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'As a martial artist, the most important thing is to avoid fighting whenever possible,' Jason said, folding his arms as he looked around at his students.
'We need to put aside any thoughts of ego or our need to prove how tough we are. It takes more courage to walk away from a fight than to start one. Alright, that's it for tonight. I'll see you all tomorrow...'
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Jason had just finished locking up the dojo and was heading home when he heard a faint hiss coming from a nearby alley. He stopped, straining his ears and he heard it again. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the alley and followed it, pressing his back against the wall and peering around the corner. At the end of the alley, he could see something crouching in the shadows and there was a sharp smell that turned his stomach. Then, the figure looked up and he caught sight of a serrated head and spindly limbs as it scrambled over the fence and disappeared. Jason waited for a few seconds before stepping round the corner and looking down at what it had been crouching over, feeling his stomach churn.
Oh, God... He thought, as he pulled out his phone.
'Police, please. There's been a murder...'
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'And this is where you found the body?' Detective Ishihara asked and Jason nodded.
'Yes...'
'And you didn't see anyone else around?'
'No.'
'...alright. That's all for now. We might have some questions for you later...'
He turned away and Jason glanced over his shoulder to where the paramedics were lifting a bodybag into their stretcher.
So much for a quiet evening...
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Jason kicked the door of the apartment shut behind him and sat down on the sofa, pulling out his phone and punching up his speed dial. The phone rang a couple of times and then a grainy voice answered.
'...yeah? What do you want?'
'Evening, Tanaka,' Jason said, with a grin. 'I need you to look something out for me...'
'C'mon, Jason, I'm busy here...'
'Tokyo PD found a body this evening with his throat ripped out by what looked like teeth...'
'Alright. I'm interested...'
'This thing is only about an hour old, so I doubt anyone else has it yet. I need to know if there have been any similar killings in the last few months or anyone reporting seeing something with long arms and claws...'
'...alright. I'll see what I can dig up. Meet me in an hour...'
'It's nearly 10:00, Tanaka...'
'Information doesn't sleep. I'll see you there...' He said and Jason could almost hear his smirk as he hung up.'
It's going to be a long night...
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Jason stepped into the cafe and looked around. At this time of night, it was mostly empty apart from a young couple by the counter and a man sitting at the back with a laptop on the table in front of him.
'Tanaka,' Jason said, making his way over and sitting down opposite him. 'Thanks for coming... Did you find anything?'
'Oh, yeah. Over the last few months, there have been at least five other killings with a similar MO and at least a dozen other sightings of "something dark and fast" around the city.'
'You're sure?'
'I'll pretend that I didn't hear that,' he said, turning the laptop round so that Jason could see the screen.
'This was taken by a CCTV camera outside a car park at 12:01 on June 13th...'
Jason peered at the screen, his eyes widening as he saw what Tanaka was referring to. In the bottom of the screen was the same creature that he had seen in the alley.
'That's it,' Jason said, standing up. 'Thanks, Tanaka. I've got to go...'
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Jason watched with his arms folded as Haru ran along the low wall and leapt, her arms outstretched to catch the railing opposite and she vaulted over it, somersaulting down to land in a crouch in front of him.
'What do you think?' she asked, nervously chewing her lip and Jason caught a glimpse of the teenage girl that she usually hid behind her tough facade.
'Very impressive,' he said and her face broke into a grin.
'Thanks. I've been practising every day. Can we do some sparring...?'
'...not now. I need to ask you something...'
'What is it?'
'You and your friends know the city better than nearly everyone else. Is there anywhere that you're afraid to go or stay away from?'
'...yeah. There's some of the older tunnels on the east side around the old Roppongi-itchome station. They just feel...creepy, I guess...'
'Thanks,' Jason said. 'You've been a big help...'
'Are you going down there?' Haru asked. 'I can show you the way...'
'I think I can manage,' Jason said, with a grin. 'You stay here and keep practicing...'
'...alright.'
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Jason's footsteps echoed off the walls as he climbed down from the platform and made his way along the tunnel, his flashlight shining on the tracks ahead of him.
I can see what she means. There is something about this place. I can't put my finger on it...
He continued down the tunnel, stopping when he heard footsteps and he spun round to see Haru standing behind him, her own flashlight in hand.
'What are you going here?' Jason hissed and she shrugged.
'I wanted to see what you were doing...'
'I'm just taking a look around. Now, go back and...'
His sentence was cut off by a harsh hiss and he spun round just as something lunged at him from the shadows. Instinct took over and he ducked, claws slashing over his head, his foot lashing out to drive the creature back with a snarl of pain.
'Get out of here!' Jason yelled, dropping into a fighting stance as the creature sprang back to it's feet and leapt again, claws slashing towards him. He caught it's arm and twisted, slamming it to the ground as a stab of pain tore through his side. As he staggered back, the creature came back to it's feet and disappeared into the shadows.
'Are you alright?' Haru asked.
'...I'm fine...' Jason said, gritting his teeth against the pain. 'Come on, we need to get out of here...'
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Hurriedly, they made their way back down the tunnel and onto the platform. Now that the adrenaline was fading, the pain in Jason's side was getting worse. With an effort, he made his way to the steps and sat down, pulling up his shirt to see a deep gash across his ribs.
'Are you...okay?' Haru asked and Jason nodded, gritting his teeth.
'I'm fine...It's just a scratch...' he said, pulling out his phone and dialling Mia's number.
'Hi, it's me. Look, I know it's late, but I need a favour...'
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'If you wanted to see me again, you could have just given me a call,' Mia said as she knelt next to him and Jason grinned.
'Very funny,' he said, gritting his teeth as she lifted his shirt.
'How did this happen?'
'Occupational hazard, I guess...' He said and her eyes narrowed.
'This isn't a joke. Do you know how many deaths I see from knife wounds in street fights every week...?'
'That isn't what happened...' Haru began and Jason turned towards her.
'Haru,' he said and she stopped, looking down at her feet.
'Is it serious?' Jason asked, turning back towards Mia and she shook her head.
'No. It's only a scratch, although your were bloody lucky. Any deeper and it would have perforated your intestines...'
'Is he going to be okay?' Haru asked and Mia glanced towards her.
'Yes, honey, he'll be fine. I just need to apply some antiseptic and put a dressing on it...'
'Alright...' Jason said, hissing as she sprayed antiseptic on it, wrapping the dressing tightly around him.
'...there. You need to keep it clean and as dry as possible. If the pain gets worse, I want you to get it looked it. Okay...?'
'You're the medic,' Jason said and she smiled.
'Damn right. Come on, let's get you home...'
'Alright...' Jason said, turning to Haru. 'Haru, I want you to go back to the others and stay put. Do you understand me?'
'...yes.'
'Good...'
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'Here we are,' Mia said, helping Jason up the steps to his door. 'Are you going to be okay?'
'I'll be fine,' Jason said and she leant in to give him a quick kiss on the lip.
'...okay. Make sure you get some rest. If you feel up to it, I'll meet you for breakfast tomorrow...'
'I think that's the least I owe you. I'll see you there...'
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Mia was walking home when she heard a hiss behind her. Before she could react, something lunged at her from the shadows and she didn't even have time to scream...
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any comments, reviews or constructive criticisms very welcome.
