Wasteland Rules: Die Fighting (The World After Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

explained. “You are
reborn. Now you are Deimos, the living embodiment of terror.”
       That somehow felt right to him. He was no longer
Tom, he was Deimos. And now people were going to pay for all the things they
did that wronged him, starting with Storm and his little protégé.
       “Come with me.” The faceless man offered. “Let’s
get you outfitted.”
       Deimos suddenly realized he was naked as the man
with no face turned and walked out of the room. Shrugging, he followed behind. As
they walked he noticed the faceless man was wearing a blue pinstripe suit with
a white shirt and red tie. Just like almost every politician he had ever met.
That didn’t bode particularly well. Those politicians had betrayed the former
captain’s loyalty and thrown him to the wolves when it suited them.
       The man with no face led him into another room that
looked like an armory. Weapons lined the walls and crates of weapons and ammo
were stacked in the middle. Deimos smiled ferally as he saw the body armor and
mask on a stand in the center of the room. A pair of katanas poked up from
sheaths on the back of the armor.
       The body armor looked like it was made of cast
steel painted shiny black with gold highlights over a black body suit. There
was a metal chest and back plate, shoulder pads, gauntlets, and greaves which
covered from ankle to knee. On the chest plate was a symbol in gold that looked
like two stylized arrows pointing inward and touching at the tips. It was not a
symbol that he had ever seen before.  Wicked looking spikes jutted up from
various points on the armor giving it a menacing look. The mask was also
painted a flat black with gold highlights and only covered the eye and forehead
area, leaving his fangs on display.
       “These are yours; they have been waiting for you.”
The faceless man announced. “The armor is special composite plates over Kevlar.
The plates can stop up to a 20mm cannon round and are resistant to armor
piercing rounds. The Kevlar is heavier than the usual body armor and can stop
up to a 12.7mm machine gun round.”
       The former Red Beret captain started pulling them
on and found it all fit perfectly, as if it had been custom fit just for him.
But how could they have known his size when he hadn’t even had the treatment
when these were made? He pulled on the mask and it felt right. Instinctively he
reached back and grasped the hilts of the katanas. He drew them with a flourish
and took a few practice swings.
       To his surprise he found them perfectly balanced
for him and he executed a few attack moves. He had never had any sword training
but somehow he knew exactly how to wield them. Like it was a muscle memory he
didn’t know he had. Let Storm try to kill him with his machete now. Deimos
would carve that bastard into ribbons. He chuckled to himself as he slashed at
the air.
       Deimos whirled suddenly and brought his blades down
towards the faceless man. They stopped a hairs breadth from either side of his
throat, but the man didn’t even flinch. Deimos was impressed, despite his
terrifying appearance and deadly threat, the man was perfectly calm and
unafraid.
       “Carbide steel.” The man informed him calmly.
“Virtually unbreakable and they will hold their edge forever. Beautiful work
don’t you think?”
       “Who are you?” Deimos snarled. “And what do you
want from me?”
       “I am the Faceless Man. The leader of an ancient
secret society dedicated to the downfall of civilization.” The man explained.
“And all I want from you is to do what you were born to do. Create terror and
chaos wherever you go.”
       A week ago Deimos, then Tom, would have sneered at
the man. The downfall of civilization? Tom had fought to regain it under the
auspices of the U.S.T.G. But now he saw the folly in that. What had it gotten
him? Nothing but pain and suffering, ingratitude, and ultimately betrayal. Now
it was time to make the world pay, to make it burn,