December 24th, 1994.
Daniel Scutch is alone, half naked and locked in a dark room, the only thing he has is underwear.
-Ryder! RYDER! -
No one responds to his scream.
-SUNNY! PEELER! -
Nobody answers him. He begins to get desperate when he sees a door being opened. It is a figure that he can not identify until a flash of light blinds him. He opens his eyes and looks at the man's face. Shaved head, with green eyes, a huge scar on his forehead and a very elegant military uniform.
-Daniel Scutch... The Opponent Hunter. Finally we see ourselves face to face. -
-Where I am? Who are you?-
-Quiet. - says the man, with a smile that hides evil.
-Where I am?-
-This is Barracks 71, nicknamed "Bernt Manzin's Barracks".
Daniel Scutch recognizes that name ... Bernt Manzin was one of those guys who worked for Torisso and Keanloth. He managed to capture it and wanted to resist, concluding in a very traumatic fight. If that name is the nickname of a barracks means ... No. Impossible. He is inside the Torisso Squadron. Or the remaining pieces of the Squadron, after Torisso was fired by a man known as Beantork.
-I'm in...-
-Yes.- the man answers. -You are inside the Manzin Squadron. Let me introduce myself, Scutch, although you surely know me. I'm Deanler Beantork, the new boss.-
These words paralyze Scutch. He is in front of the man who managed to capture him. He feels that something bad is going to happen. Out of nowherre, a wall is parted right in two and reveals a huge machine where stays a gray-haired guy, about fifty years old, who wears a very elegant suit. He thinks it's Kaseblow, but it's not him. The colonel with the gills would never shave his characteristic mustache.
-He is the scientist Frederick Stein. He will be your new partner ... Now, the only thing you will have to do is this.-
Beantork quickly puts his hand on Scutch's face. His nails prick the Hunter's forehead. Daniel tries to resist, but a strange and poisonous liquid enters to his body through Beantork's nails and makes him faint. His pupils dilate and his brown irises change to a reddish color.
-Daniel ... Get up.-
I open my eyes and I realize that I fell asleep on the floor. Tench is in front of me. I get up after having that dream... sorry, wrong word... a nightmare that repeats itself constantly. That first torture. The first time I saw Beantork and Stein in person. That brain-washing poison.
Torisso is sleeping on the floor too, and my reaction is dreadful.
-How did you let him sleep here? -
-I did not want to wake him up, Daniel.-
-But ... It's Torisso, Jay! The most idiotic idiot of all!-
-Well, now I'll woke him up ...-
-No, now let him sleep. I do not want to see him in a bad mood because it would destroy my morning.-
Tench nods and serves two coffees. Something very strange, since I never drink coffee unless I leave home ...
-Oh, of course ... Today we will go to that place, right? - I ask.
-Yes. Kihimito told me he had no problem ... I did not tell him you were going.-
I start drinking my coffee, which manages to wake me up a little. I get up from the table and go to the bathroom to shower, comb my hair and brush my teeth. I grab my characteristic black jacket and jeans to deliver to the house of Kurusu, the limo and the other extra species that he cares for.
Tench sees that I am ready and washes the coffee cups, but before he asks me something very important.
-What do we do with Torisso? -
I hesitate for a few seconds until I say my answer. A very kind response, to be honest.
-Leave it there. He will wake up alone.-
We go out and see the number again ... 4 º G. I go down the elevator and I notice the Ryder is at the entrance of the apartment. He's drinking coffee and talking to two policemen. Once I go out with Tench from the apartment, I say the magic words.
-I am his host.- I say. The two policemen are surprised.
-You're lucky, Ryder.- says one of them. -Having Scutch as your host must be incredible.-
Oh shit. I recognize that I don't like talking to people who do not know my name but, honestly, I think those who know me are worse. Fans are something repulsive for me ... because I, a person that nowadays does not interact even with the sun, less would do it with people I do not even know.
-What did it feel like to have defeated Torisso? - says another of the police. -My father told me a long time ago that my family kept a siren that was killed in the nineties by the Torisso Squadron ... He considered her as a sister.-
-But Torisso was just a slave from the system.- interrupts the other policeman. -Keanloth was the man who organized everything ... Mr. Scutch, what did you feel when the son of a bitch called Keanloth was murdered? -
I stay shocked, because I remember very well what I felt when they murdered him ... Um, I mean, when I murdered him.
May 28th, 1995.
I am hidden inside a closet and I feel that someone is going to open it. I am ready to defend myself. It took months to develop this plan and no stupid will stop me. That person approaches to me and I find out it's someone I know.
-Dan ... you can go out now. There is no one in the building anymore.-
I open the closet and identify the man. Gray-haired, with a beard of several days and dressed with a black overcoat, boots and dark jeans. He wears sunglasses that I really wish I had, and he's also smoking a cigarette ... that guy is Dylan Pelson himself, leader of the first Wolf Force and the mentor who saved my life.
-Ryder stayed down, he is watching.- he says, with his authoritarian tone. -Kaseblow and the other guys went back to the base ... they know that only the two of us can kill that son of a bitch and his whole army.
-The Dryad?- I ask.
-In the woods. She said that Keanloth left the forest almost an hour ago... He must be in his office now.-
I nod my head and suddenly I hear voices coming from somewhere. Pelson and I hid inside the closet and two guys enter ... one of them is Keanloth. I can identify him with his tattoo and his hair.
-Look, Keanloth ...- says the man next to him. -I checked all the security cameras and I couldn't find Pelson and Scutch.-
-They have to be inside the building! - says the man, while he grabs his employee's chest. -They came for my head ... and the moment I need you and the other guys more than anything ... you don't do anything.-
-It's not my fault, Vladimir. The cameras told me the truth.-
I look at Pelson. He knows that this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of him. He's unarmed, and he's only with a guy we can easily knock out.
-Do you have it? - asks the guy. Keanloth nods his head while looking at his hand.
That phrase catches our attention ... What does Keanloth hide now? Is he armed? Or does he have some kind of magic? I look at Pelson again and he smiles at me. It's the moment we've been waiting for months. The time has come. We are now getting rid of that son of a bitch... Vladimir Keanloth.
-SURPRISE, MOTHERUCKER! - he shouts and then we come out of the closet andI beat down the guy Keanloth was talking to. Pelson kicks the bitch in the face and falls to the ground. I take this act to close the door hermetically with the code I had learned minutes before.
-You two, damn ...- Keanloth says. Pelson fights him but Keanloth easily throws him into the closet. It's my chance to participate in the fight, but when I approach him, the man puts his hand on my face, injecting that damn poison through his fingernails.
-SHIT! - I scream, before falling to the floor and watch that show, surrounded by voices that tell me what I have to do.
Do it... Do it... kill Pelson... kill Pelson...
-I learnt that trick from Beantork. Such a good poison.- he says, but is interrupted by Pelson as he stabs him in the back.
Inside my mind, the poison is so powerful that it does not let me move. All I can see is the fight while hearing voices and images that are travelling through my head. I look at Nenn Torisso, the late brother of the man I know, on my left ... and Ryder on my right . They both want to tell me something but they have no voice to tell me.
-Daniel! - I listen. It's Pelson. -I will save you!-
Nenn and Ryder's images fade away to reveal the body of an attractive woman. I feel my body is levitating and I start to move my hands uncontrollably. Once I touch the lady's breasts, she reveals the lower part of her body ...a spider.
-Fuck ...- I say. -It's her...-
I try to see her face but she fades. Now I can move ... I feel freer, but the voices and also, images of all those pseudo-humans that I killed are still going through my head. At that moment I grab the weapon of the man I knocked out and without knowing where I was aiming, I shot.
-ARGH!-
Magically the voices and the images disappear and I return to reality. I see that Keanloth is on the floor, in pain. He has a bullet in his arm.
I can not stop gasping. My body si covered of sweat ... my eyes, full of tears. My nose is also bleeding.
-This is for everything you did to me, son of a bitch ...- says Pelson, but out of nowhere I do what the unconscious tells me. I approach the scene and shot Keanloth in the chest three times. Now the charger is empty. Pelson simply watches me, silently.
What did I feel? Anger. Those three gunshots were like screams for me. Screams of fury and glory at the same time. Once I saw the blood coming out from Keanloth's chest, I felt a mixture of anger and relief. The big fish was no longer on planet Earth, but at the same time I was not satisfied, because Keanloth wasn't a revelant man for me in 1995. I wanted to find those new guys in my list.
- Mr. Scutch ... are you okay? -
-Excuse me? - I exclaim, returning to reality. "I'm sorry ... I was remembering that moment when I heard about Keanloth's murder, it's a long story.
"I hope some day you can tell us, Scutch, now we have to go to work ... Greetings, Ryder, Scutch and you too, young kid!" Say the policemen and they leave. Ryder smiles at me ... I know what he's going to say .
"Several years have passed and you still do not want to admit that you were the one who killed Keanloth."
Tench is speechless ... this surprise was not expected at all. - You killed him? Wow! Every day you're more bad-ass, Daniel!
"Since when murder makes you feel better, Tench? Shut up.- I answer.
We are now going to Kurusu's house, and I find out Ryder is still with us.
- You also come with us? - I ask.
-Yes.. I'll help Tench with the furniture...-.
Once we arrive at Kurusu's house, Tench rings the bell but the person who opens the door is not the boy. It is a female centaur.
-Uh ... Hello? - says the woman.
-Uh ... Centorea, right? - says Tench. -My name is Jay. Jay Tench... I came to help your host with a piece of furniture some weeks ago. Today I came to help him move another one...-
-Oh, yes, I remember ... the young man. Come in... are they going to help you and my master?
-Yes. They will help, Centorea. They will behave well.-
Tench and Ryder enter. -I introduce myself, miss. I'm Ryder, the tiger. - He says. Now is my turn. Oh, shit ... Will she recognize my name when I say it? Obviously! What kind of non-human does not recognize that name? Daniel Scutch, the opponent's hunter? The one who hunts opponents of non-humans?
I start walking and I say my name: -Good morning. Daniel Scutch.-
The centaur's expression changes completely. She is surprised ... it means that she recognizes my name.
-The Hunter? - she says. Now I really want to go to my house ...
-Yes, Centorea. The real one.- replies Tench, with a smile. -He does not talk much. He is silent, so if you want to get something from his words, it will cost you.
- Thank you very much for that presentation, Tench.- I say, with an ironic tone. She smiles.
- Hi, Jay! - says Kurusu, while coming out of a room. -Oh, it seems that Scutch and his friend also came ...-
-Hello, Kihimito.- says Ryder. -You can call me Ryder.-
Ryder and I greet Kihimito and he guides us to the room where the furniture is. There is a huge pool where a siren is swimming.
-Curious ...- says Ryder. - Is she one of the additional species you care for? -
-Yes.- the siren responds. -My name is Meroune Lorelei, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir.-
Ryder smiles. I don't know why, but I feel that her voice is really charming, but very imperative. Then, the female centaur asks us if we wanted something.
-Uh... tea, by chance? - I ask.
- Black tea.-
A smile is drawn on my face, and she understands my gesture.
-Of course, I'll bring you, Mr. Scutch.-
The siren's face drastically changes. Her gesture shows surprise. - Oh, how silly! How did I not notice at the beginning? You are Daniel Scutch ... and you are his faithful partner, Ryder!-
Now Ryder is in the spotlight next to me. She stops swimming and stays at the edge of the pool, watching us.
"I've heard several stories from you, Mr. Scutch ... my mother told me that you and your entire squadron were responsible for keeping our entire species alive ... oh, and also, those moments when you were captured ... Oh, what a tragedy! ...-
Captured. It seems to me that this mermaid likes tragedies a lot.
-What happened to your squadron, Mr. Scutch? -
Ryder looks at me. He knows that the answer to that question is anything but happy.
Ok ... I think I have to explain it now.
When she talks about the "squadron", I suppose she refers to the first Wolf Force ... Pelson's one. Almost all members were abandoned and mistreated non-humans. Some of them were Warren, the giant, Landivar, the minotaur, Ryder, Kaseblow, Peeler and me. There were some temporary members, such as the Sansh the Iguana or Pycks, but those who were always in the team were those I mentioned earlier. Also, Pelson had a kind of spy and messenger who always used to contact... She called herself "the Dryad".
So, what happened to my squad... my team ...my first real friends in life? Many of those members died during the wars, like Pelson, Warren and Landivar, and others simply disappeared without a trace, like Kaseblow and the Dryad.
In conclusion, my squad did not have a happy ending.
Going back to reality, I look kindly at the mermaid and answer: -Many things happened ... some of them left the group ... others left this world. Let's say that Ryder and I ae two of the survivors.
-Hey!- says Tench, angry. -I was also part of the squadron.-
-Tench, you were never inside ... you were a child in 1995. You didn't even have eight years old.-
Ryder says I'm right while Centorea returns with my cup of tea. I thank her for her kindness and I begin to drink it, while I look at the furniture that Tench and Kurusu are moving. It is a small closet, but completely stained with water due to having a huge pool with a siren inside a few meters away. Ryder starts helping them while they drag him and I'm left alone, with my cup of tea, next to the mermaid.
-So you live with Ryder and Jay ...- she says
-No. Only with Tench.-
A few seconds of silence invade me inside my body, causing me to vomit a question:
- Is there any other species inside this house? -
The siren nods. Meanwhile, the boys have just got the wardrobe out from the room.
-Mia, the lamia, was the first to arrive. Afterwards, Papi, the harpy, came...-
Once I hear the word harpy I remember Tench and his arguments about maintaining a relationship with a harpy. I smile and I do what's possible to not laugh while she keeps talking.
-Well, the third one was Centorea, who you already know ... The fourth species that officially entered this house was me, but in reality I am the fifth, because Suu came before me unofficially.-
Suu.
The fact that she has entered unofficially disturbs me a little. If she lives inside this house without any document that reaffirms that Kurusu is her host, it means that she does not have insurance ... If something happens to her, the Act will not cover her.
-Something wrong, sir ...?- The mermaid asks.
-Excuse me, Miss...-
-Call me Mero.-
-Ok, sorry, Mero ... How is it that Suu entered this house unofficailly? -
She smiles. He knows that I am a little bit upset.
-Calm down. My dear master does everything possible to take care of her. She is in good hands.-
-I expect that...-
I almost open my mouth. I almost said "I hope ... because now Beantork is back." If I said it, she would ask who was him and everything was going to turn into a very long story and my inner self screaming with all his strength.
- Did you know Suu before? - she asks.
To avoid another very long story, I tell her that I crossed her yesterday at the fair with Kurusu and I thought that she was a very adorable girl. I asked her to continue saying how many species are isnide this house.
-Well, ah ... After me, ah ... there's Lala, a dullahan ...-
I am stunned. - A dullahan? But ... how did a mower of death enter to the Interpecies Exchange Act?
-I do not know.- she says, with a smile. -Oh! And I almost forgot, there's also Rachnee, the Arachne.
Arachne. Shit. I leave the cup of tea on the floor and breathe to ask something very important:
-How ... did you say her name was? -
-Rachnee.- answer.
-Just Rachnee?-
She knows something is wrong. -Are you okay? - he asks.
-Yes ... but, is it just Rachnee?-
-No ... Rachnera Arachnera is her real name.-
What did I say before? Shit?
Well, now I know her real name, I must say it louder: SHIT.
April 3rd, 1995.
I open my eyes and I realize the scientist Stein is not in front of me. I also can not find that machine anywhere. There's furniture next to me, but I'm still lying on the floor. The only thing I heard before Beantork injected me that fucking poison again was an explosion. What was that explosion? An error of the Barracks? A technical damage? I don't know.
I try to get up but my whole body hurts. I look at my torso, which is full of scars and stained with blood. My hands are completely scratched. Suddenly, I see the shape of a person that moves and approaches me. My fear starts leaking.
-Don't move.- says the figure. It is a female voice. Once I see the appearance of the person because of a light, I realize that she is a woman ... and a very attractive one. He has short, lavender and he is wearing only underwear... provocative underwear.
Suddenly, she turns her head, raises one of her arms and from out of nowhere, I feel that something holds me and leaves me motionless. I start screaming in pain because that magic net touches my wounds.
-Close your mouth.- she says, as she approaches me. I soon realize that she is not a normal woman. Her lower part is similar to a spider. Well, it is a spider. -Quiet.- she says. -They are just cobwebs.-
She approaches me and I see her face. She has six red eyes and an evil smile. With only her evil and her huge spider legs, the first impression I had of her disappears completely, and is replaced by a second impression ... I am terrified of her.
-Who are you?- I say, while I am gasping non-stop.
- Oh, dear ... don't feel so bad. I'm not going to torture you either ... although I should. A man like you should be always suffering.-
She walks away and grabs a picture. Inside the photo, I look at me with Peeler on a tour of the Torisso Squadron.
-Daniel Scutch, son of Duncan Scutch. Ironically, your father fought for us until that damned Keanloth took his life. And what do you do? You go and kiss the enemy's feet ... You, idiot, murdered several non-humans.-
-It was not my intention ...-
- Of course it was, Scutch! If you loved us so much, why did you kill us?
-Torisso ... and Keanloth ... they forced me ...-
- Then why did not you leave the Squadron? -
- Calm down, Rachnera! - says a voice that comes out of the darkness. -The Scutch that you know no longer exists. He has changed. I know that now he will be with us.
The man comes out of the darkness and reveals his face: It is Dylan Pelson. He approaches me and gives me a mirror.
-When was the last time you looked at the face, Scutch?-
-Uh... months...-
-Look at your face.-
I see myself in the mirror and observe the scars left by the torture. I have longer hair, a dirty beard and my whole face is stained with blood. I have my whole forehead filled with scratches, because of Beantork's hands.
-You are bad, friend, but do not worry ... I'm going to help you.-
-Who are you? -
-We are so similar, Scutch ... Our parents died protecting other species, and we both went to the Torisso Squadron because we didn't have another choice. In my case, I entered in 1991 and when I realized that Keanloth murdered my whole family for opposing his thoughts ... I left everything.-
He asks me for the mirror and I give it to him. Then, he extends his hand.
-My name is Dylan Pelson, Scutch. She is Rachnera Arachnera, and she will take care of you during your rest. All those wounds have to heal, and that could take a whole month.-
-Daniel! -
-Oh! What happened?-
I see that she cares about me. "You were half a minute blank." She says, stunned.
-Oh ... sorru. It happens.-
-I heard that Scutch was here. I'm anxious to see.- says a voice that I recognize. It's from Rachnera Arachnera. A chill begins to invade my body.
