Wolf and Red: Monster Hunters!
Three
The two women sat in business class, lounging in their chairs as they flew to Japan. They had chosen business class deliberately, more roomy than coach yet not as pricy as first class. Plus, they got free wifi and could surf the net on the way there.
"Why are you checking out 4chan again?" Wolf had to ask, the tall, brown haired woman dressed in a t-shirt and army pants.
Red scowled, the red-brown haired woman looking at the screen as she said, "The Japanese are very, very strange. We need to keep an eye on 'em so the oddness doesn't ambush us." The other woman was just wearing a skimpy tank top and cut off shorts, the oversized laptop resting on the seat divider between them.
"Eww, vore," Wolf noted as Red advanced a page, "I've never understood how anyone can find being eaten alive kinky."
"Hell yeah," Red agreed, "I've nearly had it happen to me." She clicked another page, "Damn it, I'm SURE the cutesy monster girls are a plot."
"You think a cute spider girl will make someone not resist if a giant spider is about to eat 'em?" Wolf asked skeptically.
"No, but it might make them hesitate," Red pointed out stubbornly.
"Well, maybe," Wolf admitted, sitting back as she opened up the envelope that had been sent with their transport money.
The Japanese were good to do business with, in Wolf's opinion. Yes, they did porn that would make a sailor blush and were responsible for most of the sick shit on the internet, but they paid promptly, they didn't hold back information and they usually backed their operatives to the hilt. The last time they had been in Japan things had gone completely bad, but their contact got them out of the country and they even got paid.
This time there was a series of unusual killings going on in and around Tokyo city. There were male and female victims, found in various places, with the only common feature being that they had seemingly... exploded. Something had burst out of the people like a bad extra from Alien, it appeared.
"Eww, yuck!" Wolf winced, looking at a photo of someone burst open, surrounded by gore.
Red looked over and made a gagging noise. "Oh yeah, that is nasty," she agreed, peering at the photo. "Lemme guess, that's what we're looking into?"
"Yeah, looks like it," Wolf agreed. "This is gonna suck," she noted as the plane began to descend, and Red didn't disagree.
The two women checked through customs, but as expected their weapons got stopped. Just like last time they would be held a few days until strings could be pulled, and their various guns and grenades would be freed.
Leaving the rather stunned customs agents sorting through the crate of weapons Wolf and Red advanced through the airport, only to see a very embarrassed looking police officer. The blond haired woman was holding up a hand lettered sign reading "Wolf and Red."
"Think that's our contact?" Red guessed, adjusting the shoulder bag full of her spare clothes.
Wolf chuckled, "Looks like it." She waved to the cop with her own satchel as she called, "Hey, over here!"
"Ah,"the young woman jumped, fumbling with the sign then dropping it. "Hello," she smiled weakly, "you're Ray-ann Holt and Heather, correct?"
"Wolf and Red," Red corrected, shaking the woman's hand as she looked down at the smaller woman. "Officer Tobina?"
"Akira Tobina," the young woman bowed slightly as she said, "the Chief sent me to be your liaison and local guide."
"Nice to meet you, Tobina," Wolf smiled as she shook her hand too. "You been briefed on why we're here?" she asked as they walked out of the airport together.
"Just call me Akira, please," she smiled. As she unlocked the unmarked police car she said, "You are professional monster hunters investigating the recent deaths, and the Chief has instructed me to offer all reasonable aid."
"Our weapons got seized by customs," Red noted as she sat down in the back seat with Wolf, "can you get them released any faster?"
"I'm sorry," Akira actually did look apologetic as they pulled into traffic, "but I don't have that kind of authority." She kept an eye out for the usual bad drivers any major city had as she said, "Guns are... well, they're a lot rarer in Japan."
"Don't I know it," Red muttered.
Wolf looked at her lover in amusement. She leaned forward to ask Akira, "Can you take us to the latest incident site?"
Akira's hands flexed on the wheel, "There was another yesterday. The Chief asked the forensics team to do the minimum disturbing of the site, too."
"Good," Red nodded as she looked questioningly at Wolf.
"Very good," Wolf agreed, "if there's any traces left, I might be able to do something."
As they drove through the city, once again both women were struck by how busy and crowded Tokyo was. The streets and sidewalks teemed with life, men and women rushing back and forth to accomplish their daily tasks. And as they did, things walked along with them, intent on feeding on the lives that surrounded them.
The apartment building was a new shining tower, like many on the island. It had a almost antiseptic smell as they went through the front entrance and to the elevators. "The building has full security," Akira noted as they took the elevator up, "cameras didn't see anything going in or out."
"Not too unusual," Red noted, fishing in her shoulder bag. She removed a ugly, roughly made knife, one that was as long as her forearm and was carved with some kind of primitive writing, then carefully put it back.
Akira looked at Red in alarm, "How did you get that through customs?"
"It's officially a historical item, not a weapon," Wolf said as they reached the floor they wanted and got out.
Red stopped Akira, letting Wolf get out first. The brown haired woman sniffed the air, then with a determined step headed off down the hall. "Should I...?" Akira asked.
"Let her go," Red advised.
Wolf lead them around the corner, right to where the room was still blocked off by police tape. She ripped it down and stalked inside, slowly advancing as she swept the room with her eyes. Every now and then she would stop and sniff at something on the carpet, a frown on her face.
"What the hell...?" Wolf muttered.
Red stayed back as she asked, "What you got?"
"Dunno," Wolf admitted as she sat back on her haunches, "but it smells horrible. It's clearly not human, and I think there might be a trail."
Red brightened slightly, then frowned herself. "Can we wait until our weapons get out of hock?" she demanded.
"With how much traffic this city gets?" Wolf asked, "I'm going to be lucky to follow it the whole way now."
"Crap," Red growled. Making a instant decision she said, "Then we follow it as far as we can."
Akira and Red followed Wolf back to the elevator, then down to the first floor. Stopping to sniff at the air Wolf lead them outside, then down the street. They dodged traffic and pedestrians as they followed the rapidly fading trail, eventually reaching one of the small parks in the city.
"Is this...?" Akira asked warily.
"It's here, whatever the hell it is," Wolf said bluntly, "There's multiple scent trails converging here, actually."
"It's coming back here regularly," Red realized.
There were some trees, grass, and a odd feeling of peace as they advanced into the park. The breeze seemed to carry sweet scents, and the air was warm and comfortable. It almost felt like something was trying to forcefully soothe them.
"You feel that?" Wolf growled.
"They're definitely something here," Red agreed. She was about to say something to Akira when she was the woman's blissed out expression. The other woman began to stumble forward like a sleep walker, entranced.
"Follow her?" Wolf asked softly.
"Fuck yeah," Red agreed as they moved along, hanging back a bit.
Somehow despite the small size of the park they went through a band of trees and over a hill, finding a secluded glade. A group of men and women were gathered in a circle, and in the middle of the ring the beautiful woman sang to them. She floated a bit above the ground as she and, soap bubble like lights and sparkles dancing around her.
"It looks like Sailor Moon," Red blinked.
"I would have gone with Cardcaptor Sakura, but pretty much," Wolf agreed, "but it ain't what it seems. The scent I picked up in the apartment? This thing REEKS of it."
The circle of entranced people reached out and drew Akira in. The officer seemed fully under the spell, looking up at the seeming Magical Girl with dreamy adoration. She reached out to Akira, offering her hand, and Akira stumbled forward.
"Crap," Red growled. "Looks like she's about to get whatever killed those other people..."
"We have no weapons, remember?" Wolf pointed out even as she readied herself to run.
"Burst through 'em and grab the magic chick," Red said flatly, "other than that we'll just have to improvise."
"Right," and with that Wolf and Red burst from cover and charged.
Thankfully the entranced men and women were dazed, unable to react fast enough as Wolf tossed them aside with frightening ease. Red raced forward as the Magical Girl was bending to kiss Akira, something... wiggling between her lips, eager to reach the police officer. Red closed the distance, shoving Akira aside as she took her knife and slashed it right across the thing's throat.
The Magical Girl's head had a surprised look as it sailed away, even as it's body suddenly transformed. Illusions gone it began a tentacled mass, with razor sharp claws that flailed about wildly. The formerly entranced men and women screamed in shock and horror as they scrambled away. Red tacked Akira to the side, barely dodging the razor tentacles, even as Wolf raced in to wrestle with it.
Grabbing two tentacles Wolf ripped them free, even as it's struggles slowed. Working to contain the creature it tried to slither away, then went limp as it rapidly began to decompose. Even as it did several of it's victims began to throw up, small, lizard like creatures that wriggled a bit, then died too.
"What the hell?" Akira said weakly, taking in the traumatized people, dead hideous creature and piles of vomit.
"Just another day in our lives," Wolf said wryly as she made sure Red was fine.
It didn't take long to figure out what had been happening. Apparently whatever the critter in the park was, it needed to breed. It seemed to be implanting it's babies in people, but we weren't hardy enough to survive the baby growths. Eventually they would burst out, killing the host and soon up and dying after.
"Unless there's baby critters running around," Red noted.
"God I hope not," Akira sighed, having been too damn close to one of the critters already.
To be continued...
