Wolf and Red: Monster Hunters!
Homeward bound
The flight back to Canada was long, but at least the service was good. Plus the 'unknown outbreak' in Tokyo had cut down on the tourist trade.
"Do they REALLY think that story will hold up?" Wolf wondered dubiously as she looked over the news reports.
Red shrugged as she said, "Well, no one who was there will believe it, of course. But the public in general..."
"Yeah, point," Wolf conceded.
The logic behind hiding monster sightings and such had always seemed kind of dubious to them both. The basic thought was that the more folks knew about monsters and the supernatural, the more powerful those forces became. Of course, it was hard to judge.
New Orleans, of course, was a special case. EVERYBODY believed, pretty much, and weird shit abounded. But it was hard to say if it was that or other reasons. (The rumored Great Old One under the city was, of course, officially denied.)
Personally, Wolf wasn't sure she bought it.
"Do we have a ride waiting at Vancouver airport? I don't want to try hauling our gear via skytrain," Red asked.
"Mimi will be picking us up. She's been taking care of the place as usual," Wolf reminded her.
"Oh, right," Red murmured.
They were based out of Canada for various reasons, but mostly because the US Monster Control Bureau had no juristiction there. Both women had had run ins with the agency, and neither wanted them going after them again. And don't ask about Special Task Force Unicorn, that creep Stricken and the hit squad he was running using unwilling monsters...
Plus, Canada had somewhat more liberal laws on 'monsters' in general. There were various examinations and a probation period, but if you could prove you could live peacefully around humans, they'd basically leave you alone. And Canada's police got VERY ANNOYED at US Hunters running into Canada chasing bounties.
They hit turbulence and Red cursed. "I can't wait to get home," she muttered.
"Drink? Snacks?" a airline hostess asked as she went down the aisle, completely ignoring the airplane shaking slightly.
"Could I get another beef sandwich?" Wolf asked cheerfully.
"That's FOUR you've had," the slightly scandalized young woman noted.
"It's a long flight," Wolf shrugged.
Red just grinned as the woman scurried off.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Mimi Johnson was waiting at the airport, the attractive black haired woman dressed in matching black skirt and blouse and carrying a sign.
"Fake Monster Hunters knock off?" Red read the sign, shaking her head.
"You saw it, didn't you?" Mimi sassed back cheerfully.
Wolf took the sign and pitched it in the paper recycling bin. "Got the van?" she asked as she pulled the cart with their luggage.
"I did," Mimi blinked at all the stuff, "how much crap did you BUY?"
"Heh," Wolf looked sheepish.
"Thanks for meeting us," Red noted as they pretty much forced their way through the crowds. "Any work related stuff come up?" she asked.
"There's some work mail to go through," Mimi reminded them, knowing they both hated paperwork in general.
"Yeah yeah...," Wolf sighed.
Mimi took pity on them. "There's a bounty on capturing a Sasquatch...," she started.
"Nah," Red cut in. "They're harmless, besides, I do NOT want to piss them off."
"Hmm?" Mimi raised a eyebrow.
"They may be nice, but they can be fierce defending themselves," Wolf noted.
"Ah," Mimi nodded as they reached the van.
The side door slid open, and they began to stack the boxes and luggage in the back. And wall scrolls, a replica katana, a very fancy knife, and gifts from various Japanese politicians, police and others. If they had a fourth person, they'd be out of luck fitting in.
"Ok, get in," Mimi ordered, "I'm driving."
"But..." both Wolf and Red started.
"No," Mimi said firmly, "we don't need more tickets."
"Aww," Wolf pouted, but both women climbed in, sitting on the longer custom front seat, Red in the middle.
"Wendigo infestation up north," Mimi told them as they pulled into traffic, "the standard bounties I think."
"Someone pulled a Donner Party?" Wolf wondered aloud.
"Huh?" Mimi asked.
"Wendigo is a curse that hits when people go cannibal." Wolf explained.
Mimi made a face, "Ewwww."
"Put that on the 'maybe' list," Red noted, "Wendigo are a bitch to fight."
"The city also has the usual pest control jobs available," Mimi added, "undead, critters in the sewers and so on."
Wolf groaned, "Could we at least take a few days off first? Tokyo was nuts."
"I still haven't heard all of that," Mimi suggested.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"I am NEVER watching Sailor Moon again," Mimi shuddered visibly.
"I think it was more Card Captor Sakura based," Wolf noted as they carried the stuff into their house in the suburbs.
"Either way!" Mimi shook her head.
"Don't worry. It, it's spawn and the whole mess is very dead," Red reassured her.
Red ocassionaly wondered what the neighbors thought of the three women living together in the large home near New Westminister. They had purchased it with bounty money, choosing it for location, comfort and nearness to the Vancouver airport. There were mostly older houses around them, and a lot of retirees.
They hauled all their stuff in, and pretty much collapsed as Mimi looked on, amused. "You want me to order in some lunch?" she suggested.
"Yeah. How about that English seafood joint? They're good and filling," Wolf suggested as she fired up the computer in the 'office' the company ran out of in the back of the building.
"Got it," Mimi got on the phone to order.
"We got another mail from Harbinger," Wolf told Red as she read, "He's asking us to sign up with Monster Hunter Int again."
"Oh hell no?" Red answered mildly. "He KNOWS we won't go into US territory as long as that bastard Stricken is running around."
"Supposedly, Stricken's been ousted," Wolf noted. "He went up against Franks and the MCB, and was beaten."
Red came into the office, reading the email over her shoulder. "Right," she said dubiously, "and I have a bridge to sell you."
Both snorted. "Yeah," Wolf agreed, "I'll believe it when I see it."
They reviewed the mail, sorting stuff into 'possible jobs,' 'look into it,' 'kooks,' and 'oh hell no.' A lot of stuff went into 'Oh hell no' especially now that Red had written a few articles with her email made public.
"Did I read that wrong?" Wolf asked, pointing at one letter.
"The nut who wants to hire us as an armed escort to go talk to vampires? They appear to be serious," Red nodded.
"Who's THAT insane?" Wolf wondered.
"A Professor of Anthropology," Red noted, "Doctor Gardeneir..."
To be continued...
Notes: Yeah, adding a few bits to tie into Monster Hunters International.
I'm not sure if the books actually get into Canada much, tho I think John Ringo's novels cover Seattle, Washington and touch on BC. I'm thinking that Canada BROADLY has similar policies to US on 'puff' bounties and keeping the supernatural secret, but they handle the day to day stuff differently.
If it IS stated in the books that it's the same, just assume this is an 'alternate universe' or something.
Anyway, I just finished John Ringo's trilogy, Monster Hunter Memoirs, which I thought was pretty good. Minus the sometimes 'Oh John Ringo No' moments anyway. The liberal mom made me go 'Oh, come on.' So it might get referenced a few times.
