Sinister Six: Re-Engineered

by Rich (Bombman) Kassidy

CHAPTER 12:

Chapter 12- One Big Happy Family

 Five days after their encounter with Granite and the complete, however hostile, reunion between the “Sinister Six”, the group sat in the laboratory’s inner depths- the same place they were birthed- to discuss how to deal with the lack of information on the missing Dr Genesis. This was the first time Hayasa and Leon would sit in the same room together since she returned home. But, the two still caught each other glaring at one another from across the room.

“…So, that’s it. Since it really is the Neo Shinsengumi that’s been after us, then maybe we ought to pay them a visit."” Gutsman suggested.

“Suicide. You have no idea what you’re up against in there. The soldiers you have been facing are nothing but expendable foot soldiers. They’re useless to the real Shinsengumi.”, Hayasa coldly stated.

Elecman sat with his arms folded, away from most of the group and seemingly lost in thought. Otherwise he probably would have chimed in with another assault on Cutsan’s character.

“Exactly what is it that’s in there, Cuttie?”, Gary asked.

“Roughly ten thousand highly trained soldiers, all equipped with technology and weaponry never seen outside of New Center City. The regular New Center soldiers all use outdated weapons and receive the most basic of training.”

“So, it’s one big damn army, huh? That it? It’s not like we haven’t gone up against armies before,..”, Ben interjected.

“The army isn’t the problem.”, Hayasa continued. “It’s what’s commanding the army that’ll give us the most trouble.”

“Was’ controllin’ them, Cut?”, Rich slurred through his flask.

“Agents. People like us- highly trained, gene therapy induced, and cybernetically enhanced beyond what we thought possible. Possibly the closest a normal human can get to becoming one of us without actually making a Final Gen cyborg.”

“I thought Dr Light was the only one capable of making something like…us.”, Iceman said, the last part of his sentence sounding a bit too weird, even for him. “I mean, even Roll hasn’t figured out how to completely make another Final Gen body.”

“It’s all the work of a single man. A scientist I knew in New Center. A man named Dr Jonah Genesis.”, she explained.

Elecman’s eyes were now open and looking towards Cutsan with intensity.

“So that’s why he’s so important.” Erik realized.

“Eh? You already knew of Genesis?”, Hayasa questioned.

“Well, Leon told us that the NSG has been after him for a while now and he says we need to get to him before they do.”, Fireman explained.

“I’d have to agree with him, then.”, she confirmed.

“But we don’t even know if he’s still alive or not…”, Erik further elaborated.

“Oh, he’s alive.”, the sword wielding former assassin smirked.

“How do you know?”, Ben asked.

“Because I haven’t killed him.”

* * * *

“Thank you, Roll. I appreciate this.”, Apple said, quietly, as the older sister of the Tetsu Roku family finished applying stitches to Apple’s scalp.

“Don’t worry. Dr Light gave me an extensive knowledge of the human anatomy, and by extension, how to repair it.”

“Well, I meant taking the time to do so.”

“Oh…Well, you’re obviously a friend of Elecman’s, so I feel obligated to help out my younger brother’s…friend.”

“Friend?”, Apple repeated the word, as if it were alien to her. “How do you know I’m his friend? I mean, we’ve done business in the past, sure, but we don’t really know anything about each other. I’m still in a shock over…well…this.”, she exclaimed as she gestured around the famous Light laboratory.

Roll sat back and considered Apple’s words thoughtfully. “Hmm…I suppose I assumed you were friends because he’s never brought anyone here before. The others have brought people here for emergency care in the past, but Elecman…He was always so cautious. Almost distrustful of humans…”

“Heh…Yeah, that sounds like the Leon I know. He was always looking around my shop, but not to see what I had. I guess he was always so damn nervous about being tailed. Speaking of which, he said he needed some ammo for everyone here.”

“Yes, yes we do. Er, they do. You see, we never really had the equipment or blueprints to make our own ammo, since Bombman could do it on his own in the past. But…Bombman’s a little…rusty now.”

“Hrm, well, what kind of machines do you have here?”

“Presses, grinders, saws, nano assemblers, rapid prototype machines…”, Roll rattled off, drifting away as she tried to remember the other dozen or so machines they had that she hadn’t touched in years.

“Sounds like you guys have everything I need.”, Apple smirked. “Let’s go and have a look.”

* * * *

“…And I still say we go after them before they decide to come here!”, Ben retaliated to Erik’s suggestion of simply searching out Dr Genesis.

“Were ya not listenin’ ta Cuttie’s talk from before? What if we can’t take these guys, huh?”, Rich interjected, if only for the sake of taking the side opposite of his arch nemesis Fireman.

“Bomb, you chickenshit. Did you drink your guts away as well as your brain, you damned…desert punk.”, Ben retorted.

“Who the hell you callin’ a punk? I still got what it takes ta grease yer miserable ass. In fact, th’ warehouse is right close by…whaddya say we settle this once n for all, ya friggin’ bastard.”

“Guys, don’t waste your time with this childish crap. We can’t afford to go fixing you two up now. If something comes up, we’ll need everyone ready to go.”, Elecman coldly stated, with his arms still folded over his chest. After all of these years, his word was still law amongst the lose-knit team.

“Leon…Didn’t know you were this much of a leader.”

Elecman’s attention snapped upwards at the female voice that just entered the lab. “Apple…What are you doing down here?”

“Whoa nelly! Check out th’ holly hot ass!”, Bombman suddenly exclaimed, seemingly changing his demeanor within seconds. “I gotta say, Elecky, ya got some fine taste, huh.”

“Show some respect, you son of a-“, Fireman yelled.

“Ah crap, guys, c’mon…We’ve got a guest. At least try to be pretend to be civilized.”, Gary pleaded.

Apple chuckled. “So Leon…This must be why you never spoke of your family. You never mentioned you were part of the famous ‘Sinister Six’.”

Erik leaned over to her, his two feet of height over Apple showing exactly how tall he really was. “Uh…You might want to lay off that ‘Sinister Six’ thing around Leon, here. He’s kinda touchy with those sort of things.”, he whispered.

“Oh!…I’m sorry, Leon. I didn’t mean to-“, she motioned in a defensive manner with her hands.

“It’s alright, Apolonia.”, he assured. “I don’t think we’ve introduced you to my family, yet. Guys, this Apolonia Kannellis. She’s an acquaintance of mine from the underground resistance movement. She’s the ammunition specialist I was visiting earlier.”

“How do you do? My friends call me ‘Apple’ for short.”

“This is Gary,” Elecman began his round of introductions, “or as you probably know him better as Iceman from the media. He’s got a wicked sense of humor, but don’t let him get to you. He’s a great guy.”

“Heyo!”, Gary waved.

“Next to him is Rich, our Bombman. He needs to stop drinking.”

“Yo, whas- Hey! How come Gary gets ta be intraduced as a nice guy and I’m th’ subject of ya ethics?!”, Rich complained.

“Because Gary can stand upright for more than five seconds. Anyways, moving on, we have the big man of the gang, Erik. As Gutsman, this man never met a building he couldn’t beat in a fist fight. Or a tank. Or a mountain…I could go on, but you get the idea.”

“How you doin’?”, Erik confirmed.

“Here is Ben, or Fireman if you will. Normally, he’s actually pretty level-headed and kind of cold, but he and Rich seem to mix like oil and water. Which is going to end, right Fireman?”

“Tell that to Shorty McDrinksalot over there.”, Ben sharply threw his head in the direction of the staggering Bombman, who was indeed attempting to stand still in one place for five seconds at a time. And failing.

“Hey, go f-“,

“And here,” Elecman said loudly, cutting off Rich’s colorful and surely imaginative retort, “is Cutsan.”

“…Is that all? No mini-bio?”, Hayasa sharpened her eyes towards Leon, expecting something like this.

“No comment.”

Apple stuck out her hand in a gesture to shake hands with the only other female in the room. An offer that Cutsan coldly turned down by folding her arms. She did, however, have something to say; “Apolonia ‘Apple’ Kannellis. Daughter of Julius Kannellis of Kannellis Armaments, now deceased. All other family long since passed on. A munitions and weapons expert of the highest degree, and one the Shinsengumi had personally handed an invitation to, which was turned down…”

Leon, as well as the other four Roku, stood sharing the same expression of disbelief at the information being told. Even Leon didn’t know Apple had turned away the NSG.

“Upon turning down the invitation,” Cutsan continued, “she became a fugitive, considered too dangerous to have roaming the world abroad. It was suspected that she evaded assassination, despite the reports to the contrary, and had began working alongside anti-New Center establishments, lending her talents to them.”

“Very interesting, Cutsan. You seem well informed. However, you’re missing the part where the New Center government attempted to kill my father and I by trapping us in our shop and burning it to the ground. My father died in that blaze, and so did any desire of mine to join such a despicable organization.”, Apple added, a bitter look crossing her face.

“Details.”, was all the steely-eyed assassin said in retaliation. It was obvious what sort of relationship these two would share, and Leon knew it would get only worse when Apple learned of Cutsan’s past with the NSG.

“Apple,” Leon started to interject again, “maybe you can-“

Apple would have none of that. She wanted to continue her conversation with this person that knew her life story. “So, where did you gather such information?”

Cutsan still stood, stoic. “Where else? The Neo Shinsengumi database.”

“…You’re an agent?”

There was an uncomfortable second that passed where everyone collectively held their breath, waiting to see what sort of tact Cutsan would use to answer. Elecman bit his lip hard.

“Former agent.”

Apple narrowed her eyes and once again looked over Cutsan’s form for clues to her true identity- the identity everyone around her knew, yet were hesitant to reveal to her. “…I see.”, was all she said, not really recognizing the form of the dreaded Hitokiri Hayasa.

Whether he realized this or not, Leon let out an audible sigh, as did the rest of the team as they watched Elecman’s reaction.

“So, anyway, Roll tells me you have some machinery down here that will let me help you guys out, huh?”, Apple said, as if ignoring the prior encounter.

“O-oh…Yes! Right this way!”, Leon exclaimed in a tone his siblings weren’t used to hearing from their thunder-wielding brother.

As soon as Leon and Apple trudged off into the remote machine lab, and out of sight, most of the Tetsu Roku had a good laugh at the expense of their leader.

All except for Cutsan, whose grim expression only grew darker as she contemplated the presence of Apple Kannellis here now.

Chapter Twelve Extras: Apolonia “Apple” Kannellis

Original Name: Apolonia Athena Kannellis (Nicknamed “Apple”)
Specialized In: Munitions manufacturing
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 113 LBS
Last Known Residence: Kalo Hirio, Crete, Greece

DOB: 12/13/2022

 Apolonia Kannellis is the daughter of a reputable gunsmith whom made an honest living plying his craft, and eventually became famed for his skill. With the money he earned, he eventually started his own family-owned company and even managed to supply the UN with supplies on occasion when they were needed. Her mother died during childbirth, and the status of the rest of her family is unknown.

However, when New Center City was founded and subsequently absorbed the United Nations, the NSG sought out Apolonia’s father to be part of their weapons lab. Sensing ill intentions, he declined. Later that very night, the Kannellis gun store and residence would be a victim of arson, and Apple’s father would die rescuing his daughter from the flames.

It was at this time Apple’s hatred of New Center City took root. She became an underground supplier of the resistance forces, including Leon White’s EEL. She remains a lower priority of the NSG’s assassination, but is still not considered dangerous enough for the likes of the hitokiris to hunt down, which more than likely remains the reason she still lives.

Being a world class gunsmith and munitions expert, Apple knows how to handle herself in a gun fight. She often chooses the tried and true AK-47 as her side arm of choice, albeit a heavily modified one at that. Though certainly not superhuman by any means, Apple is still a force to be reckoned with.

A small note on the naming of this character, I wanted her to be Greek, since I had the name Apolonia in mind for the R-E Apple character. I couldn't really find one that I liked until I happened to remember that one of my personal heroes, straight edge wrestler CM Punk, had a girlfriend in WWE personality Maria Kannellis, who is Greek-American (and cute as hell). I liked the name, so I adopted it.