Tap tap went the wastewater.
Gag, gag went my throat.
This sewer was brought to you by the letter D.
Dark, damp, dingy... Disgusting. Dirty. Dreary. Dank. Um... distasteful... derr...
Light shined from my smartphone and presented me with a large, arching tunnel that hadn't changed for the hour we've been here. My right hand zoomed toward a damaged wall with disgusting slime oozing out of it. My left hand gripped Stick. I tried to imagine myself being anywhere else as I fought the sights, smells, sensations, and thoughts of being in a sewer.
"Fuck the ninja turtles..." I whispered.
"You say something?" Mantis said from behind.
"Was talking to myself..." I replied and gaged. The smell of the sewers assaulting my mouth the moment I spoke. I stepped over a stream of... refuge trailing down a grouping of tiny pipes. This place was huge- the ceiling alone was half a person above me. The tunnels were as wide as the road above us. Like, actual giant mutant turtles could actually live here if it didn't smell like ass.
They'd just have to contend with the animals just as big... Cockroaches and long and wide as my hand. Rats so big I swear they were just wombats with whips tied to their asses. It'd be funny if I didn't have to see red eyes the size of large coins staring back at me from the shadows. Or hear the loud sound of scurrying pinkie length cockroach legs. The slinking sound of something large splashing into the water and moving through it.
Fuck this idea. This was a horrible idea...
I stifled a yawn. Mostly to stop the taste of sewer air assaulting my tongue.
I rubbed my eye, the cool, damp sewer helping me to stay awake... I'm going to have to think about my training. If something like this happens again I can't be this exhausted. I'll just need to bear through it until we're somewhere safe. Or I get coffee...
I stifled another yawn. God damn... I needed a power nap. Even just thirty-minutes would help me out.
"You think the city will be ok?" the superhero I was assigned sidekick to said from behind me. I sighed, but not unkindly. I replied honestly as we kept walking.
"I don't know. You have more experience than me. What're your thoughts?"
"Umm... I really can't say. I've never been in a situation like this. I didn't even know a Nen-user could do something like this..."
I nodded my head, "Its rare. I've read some cases recorded by Association Hunters. Diffusive-inductive types are not pretty or straight forward to deal with. One case involved a Nen-user who pretended to be a prophet. Killed a few villages in the Rokat'o Peninsulas before an Association Hunter took care of it," I frowned as I avoided a scurrying mega cockroach. Oh, the glorious lifestyle of a Hunter.
"W-what kind of ability was it?"
"A weird one. The user was able to manipulate flies via his sweat. Those flies would give birth to more flies that were, in turn, controlled by the user. He couldn't do anything with the power other than subtly control enormous swaths of flies. Anyone who wouldn't follow him was infested with flies though. Suffocation via flies. Magots in ears. Massive infections. Etcetera, etcetera..."
"Eugh... how did a Hunter get involved?"
"The government requested the help of the Association to investigate. The 'prophet's' Hatsu range was too large for any human to track them down. He'd sense them coming via the flies and take off..."
"How did the Hunter deal with it?"
'I investigated. Found the source. Removed it. As well as the conspirators behind it...' said a demonic, ethereal voice from behind Mantis.
We reacted instinctively. I whipped around and sent a wooden popsicle turned flechette behind me. Mantis with a back kick that would make a donkey blush and whoever was behind her lose reproductive abilities...
If there had been anything behind us. The sound of my wooden dart hitting a tunnel wall echoed out.
I turned my light down the tunnel to see nothing but dirty green and brown water, equally colored cement, and a black tunnel.
'Relax. I am Lestat, Guardian Nen beast of Acardi,' I heard inches behind me. A guttural, voice from the depths of hell. It took all my human thought processes to overpower my animalistic side to fight or flee. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck become pins and needles from fear.
I tried to turn my makeshift flashlight in the direction of 'Acardi', only for my arm to be stopped by a giant demonic black hand with claws. The monster laid its palm on my left wrist to stop me from shining the light on it. I could barely feel it. A light sensation against my hand. Like a wisp of smoke. A phantom pressed against my arm...
I stared at the clawed hand as I fought the logic centers of my brain. The irrational fear of a creature that appeared from the shadows.
The only thing stopping me from screaming was Mantis staring at me. My face resting asshole face helping with the illusion of staying calm. I had to. Otherwise, my superhero would probably snap in fear. I could see Mantis grabbing her helmet with both hands, the face on her helmet shadowed in such a way it looked frightened.
It pushed my arm down, the light bouncing off the floor and revealing in all its inglory the literal crap on the ground.
'You may turn,' it said like a sophisticated Satan. The kind of Satan with a deep voice, not human-sounding Satans.
We turned to see a horrifyingly sinister gargoyle... a monster staring right at us. A giant, leathery-skinned demon with swirling ram horns, red eyes, and a gaping toothy grin like it was going to eat something. Draped over it were leathery batwings. It was just... various shades of black and grey. Harsh, sharp features on its face reminded me of a real demon- long nose, chin, and ears. All its facial features exaggerated to a ghoulish degree.
It loomed over me by a foot and stared down at me, eyes glowing...
I'd have probably screamed if it didn't look... see-through. It was more ghostly than solid. Still intimidating in the pitch blackness of the tunnel.
'Apologises for the fright. Direct, powerful light is a weakness. At this range, I would disintegrate completely.'
Range as in the distance from the light or it's distance away from Acardi? I wanted to ask that, but my most pressing and concerning question came out first.
"WHAT THE FUCK, MAN! ..ack! Huk... my god... gyak, shit air... blegh..." I said as I tried to spit and gag the taste out of my mouth.
I turned to Mantis' replying form, a saluting hand on her helmet.
"Sir Acardi, sir! It is an honor to see your Hatsu for the first time!"
"Brown-nos-bleah... ya know I'm the only one with my mouth exposed to air!"I said, trying to hide my mouth with my hands. I squinted at both of them, willing them to taste what I tasted...
"Serves you right for making fun of me..." she said with a satisfied cross of her arms.
'I am not Acardi, but a Nen construct. I am imbued with limited sapience.'
Mantis tilted her head and shot an arm in the air, "Wow! This is the first time I've met a Hatsu with some intelligence. How much sapience do you have?"
'Only enough to gather, deliver, and report surveillance. Be aware I have limited reasoning beyond that.'
"Oh... ok. Why do you only have imi-"
I waved my hand to cut off her conversation. I could fill her in on stuff she didn't know later. I turned to Lestat.
"What?" was all I said. Any more time with my mouth open would be too much to handle.
'You cannot continue to travel in these tunnels. There is a Nen-user up ahead. You are at a disadvantage.'
I looked past him to gigantic red eyes staring back at us from the center of the tunnel. Just above where the river would be. Eyes the size of manhole covers...
I turned behind me to see a ladder to the surface several meters behind us. With a tilt of my head, I gestured toward it. Mantis got what I was saying immediately, a master of non-verbal communication herself... she understood wide eyes meant 'move slow as possible.'
She crept slowly, crossing her feet with deftness and silence. I turned back to the creature down the tunnel. Its eyes not moving. It felt like an hour as I stared at the giant creature's eyes. Fucking sewer allig-
The twin eyes shot up to the ceiling. They grew bigger. Then...
Six small red eyes appeared around the two massive ones.
Loud shuffling of feet.
Eyes growing bigger.
Closer...
My stomach dropped so hard I felt like it hit the floor. I spun around and almost slipped on the slick, shit caked floor. I skated my feet for a few horrifying moments before I finally got my feet under me. An eternal few seconds passed as I stubble forward and found my balance in the dark. I tumbled forward, cursing that I couldn't run at top speed slip.
My two legs trying to outrun eight. My feet trying to find friction as I ran and failing. The giant spider's feet pounding cement with machine gun temp, terrifying sound of spindly legs thrumming behind me as it shot down the tunnel.
Mantis reached the tunnel ladder first. She hopped up and reached out a hand from the shaft above. I could hear the chittering feet, like steel stabbing into rock, moving supernaturally fast. Faster than I could run in the slippery, shift filled tunnels.
I gritted my teeth and whipped my right hand toward Mantis, her scarf flying its own and extending out from her hand. I was a few meters away...
I could feel it louder than I could hear it. Practically on top of me.
Wind. Water. Stench. Fear.
I jumped and pulsed Nen down my right arm. A metal wire slithered out and grabbed Mantis' silver scarf. With rocketing speed she pulled me up into the round shaft with so much intensity I almost knocked off her perch on the ladder handholds. I pulled my legs and felt a rush of wind as the enormous creature skittered past.
I gulped and grabbed on to a handhold, pulling my legs up as far away from the opening of the shaft. I adjusted Stick under my left arm pit and held on to both hands. I stared down past my legs. I could feel the thing was still was nearby...
Fuck, my phone... I dropped it.
I groaned and 'reeled' in my wire with a thought. Sheer darkness all around us. I heard Mantis climb up the ladder and followed suit. After a good few minutes of climbing, I heard Mantis grunt as she slid the manhole cover off and starlight poured in.
I followed Mantis out and tasted sweet open-air that didn't taste disgusting! Hallelujah!
I took a deep breath and nearly collapse in joy onto the asphalt. Sweet tasting freshish air. After my fix of oxygen, I looked around...
Huh, we were on the main street near my neighborhood. Or close to it, anyway. Convenience stores, clothing, hardware, food, and all other businesses fighting to stay alive: destroyed. Behind the glowing neon lights, red and white discount signs, and shady hair saloons were the residential area lied. Low-rise apartments mixed with some boarding houses and the occasional multi-floor tenement apartment. Brick upon brick built up into multi-story bunkers.
The streets were littered with destroyed cars that had been ripped open and smashed open like the Hulk go through with them. Bright lights from car headlights. The humming of abandoned cars' engines. Some people were dead through... various means... many I wish I could never see again. Bloody hand and knuckle prints all over cracked windows and dented metal.
Countless emaciated, nigh-deflated humans were scattered around cars. I hazard to guess it was those who got too angry when they broke their hands punching laminated glass. The remnants of those who succumbed to reproduction when their anger reached a boiling peak.
I felt Mantis tap my right shoulder. I turned to see her point towards an abandoned hardware store. Hunched in the shadows of the torn apart store was Lestat. Underneath a torn sign and flickering floodlights was our giant, terrifying gargoyle companion gesturing to us with a curling index finger. He was next to humming generators and some dead bodies... We were directly in the light, several clouds loitering around the sky that haven't spotted us but were about to.
I nodded and we silently jogged over to the demonic nen construct. Mantis followed.
I pointed a finger at Lestat, "Thanks for the save... now what's going on here? It obvious we're being attacked... but by who and what's their game plan?"
The nen construct nodded, wings wrapped around it like a cloak around a demonic Count Dracula. Its voice when it replied never stopped chilling my spine.
'We are unsure of who, but their strategy is obvious as it is effective. Yorkshire and the three Frogs, along with our conventional and police forces, are protecting the Center and government buildings. They are using the riot to target our members, as well as weaken the city. For what end is uncertain.'
I narrowed my eyes and ran my right hand through my hair. I clicked my tongue and looked at the destruction around. Since these clouds reproduce from sheer rage, the moment that blistering sun comes up in the morning...
'There is another, far more pressing issue. The Mayor has informed us that they will call in the Hunter Association we do not solve this issue by sunrise. That is unacceptable..."
"The Nen-user can just sit around and wait for the city to collapse... yeah I'd do the same. Considering the Tao Long's reputation..."
'Yes. We have contacts with the more morally flexible members of the Association... but given an excuse, the Blacklist Hunters would not hesitate to cast blame on us.
Yeah. That's the problem, huh? Cant bribe the unbribable and can't corrupt the incorruptible...
"I'm guessing Mercutio is tracking the Nen-user down?" I said as I sniffed the air. The overpowering smell of gas coming from the humming generator... yet the nose...I smelled something. I turned to the back of the small hardware store, in the tiny breakroom. A coffee pot. COFEE.
I walked over with restrained eagerness. The sound of crunching glass and Lestat ringing in my ears.
'No. He will be heading to the nearby city of Des Morello with Scorpion, Marlin, and Claudette to retrieve parts to fix the power plants. Even without these clouds, the blackout would take a fortnight or so normally. Normal disorder and civil unrest would take place at that time. Our enemy would cause immense damage under the shroud of a riot Reestablishing power in the city is the Tao Long's top priority.'
"In more ways than one, huh?" I replied dismissively. Lestat didn't reply.
At this point I don't even know who the bad guys and who the good guys are. I just know a lot of innocent people will die without this power on.I grabbed the pot and frowned. I couldn't find a cup, so I drank a few sips of the pitcher. Gak... hot... ain't stoppin' me...
Woo, oh yeah, that's the good stuff baby... Caffeine: my drug of choice. I felt my drained body come to life.
I turned to see Mantis 'staring' at me with a confused, titled head. I presented her with the pitcher, but she shook her head. For some reason she came across... offended. I shrugged, I didn't want to see her head. I cradled my liquid energy and replied to Lestat.
"So, let me cut to the chase and answer the hundred fifty million jenny question: Acardi, Evira, Mercutio- whoever wants me and her to find the perpetrators of this shit?" I waved to the destroyed and picked clean hardware store.
'Yes. Unfortunately, we are spread too thin and the city too large. You five are the closest to the source.'
Five? Closest? Wait, shit. Everything just clicked. I grabbed my head in disappointment and shame. Mantis answered for both of us
"We were actually near the hideout... The informant was going to show or tell us the location... He was expecting us to be more discretion that's why... fuck! We were just told it was another lead..."
'Yes. It is safe to assume that Koala believed this to be another dead end.'
I sighed and shook my head. He wasn't wrong. We had hundreds of leads that led to nothing. It wasn't a coincidence that this was happening today... I stumbled across the hideout and they got spoked. I guess they decided it was now or never.
Yay... pervasive bad luck...
I swallowed what felt like a gallon of coffee and raised my arm to smash the pitcher on the floor like Thor. I paused. I realized that would probably make a lot of noise and bring people here... so I gently (and very badass) placed it on a nearby fold-out table.
I took a deep breath, exhaled, and leaned on Stick. I needed that coffee. I felt sore and tired, but at least my body was fully awake now.
"I'm guessing five is me, Leorio, Kalvin and Clyde, Silv-, nah I'm done with that name. You're Mantis. I'm tired of feeling embarrassed saying your damn name..." I scoffed at Mantis.
She bristled but said nothing.
'Yes. I was them while I traveled to Mantis' location. They are not far off from you. At a nearby clinic.'
I nodded. We lived near a free clinic that Leorio liked to visit and offer help to when he had the time. Probably went to protect it. I don't know what the fuck Kalvin and Clyde are doing here. Oh wait, they probably got bored with the lack of electricity...
"Ok, I know where it is. Let's go," I said and turned to Mantis. She gave me a determined salute stood a little taller.
Lestat nodded and left us with parting words. His voice diabolical in any other context but this...
'I will distract the clouds. The enemy is at the abandoned Hert Hotel in the Outskirts. Good luck...'
We sprinted through the door and took a right. Speeding down the street, we moved with purpose and mostly silent. I could move without making noise, but Mantis not so much. I heard the soft echos and the occasional sound of broken glass or debris being moved, as loud as shattering glass to me. I clenched my teeth with every abrupt noise, but it couldn't be helped. She was trained in Nen, not trained as a Hunter.
Thankfully it didn't matter. The Cinders were abandoned by humans. A destroyed ghost town of broken glass, cars, and buildings. The Rage Clouds used visual surveillance. We were fine as long as we stayed in the shadows and stayed in their blind spots. As we continued on our way towards my home street, and closer to the Center, the damage became worse. Far worse.
It was like a tidal wave of destruction heading toward the Center. Picking up power as more people were controlled by the clouds. The Tao Long and police would have their hands' full keeping their glistening skyscrapers safe.
My ears perked up as I heard the sounds of a struggle and fighting... and cheering. We turned the corner and saw down my street a pair of people fighting. One of them Leorio and the other a very furry man. We watched the fight unfold as we ran towards them.
The furry person looked like a boar bit a person and turned them into a wereboar. Big, poofy brown fur large tusks jutting out a piggish face. Ripped blue jeans and a lack of shoes gave the 'man' an even more animalistic appearance.
Leorio was squaring off against the shorter, stouter opponent. He was hunched over with his boxing guard up. He looked disheveled- his suit was a mess, and sunglasses hung awkwardly off his face. Various nicks, cuts, and scrapes tarnished his black outfit. Yet, he didn't have any cuts or bruises on his body. Not a drop of blood.
All around Leorio were dozens of knocked out people. He glared at the human razorback and gestured with his left hand to fight.
"C'mon you ugly bastard. I've dealt with worse all night..."
The giant boarman squealed loudly and charged, his tusks jutting out and suddenly growing in length as he approached Leorio. Firery white aura blazing off his sharp teeth.
I heard Mantis beside me gasp, but I stayed calm. A meter behind the fighters were the Twins, and they were just as relaxed as I was. Spectating like this were a Heavens Arena fight. They jeered and cheered the fighters, hurling insults and encouragement in their usual energetic way.
Leorio huffed, took a step back, and pivoted around the pigman with ease. Like matador and with barely any effort Leorio pushed the boar into a nearby lamppost, the man's face colliding with the metal pole hard. A loud metallic thud and sudden tilt of the metal pillar reinforced how hard the obvious Enhancer hit the damn thing.
Leorio didn't hold back and sent a three punch combination to the back of the boar's hairy, oversized lump of a back. Everyone hit smacking the pig deeper into the lamp, causing it to 'ding' with each hit. The moment Leorio finished landing his last punch, he turned into a blur. Just before the boar tore his head away from the post and twisted its tusks right through the metal and at Leorio.
But Leorio was too quick and jumped back, skidding to a stop. The street lamp, the base twisted to the point of no return, fell to the ground with a metal screech and thud.
The boar glared at Leorio with a sneering smile. He chuckled before answering, circling Leorio as he prepared for his next charge...
"You really think that'll hurt me? My fur is strong enough to act as armor, yet soft enough to absorb a blow without me feeling it. Not even bullets can penetrate it. Now, stay still so I can kill you quickly."
Leorio sighed, placed his hands on his hips, and shook his head. He closed his eyes, "Like hell I'm gon-"
The boar smiled gleefully and blurred forward, tusks growing again with his new charge. Aiming right toward the defenseless Leorio. Mantis sped forward, but I grabbed her by her left shoulder and pulled her back We skidded to a stop a few meters away from the fight. I could feel her shock and outrage from my action. I felt her shake in horror as I stopped her, allowing my friend to be gored to death.
Leorio cracked his right eye open and frowned. His upper body became nearly disappeared as he shifted gears, twisting his body and launching a chopping right hand down at the boar's skull. The boar laughed as he approached the speeding fist, ducking low to take the punch to his hard forehead. A confident sneer on his face.
That confidence disappeared off the boar's face as Leorio's punch curved down and away from his opponent. It continued downward. Lower. Towards the ground.
Leorio's knees buckling and torso turning as his punch lead his entire body toward the floor. I could even feel the confusion in Mantis' body, her scarf fluttering in the wind from Leorio's sudden uptick of Ren. We stared at Leorio purposely missing his punch as the mad boar was less than a meter from goring him.
At the last second of making contact with the asphalt, his hand glowed green. A ball the size of a small bowling ball engulfed his hand. The crackling of electricity, the rush of wind. The bursting impact of his aura filled hand hitting the ground.
An instant later, a ghostly copy of Leoro's arm burst from the ground and smashed into that chin of the hoggish man. The brute went flying into the air, the amount of strength Leorio had from our weightlifting every few days was just stupid. The giant teenager was strong as fuck. A sound similar to 'sooie' rang out as the boar flew across the street and crashed into a store window.
Leorio stood straight up and brushed his nose, "Doesn't matter how tough you are: a punch to the chin... is a punch to the chin."
Kalvin laughed as he sat on an abandoned car, "That was ok! But your finishing line could use some work!"
Clyde shook his head, "I think it was good! But he should have posed like this," he held out a fist and flexed his giant bicep "'It does not matter how tough you are; a punch to the chin, is a punch to the chin...'"
Leorio spread his legs and pointed a finger at the duo, gone was his badass tone, but more childish, "Stop ruining my moment! You know how close he was to stabbing me?! Ya' shoulda' helped me if you were done with your guys!"
The twins laughed. I shook my head and walked forward. The two of us finally coming into Leorio's attention. His finger wilted as he stared at me in surprise.
"Nah, you had it," I said with a grin. I'm surprised how clean his KO of Bebop was. Now where's Rocksteady?
Instead of greeting me happily he grabbed my collar and started shaking me.
AAAAH!
"WHERE'VE YOU'VE BEEN!? I had to protect these people in the clinic all night! Then I had to shake these clouds for a few hours! Then these two idiots show up and bring even more trouble!" he said, letting me go and pointing his knocked out opponent hanging out a window. Followed by pointing to another pair of people behind the smiling Twins.
I pushed off him and held my head as willed my eyes to stopped spinning. I growled.
"The fuck am I supposed to do, teleport?! This city is like three hundred fucking kilometers wide!"
"I thought you were going to the Outskirts. That's only a few kilometers s away!"he said as he jabbed his left finger in my face.
"More like a few dozen! What that's easy now or something with all these Rage Zombies?!" I said, with a riposte right point of my own
We frowned at each other as we were aware of laughing. We cocked our heads to my right and stared at the blonde circus performers. We sneered at the both of them and answered in unison, "What are you two doing here anyway?!"
They mimicked us and spoke in unison, but purposefully, "Are we not friends?! We came to see if you two were ok!"
Leorio sneered, walked forward, and jabbed a finger at the twins' faces, "First off: how the hell do you even do that. Second: You're the one who brought these guys here!"
Leorio pointed to two other people far behind the twins. A guy with a flies' proboscis for am mouth and another who looked like a rhino. Hmm...
"You needed practice, Leorio! We have not sparred with you in a while and wished to see how you have progressed!" they replied in unison. Leorio fumed, but it was pointless. They were similar in age but different in mentality.
I grabbed Leorio by the shoulder and spoke up, getting his anger away from the Twins.
"We don't have time for that right now. I know where the Nen-user is. We got to go now... If only we had a way to force people into Zetsu..."
I heard the soft footsteps of Mantis walking up to us. Leorio and I turned to her. She looked more confident now that there were four Hunters here. She saluted, of course.
"Hello Leorio, Kalvin, Clyde! James! Why would it matter if we needed to force someone into Zetsu?"
The rest looked with curiosity, then turned to me with expectation. I sighed. How am I a nerd on Nen when I wasn't even born here?
"Whoever the owner has to have a lot of anger and resentment. That's the only way I can imagine a diffusive-induction type spreading so fucking fast. I'm serious, this should take days if not weeks,"
I turned away and pointed to the boar, "If we're lucky the user is one of these guys who were given a Hatsu or are badly trained. They don't know the basics. Or sucked at the basics of Nen. Like not fucking talking about your Hatus' strengths or weaknesses. Ever..."
Clyde nodded. I was surprised I could tell the difference now, but I could. Clyde's curls swept to the right, while Kalvin's to the left. He replied, his right hand grabbing his chin.
"Ah... so if the user is proficient and determined enough the ability will not fade even when unconscious? Hmm... worse, killing the user may even make the effects permanent or worse..."
Post-mortem Nen. The phenomenon of Nen abilities becoming far more powerful or persistent after death. The ultimate cost vs reward...
"Then I should be able to help," said an easy-going voice behind me. I turned toward the clinic to see a blonde guy in a brown suit about my height. He had a cheery, relaxed atmosphere to him. Like a charismatic noir detective or something. A weathered handsome and easy-going charm to him. A corrupt cop if I ever saw one...
Next to him was someone who reminded me of myself a few months ago. Or even myself now... Idealistic and obstinate compared to his world-beaten and laissez-faire partner.
It was obvious he was a detective with his brown trench coat and perfect grey suit underneath it. But his young, Asian face probably fought against him for respect. That's probably why he was scowling at me. That or he didn't like me. He was leveling a death glare in Mantis and my direction. I could see his finger twitch as he fought not to reach for his gun. The badge on his jacket said A.C.U and had his name, Jun.
I turned to the blonde and frowned, "You're one of Mercutio's contacts, aren't you? Charlie, right?"
The door closed behind the two as the duo approached us. The blonde's eyes were deconstructing me, analyzing me as a detective should. This guy was for real, but his swagger was there to throw people off. His partner was doing the same, but the black-haired one wasn't storing information for later. He was preparing to put me down as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Charlie gave me a lazy wave and an easy smile, "I'm one of you guys."
A shadow moved on his right shoulder. Next thing he knew my sword was at his throat, my left hand pressing Stick against his collar bone. His eyes were wide with surprise. Trying to understand what happened. I know how that feels like.
The shaded thing moved from behind his neck... It came out into the light.
A cartoonish pair of police cuffs in a tiny brown trench coat and matching fedora stared at me. Floating cartoon eyes and smiling black in for a mouth floating in the middle of it's 'face'. It raised a goofy white glove hand and greeted itself.
'Hi! I'm Mr. Cuffs!' it said with a goofy, floating smile. I stared at it in confusion, and dread.
Charlie smirked and moved. His arms moved forward as he went to grab me. He stared in confusion again as he grabbed nothing but air. I was three meters back from any ability that man could put on me...
He chuckled, but I could see the nervousness on his face. It was easy to tell he finally understood we were way stronger than him. He spoke.
"Heh, smart move. I work for the A.C.U and pass on anything too big for us cops to handle. I know some Nen, but I ain't what you could call formidable in a fight. We were nearby when everything went crazy. Came here to protect the remaining sane people..."
He pointed his right thumb over his shoulder, "This guy is my Hatsu, Mr. Cuffs. With my ability, we can restrain the perp."
I narrowed my eyes. It was funny. I didn't trust the guy, but Leorio seemed at ease... with him. Hell, they've been fighting off people all night.
"What's your ability? Tell me all of it..." he frowned.
He sighed, and shook his head, "You know you're... not supposed to tell, right?"
"Yep..." I said and waited for him. He grimaced.
"Fine... I can arrest people with Mr. Cuffs. Putting on them physically weakens a person and forces them into a state of Zetsu. The trick is I have to know they committed a crime. If I'm certain then Mr. Cuffs has to introduce himself to the user. Last I need to touch the person and that's it."
I squinted at , "What, don't have to read them their rights?"
He shook his head, "No, but I need to know what law they're breaking or it won't work. If something is immoral or unethical, but not illegal, my Hatsu won't work."
I noticed Jun staring at his partner, trying to find what the fuck we were staring at. Barely hidden confusion on his face as to what was going on. I looked back at Charlie and nodded toward him.
"Seems like your partner's no-"
"I know what Nen is. Flame. Will. You use it to transcend the limits of your body and environment. When we're transferred into the A.C.U, we go through a basic course taught by an Association Hunter. "
I fought a smirk as I turned to Leorio, who held a grin. The twins didn't even bother to hide their amusement, laughing loudly. I couldn't tell what Mantis was thinking, but I think she felt bad for the guy. I turned back to see Charlie looking sheepish and Jun bitting back outrage and an embarrassed blush.
"I'll take you, but your partner here is no good. There's a mixture of inexperienced Nen-users and hardened mercenaries. My bet is we'll see both. We can't afford to protect any more than just you," I said with a point to the veteran cop.
Jun gritted his teeth and pushed back his coat. He spoke as he pulled out his pistol, "I've been train-"
His words died before his hands even reached his holster. I had cleared the distance and was pointing his own pistol in his face. He, like Charlie, was trying to understand how I had moved so fast. I doubt even Charlie had truly faced any well-trained Nen-users before. Otherwise, he'd be dead.
I was tempted to crush the pistol in my hand to emphasize my point, but his bewildered eyes and shaking hands showed me enough. I switched the safety on and gave the pistol back to Jun. He took it like he was in a dream. I glared down at him. Right in the eyes. My tone was dead serious.
I told him the hard truth I learned living in this world.
"If you really want to change things in this world, you need power. Get stronger and then maybe you'll be able to dictate your destiny. I'm not going to put any more people in danger..."
I turned away from the officer and glared at my team, "Come on, we have until sunrise."
Everyone nodded. With a tight grip around Stick, I turned and took the lead.
I had a feeling we're in for a rough fight.
In the sewers of York New City...
"Tell me again why I have to come along?" droned the nasally and annoyed voice of Nobunaga. Wearing sandals in the sewers didn't help his attitude.
Leading the way was Shalnark. Smile on his face, even in a shit-filled sewer. Never discouraged, even in the worst environments, as he pointed his flashlight down the tunnel with his left and lead. To his right was Pakunoda, a blonde buxom woman with a large aquiline nose and in a dark purple women's business suit that showed plenty of cleavage. She held an identical flashlight in her right hand. In Shalnark's right hand was a pink cellphone, its screen showing a map of the tunnel and their immediate location.
Shalnark answered his teammate, his chipper tone grating on Nobunaga, "Normally this would be a one-person job, but their security, as expected, is nothing to sneeze about,"
Nobunaga groaned, the samurai adjusting his sword in disgust as he stepped in something, "Yeah, but couldn't we travel above? On the streets?! I can't imagine any security is worth traveling through, this..." he said before raising sandal filled with god knows what.
Pakunoda sighed and turned to her hopping teammate making a fool of himself.
"The boss wants us to take care of this discretely. We won't be able to enter York New City without taking it out the Mafia's surveillance system. This is our only chance to do it easy," she stared down in disgust at the green and brown slime covering his foot, "we told you we would be going into the sewers..."
"You rushed me! I didn't even have time to grab my clothes! I thought we had a few more days until they cut off the power?!"
Shalnark turned to Nobunaga and shrugged, "I guess that this 'Tallyman' was forced to start ahead of schedule..." he turned his head, his ears moving slightly, "and barely told us anything..."
While Shalnark's face maintained innocent and innocuous, his companions' faces turned deadly serious. They turned down the tunnel to see eight red eyes glaring at them. Two of which were big enough to be red floodlights.
Shalnark turned his flashlight to the beast and revealed it to them. A black matt of wet hair with several dozen eyes all around. The two largest ones staring at them.
Shalnark's voice ringed out in surprise, "Wow, I'd sure have trouble against that! It's a good thing we brought you, Nobu!"
"Shut up...tch... patronizing..." grumbled Nobunaga as he stepped forward, more annoyed at Shalnark and his feces-covered foot then with the opponent in front of him. Yet, that never stopped them from becoming serious at the drop of. He moved his right hand over the handle of his blade hanging on his left hip.
"You know this guy?"
Shalnark nodded, "Yeah. He's part of the Sen'sari Mercenary Squad. They specialize in unconventional warfare. Specifically overthrowing of small governments or military forces. They're nothing to sneeze at!" he said in earnest, but somehow coming across as disingenuous...
Pokunoda crossed her arms, "Makes sense why this 'Tallyman' hired them to help the crime bosses here.'
The hairy 'Spider' flew forward, long tendrils of hair grabbing and moving across the tunnel in a madding display of defiance in the face of what hair could do. Nobunaga took a step forward, crouched down...
Nobunaga landed behind his opponent.
The 'spider' was cut in half. The ironlike hairs nothing in the face of Nobunaga's skill and ability.
The bundle of hair that was the spider fell apart and revealed a man covered in black hair. His dead, pale face attached to a head that hung on his hair. The rest of his body cut to pieces, pieces fluttering to the ground.
Nobunaga felt something on his feet. He looked down and groaned, "Ah! Damn it!"
Shalnark laughed, "Man, that sure stinks!"
"Shut up! Don't make me kill you!" Nobunaga roared at Shalnark. The blonde just laughed.
Pokunoda shook her head, but couldn't help smirking at Nobunaga making a fool of himself.
"Come on, we still go a long way to go. Get used to it, Nobunaga..."
He yelled in frustration. The tunnel mocking him with his echo.
