For crazy-punk13! Thanks for the fb, I learn something new every day!
Chapter 7: Training day
Karasuma drives skillfully through the early evening traffic, weaving in and out of lanes deftly but not in a risk-taking fashion. Her black car soon abandons the crowded highways in favor of the narrow one-way roads that are a specialty of old and overdeveloped neighborhoods. "Karasuma here," she says into her communicator, "Amon, where are you?"
Both rookies look around them. It looks like any neighborhood, really, with houses and small businesses crammed on the same block, even the same buildings. Haruto stops fiddling with his Orbo-loaded gun, and Yurika stops playing with her Orbo-filled pendant as they pay attention. A terse voice says at the other end, "The witch is heading your way. Call the Factory."
"Will do," Karasuma replies.
"The Factory?" the blonde asks, her blue eyes wide.
"It's where we incarcerate the Witches," the tall brunette says, stepping out of the car. "They also provide us with Orbo, which neutralizes witch powers."
"I see," the girl says, clutching her gun unsteadily as she watches the two dark-haired Hunters already racing down the narrow alley. Taking a deep breath, she runs after them in her impractical platform shoes. "Hey, wait!"
Haruto feels a rush of adrenaline flood through him. First day on the job, and he's already part of a Hunt. He watches Karasuma carefully, flattening his back against the wall as she does, nodding at Yurika when she joins them on unsteady feet, and pointing his gun downward. As they hear someone running towards them, they all tense before springing out of their hiding place.
"Freeze!" Karasuma yells, pointing her gun at the Witch. A beat later, so do Haruto and Yurika, assuming the same stance.
Haruto stares as the Witch laughs, then puts his hands up in what seems like a surrendering position. As he walks forward, however, a chilling gust of wind blows at them, causing Yurika to yelp with the shock. When Karasuma starts shooting, the Witch blocks the Orbo-bullets with his power, freezing them about a foot before it comes to his body. They all shoot, but the Witch continues to block their bullets.
The young man can't help it, he's shivering as the Witch approaches, and not just from the freezing wind. He isn't sure how many bullets they have left, but he knows that when the Witch reaches them, he's going to freeze them into human popsicles.
Haruto's eyes widen as the Witch suddenly stiffens, then topples over. He looks at Yurika, who shrugs, and Karasuma, who looks relieved. "You took your time, Amon," she says, as a tall man steps out of the shadows.
The boy's mouth hangs open in shock. It's the same guy who saved his life all those years ago, with pretty much the same longish hair, goth outfit, and absurdly long trenchcoat. So this is Amon, he thinks, remembering to close his mouth and school his face when Yurika glances back at him and giggles.