Me: Back with more extra and we shall see how this patrol goes and stuff. I own all OCs, have nothing else important to say so let's get on with the story!
Chapter 5: Playing 'Fowl' with the West Raven, part one
A barn owl hooted in the night, as both Storm and Crystal were at the farm area. They separated on opposite ends the place, Crystal watched the chickens while Storm was with the pigs, the black monkey turned on the radio of his watch.
" Crystal, anything suspicious on your watch?" he asked through the watch, some static was emitting from it.
" No..." his student responded back as the black monkey sighed, turning it off before leaning against the wooden doors of the barn. The animals are asleep, except Pretzel, the horse was awake and staring at Storm. The officer doesn't know if the horse is having thoughts of charging, hoping he doesn't have to deal with getting stomped on any part of his body nor during the patrol. He doesn't want to know what it feels like with those hooves either. He yawned, not resting much as he planned when Razor ruined the bed.
Then again, the bed wasn't comfortable from the start, it has lumps in the mattress.
Storm's amber eyes widen a bit, seeing Dark appear in front of him as a ghost again, only he was in regular size. That is, if that was the actually of height of the demon, Storm couldn't think him being short as himself.
" You better take a shower when this patrol is all over. I don't like my hosts being covered in dirt with dreadful, disgusting germs all around..." he growled a bit, sitting on the fence pen of where the pigs are. Storm narrowed his eyes, not understanding about Dark's phobia of germs and staying clean.
" And you do realize that I will get dirty, no matter what and the fact that germs will always be on my body. Don't germs exist in Hell?" he asked as Dark glared before shivering a bit." No, microorganisms cannot enter the Underworld. Staying clean shows perfection and needs of being respected. You, however, are the opposite of either definition as your father. Only thing is that you don't respect me like your father did..."
" What do you mean? I respect you!"
" How is this respect?" Dark hissed, taking out a pink apron from the pocket of his coat. Storm sweat dropped," When I see you clean in my mind, you sorta had a femine side so I thought it suits best for you! Ya know, cleaning and those related stuff, right?" he said as Dark simply face palmed himself before looking up at his host with a mad, twitching eye and held the apron up.
" Storm...tell me the color of this apron..."
" It's pink...something wrong with that?"
" Storm, pink indicates that I'm a female and I'M A GUY~!" the demon hissed angrily as Storm rolled his eyes, only to stop to see Pretzel come over and scratching the wooden fence, almost as if he was trying to touch Dark, but couldn't." What's with him? Can he see you?" Storm asked, confused on what the horse was doing.
" He can. Animals like dogs and such can see spirits that the human eye can't. Well, they actually sense their presence, Pretzel knows I'm here, but he's trying to find out where exactly. The difference for you is that you see me cause demons can show themselves to their hosts only. We don't show ourselves to anyone else (unless they have a sixth sense like Iris does) for the risk of being sprinkled by holy water," Dark explained as Storm was going to say something when he heard a twig snap, the demon lookalike vanished back into Storm's body from that.
The officer hears someone coming on the side of the barn, pressed his back on the wall and slowly going towards the end of the wall. The person was doing the same, blue electricity sparked in the black monkey's finger tips. Quickly, he jumps out and throws a lightning bolt, cursing to see that he hit Holly.
" What was that for?" she hissed as it had no effect to her, leaving Storm confused on why it didn't hurt her before flinching to see pink electricity sparked on the white monkey's fingertips. Holly then threw a pink lightning bolt back, Storm embraced for the impact, only to find it...harmless. It didn't hurt him for Storm felt that he absorbed the charges of the bolt, very puzzling.
" What the..." Holly spoke puzzled as well, Storm then narrowed his eyes at her." Why are you following me?" he questioned as the white monkey glared back at the officer." To see if you aren't up to anything around here..."
" Are you serious?! What made you think I'm the bad guy? Why would I want bones for?" he hissed in rage, completely offended on such assumption this girl has made. Holly crossed her arms," Well sorry! Jeez...doesn't matter cause I still don't trust you watching the animals..." she growled as Storm face palmed himself.
* At least Crystal has no one bothering her...*
Crystal rubbed her left eye, a bit tired for she was sitting on a stack of hay, watching the chickens. They were asleep, no thieves came by for about an hour by now." Maybe they are attacking the other farms..." she whispered before pausing, hearing a sudden movement among the woods near the fence border. The purple monkey glances around anxiously, judging from the sounds, it's one or two persons running among here. She took a step back, bumping into something big. She slowly turned around, relaxing to see that it was a cow, munching on the grass.
" Oh...thank god. You gave me a sc-!" she froze, a sound of a blade rotating coming really fast. A yo-yo with blades then came right at her, Crystal dodged for it narrowly missed the monkey (and the cow) by centimeters, seeing a blond monkey there, a were cat. Her eyes widen for he was very familiar, one the of the most wanted outlaws she saw today!
" Looks like I'm going to take that cow away from you, miss~!" Susano hissed as he sends metal needles from the ends of his sleeves. Blue flames covered Crystal as a shield to melt them before making any contact and charges at the thief. Crystal then tries throwing a fiery fist that aimed for his face, but the monkey teleported. The blond monkey reappeared from behind and grabbed her chest, the purple monkey flushed.
" Not bad..." he said as Crystal gritted her teeth on what dirty move the were cat made and turns around to kick him, Susano transported again. This time, he reappeared in the air, levitating before chains appeared from the ends of his sleeves. Crystal sent blue balls of flames at the thief, frustrated on how he keeps on teleporting on every attack she threw at him.
Susano reappeared in front of the purple monkey in surprise, his metal fist punched Crystal hard enough into the air and transported above the officer. The chains wrapped around Crystal's legs and he begins spinning the female monkey around before the chains let go, sending her crashing into a couple of barrels. Wincing in pain, she looked up to glare as the blond monkey smirked and walks towards her then another monkey appeared behind him with red fur and hair. He wore a coat with a black shirt and pants with combat boots, the monkey grabbed Susano's shoulder to freeze.
" We have no time for this, Susano! You can rape this girl another time, get the cow and let's get out of here!" he hissed before disappearing, the blond monkey flatten his cat ears and the chains wrapped the cow, he looked at Crystal with a sly smirk.
" You heard, Tyron...next time we meet, I'll won't go easy on you!" he snickered before teleporting away with the cow, Crystal sat there defeat yet disgust.
" No wonder Storm doesn't leave me in patrols alone...dammit..." she cursed, feeling rather insecure by what Susano was going to do, lucky enough that 'Tyron' guy came in to stop 'that' from happening. the purple monkey got up and goes off to where Storm was, disturbed.
Storm sighed, feeling irritated for Holly was still with him, watching the pigs.* What she said she was watching me, she wasn't kidding...that's my job to do that on Crystal...* he thought for it was the first time he let his student on a patrol on her own. If Lousia or someone he trust were here, he would allow that, but with no supervision, there was no telling what could happen.
Suddenly, he heard something move among the thick area of the woods nearby." Who's there!?" he questioned, him and Holly turn to where the noise was coming from." Stay here..." he told Holly and quietly moved towards the direction. However, he heard her following him for the footsteps in the grass, he stops and kept his back turn for the noise stopped.
" I told you not to follow me..."
" I'm not following y-you..." Holly responded in fright as Storm turned around, Holly was standing on the same spot and he looked rather confused. He took a couple of steps back, that 'something' was making the same number of steps before stopping in front of him in the darkness, feeling like someone is standing in front of him. Storm made a fist and punched forward, only hitting the air. He stepped forward, that thing was now behind him again. He turned around, punching a bit fast, only to result the same as before.
This time, that 'person' kicked him from behind and he threw a bolt at the ground, nothing.* Dark, are you doing this?" he thought as he sense the demon feeling rather confused." No. I'm not..." he responded back in telepathy, making things more difficult to figure out what was near him. Holly stood there, watching Storm being picked on whatever was hidden nearby from the officer. Storm heard a giggle, a male. To be exact, it came to him that he knew who it was.
" All right, Razor! Quit hiding and come out here to fight like a real man!" he hissed as Holly raised a brow yet frighten on the name, hoping whatever was there wasn't the West Raven. There was silence, Storm rolled his eyes," Who ever you are, you're nothing, but a chicken!" he hissed and tried moving, only to find himself stuck.
" What the hell?" he muttered in surprise, trying to move his feet, but it felt like something was holding them down like cement, almost as if he was stuck to his own shadow.
Something then came to his thoughts, realizing how dark this spot was then all the shades around him, even with no light from the moon. Storm then charged up electricity before sending a shock wave at the shadows around him, he heard a grunt of pain and the area lighten a bit, whatever got hit suddenly moved over to the fence near the thick area of trees. The black monkey quickly dashed over to the tree area, a lightning bolt formed in his grip to defend from whoever is messing with him. Something fell to the grass, he glanced to see...Princess Celestia, lying there.
Happily, he runs over to grab his beloved plushie, but his eyes widen to see an umbrella with a sharp blade end swing at him, blocking the attack with his bolt. It sent the umbrella flying, the person disappeared with the plushie, no doubt that it was Razor. The officer jumps back over to the fence as dark shards are suddenly sent targeting the monkey, dodging the massive spray of shards. The shards that missed, dissolved in the air and ground then actually causing any damage, Storm turns to see blue flames being blasted in the air.
* So he's not alone...* the black monkey thought before sending bolts at the trees, only to damage the trees. He heard a noise from the pig pen, turning to see a female monkey with blue fur and short blond hair. She had a wooden hairband with feathers, brown leather sown vest and skirt with brown boots. She had red paint marks on her cheeks, she somehow leading one of the pigs like already a couple of meters away to the fence border. He now was battling in his mind, wanting his plushie real bad, but doesn't want the thief to get away.
" Storm, I'll handle her! You continue fighting whoever is attacking!" Holly interrupted his thoughts like she knew what he thinking and he nodded, now electricity covered him before charging forward and somehow, actually hit something invisible for there was a another grunt in pain. Seeing blue electricity sparking in the air, Storm smirked and created a claw out of his powers and slashed at the stunned, invisible foe.
A sound of something ripping along with the feeling of fresh blood on his claw, a claw of darkness appeared and slashed back at Storm, across his back. Storm let's out a cry of agony and falls on the ground, the dark shadow began moved away." Shit..." he cursed and looks over to Holly, who sends a bolt at the female monkey, but the dark shadow raised a shield to block it.
Storm's eyes widen, puzzled for the shadowy blob (Razor) moved right next to the female monkey and she stopped, looking confused and said something to it. Strangely, she lets go of the pig and runs off.
" Oh no, you don't!" Storm hissed and manage to be fast enough to tackle down the female monkey, surprising to see that she was really young, probably thirteen yet she is part of this thief mayhem.
" Let go!" She shouted as Storm manage to pin her down enough to cuff her hands together." No thief gets out of my watch!" he growled and turns his head at the ground, seeing that Razor has escaped in his sneaking, shadow way.
" I can't believe it! You actually did capture something..." Holly said impressed, but frowned to see Storm looked rather disappointed." Yeah, but I let Razor escape..." he cursed to himself.
" Storm!" Crystal's voice shouted from behind, they turn to see her come by." At least you saved an animal...I kinda failed..." the purple monkey whispered a bit in shame as Storm got up and patted his student's back.
" Now, now! It was just a chicken and..."
" Storm...they took a cow..." Crystal said clearly as the officer froze, Holly's eyes widen. The black monkey sighed, looking at the blond monkey, her blue glare towards them." Right now, let's get this girl to explaining back at the station. If not..." Storm paused to walk over to the umbrella that was standing, stuck to the ground and he pulled it out.
" We can look for another suspect..."
It was breaking dawn as Storm and Crystal were waiting in front of the station, outside. Crystal watched Storm, sitting on a barrel and was examining the umbrella in his hands. It was a no shocker that Storm was serious in such cases yet is too childish for his own good.
She begins to wonder...
(Flashback)
The two walked into some field outside Hearth City, a bit north and there were the usual; Trees and grass, simply the plain. Storm brought Crystal out here for her first lesson, though she doesn't find it much interesting
" So what's the lesson?" she asked, Storm simply ignored her and was looked around himself for something." Hold on..." he said as goes over to a tree, climbing it.* I hope it's not tree climbing, I already know that...* she thought as leaves of the tree were shaking for Storm was doing something in there. The black monkey jumps back down, holding what seems to be a pear.
" Alright, come over here and look at this pear," he said as Crystal raised a brow and walks over, he held out the pear. She stops and stares it, finding no explanation of it.
" I don't get it, what does this have to do with the lesson-
Splat!
Storm crushed the pear in his hand, the juice and pear bits covered Crystal's face, she stood there for a moment before glaring." WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" she yelled as Storm sighed.
" You failed your lesson, that's what happened..." Storm said calmly as the purple monkey gave her mentor the 'no way' look, feeling rather confused." Can I have another chance?" she asked as Storm took a thought, sighed and goes off to get another pear from a tree.
Again, she only gets every single pear smashed in front of her face and somehow is failing her first lesson." Wasting pears, my pupil..." he said, holding pear, number sixty-four to be exact, and this time, Crystal stayed in her spot. She was already filthy from all those pears, thinking how to see the pear without getting crushed in her face again. Storm stood in the exact spot, in a serious and calm way, holding the pear out and stared at Crystal.
A few minutes passed, Storm pulled the pear away a bit." You aren't coming to see the pear or not?" he asked as Crystal hesitated, not getting the lesson since the first pear was crushed. She's already sick of them already and it didn't make quite sense, for god's sake, she has failed since morning to afternoon!
" Uh...no..."
" Are you sure?"
" And risk getting more pears being smashed, no..." she said as Storm had a neutral expression." Very well...you passed!" he said as Crystal's eye twitched, completely baffled to hear that.
" Uh...I'm confused, how did I pass?" she asked her mentor, the black monkey was tossing the pear in his hand and simply shook his head." Well you should have know what the lesson meant by now. I can't tell, you need to figure that on your own..." Storm replied calmly, walking past her to go return back to the police department, the female monkey was now frustrated on this entire lesson.
" At least give me a hint of what it meant, I don't see how crushing pears in my face counts as teaching! You said look at it and I did, somehow failing!" she shouted at him, Storm stops and turns around, still tossing the pear.
" Alright. The hint I'll only give is that you do what the owner asks, but do not underestimate the pear. It is never to be trusted..." he said wisely and walks off as Crystal stood there, dumbfounded on that hint.
(end of flashback)
Why did she join in this police stuff in the first place?
Well, she never admitted, but Crystal was impressed by Storm's skills and sorta looked up to him. That doesn't mean she wanted to be like him due to his strange interests on certain things...and behavior. It's complicated to explain, but it sorta works in a 'hero's sidekick' way.
However, she finds it rather difficult to learn from her mentor, Storm teaches in a way that made no sense. Like one lesson, she had to play a racing car arcade game and when she loses, she fails. It wasn't her fault that she kept crashing into things, but when she finally beat the level, she 'mysteriously' passed. Crystal wasn't sure if Storm makes up these lessons to teach whatever meaning he is giving out or for his own entertainment. Either way, she wasn't sure how all this would get Crystal to learn any of Storm's skills or whatsoever.
For an officer that is very talented and serious yet unpredictable with an IQ of a walnut, it was a sad thing to bear with in missions. There was never a first time in any mission that Storm wouldn't make a complete fool out of himself, to allies or foes.
While Crystal was busy with her own thoughts, Storm was examining the umbrella from last night, Razor's umbrella to be exact. From the feel of the black fabric, it's as old as Razor, but it still could open. Storm sniffed a bit, sticking his tongue out in disgust. It...smelled bitter, hidden scent of beer and dried blood. Judging at the sharp blade point of the item, Razor uses it for close combat and probably killed a lot of people with it. Then again, Razor's battle style was more long-range, but he couldn't be too sure of that.
In fact, Razor didn't show himself at all during last night, Storm realized how very sneaky the immortal was able to stay hidden in the officer's shadow like that. Not to mention rather tormenting, Jeffery was absolutely right about Razor playing around with Storm. The immortal wasn't exactly fighting, but he wasn't even going after the animals either for he remembered the confused face on the girl.
She even talked...no, more of argue with Razor and simply did whatever he said. It made no sense yet the Susano guy that Crystal encountered (Which he will keep an eye out for his student's safety) took a cow, seeing that these group of thieves are taking bigger animals.
For now, they will see what Clara and Jeffery learn from the mysterious girl and if not, he could go looking for Razor to get answers, the highest guess would be that Razor could be responsible for this 'plan'.
Jeffery and Clara both came outside with slight concern, Storm gets off the barrel with a frown." So...what did you guys learn?" he asked for he didn't think it wasn't so good.
" Well, this 'Solana', doesn't speak English very well, her sentences took a while to break down. From what we know, she does happen to work for the West Raven as well as working partly of the bandit of thieves. It seems they are getting bones for a witch ritual..." she whispered in worry as Storm and Crystal's eyes widen.
" A...witch ritual? For what exactly?" Crystal asked as Jeffery lets out a sigh, scratching his head.
" She doesn't know, only Razor and someone else known as Eris. From our reports, we can probably tell both are probably the two heads of this 'witch' ritual they speak of. That's all we know, but we only missing a couple of jigsaw pieces to this mystery, we don't know what they could get from doing witch crafting..." he growled as Storm then smirked like he knew the answer, drops the umbrella in front of them like he caught something. Jeffery and Clara jumped on the sight, Jeffery grabbed it and narrowed his eyes at Storm.
" This...is the West Raven's umbrella...where did you get it?" he growled, the black monkey snickered a bit.
" You see, I had a little encounter with Razor last night's patrol and I actually got a good hit on him. He left his umbrella behind, guess he met his match..." Storm bragged.
" You're lying..."
" Am not! That umbrella is proof to you, Jeffery, that I...?" he paused for the strange silence that swept among them, Crystal turns to see the people outside, quickly return back into their houses in panic." What?" she asked as Storm followed Jeffery's gaze past behind him.
The officer turned around, a few yards from them was Razor in person. He was talking to an old man, who looked scared and Storm noticed the ripped claw marks on his left shoulder, points at him.
" SEE? I TOLD YOU I LAID A GOOD MARK AT HIM!" he shouted with a grin before dashing off towards Razor, Jeffery cursed under his breath and runs after him.
" Here we go again..." Crystal muttered and runs after them, feeling her mentor about to get himself in trouble again.
To be continued...
Me: As the title suggests, they are gonna be playing 'fowl' or chicken for those who don't know what that meant, with Razor. Now highlight...
Who is Eris? Why didn't Razor take the animals? Why did he tell the girl (Solana) to not take that pig? What is the purpose for the 'witch ritual'? Will Storm get played around with by Razor again?
Oh...remember the flashback with Crystal's first lesson with the pear? In your opinion, what was Storm trying to teach Crystal about?
Speaking of Crystal, I feel bad for her being in the highest risk of being raped by Susano!XD And Cloud isn't even relations with her at this part of time (Yes, I will show him in the next chapter, just...ignored by Storm, he is going to act VERY different..) so yeah, leave the overprotective Storm in duty! See ya on next part!