Chapter 21

In a darkened room with cold metal walls, Michael stood in front of a holographic screen that emitted blue light throughout the room. His eyes were sharp, watching as the information spinning on the screen showed information about The Jackal's movements that disturbed his peace. His hands were folded in front of his chest, his fingers tapping lightly on his own arms, showing his growing impatience.

Michael, the leader of the Mutiiner For Humanity (MFH) group, was not one to be bullied easily. Over the years, he had built a reputation as a shrewd and calculating leader, a visionary who saw opportunity in the midst of a world devastated by an alien invasion. But now, The Jackal's success in looting and solidifying his position among the other Mutiiner groups made his blood boil.

"Jhonny," he muttered softly, almost as a hiss. "You think you can take over everything just by looting and destroying everything? You little thief."

His eyes narrowed, looking at the map that showed The Jackal's headquarters, floating in the mesosphere sky, not easily accessible to anyone. It was not only Jhonny who was the source of his anger, but also Alice-the woman he once deceitfully tricked, only to betray her for his own personal gain. Alice, who once believed in his words, now stood by the side of her nemesis. His mind went back to the times when he managed to instill trust in Alice's heart, professing a love that was nothing more than manipulation.

Back then, Michael saw Alice as the perfect tool, someone he could use to achieve his goals without much resistance. He once trusted Alice, but only as a pawn in his larger plan. When the time came, he sold Alice to Jhonny, without any remorse. But now, the fact that Alice survived and chose to ally herself with Jhonny was an unbearable humiliation to her.

"She should have died at Jhonny's hands," Michael muttered as he looked away from the screen. "But now she's a weapon in his hands. This girl is going to be my jinx if I let her get away with it."

A well-built man entered the room, interrupting Michael's thoughts for a moment. "Mr. Michael, our intel team has confirmed that The Jackal is expanding his influence. They just took control of Moon Shark, and there are rumors that Jhonny intends to unite several Mutiiner groups under his control."

Michael hit the table in front of him, and everyone flinched at the sound. Michael was in a state of high emotion.

Michael held his breath, mastering his emotions before turning to face the man. "Of course he would try something like that. Jhonny always thinks big, but he's not the type who can execute such a big idea. He's just a barbarian with advanced weapons and a useless person. He won't be able to achieve big things like I did. He's not as smart as I am."

"Sir, are we going to take action now? I request that you give the order as soon as possible so that we can destroy The Jackal for you."

Michael walked up to the man, looking at his face with a serious expression. "Not yet. We need to understand his movements better. Jhonny is not a major threat to us. But if he continues to undermine the balance we've worked so hard to build, I won't hesitate to destroy him."

Michael walked back to the holographic screen, letting his finger slide over some of the data displayed. "Get ready. I want to know everything we can about Moon Shark and The Jackal. We'll have to figure out the finer points before we go too far."

"What's the plan, sir?"

Michael frowned for a moment before answering, "I'll play with them. Maybe it's time to show that MFH isn't just idly watching. We should probably send a message to Jhonny and his men that they can't act without consequences."

The man nodded solemnly before leaving the room, leaving Michael alone in silence.

After the man left, Michael sat in the chair in front of the screen, staring at the data that kept spinning. There was a long moment of silence before he laughed softly, almost silently, but filled with hatred and satisfaction. He felt that the mess Johnny had made would only make his own evil plans easier to carry out.

"Alice..." he said the name once more, this time in a deeper voice. She couldn't erase those past memories. Alice may have once been a useful tool, but now she was just a thorn in Michael's side-a thorn that needed to be removed immediately.

"I know you were there, supporting my enemy, Alice. But don't think I'll forget what you've done."

Michael realized that he needed more than just a crude strategy to get rid of The Jackal. He knew that his group, Mutiiner For Humanity, had a good image in the eyes of the other Mutiiner. They were regarded as the last remaining defenders of humanity in this shattered world. But Michael, with all his trickery and manipulation, knew very well that this image was just a perfect cover for his ambitions.

"It's time to play Jhonny like any other chess piece. Let him think he's leading the game," Michael muttered. "And when the time comes, I'll knock him off his false throne."

He folded his hands behind his head, leaning back in the chair with a calculating look in his eyes. His mind began to formulate scenarios on how he could capitalize on the chaos caused by The Jackal to strengthen his position in this ever-changing world of Mutiiner. Jhonny may be in power now, but Michael knew that power built on chaos would not last long.

"You think you can bring them all together, Jhonny? With your cruel and brutal ways?" Michael said to himself. "We'll see. In the end, you'll just be one more victim of too much ambition."

He then thought of a deeper plan. What if he could make Jhonny believe that MFH was an ally? That Michael, with all his guile, offered a more peaceful and stable solution? That could be a way to trap Jhonny and The Jackal, leading them into a carefully designed trap.

Michael chuckled again, imagining how all this would end. He was in no hurry. All would be revealed in due time. To him, this was just a big game, and everyone was just a pawn that he could move at will. That's how bad Michael's evil heart was.

And Alice? In the end, she would either return to her place under Michael's control, or disappear altogether. There was no room for an unfaithful person in a world full of betrayals like this. I don't know why Michael, who had thrown Alice away, still wanted her to suffer because he saw a happy Alice in another Mutiiner group.

Michael stood up, turned off the holographic screen, and walked out of the room with confident steps. The game had begun, and he intended to win it, by any means necessary.

Meanwhile, in the distance, The Jackal continued to move. But Michael knew that, sooner or later, they would fall into the trap Michael had set for them. Michael would never let anyone else be happy.