hands clasped behind his back as he awaited orders.

Victor didn’t answer right away. His eyes remained fixed on the screen, his lips curling into a smirk as an idea began to form in his mind. "The other organizations are already taking advantage of the chaos," he said finally. "They’ve joined in the attack, slaughtering monsters and humans alike. That complicates things. Threatening Scarlett won’t work anymore not when she knows I’m not the only one attacking. If I order my soldiers to retreat, the others will just keep going. They’ll only see it as an opportunity to gain more ground."

He paused, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest. "But, of course, I expected this. That’s why I’ve already come up with another plan."

The man in the lab coat raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What plan is that, boss?"

Victor’s smirk grew wider, his sharp gaze shifting from the screen to the man. "Oh, you’ll see soon enough," he said cryptically, leaving the man to wonder just what he had in store.

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