Cries of Summer: Men Behind the Mask
Sonozaki Residence. 12:30 PM…
A guard entered the meeting room, excusing himself.
"Fujiwara's recovered."
He reported to Kosei.
"Thank goodness. What did he see?"
"He said the shooter was in a white Volkswagen van with a side door."
Kosei turned towards Loomis and Kasai.
"Didn't you say you passed a white van near the bus stop?"
"Yes, but we only saw the dead driver. That van could've fit at least three or four additional people."
"They must have confronted Mifune and killed him near the bus stop!"
"If that were the case, his car would've shown signs of damage or bloodstains. When we stumbled upon it, it looked like he just parked there and left."
"He was lured outside the vehicle. Maybe Takeuchi did set him up after all."
"No, the driver was killed inside his vehicle. Mifune couldn't do that if he was already shot elsewhere, couldn't he?"
"But why go to the trouble of opening fire on your residence, Mr. Sonozaki? He could've easily shown up to you in person and blame Mifune's death on your rivals."
"Takeuchi was Mifune's bodyguard. You and I both know the consequences of failing such an important task."
As the adults continued to discuss their suspicions, Shion approached her twin sister and her groom-to-be.
"You guys alright?"
"A bit rattled, but we're good. Battler's quick thinking saved us."
Shion stared at the red-headed boy, who was equally curious about his bride-to-be's doppelgänger.
Battler was the first to introduce himself.
"I'm Battler. Battler Ushiromiya. And you?"
"I'm Shion, Mion's sister. Thank you for protecting her."
"No problem. I've just watched enough ya- er, action movies to know what a drive-by sounds like."
Battler chuckled sheepishly.
Fortunately for him, his awkward banter was interrupted by the arrival of the Game Club.
"Mion! Shion! What happened?!"
Keiichi shouted.
"What are you guys doing here?!"
Mion asked.
"Something happened at school."
Rika spoke in a serious tone, unlike her usual demeanor.
Hinamizawa Branch School. 12:00 PM.
The school day had begun innocently enough.
After the spirited banter surrounding Mion's engagement, the Game Club set off to perform their planned activity for the day.
A water-gun fight!
Despite Satoko's traps, Keiichi soundly defeated her and Rena!
But before they could move on to the humiliating, yet equally entertaining, punishment portion, a chilling scream ripped through the cheerful summer air!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
As it turned out, someone had broken into the school's supplies room in the dead of night, leaving behind bloody bandages, a bloodstained knife, and a handful of freshly-removed teeth.
That was terrifying enough for Tomita, the child who made the discovery, but when schoolteacher Chie Rumiko accepted the task of investigating further, she stumbled upon something even more horrifying!
Stashed away in a cupboard was a bloody severed head attached to a flashlight, mutilated to resemble a jack-o-lantern!
Alarmed by the scream, Principal Kaieda rushed to Chie's side and saw the macabre decoration!
Kaieda, who knew all too well about the village's "curse," hoped against hope that this was just some twisted prank.
Nevertheless, he had to prevent the spread of rumors that could possibly make things even worse.
The entire school was dismissed until the "foul delinquent" who scared poor Tomita and Chie was caught.
Back to the present…
"That does not sound like a prank! A water balloon to the face is a prank! A severed head is a death threat!"
Battler dramatically bellowed.
"What's this about a severed head?"
Dr. Loomis, who had left the room for a break and overheard the commotion, walked over to Battler.
Without hesitation, Rika repeated the same grisly tale she had just told Battler.
As she spoke, Dr. Loomis's expression changed from inquisitive to shock and fear.
"No! It can't be! I locked him up in Smith's Grove! It can't possibly be Michael! Think! Even if Michael escaped, he can't possibly hop on a plane to Japan! Roy, what the hell are you doing?!"
Loomis calmed himself before speaking to the children.
"Forgive me for intruding. My name is Dr. Samuel Loomis. I'm-"
"He tracked a serial killer from America to Hinamizawa."
Shion abruptly interrupted.
Loomis shot her a stern look as the Game Club started to panic.
"Ehhh?!"
"You mean… that wasn't the biker gang messing with us?! A bonafide serial killer is here?!"
An incredulous Keiichi shouted.
"Nee-nee, protect me! I'm scared!"
Satoko cried, rushing towards Shion.
"Guys! Calm down! Let the doctor explain himself!"
Battler shouted, taking charge of the situation.
Loomis smiled at the young groom and continued.
"As Shion said, I am tracking a dangerous killer to this village of yours. However, the person in question is not a serial killer in the sense of the word."
Loomis pulled out a photograph and turned solemn.
"His name is Roy Burns. He was once a colleague of mine before a madman killed his son. Through loopholes in the law, the culprit avoided the death penalty and was transferred to a mental hospital. In a fit of uncontrolled rage, Roy killed the man responsible for his son's death, along with the police officers guarding him."
"That doesn't sound like a dangerous man. It sounds like he only wanted to avenge his son and escape punishment."
Rena reasoned.
"The culprit certainly deserved his fate. But those officers were simply doing their jobs. They had families to look after, and now, all those families have left is a tombstone."
Loomis explained.
As he looked closer at Rena, he noticed something off…
"Is that… a nata?"
Loomis asked, using the Japanese phrase for a machete.
"Ah! I found this in the scrapyard out of town! I just thought it would come in handy."
Loomis wanted to call out Rena for using such a weapon at her age.
But he realized it would be hypocritical, given that he had just handed Shion a revolver.
Loomis then noticed the inscription on the blade.
[MADE IN USA. PROPERTY OF CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE, NJ.]
"This blade is American. You said you found in the scrapyard?!"
"Yes. You think it's him?"
"See this inscription, 'Crystal Lake?' That's his hometown!"
Rena gasped.
"If he's hiding near the scrapyard, then…!"
"Oh, no, Father!"
Rena rushed off towards her home.
"Rena!"
"Shion! Get Kasai and the others! Tell them to search near the scrapyard!"
"Got it!"
Dr. Loomis ran off after Rena, knowing that if Roy had indeed gone down the same path as Michael, the girl would need all the help she could get.
Ryugu residence. 12:50 PM…
"Papa! Papa!"
Rena yelled, hoping she would be on time.
Suddenly, Rena stopped and gasped at the sight before her!
A man in a dark blue outfit and a pale white mask stood at her front door, wielding her old billhook, now stained with blood!
He began moving threateningly towards her with the billhook at the ready!
Rena tightened her grip on her machete and charged forward, screaming in a fury!
She aggressively struck at the man who, surprised by her ferocity, barely managed to parry her blows!
The man swung his billhook at her!
She blocked!
Both combatants were at a stalemate!
Then Rena saw a heartbreaking sight.
Out of the corner of her eye, her beloved Papa laid in a pool of blood!
Momentarily distracted, her opponent delivered a violent kick to her ribs!
"Argh!"
Rena fell backward, dropping her machete and coughing up blood!
"Why? Why is this happening? Oyashiro-sama, what have I done wrong?"
The masked man walked to her with the billhook raised…
"MICHAEL!"
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
...only for Dr. Loomis to arrive and shoot the man six times!
She watched as the killer toppled backward and fell to the floor!
Rena tearfully made her way to her fallen Papa.
The unfortunate Mr. Ryugu had a kama sickle protruding from his back!
"Reina… run…"
"No! Don't say that!"
"I… love… you."
Mr. Ryugu coughed up the last of his life and went limp.
She cradled his head and cried softly.
Dr. Loomis cautiously approached the prone figure, keeping his gun trained on him the entire time.
He started to reach for the man's mask, hoping that it was indeed Roy and not the real Michael Myers.
CRASH!
Another man, wearing a black jacket and a hockey mask with blue chevrons, burst through the back door, ax in hand!
Before either Loomis or Rena could make a move, Michael suddenly bolted and tackled the new arrival, as if he had never been shot!
The two killers traded a vicious barrage of punches and kicks!
Loomis readied his C96 for another salvo when the rest of the Game Club arrived!
"Rena! Doctor!"
"Stay back!"
As he shouted, Michael was suddenly thrown at his feet!
The killer tried to reach for the Crystal Lake machete Rena had dropped earlier!
Loomis fired two more rounds into him and snatched the machete from his reach!
The hockey-masked man grabbed the billhook and started towards Loomis and Michael!
BANG! BANG! CLICK!
Loomis' last two rounds sadly had no effect on the gargantuan slasher!
SHUNK!
The ax he brought, however, was another story.
Rena, driven by grief and anger, drove the ax deep into his back!
Hockey Mask crumpled to his knees in pain!
"DIEEEE!"
Rena regained her billhook, and with a bloodcurdling scream of rage, drove it into his neck!
Hockey Mask fell over sideways, seemingly dead!
Michael himself had fallen still, though Loomis wasn't convinced.
He was reloading his pistol when Kasai walked through the door with his revolver drawn.
Even the seasoned Yakuza bodyguard was appalled by the extent of the carnage.
"What on Earth happened?!"
"I think I just found Roy."
"Then, who's the other guy?"
"Another demon from my past. One I thought I vanquished long ago."
"Oh, you'll find plenty of other demons here, Loomis!"
Loomis stared at the source of the demonic voice!
Rena, who suddenly had nasty burns all over her face!
He screamed in terror as a clawed hand shot out of her mouth and speared him in the face!
"AAARGH!"
"Loomis! Doctor Loomis!"
He awoke to see a young photographer shaking him.
"Ugh. Why does my head hurt?"
"You took a nasty fall when you ran after Rena."
"Have I gotten that clumsy?"
"Age destroys us all, Doc. Name's Tomitake Jirou. I photograph birds around here."
"Is Rena okay?!"
"Don't worry, she's safe. A bit scuffled, but safe. Can't believe she actually got in a machete fight with that guy."
"And her father?"
"He's safe, too. He was in Okonomiya for a date."
"Date?"
"He's been trying to find a flame after his wife left him years ago. Don't ask Rena about it. She hasn't gotten over it since."
"I see."
"I did you a favor and called the cops. You've already met Detective Oishi, haven't you?"
"I have."
"Well, now, you'll be meeting his old friend, Detective Akasaka. He's younger, but he can put up a better fight if the worst happens."
"I fear the worst has already happened. "
Loomis paused a moment to massage his aching head.
"That was one hell of a nightmare. Did I land on a rock?!"
It was then that Loomis remembered an important detail.
"Excuse me, do you know where I can make a phone call back to America?"
Jirou directed him to the payphone by the bus stop outside of town.
"This is Dr. Terence Wynn. Who is this?"
"Wynn, it's Loomis."
"Loomis? What's going on? Have you found Roy?!"
"Not yet. Is Michael still in custody?"
"Ah, I wanted to surprise you when you got home, but I guess I'll tell you now. Some Feds arrived the day after you left and took Michael away."
"Feds?"
"Yes. Some sharply dressed fellas with sunglasses and badges, just like in the movies. They said something about how Smith's Grove needed 'numerous reforms' and wheeled him into an armored truck with enough sedatives to knock out a herd of bull elephants!"
"Really?!"
"We won, Loomis! He's out of Haddonfield and out of our hands! I told you someone would listen if you yelled loud enough!"
"Thank you, Wynn. Now, let's take care of Roy."
"Of course, Sam. I'll leave you to it."
Loomis hung up and sighed.
"I see. So Agent Russell kept his end of the bargain."
Loomis thought.
His dreaded archenemy was now locked in an impenetrable cage from which he could not escape.
It seemed too good to be true.
9:00 PM…
"Alright. I think that's long enough for them to lose our trail."
Amakusa sighed in relief as Hibari 11 announced the all-clear.
If anyone had told him that his future job would involve shooting up a Yakuza wedding and leaving behind the corpse of one of their lieutenants as a calling card, he'd call them a lunatic to their face!
Amakusa received the relatively simple task of "getaway driver," while 11 and 12 took on the more difficult tasks of "trigger man" and "garbage disposal."
"I'll drive. 12, you ride shotgun. 13, cover our six."
Switching positions really wasn't necessary as the van had tinted windows, and everyone wore balaclavas during the mission.
But his unit, the Yamainu ("Mountain Dogs" in English), had to be extra careful now.
Their simple mistakes over the past two days had cost them the lives of nine of their members, and any more would require their higher-ups in Tokyo to send in their rival unit, the Banken ("Watchdogs").
The Banken had always viewed the Yamainu as incompetent inferiors, and their current predicament wasn't helping matters.
The ride back to the clinic started off smoothly, then…
"Wait, someone's lying on the road."
Hibari 11 slowed the van down as it near the prone person.
"Oh, shit…"
Hibari 12 softly cursed as the "person" lying on the road was, in fact, a headless corpse!
Judging by the gray uniform, it was one of their fellow soldiers!
Hibari 11 and 12 departed the van with an MP5 and shotgun at the ready!
Amakusa stayed in the van, reloading the M-16 they used on the Sonozakis!
"It's Hibari 7!"
"Wasn't he in charge of the sc-"
Hibari 11 never finished his sentence.
At that moment, a man in a pale white mask descended from a tree above him with a brandished knife!
Trained as he was, the hapless trooper didn't stand a chance!
Hibari 12 was the next to fall.
In a split second, the attacker snatched Hibari 11's shotgun, rebounded from his fall, and impaled him through the chest with it!
Amakusa panicked as his teammates were taken out in quick succession!
He bolted out the back of the van, M-16 in hand!
Making some distance, he wheeled back and fired a burst, forcing the attacker to duck for cover!
As Amakusa ran, he noticed a car coming up the road!
He aimed his M-16 at the car!
"Stop!"
The driver and passenger raised their arms in surrender!
From their appearance alone, he guessed that they were shady characters who deserved their imminent demise!
"Out of the car!"
He fired another burst at the ground for good measure!
"Now!"
The couple did as they were told.
Amakusa hopped into the driver's seat and sped off!
"You want to sacrifice us for your damn ego?! Well, screw you, Major! I'm calling the Banken!"
He told himself as he fled towards Okinomiya!
"Tch. Just great. We finally hit gold, and some nutjob steals our car."
Rina Mamiya complained as her lover, Teppei, lit up another cigarette.
"Oh shut up, Rina, there's a van up ahead!'
"It's probably broken, stupid. Why else would he leave it?"
"Didn't you see the rifle? He's probably a deserter. Damn disgrace."
Teppei began walking towards the van.
Needless to say, he didn't get far.
SHUNK!
Teppei crumpled to the ground as an ax pierced his chest!
Rina saw a masked man emerge from the van with a harpoon gun!
She kicked off her heels and began running barefoot in the opposite direction!
THWOCK!
He struck her in the shin!
The man approached Teppei first, finishing him off with a stomp on the ax!
"Please! I'll do anything!"
Rina begged as the man walked towards her.
"I'll give you money! I'll sleep with-"
He silenced her vulgar tongue by shoving the empty harpoon gun through her back!
Satisfied with his carnage, the man took off his mask and gazed forlornly at the night sky!
SHUNK!
Only for another man to suddenly decapitate him with a machete and steal the mask!
Michael Myers looked down at the insolent fool who had dared to steal his thunder!
He threw away his substitute mask, a hockey mask with blue chevrons, and donned the familiar latex Captain Kirk mask.
Myers took a moment to survey the damage before walking into the woods.
"Not bad, for an imposter."
He seemed to think.
The last thing Roy Burns saw before the flames of Hell overtook him was his son and past self smiling in the heavens.
To be continued…
A/N: Unless your name is Tom Morga, you probably didn't see that coming, did you? ;)