throw some stone at me
-----
Taskmaster watched her reaction carefully and for a second, he was… genuinely confused. And maybe just a little offended.
He was Taskmaster, after all one of the most dangerous mercenaries alive, a man who had trained armies of killers himself. Being ignored wasn't something he was used to.
But he wasn't stupid either.
This wasn't a fight he was getting paid enough for.
and the girl Infront of him was way out of his pay grade .
In his career, Taskmaster had fought and even killed mutants before. But this girl?. She wasn't just some rogue mutant. She was a mutated psycho. It was written all over her, plain as day: the way she ate human corpses like a wild animal, without hesitation or remorse. That kind of madness was never easy to predict or survive.
Even from here, he could tell this wasn't someone you fought unless you had no other choice.
Slowly, Taskmaster continued backing away, muscles coiled and tense. His hand never left the hilt of his sword, nor the grip of his shield—ready to snap into action, to call upon every stolen skill, every memorized movement, if he had to.
He wasn't taking any chances.
As he inched toward an exit point, he caught a flicker of movement.
But just as he thought he might slip away unnoticed
Rize moved as she stopped eating.
She turned her gaze fully toward him now. Blood dripping from her chin, her glowing red eyes narrowed
Then, without rushing, she began to walk toward him.
Slow and Unhurried.
Two of her crimson tentacles dragged mangled bodies behind her, painting the corridor floor in thick trails of blood and gore as she moved closer, step by step.
Taskmaster immediately shifted into a defensive stance—shield up, sword angled, legs braced.
Every nerve in his body Perper to fight
This wasn't going to be an easy escape.
Not anymore.
To Taskmaster's surprise, the girl in front of him suddenly raised her hand not to attack, but in a strange, surrendering motion. A chunk of flesh dropped from her bloodstained mouth with a wet plop against the ground.
"Ah… mm, yeah, okay. Not now, but… okay, fine, I'll ask him… no, I don't think he'll accept… fine, fine, I said," Rize muttered under her breath, speaking hurriedly but not to him. It was like she was arguing with someone only she could hear.
Taskmaster stiffened.
Every survival instinct screamed at him to move to run but he stayed rooted, his shield up, sword ready. Because new questions were crashing through his mind:
"Who the hell is she talking to?
"How many are there?
"Is she even alone?"
But no matter what, he didn't take his eyes off her not even for a second.
Then, unexpectedly, Rize's body shifted.
Taskmaster tensed, ready to counter an attack
but instead, the girl did something that made him freeze in place.
She bowed. A full 90-degree bow like she was a student apologizing to a master.
Blood still dripped from her lips onto the floor as she spoke, her voice eerily polite:
"Please, Mr. Skull-Face…"She lifted her head slightly, smiling in a way that didn't reach her crazed, glowing eyes. "I want you to take me as your student."
"What?" Taskmaster said, his voice slipping out in pure shock.
This—this—was the last thing he had expected.
He'd fought mutants. He'd fought monsters. He'd fought people far crazier than this girl.But never had one, drenched in blood, fresh from butchering half a facility, bowed politely and asked him to become their teacher.
Rize stayed bowed for a moment longer, her blood-slicked hair dangling in front of her face like a curtain.
Slowly, she rose, her crimson eyes wide, glistening, hopeful.Like a child asking for candy.
"I promise," she said sweetly, as if she hadn't just devoured a man alive."I'll be the best student ever! I'll listen! I'll even learn faster than the rest!"
But then—her eyes shifted.For the first time since Taskmaster had seen her, that wild, predatory gaze wavered.
She looked away, her stare falling to the blood-slicked floor.Her body trembled, just slightly—a vulnerability peeking through the madness.
"I... I will even do anything you say..." she mumbled, her voice low, thick with shame.
Taskmaster narrowed his eyes, never loosening his stance, not for a second.
"Why," he asked carefully, voice cold and even, "do you want me to become your master?"
Rize fidgeted. She bit her lip—then, almost childishly, twisted one foot against the floor.
"B-Because..." she began, stuttering in a way that didn't fit the slaughterhouse he just witnessed."Because Mr. Flower said... that you're the best."
For a moment, only the distant crackle of fires and the shriek of dying facility alarms filled the silence between them.
Taskmaster stared at her, feeling a chill despite himself.
Mr. Flower, huh? Taskmaster thought grimly, tension tightening across his shoulders. Don't tell me...He forced himself to stay calm, even as a cold, uneasy feeling crept into his gut.
"Alright, kid," he said roughly, glancing back at the white-haired, blood-drenched girl trailing behind him. "Since you're so eager to listen… why don't you start by telling me where and what the hell this Mr. Flower is?"
He hoped and prayed that it wasn't what he was thinking.
Rize smiled wide, her bloodstained teeth showing. She pressed her hands to her chest, almost
lovingly, like a child hugging an imaginary friend.
"Mr. Flower's always been with me," she said dreamily, swaying side to side. "Even when I was alone. Even when they cut me open and tore me apart… he whispered to me. He made me strong."
Taskmaster's eye twitched slightly under the mask.
"Uh-huh," he muttered. Wonderful. She's hallucinating. Or possessed. Or both.
"Here this is Mr. Flower!" the girl in front of him said brightly, pointing excitedly at her own hand. "Isn't he beautiful? Look at his color!"
Taskmaster's eye twitched under his mask. He narrowed his gaze, staring hard in disbelief.There was nothing there.No flower. No glow. Nothing at all. Just empty bloody air.
Letting out a long, strained sigh, he rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"Alright, kid," he said gruffly. "Rule number one: no flower talk until your training's complete."
"But—but," she protested, her wide eyes trembling.
"But what, kid?" he snapped, folding his arms.
She hesitated, looking down sheepishly. "How do I pay you, Mr. Flower said—"
"Rule one," Taskmaster interrupted firmly, holding up a finger, "no flower talk."
He turned, starting to walk away, motioning for her to follow. Over his shoulder, he added:
"And about payment… you can pay me after you survive and finish your training."
"Yes, Teacher~!"
Rize brightened instantly, a grin spreading across her bloody face. She nodded eagerly and skipped after him, humming a little tune only she could hear.
Taskmaster grunted, turning sharply on his heel.
What the hell have I just gotten myself into...? he thought grimly.