The Blood Baron: Titan War: The Blood Baron, #1

By RyanH Bullock

"I am The Blood Baron!" In this world, multiple private military companies use the tension of war to sell their new weapons for field testing. But one such company had started its own war. In its laboratories, a young boy was born with experimental nanites in his blood. And now he is known as Baron. The last survivor of a group of powerful individuals called the Titans. A great war between the Titans and those who called themselves the Hero's Army clashed in a great war.

 

Years after the war Baron seeks out his long-lost family he adopted long ago. But remnants of his old enemies had also made their move. And by blood, rage, and metal Baron will destroy them all for his family. But he holds a dark secret. The only way he knows that will end the war. Will he tell his family? Will they push him away before he can? Or shall Baron. Become a true monster.

 

In this gory science fiction. This story follows Baron and his lost family. Baron must come to terms with a known outcome in his head. And before it happens he decides to make peace with his family. Before the man becomes the monster

• Language: English
• Publisher: RyanH Bullock
• Release date: Nov 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223286967

Book preview

Prologue

Warning lights flared and brought light to the long, sterilized halls. Scientists and civilians did not run or scream as I passed them. They lowered their heads out of respect to my presence. Guards wore blackened armor with weapons larger and more volatile than most, weapons that could kill their holders if improperly used. Some had declared their worries over the guns.

I remembered the others that had fought with me. Psychopaths turned heroes to fight against people crazier than them. But they slowly died out during the war we had found ourselves in. One I had caused. And one I was certain to finish.

I felt a hand grab my arm tightly. My black and gray clothing had no armor on the arms. I had never needed any, but I had agreed to armor on my torso and back. Guards were quick to react as they pulled off a crying woman. She spoke no words but stared at me with tears in her eyes.

I knew why the guards had reacted that way. I was still a kid in their eyes, a little brother everyone respected and cared for. They raised me. It started with a private military company recruiting individuals for weapon testing. I was once the unborn child of a couple, a man and his wife who were arrested for the murder of several people. In reality, all of the previous experiment subjects were prisoners. But my father had his name on a short wanted list.

He was the warlord of a town that had no brave souls willing to fight back. But when they were finally caught and arrested, instead of going to jail or prison, they had become unwilling participants in the PMC’s experiments. I was born during one such experiment. My blood was infused with the unstable nanites they were testing on my mother.

And because of that, I was part of hundreds of experiments by once-soulless doctors and scientists. But as I grew, they developed a soul. They cared for me in my young years. And even the administrator cared for me. But for a time, I was a lost cause. I was ready for death. That changed when they said I had something special. It was my blood. It could heal people and restore broken homes.

The experiments had changed my blood—I was the first ever working prototype of hundreds of different nanites. Nanites that would soon grant powers to individuals I would fight with side by side. Or would have to kill with my own hands. That was also how I earned my name. Baron.

My eyes went forward to the old man in front of me. He wore an all-black tuxedo with a symbol of a gate embroidered on the breast of his jacket. He was Alexander Gate, the once young and inspiring now turned old and tired leader of his PMC. I heard people say I looked a lot like him. Some thought we were distant relatives. I thought it was because of the nanites. Grayed hair combed and cared for showed he was calm and collected. But his tired and dull green eyes told a different story.

All you need to do is stall. Don’t push the fight further than you need to. He spoke calmly and forced himself not to crack on every word he said. I nodded and glanced past him to the elevator’s doors. The war I was fighting was outside those doors. The guards moved to the side as I walked past Alexander. Rage filled my eyes and readied my soul for the fight ahead.

Everyone! Continue as planned. Evacuate with all due haste. And those of you who have faith in something higher than ourselves....

I stepped onto the elevator as Alexander and his associates watched my departure.

Pray. Pray for the last son of Gate. Pray for the Blood Baron. The doors closed as several people cried. The once-silent sirens grew louder as the elevator lifted. I thought back to how this war started. I thought I was right for doing so, protecting four little girls I had cared for like family. But I was young and careless in my actions.

I hope those four are doing fine. If only I could apologize for being a careless fool. I still remember them shouting Big Brother when I was released from my experiments. I remembered all the friends I once had. There were once a thousand participants. Then a thousand became five thousand. All because Gate had developed the new nanites to either heal people or give them extraordinary powers.

But lives were lost in those experiments. And even more were lost after what I had done. A group of experiment subjects wanted to stop an experiment that my little sisters had participated in. I had agreed to their participation only because they were hurt. They had broken arms or permanent scars from when their previous home was destroyed.

The group forced their way in and was about to stop an injection of nanites into one of my little sisters when I killed them all with my own hands. My wild emotions caused my unstable nanites to trigger and formed a metal blade out of my own blood. I slaughtered and butchered those who tried to stop the experiment. I only wanted my little sisters to be healed. And it drove me to slaughter those who tried to stop it.

That was when the war began.

I wondered what happened to those four girls. They were taken to a facility located in a city far from here. The last time I saw them was a year or two ago. I still remembered their tears, their desperation not to leave but to stay with me. Before they were taken away at my request, the last thing I said to them was that I loved them and wished my adorable little sisters a better life.

The elevator opened to the stone and metal room. Wounded PMCs were sat on cots or blankets while medics worked on them. As I walked past, some of them saluted me while others cried. They knew what was about to happen. Further into the compound, I was greeted with gunfire and troops who waited in the halls with scared faces and shaking hands.

Stand to attention! One of them noticed me as they all stood up hurriedly. I gestured for them to be at ease while I walked past. Going through the metal door, I saw PMCs running back and forth as military commanders pointed at a map and shouted out orders. The oldest one glanced at me before he stared in my direction. His hardened gaze locked on mine. He knew what must be done.

It’s time. The others stopped talking as the older man sighed. He grabbed the radio on his vest and took a breath. All troops! It is time! The jaws of death have played their final card. Hell on Earth is a go. I repeat. Hell on Earth is a go.

Soldiers shouted as others called for the retreat. The final plan of Gate. Hell on Earth. I was to stall them as the governments of the world nuked the very ground I would fight on. But there would be no running from this fight. This would be my last.

The older man stared at me before he and his command staff retreated. I could hear the spinning tires of vehicles in the distance, the roaring blades of helicopters overhead.

I pushed on toward the outside where towers of stone and metal formed a wall that was taller than any other. I felt my blood rush to my feet as I jumped up. The ground cracked beneath my feet as I landed on the structure. In the distance was the army of the hero, a psychotic individual with the hero nanites and hundreds of other psychopaths who switched sides and joined him. They all had powers that had come from me. The giant nanites made some of them taller and stronger, while others had received the nanites of speed and agility. The nanites bestowed hundreds of different abilities that were once meant for good but were now turned psychotic.

Stepping off the wall, I landed on the ground with a boom. We do not need to fight!

The hero looked down upon me from the shoulder of a giant nanite user as others sneakily moved toward me with killer eyes. He shouted, Join us! And help us defeat those who took our lives away!

After all these years and the deaths of my friends, if he thought I would suddenly change sides, he really was psychotic. Blood circulated throughout my body. I felt it cover my skin as I grew taller. Blood-red armor covered my body, as I had become titanic, taller than most of the giant nanite users and monsters the enemies had turned into. My arms grew longer as some of the armor detached from my skin. I am not your friend.

Metal arms formed as blood dripped from them. Another set of arms ripped out of my original arms. Bloodied metal formed long arms as I grew. With metal claws, they tore at the once-human flesh.

My skin fell off like rags as my body transformed. I had a terrifying, monstrous metal head filled with metal teeth, and long metal horns protruded from the sides of my mouth and head. I could tell they were shocked. My enemies had forgotten who they had attained their powers from.

Have you forgotten that I am your father? Have you forgotten I am the monster the devil fears? Have you forgotten I am what angels cry for!

I stepped forward, and the ground cracked beneath me. Blood dripped from my jaws as I growled.

My massive robotic form cast a shadow over the battlefield as those who betrayed Gate stood before me. My clawed arms rose up as burning blood dripped from them. This. This is the end!

I roared as I charged them. My humanity disappeared as my robotic feet formed craters. Metal armor, spiked and heavy, became my flesh and bones. I had unnatural speed for my size. My eyes glowed a fierce blood red as blackened blood formed my tears. Those who called themselves The Superiors were frightened.

They were in a panic as they came at me. My feet stomped across the earth. Blood flowed from my form like water. But like lava, it burned all those who encountered it. I raised my fist as the clawed arms on my back were ready to slash. I am the Blood Baron.

With a roar, I slashed at a giant nanite user and then slammed my jaws on another, ripping their head off. Explosions impacted my metal body as I threw flames across the battlefield. Metal wires raged from my body as they pierced those who ran. Flames spewed at me as shards of ice were thrown at my metal body. I looked at the twins who had done it.

Fear overtook their bravery as I brought my jaws down. I chewed on the bodies with fangs as their screams died out. My humanity had died out long ago. A healing user tried to fix their broken friends. I wasted no time and stomped on them. Screams echoed across the battlefield. The Superiors looked at me with fear.

The hero had charged me as several giant users charged. My claws thrusted forward. They tore out the eyes of a giant user. He screamed in agony and terror before his head was broken. How could you! We were once friends!

With rage, I thrust my fist into the chest of a monstrous user. I tore at his enlarged stomach and slashed at the tentacles. Claws tore them apart as they screamed in agony. My titanic form shook the ground as I stomped on a group of enemies. The hero slashed at my body as metal was torn off. His helmet was broken. His frightened gaze looked on at my titanic form. What happened to you?

His questions lingered in my mind as I stood up. Looking down upon the battlefield, I thought of an answer. I was alerted to the distant nukes coming. I could sense the raging metal coming toward me. Returning to the hero, I growled as my claws extended out. Blood flowed like lava. The monster. Won.

With a roar, I charged them until there was a blinding light. My roar was matched by the sound of the nukes going off. Only by rage could I have survived this. But my last thoughts were on my distant little sisters, hoping they were safe.

Chapter One. Rumors

Did you hear about the rumors, Bell? My coworker Beatrice quickly moved the coffee and bagel I had worked hard for as she placed her phone in front of me. It showed a blurred picture of a tall man in a cloak of some sort.

What about it?

She once again showed me another news article about another rumor she followed. A rumor of the Blood Meister. Some guy who has been lurking throughout different cities with blood trails that followed him. The Blood Meister is here! There have been sightings of him here in the city!

Once again, my friend had decided to go fangirl over the weird and creepy. I knew we were reporters, but this job shouldn’t require me to follow a literal blood trail.

Beatrice, you know this is probably some group of kids spilling ketchup. I like that you have a hobby, but this would not be good for your bank account if you decided to find Bigfoot. I didn’t mind her hobby. But it wasn’t good. This world was filled with psychos. I would know this. My big brother had fought them. I went to sip my precious coffee as Beatrice rambled on.

Oh, don’t be so sour. I will be fine. Oh, maybe I could talk to him! Maybe I can change his name to Blood Baron instead! Hearing that name caused me to stop. I didn’t feel the burning coffee soaking my jeans as I remembered my brother’s face, the loving giant he was.

Bell! Beatrice broke me out of my stupor as the hot coffee stained my pants. I yelped, stood up quickly, and patted down my jeans with a few napkins. I couldn’t help but remember him.

I remembered all my adopted sisters. How we all separated after a while. The eldest was probably thinking of him too. When had she not thought about him? We all missed him. I wondered if she ever told Big Brother her feelings. I slapped my cheeks lightly. Focus, Bell! There was no time to cry! He wanted us to be happy.

Thanks, Beatrice. I got it from here.

I returned to my coffee and bagel as Beatrice went back to her work. My curiosity led me to search the Blood Meister article. I felt the dormant nanites tingle and saw the flash of light in my eyes. They were reacting to the article. They hadn’t done that for five years now.

Why now? The war is over. I remembered that fateful day, when the battlefield was nuked against Gate’s wishes. Parts of the world showed off the nukes going off. I remembered watching it at the last second. And the scream of my oldest sister as Big Brother was caught in it.

It was devastating. Even though the monster form he took was frightening, he still held some humanity left. I felt it. I wondered about Gate as well. Not long after, they had decided to decrease their size to protect themselves from the eyes of the world and from other eyes that had ideas about Gate’s technology. Gate’s group shifted its focus to the medical professions after the war. All their military technological advancement was hidden away forever. And it was for the best.

I thought about where my sisters were now. Dova, or Delilah, as she called herself publicly, became a pop star. Her nanites helped her sing beautiful music to adoring fans. Aki, or Akida, disappeared. She went silent after receiving her final training with Gate instructors. I think she could never speak again after Big Brother’s death.

Nalia had it the worst. Because she loved Big Brother more than just being his adopted little sister. They were practically the same age. His death changed her, closed her off from the world. And she never sought love. Her emotions drove her mad. Now she was something inhuman.

My eyes drifted back to the article. I stared at the hunched-over form and the trail of possible blood that followed it. ‘Little Bell.’

I turned around when I heard the voice. I wondered if it was just memories or maybe it was my mind playing tricks. A light flashed in my eyes again. The nanites never reacted to weird articles or memories before.

But now the nanites tangled in my veins. I peeked back at the article of the blurred pictures of the tall, cloaked figure. I needed to know. Holding my bagel with my teeth. I ran out the door with my camera and all. Big Brother. I will finish what you started. I will make sure they won’t get away this time.

I ran to my car and started the engine as I scanned the street ahead. I needed to know more about this so-called Blood Meister. My hands tingled again as I felt a familiar haunting feeling, one that came with silent rage. One that followed Big Brother. I was brought out of my thoughts as police cruisers drove by. Their sirens were like a call from beyond to fall.

I felt a warm feeling throughout my body. It only happened when the nanites were in a rush. I have to follow them.

I sped after them while trying not to get myself pulled over or arrested, throughout the long streets of this futuristic city of shiny rail cars and walking robotic vending machines, along with new armored police cruisers that could easily catch any runaway criminals. I slowed down as the police quickly parked their vehicles and jumped out.

Guns drawn, they ran down an alley. I followed them. I peeked around the corner to see a young lady being held by a gruesome and putrid hand. The cloaked figure had his jaws on her neck.

Drop the girl! Now! The policemen ordered him to stop. I heard a cackle come from the cloaked figure as he dropped the lady’s body. I dropped her. But now I need new munchies!

Like an overgrown kid, he laughed and stared at the policemen greedily. I could see bright pale green eyes glow under the hood. I snapped a picture that caught his attention. He pointed an obese and putrid hand toward me as he giggled maniacally. I want you!

I backed away as the policemen fired. Bullets hit their mark but had done little to stop him. He pushed right past the police. I ran away from the battle, and as the cloak came off, I saw the obese figure. Blood oozed from the open wound. His body was like a mound of flesh as his naked feet pounded against the road.

Bits of flesh hung from his jagged teeth with a greedy smile and hungry eyes. Snacky! Come back! I’m hungry!

His voice was kidlike and whimpering before it became deep and guttural. I watched as he began to puke and then shot a ball of digested stuff at me. When it exploded near me, the impact sent me into the air before I landed on the ground. Everything would be sore after that. I looked up to see the evil, childish smile as the putrid, obese abomination ran at me.

The drool was like a waterfall as he laughed like a child. Closing my eyes, I realized it was too late. My only thought was of Big Brother. I waited and waited. But the laughter had stopped. I peeked up and saw a fearful look on the abomination’s face.

He looked around. Let me have snacky! Like a child, he shouted into the air before looking at me. His eyes went wide before he screamed, Me no wanna die! Me no wanna die!

I was left confused. I noticed a figure standing on top of a building. They were dressed like the grim reaper. The figure stared past me. I followed it and saw nothing but a drop of blood. I reached out to it. It was hot to the touch. And it wasn’t like regular blood but more like lava.

But I felt a sense of familiarity. When it hit me, I searched all around. He was here. That meant he was alive. No other blood was like that. I turned back to see a small metal spider sucking up the blood. It filled a small vial as we exchanged stares. When I finally realized what it was doing, I tried to stop it. Come back, you little metal bastard!

It scurried off and up the side of a building before disappearing over the top.

Why! I shouted into the air. When I saw the confused faces of the policemen and passersby, I couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment. Just one of those days!

I giggled shyly while people walked away. Now I just needed to be alone.

Chapter Two. Message from the Dead

Thankfully, this isn’t far from my job, I thought as I hurried up the stairs after what happened an hour ago. Most of that hour was taken by the police for reports, and the medics who wouldn’t let me walk away in peace. I only had a few bruises. And still, I couldn’t believe they still had to do paper reports.

Well, I could since I was still using paper for my job. We had walking vending machines, but nothing could beat the touch and reliability of paper and pencil. Even though they were short-lived reliability.

I returned to my desk, where my coffee was now lukewarm. I thought it would’ve been cold. But my boss liked it hot in the office. I couldn’t blame him since he had a heart attack due to obesity. Now he was a middle-aged man who worked out daily and lives for the heat. My thoughts were cut short by the cutely wrapped small box on my desk. If it was another one of those older men hitting on me again, I would tear this place apart!

I picked it up and rolled my eyes before peeking at the tag. My heart nearly stopped. It said: Little Bell.

I practically ripped open the package to see a necklace, a bell-shaped pendant. I opened it, and what I saw made me cry. It was a small picture of Big Brother and my other sisters and me that we had taken over ten years ago.

A note inside the box grabbed my attention, along with a USB drive. I plugged it in and put my headphones on.

Hello, Little Bell. I saw his face. He was older and scarred up, with a shaggy beard and long, wild hair. But it was him. I was never good at these. I wanted to keep pretending to be dead for you and your sisters’ sake. But things happened unexpectedly.

His voice was tired. His eyes were dull and void of life. Tears streamed down my face like waterfalls. What did he mean, he wanted to keep pretending to be dead? What happened to change that? A thousand questions rolled around in my mind as I touched the monitor.

A lot of things are gonna happen soon. There are.... Why is this hard? I couldn’t help but chuckle at his comments. But I worried about him. I wanted to see my Big Brother’s smile again.

Sorry about this. But in my basic caveman language, I might die. Again. But permanently this time. New forces have appeared. And you will see a lot of death, my Little Bell. But I wanted to at least reach out one more time to say happy belated birthday!

He popped a confetti popper, which made me laugh and cry at the same time. For a moment, I saw his smile. His face had gotten serious as he looked