Chapter 0 : The Good Troubles
This was shaping up to be a truly bizarre morning at the japanese branch of the SpeedWagon Company, this one particularly hastily built at the heart of Morioh Town after discovering the astonishing amount of stand users residing in the city. This was, in fact, a few years after the "Kira" case which, while kept secret to the public, was still a well-known incident inside of the foundation. And, even though the arrow was safely retrieved, even more incidents were popping up every year. In fact, it was those very same incidents that lead to the events that happened this very morning.
Four persons entered the place. Four very different people.
The first was a well-dressed man, decently tall, with a lean built, wearing a grey scarf, leather gloves and an elegant hat.
He was dual-wielding a cane in his right hand, and an umbrella in his left, both adorning silver pommels shaped in the form of an eagle head.
His left sleeve was rolled-up, giving an asymmetrical impression, but the most distinctive feature was the white mask covering his face, with only two dark holes for his eyes and a third for his mouth, shaped in a smile similar to a moon crescent.
The second one was a man as well, very tall and thin, with blond short hairs.
He was dressed pretty normaly... As long as you kept looking at his torso. The moment you lowered you gaze, you would realize that, although this was a rainy October day, he was wearing shorts and flip-flop. He also had a strange bag that looked like it was slightly moving.
The third one looked like a young teenage girl, dressed pretty normaly excepted for the thick blanket wrapped around her and covering her head. Although she was nice-looking, with long reddish-orange hairs, the dark circles under her eyes made it clear that she didn't really had a healthy life train.
Finally, the fourth one seemed to be the most normal of the bunch, although his clothes looked pretty noble and expensive.
He had normal hair, normal face, a little goatee, and really nothing remarkable about him...
Until you looked at his eyes.
He was staring right towards him, with a focused, unwavering expression. In fact, his movements and absence of reaction even beneath the pouring rain made him look like a killer robot and not a human.
A nice hostess welcomed them one after the other.
- Welcome ! I trust that you're here for the first reunion ?
The masked man took the initiative.
- Why indeed ! Hello fair lady. I was told to arrive at nine o'clock, which I did, I hope this'll prove my good faith. I was supposed to meet with Mister... Kanzaki, if I recall correctly ?
- Hum... Well, yes. It's Inspector Kanzaki by the way, but...
- Ah ! My mistake. I shall remember his title, thank you Miss.
- Yes, but wait, please, I don't think you can enter this place while having your face covered.
- Sadly, I will have to insist. I, under no circumstances, can remove this mask. It would lead to my permanent death if I did. I hope you understand.
-... I see. May I have your identity ?
- I am in agony to refuse the request of such a nice person, but I must decline once again, for the same reason. You may, however, call me Wander. And worry not, I have met your superior the day prior, where I provided him with my personal informations such as my adress and bank account. If I was to act ungentlemanly, you would have no trouble tracing me.
Truly disturbed, the hostess indicated the strange man the place where he was to meet the inspector.
The flipflop-wearing man came next.
- Hello ! Same thing, please.
- You mean, you are scheduled to meet the Inspector Kanzaki as well ?
- Yup ! It's this way, right ?
- Wait, please ! Could I have your name ?
- Nope, 'else I'mma die !
He laughed before the hostess's expression.
- Joking. I mean, what the fuck was that dude, right ? The name's Loris. Loris Ginal.
I'm also a VA. That's why they call me VA Gi...
Before he could complete his joke, he was sent to the same room as the masked man.
The young girl was next. At this point, the hostess was getting pretty anxious.
- Hello. I was scheduled to meet with Mister... I mean Inspector Kanzaki.
- Alright. May I have your name ?
- Of course. It's Klee. Just Klee.
The hostess was about to ask about her family name, but then remembered to two previous one, and decided it was wiser to refrain.
Finally, the silent, staring man came.
- Hello.
He answered with a sign of his head.
- Are your here to meet with Inspector Kanzaki ?
He only nodded.
- I see. May I have your name, please ?
The staring man opened his lips, and with a hoarse voice, the voice of someone who doesn't talk very often, he articulated :
- Rytoko Kanamori.
And finally, all four of them were reunited inside the same room.
Wander, the first one, said :
- Well, hello. I imagine we are gonna be colleagues, so nice to meet you.
- Yeah, same dude. My name's Loris.
- I heard that. Also, your joke was hilarious.
- Yeah, right ? But people don't usually laugh at it.
- That is because they're too stuck up to be able to have fun. You should relax once in a while, otherwise you're gonna explode.
While the two men were happily chattering, Rytoko suddenly asked :
- Do you have one too ?
And suddenly the atmosphere shifted. Wander and Loris stopped chatting, and Klee, who seemed on the verge of falling asleep, suddenly straightened herself.
With a cautious voice, the masked man asked :
- Do we have what ?
- I sure hope you do. Otherwise you're gonna have to go home.
A deep voice resonated behind them.
- Come on Kanzak, they've just arrived here. Be nicer.
- Shut up G... King.
Behind them was two more men. One very tall, with messy hair, a very long coat with ripped sleeves, and bandages covering his arms and torso. At his side, a smaller man, with long braided blond hairs, an open shirt leaving his impressing abs exposed, and one glove on his right hand. His eyes were also slightly glowing, like a cat's, and from his mouth was pointing a single fang.
- Well, seems like everyone's here. And you all look even more incompetent that I feared.
- Inspector Kanzaki, I suppose ? Very nice to meet you too.
The irony of the masked man wasn't lost on the inspector, who stared him down.
- Careful, smartass. People like you are usually the first ones to die.
- Followed immediately by those who act tougher than they truly are.
The inspector smiled.
- We'll see how long you'll last. But firstly, the boss wants to meet all of you.
So they were conducted up until an office on the last floor.
Inside was a man, not very tall and with a noticeable belly.
- Ah, Kanzaki, there you are. And I trust that these are the new recruits ?
- Dammit Grosenberg, did you even bother verifying that they are users ? You're supposed to be my boss, so act like and do your godammn job !
- Stop calling me that. It's Rosenberg and you know it.
- Grosenberg.
- ...Anyway, you know I can't see them. You'll just have to verify it now.
- Alright.
And suddenly, from out of thin air, an arm appeared. An arm who seemed very mechanical in nature, with a red fist, and a middle finger raised high toward the named Rosenberg.
- Kanzaki, I can't see them but I know you. Stop that.
- Stop what ?
- Anyway. Did you see it ?
Judging by the smile on the blond man's face, he did.
The others were reacting differently :
Loris was quietly laughing, Klee simply raised her eyes to the ceiling, Rytoko was staring at it, and Wander was grasping his cane as if he was intending to use it as a way to defend himself from the ghostly arm.
But judging by their reaction, they all did saw it.
Grosenberg smiled, a satisfied smile, and then said :
- That settles it, then. From now on, you're the SpeedWagon Foundation's special unit : The Good Troubles.