Watamote: Strangeness in the Proportion
Chapter 6: Battleground
…..
The last chapter in this story. And maybe the last period. Hope you enjoyed it!
Don't forget to read and review!
I don't own any part of the Watamote franchise.
….
Chapter 6: Battleground.
Daniel met up with Dante outside the McDonald's they'd just left. The customers within were beginning to spill out into the streets, either heading home or to more nocturnal and less innocent retreats. "You got her home?"
"Yep. Got a number, too." He pulled a piece of notebook paper out of his pocket. At Daniel's expression, he said, "Hey, she insisted! Thrust it into my pocket!" Then he squinted at the piece of paper. "What's this yellow stuff?" He looked at it suspiciously, then dabbed it with a finger and put it to his tongue. "Hm. Mustard. Where'd that came from?" They'd both reverted to their uniforms, casting concealing illusions that would, it was hoped, not raise any questions in any humans they might encounter, and deployed their tridents. With the experience of long practice and training, they were sweeping the street, watching all around them, using senses humans didn't even have names for to watch in all directions at once. Daniel smiled slightly; no matter how he might personally feel about Dante, in this case, "I've got your back" was the literal truth. And he could think of very few people he'd rather have in that role right then.
But Daniel was really too hyped to make much notice about his kinsman's actions regarding Yu. He didn't know who she was and, frankly, at that particular moment, didn't much care. They both had far more pressing concerns. "Okay. So...where are they supposed to materialize?"
"No idea."
…..
The Kuroki household: "Faceless Ones? You're sure he said, Faceless Ones?"
"Quite sure. Father, it seems there are some things we really need to talk about. You both have too many secrets, secrets that involve me."
"Yes, child, but not now. Is he out there?"
"What, you mean outside the door? No, he rushed off…"
"That's what I meant." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "Fool boy. He's taking them on alone. No," he said, "surely he won't be that stupid." He looked up at Tomoko. "Was he alone?"
"No, there was someone else with him. I didn't catch his name."
"Never mind. He won't have a chance by himself. Even two... I've got to make a call." And without another word, he dashed off into his office. Tomoko heard the door's lock click behind him.
Okay, yes, things are definitely getting stranger.
{{Adriel, we have a problem.}}
….
"Great," spat Daniel, "we don't even know where these monsters are supposed to make Earthfall. How will we—*"
"The usual way." Dante's face was set in a grim expression. "We wait for them to strike."
"No idea how many?"
"No. But I've put in a call to headquarters. They oughtta be sending us some reinforcements."
"Which have arrived," said a voice behind them, causing them to whirl around. Morax and Luan, flanked by Jillian Adara and Darian BenDarian had just materialized behind them. Morax looked around. "Hm. We might need more."
"If more is needed, more will be summoned," said Darian. "For the moment, we need to minimize our presence here. A full battalion would attract more attention than we need." The number of people on the streets were beginning to thin out, but there were still a good many of them, most staggering about in post-alcohol-consumption unsteadiness. He looked around, scanning with his own senses. "Morax? Any indication of them?"
The demon known as Morax scanned the area with his trident, the weapon's supernatural power searching, searching. "Not...at the moment, Honored One. But I'm sensing a curious interference…"
"That would be us," said another voice to their sides, causing them all to whirl around.
What they saw was two individuals attired in what appeared to be armor made of golden light. They both had drawn swords, swords that glowed brighter than the noonday sun, and both had golden wing-like triangles extruding from their backs. They were pointing the swords downwards, in a nonthreatening way. "So," began Darian, "is Heaven siding with us on this?"
"We've no reason not to," said Adriel. "These abominations are as much our enemies as yours. So. Truce for the time being?"
"Truce," affirmed Darian. He knew his word bound the others in his group.
Daniel turned to the other armored figure, who hadn't spoken yet. But to his Sight, he could easily tell who it was within that armor. "You," he said, "you've a family to take care of. You should go back to them. We'll handle these monsters."
"You're right," said Soto Kuroki, "I do have a family to take care of. Haven't you ever heard the human saying, 'the best defense is a good offense'? Besides, I saw those wards you put up. I put up my own. If the forces that come against us can get through them, well...no place is safe."
"That reminds me," said Daniel, fishing out a small red crystal from a pouch on his belt. He activated it, the holographic image showing a surprised Claire, just then finishing lunch. It was mid-day there. "Claire, I want you to get to safety. There's Faceless Ones on the way. So use that pendent, and get to where the Black Throne can safeguard you. You know where that is. Now." And he closed the connection before she could respond.
He knew she'd probably object, but she meant too much to him to risk her life...and maybe more than her life. And no one knew just where the Faceless Ones would materialize. It might be here, but it might be there, where she was.
He hoped she wouldn't be stubborn about it. There was no way any mortal or group thereof, no matter how well armed, could fight off what was coming.
Just as he closed the connection, their senses picked up screams coming from a block over, screams that were suddenly, ominously, cut off. "There!" shouted Darian.
They rushed around the corner to behold five, six, seven winged figures seemingly composed of the same golden light their two allies were...but the difference was, these figures, while unarmored, had no faces. Instead, where their faces should have been, there was nothing but smooth golden light.
But evidently, even without eyes or any other obvious sense organs, they could still sense things. As one, they turned to the intruders, their own swords already drawn and glowing, seeming to drip light, and Daniel noticed several suits of empty clothes lying on the ground. It looked as though the previous inhabitants had been teleported right out from within them. Inwardly, he groaned, then cursed; they hadn't been in time to save everyone. "Warriors!" shouted Darian, "attack!" And the two forces closed.
…
Back at the Kuroki household: "NO, Tomoko!" Tomoki was blocking her way. "You are not going out there!" They could hear explosions from down the street. "It's probably a, a gang war or something! And Father gave you strict orders—*" That's when she kneed him. Right in the groin. He fell to the ground, groaning. "No, Tomoko, don't…"
"I have to. I have to make sure Yu's alright." But it's not Yu you're really concerned about, is it? "And Father." She'd burst into his office...and he hadn't been in there. There was only one door, and the window was way too small...somehow, she knew he'd gone out to fight the Forces of Evil, or whatever Daniel had been so concerned about. But how had he gotten out?
She remembered her conversation with the strange woman at the bus stop, and how she'd just...disappeared. Could her father have done something similar? But how? She was convinced that the creature she'd talked with was no mere human. Humans don't just disappear like that. If her father had done likewise, that meant…
...he was no mere human, either. Which, she thought with some surprise, just might answer some of her questions. Albeit in a disturbing way.
Out the door she raced. Just at the property line, she encountered something, some invisible something that reminded her of the heavy plastic curtains some stores used to keep cold air out. But she could see nothing…
Her desire to find Daniel and her father driving her on, she pushed through the invisible curtain (no easy task), and ran off in the direction where she'd last seen Daniel. Even if he wasn't there, he should be close by.
But before she got there, she began encountering full suits of clothes on the ground, empty suits, both men's and women's. They were perfectly arranged, almost as though the inhabitants had simply...melted out from within them. For some reason, the sight gave her goosebumps. She couldn't say why, but the sight filled her with an instinctive fear, a fear that went beyond anything she'd ever experienced.
But Tomoko Kuroki had never been one to let fear dictate her actions. Shyness, yes, but not fear. Steeling herself, she pushed on past the empty clothes. Down the way, she could hear what sounded like thunder, and other strange sounds that defied easy identification. So. Down that way?
She rounded a corner to behold a sight unlike anything she'd ever seen: two figures, apparently attired in glowing golden armor, with five more wearing red outfits consisting of tunics and pants, with black gloves and boots. These latter had what looked like black capes flowing from their backs.
The golden figures were wielding swords of the same color, while the red-attired figures were using what appeared to be...pitchforks? Tridents, the word came to her mind. Three-pointed weapons of some sort. Light shot from the swords, while the tridents emitted fire. But what caught her attention was their opponents.
They seemed to be composed of the same golden light as the armored ones, also with golden swords, but without armor. But what chilled her to the bone was that although they had hair on their heads, those heads appeared to have no faces. No eyes, no nose, no ears, no mouth.
She remembered Daniel's words: "Faceless Ones." Were these them?
Both the armored ones and the red garbed ones were attacking the faceless beings, both taking the battle to the enemy, swords and tridents clashing. It was obvious nobody was holding back. Several times, the faceless creatures leveled their swords and shot a beam of golden energy at the armored ones, only to have it deflect off their armor. They used the same tactic on the red uniformed ones, but those warriors seemed to project a field of protective force, or else deflected the beams with their own weapons. It reminded her of scenes from old pirate movies, or Star Wars…
Then she gasped as she saw one of the red-suited figures. Daniel? Daniel! What the bleep was he doing here? There seemed to be something odd on his head.
He saw her almost as soon as she saw him. "Tomoko! Get out of here!" He turned to one of the armored figures, and, in a voice loud enough to carry all the way to her, "I thought you said you put wards around your house!"
"Didn't you?"
It was her father's voice. "F-father?" This was going beyond weird. "Father! What's going on?"
"Never mind, child! Do what he said, get back home! Stay there—*" But just then, Daniel was suddenly just there, right in front of her. Instead of the electric tornado, though, he seemed to materialize in a cloud of black smoke, a cloud that resolved itself into the strange cape on his back. She stared at what appeared to be horns, actual horns, black trimmed with scarlet, that sprouted from his forehead. She gulped; the day's weirdness factor was climbing steadily.
He made as though to grab her hand. "Look, I'm taking you b—*" But just as he spoke, one of the Faceless Ones appeared behind him, sword in hand. The others shouted in alarm, but before he could turn, the creature struck him down. Two other Faceless Ones materialized behind the first.
And just as Daniel had appeared, so too, did the older of the red-clothed figures. With the practiced ease of an advanced martial artist, he stabbed his trident into one, resulting in a strangely localized fireblast that she could feel the heat from. The thing disappeared, its sword falling to the ground right at Tomoko's feet. He then turned and, using his trident like a sai, caught the next creature's sword and broke it with a single snap of his wrist. Another moment and, using his trident like a battleaxe, he cleft the now-weaponless Faceless One down the middle; the monster seemed to dissipate, falling into sparkles, almost instantly. The golden figure she'd identified as her father zapped into place, and took out the remaining creature, his sword slicing into it the way the red-uniformed man's trident had.
But Tomoko saw something the others missed. "Look out!" Yet another Faceless One had materialized between her and her erstwhile rescuers, zeroing in on Daniel's semiconscious form.
Acting from sheer instinct, she grabbed the sword of the fallen Faceless One, and charged. The thing still seemed focused on Daniel, and she was able to stab the sword into its chest area before it could react. It thrashed silently, just as the others had, and disappeared into flecks of golden light.
"T-Tomoko?" Daniel was just then regaining consciousness. "W-what are you doing?" The others were staring at her. Why?
"Saving your ass?" She kept the sword ready, somehow knowing its peculiar properties were her only defense. "Why? You object?"
"No, but...Tomoko, how did you pick up that sword?" The Faceless Ones, those that were still left, had disappeared for the moment.
"Uh, by the grip?"
He was shaking his head. She noticed the others looking at her with similar expressions on their faces. Even her father had raised the visor of his helmet, and his expression was one of complete bafflement.
Bafflement, and not a little fear.
"Okay," she retorted, "what'd I do wrong this time?"
"You shouldn't have been able to pick up that sword!" Daniel said. "See those piles of clothes over there?" He gestured with his trident. "That's what happens when any mortal comes in contact with blades like those. You should've been instantly translated into those creatures' warped version of the Light." The way he said it, she could hear the capital "L."
Mr. Kuroki turned to the other golden armored figure, who's voice Tomoko recognized as that of the strange woman she'd met the other day. "Could it be, because she's my…?"
"I don't think so," said Adriel. "She's got too much mortality in her to make any such difference."
"Is this important?" groused Daniel. "Those things have disappeared, and we need to go after them!"
"Except," said one of the other red-suited figures, one that hadn't spoken before, "was it just my imagination, or did those creatures seem to zero in on Tomoko, here?"
There was an uncomfortable silence. They could hear the wail of first-responder vehicles in the distance, while the fires and broken masonry of what had once been a busy street cast strange flickering shadows against those walls still standing. "That's right, they did," murmured Daniel.
The eldest of the horned ones pushed through. "I think this is a matter for further study...at a later time. We are, after all, in the midst of a crisis situation here."
"Agreed," said Adriel.
Suddenly, another of the horned ones, the one who'd been with them at McDonald's, stiffened. "Yu…" he whispered.
"What?!" said Daniel, turning to him, "What is it, Dante?"
But the one he'd called Dante said nothing, but suddenly disappeared in that same cloudy darkness that seemed to spring from his cape.
"We have to follow him," said the older red-garbed one. "He must've sensed something." And all the red ones disappeared in what looked like the same swirling clouds of smoke Daniel had appeared in, while the one who'd called herself Adriel teleported herself in the same electric tornado Tomoko had seen her disappear in at the bus stop.
"Come on, daughter," said her father. "You may as well see this through." And he picked her up, careful to avoid the sword she was still grasping, and…
...suddenly they were someplace else. Tomoko recognized it as Yu's house. The red-clothed ones, plus Adriel, were already at the door.
A door which had been smashed inwards. "No," muttered Dante, rushing in. The others followed him.
They found him bending over a human figure lying on its side, in the hallway. Dante bent over the figure, hesitantly reaching out to it, as though afraid of what he'd find. Tomoko recognized Yu's clothes, the same ones she'd been wearing at McDonald's…
Dante turned the limp figure over, and Tomoko gasped. Although the form and figure was Yu's…
...where her face should have been, there was nothing but smooth skin.
….
"W-what's happened to her?" Tomoko's voice was the barest whisper.
One of the red-garbed figures had knelt over Yu's body. "Her face has been stolen," he said, solemnly. He made a pass over Yu's still body and Tomoko saw a green crystal forming over her friend's body, engulfing her. "This will keep her stable until we can rectify this." He turned to Dante, but gesturing with his head towards Daniel as well. "We have to get her face back, otherwise…
"...otherwise her essence, her soul, all that she is, will be subsumed into their version of the Light." Now he turned to Tomoko. "We're going to need your help."
"No!" exclaimed her father. "Leave my daughter out of this! I'll go!"
But the other was shaking his head. "Those swords of yours work on a different principle. There's no telling what effect they would have. Only the one she's carrying…" Again he gestured towards Tomoko, "...has any chance of success."
"No," this from Daniel, "There's no need to put her in danger. I'll go."
"There's no need...unless you want her friend here to be worse than dead. And I know you don't."
The older red one spoke up. "Morax...isn't there some other way?"
Morax was shaking his head. "In a word, no. This is the only way."
"What?" asked Tomoko, feeling a chill. "What am I supposed to do?"
"You have to find the creature that took her face," he said…
"...and cut it off of it."
…
"W-wait," stammered Tomoko, "I have to do what now?"
The one the others had called Morax replied. "One of those creatures—one of those Faceless Ones—attacked your friend and removed her face." He spoke hurriedly. "A face is more than just a piece of skin; it's part of who you are. Those things lack souls, or at least, souls as we understand them. So it took your friend's face—her essence, her soul—for its own." He turned to the others. "But we must act quickly. The more time her face and body spend apart, the more incompatible they'll be. And after a certain point…" He gestured with his trident at Yu's body, now fully encased in the green crystal, "Your friend's soul will belong to the monster that took it."
"No," said Kuroki, "It's too dangerous. You're sending her into a lion's mouth…"
"Not alone, we aren't," Daniel spoke up. "I'll go with her."
"So will I," said Dante, quietly. He seemed embarrassed but determined. Daniel wondered why.
"Asking a fox to guard a henhouse…"
"Mr. Kuroki," said Daniel sharply, "I promise to protect your daughter's life with my own. If that isn't good enough for you, I don't know what else I can do."
Now the one known as Adriel spoke up. "Soto. Much as I hate to agree with demons, they're right in this matter. That sword Tomoko's carrying is the only thing that can be assured of doing the job. And your daughter appears to be the only one who can wield it. You, I, and the others have to track down and eliminate the other Faceless Ones, lest what happened here, happen elsewhere. It's our duty."
Demons? thought Tomoko. Was that what they were? So what were these other beings? What was her father?
Mr. Kuroki looked downcast. He turned to Morax. "Is there really no other way?"
"None."
"Then," he turned to Tomoko, "Good hunting. And young Daniel? I'll hold you to your promise."
Daniel lifted his chin, looking the older man squarely in the eyes, clearly unintimidated. "If you know anything at all about me, you know I'll keep my word."
Soto Kuroki nodded. "I do indeed. Very well. I'll accept that." He lowered his helmet's visor and turned to Adriel and the others. "I guess we've work to do." And they disappeared, vanishing in electric tornadoes and puffs of smoke.
"B-but how do we find her?" asked Tomoko, still staring at the empty place where her father had been.
"I've an idea about that," said Dante, reaching into his cape and pulled out what looked like an advanced model cell phone. He fished around in his pocket, pulling out a scrap of paper. Punched in the number on it. "Yu? It's me, Dante. Are you alright? There's some big disturbance downtown...I wanted to make sure you were okay."
There was a long pause. Then, a voice came over the phone, a voice that, while it sounded like Yu's voice, sent shivers down Tomoko's back. "I. Am. Fine. How. Are. You."
("It took her cell phone, too?" Tomoko whispered to Daniel, from behind her hand. "Have these things no shame?")
"I'm good. Look, I'd like to meet you, just for my own peace of mind. Where are you?"
"I. Am. Here." It was like someone reading out of a dictionary.
"Where can I find you? Can I meet you someplace?"
Pause. Then, "Meet. Me. At. The. Place. Where. We. First. Met. I. Will. Be. There."
"Good deal. I'll see you there soon." He closed his Hellphone and turned to Tomoko and Daniel. "She'll be at the McDonald's. We have to hurry. The longer we wait…"
"Yeah," said Daniel, "We know." He turned to Tomoko. "You up for this?"
Tomoko hefted the light-sword. It was perfectly balanced, and lighter than it looked. "I guess I have to be. Let's do this."
"Okay," said Daniel, moving to envelope her in his cape. "You might wanna close your eyes. Sometimes this process makes humans nauseous."
However, just before he could flip the cape around her, she stopped him. "Daniel. I think when all this is over, you owe me an explanation." But she couldn't keep her eyes off his horns. Horns, fa' God's sake?
And was it just her imagination, or did they look kinda...sexy?
He sighed, not meeting her gaze. "Yes, I do. Your father told me I should, and I actually thought I would, just to, y'know, kinda soften the blow. But it just never seemed to happen. But all that will have to wait. Now we gotta hurry an' go save your friend." And he flipped his cloak over her...and suddenly she was somewhere else…
What had been a thriving fast-food joint just a couple of hours ago was now a shambles. Tables and chairs were overturned, and there was no one in sight. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see any empty clothes. "Okay, here's the plan," said Dante. "I'll lure it in while you two hide. Then, when you get the chance, Tomoko, slice the whole front of its head off." At her horrified expression, he said, "You won't be doing your friend any harm; in fact, just the opposite. And you," he said, indicating Daniel, "grab that face and we'll 'cloak it back to Yu's house."
"I, I don't know if I can do this…" dithered Tomoko. "I mean, cut her face off? She's my friend…"
"Tomoko," said Daniel gently, "what you'll see isn't your friend. And the longer we wait, the more she'll be assimilated into a condition you wouldn't want for your worst enemy. It's like she's being held hostage, and this is the only way of freeing her. So...just do this thing, okay? Believe me, it'll be for the best.
"You won't be killing her; you'll be saving her."
Abruptly, Dante started, looking towards the door. "She's here. Places, everybody." He moved to take up a position towards the middle of the restaurant, while Daniel pulled Tomoko towards some overturned tables. Tomoko stared as Dante's red uniform changed into ordinary human clothes. His horns faded from view. Boy. Talk about Convenient City.
But she didn't have long to stare. Peeking out from behind the table, she saw a sight that chilled her blood. A Faceless One entered, but this one was wearing Yu's face. Its expression was hideously blank.
"Remember," whispered Daniel, "what you are seeing isn't your friend, only a thing wearing her face. Don't hesitate to strike."
"Right," whispered Dante, "I'll lure it down the middle of this aisle and you slice its head right down the middle. I know it'll be hard," he said, "but you've gotta do it. For your friend's sake." He took a deep breath. "Here I go." He moved out, holding his hands up. "Yu! What...what the hell's wrong with you? What's with your face?"
The thing drew its sword. "I. Have. To. Save. You. My. Love." With a shiver, Tomoko noticed the creature's mouth didn't move. Like it was wearing a mask or something.
"It's using Yu's words," Daniel whispered, to her. "But with its own meaning. Like a recording."
"W-what are you gonna do?" she whispered back, as softly as she could, both for tactical reasons and from fear. She would rather have been trapped in a cage full of hungry lions than alone with this thing.
"If I have to," he said, grimly, "kill it."
"No!"
"Ssh!" He put his finger to his mouth. "If I don't, she'll be worse than dead."
Dante moved back, holding his palms up as though afraid. "Y-yu? W-what's w-wrong with you?"
"I'm. All. Bet. Ter. Come. Here. My. Be. Love. Ed.
"My. Per. Fect. Love." It moved past where Tomoko and Daniel were hiding, raising its sword...
"Now!" shouted Daniel. Tomoko sprang from her hiding place, swinging her sword like a hammer, slicing the blade straight down the side of the thing's head, as though it were a block of cheese. The head split down the middle, ear to ear, with absolutely no resistance, like a razor slicing through wet toilet paper. The glowing thing fell down, its body disappearing in sparkles before it hit the ground, all in perfect silence.
Daniel sprang forward, holding out his hand, palm turned as though to grab the falling thing's head. "No!" sobbed Tomoko automatically, from sheer shock. She'd just killed her friend...
"It's alright, Tomoko," Dante assured her, his arm around her, "She's not dead. But he's got to get her face." Daniel levitated the half of the head Tomoko had sliced off from the front of the monster's head. "Come on!"
A fast teleport back to Yu's house. Morax and the others were waiting for them. "Ah. Here we go," he said, taking the half of a head from Daniel and placing it onto Yu's head, making some swift passes over the supine form between them. The face melted back onto Yu's head, the skin sealing shut.
"Oooh…." Yu put her hand up to her head, her eyes, and other features gradually becoming like the girl Tomoko knew. "Wh...what...happened...to me?"
"It's alright," Tomoko reassured her, patting her hand. "Everything's alright now, Yu."
"Sure as hell doesn't feel alright. Hey." She said, looking around. "What th' hell are all of you wearing, anyway?"
"Uuuhhhh….Halloween costumes?"
"It's Halloween?"
"Uhm...Daylight Savings Time?"
"Oh. Right." She grimaced. "Uhm. It is?"
…
Later: Tomoko had some explanations of her own to do. Mostly centering around why Yu's Perfect Boyfriend was wearing such a weirdly authentic looking Halloween costume. But she noticed that when she lied, a strange, uncomfortable feeling went through her. Like an electric shock, only...not.
Tomoko approached Daniel while a now-disguised Adriel led Yu off. "Daniel? We have to talk."
"I know."
"We...wait. You do?"
He took her small hands in his. "I'm a shadonai, Tomoko. What humans call a demon. We come from different worlds. I mean that literally. We….don't belong...together." He sighed. "I'll probably be heading back to America soon..."
Demons had no problems lying. Somehow she knew that.
"Keep that necklace. And remember what I said. Just...call me. Okay?" A droplet of fire coursed down his face. A trickle of water dripped down hers.
Her arms went around him. "You call me. Understand?"
"You bet your, uhm...sure. You know I will."
"And tell Claire I said take good care of you."
He smiled sadly. "I will."
Dante stood by him while he watched Tomoko and her father walk off, accompanied by the others, illusions masking the demons and angels from what few humans were beginning to trickle in. Tomoko noticed Yu glancing a longing look at Dante. A long longing look. "Dante?"
"Yeah?"
"Is it possible," Daniel asked, "to live thirty thousand years in a single night?"
His kinsman patted him on the back. "Of course it is. I should know. Hey," he said, glancing at his hand, "how'd you get this mustard on your uniform?"
The End.
Maybe.