OK, another happy chapter posted today ^_^ I have been re-inspired to write after meeting Sakata Ri Houjun in person, though I'm not sure why. Maybe it was while we were swapping story ideas? Anyway, I'm skipping Nuriko's chapter for now.
Protect and Serve: Genrou
The next night…
The night sky cluttered with heavy clouds, a strong wind beginning to whip through the city streets. That didn't seem to stop the citizens from aving a night on the town. Genrou watched almost envious of their freedom, even though he knew his job was important as well. He looked back at Kouji, the older teen nearly twenty, only two years his senior, who had become more of a brother to him rather than the partner he was. The two of them had been raised by Hakurou Kou, a strong, kind man who saw it as his duty to train them both in various arts of fighting.
Tonight was unlike any other night, however, in that there was no training scheduled. Tonight was to be their first mission. They were to go out to the docks and await a submarine that was carrying a king and a knight from the lost city of Atlantis. Genrou didn't want to go because it involved going out in an impending storm near water. Kouji, however, looked forward to the chance to meet someone from the fabled city.
They both leapt to attention when Hakurou arrived and looked at both of them.
"You know what to do?"
"'Course we do," Kouji answered, spinning his gun around his index finger once before returning it to his holder.
"Alright, then. I'll be waiting here in the main room. If you run into trouble, contact me." He looked at his watch and nodded. "They'll be arriving in an hour, so you'd better hurry."
I don't see what's so special about these guys," Genrou muttered as they walked down towards the pier. "I mean, so what if it's a king, he's got a guard with him, why do we gotta go?"
Kouji popped the younger man in the back of the head. "Cause Hakurou told us to, dat why, moron."
"Yeah, but-" He stopped suddenly, looking toward a loud crashing sound.
"That sounded like something hit the dock," Kouji said, running his fingers through his short dark-blue hair. The pair bolted forward, Genrou in the lead, in time to see a young man with light-blue hair thrown across the dock towards them, hitting the ground heavily and skidding a few feet before stopping. Another man held a trident tightly in his hands and was fending off a group of three attackers. Genrou stopped at the first man's side while Kouji kept going, gun held ready as one hand pressed the button to release the safety.
"Get away from him!" He shouted, gun blazing. One of the attackers dropped to his knees, clutching his side. The man holding the trident looked at him, gold eyes confused at first, then determined again as he caught another of his attackers off guard.
Genrou helped the younger man to his feet in time to see a tentacle crash up through the pier before them. The blue-haired man pushed him behind him, one hand held out. For a few seconds, Genrou thought he was insane, but a brilliant burst of light flew forward, burning the tentacle. Three more rose out of the water, one just behind Genrou, causing the pier behind him to fall away. The last thing he saw before he hit the water was the blue-haired teen leaping after him.
TBC