Heya! Guys! Thanks for reading my first three chapters of this! Here's the next one with a fight upcoming. Also, you will get to learn more about Ink and her friend, Shdwkyz.
"He's over there! Don't let him get away!"
"I see him! I think he's over there!
Tch.
A white striped gray clothed figure with a hood over him. He has a tattered long grey scarf and an ominous white caiman mask holds his injured shoulder as he scurries deep into the woods. He carries a sheathed katana. He sees lights coming closer making him click his tongue more.
Soon, little did he realized; he came upon into a rocky wall. He is concerned.
Not good. He is surrounded.
Then he hears the sound of something gliding over. He felt a shadow flying over him, passing him by.
"What is that?!"
"Oh my god!"
"it's a monster!"
"Run!"
"No, you idiots. Just shoot it!"
Gunshots rang out followed by the activation of spells but the yells are still ongoing, making the masked youth confused.
What the hell is going on?
He looks around and found a tree to hide in. He jumps into it and looks at the scene from the shadow of the leaves. Then he widens his yellow serpentine eyes.
What the?
Yellow eyes opened. The same figure wakes up then he looks down from his sleeping spot, a branch he likes to laze while he is on the lookout for any bounty hunter or local who foolishly comes here.
Shdwkyz just yawns a bit and waits to see.
Why am I dreaming about that? He wonders. It's been a year since Ink found him in the woods, unwittingly saving him from a bunch of mercenaries. So now, he is returning the favor to help her whatever it is she's doing. As long as he uses this forest as a hideout while hunting down bandits, gangsters, and corrupt cops. This is fine for him. It's like a mutual relationship.
He narrows his eyes as he stares into the clearing. He closes his eyes before letting out another yawn. Trying to wake up from his nap. He stares into the clearing again. Hm? Hold on. He blinked. Was he there before?
He shifted into a position as he puts his hand on his sheathed katana while staying in the shadows.
In the clearing near the ruins, there is a long-haired blond sitting on a log. He dons a red bandana that has a white saltire on it. He wears denim jeans with two sashes hanging around his belt loops, one that is Union Jack and others that are blue. He wears a rolled-up denim jacket and underneath he is also wearing a collared white shirt with a black tie. But that wasn't what Shdwkyz is focusing on, he focuses on the weapon he's carrying. Dual chain sickles.
And he's having lunch?
Shdwkyz just watches the man enjoying looking into his happy meal of Danny Missiles not before taking a sip of his medium-sized cola. Why didn't Fosh notify me yet? Did his cameras didn't catch him? He is a bounty hunter? What else could he be here? I haven't seen him before. Shdwkyz thought.
Huh?
And then, once the man took out his double cheeseburger wrapped in a burger wrapper. It has been three minutes. Setting his drink down on the log beside him along with his meal combo. Something pokes out from the bushes behind him. Unaware of its' presence. it was an arm. That is blue and scaly and its fingers are claws.
Already, Shdwkyz recognized who that arm belongs to.
Without warning, she swipes the drink and takes it into the bushes, and the only thing she leaves is the sound of the bristling leaves. The man hears the sound and turns his head, "Huh?" But then he noticed his drink is missing.
"What the? Where did my soda go?" The man blinked as he looks around. With his back turned, the arm returns the drink on his side before it disappears into the bushes.
"Huh? How it did- get there?" He blinked as he takes the cup and shakes it. "Must have misplaced it." But then...his bag of food is missing. "What the? Where did my food go?" He stands up and wonders if it has fallen off. But for some reason, he hasn't looked back on the bushes as the food bag is quickly returned on the log by the same arm.
"Oh, there it is!" He said and goes to checks the contents of the bag, "Oi! The chips are gone!"
Chips? Oh, wait...he means the fries. Shdwkyz thought as he recognizes the accent. Is this man really a bounty hunter?
Then he closes the bag tightly by crumping the top to close it with one hand. On another hand, he held up his now unwrapped burger in the air. Not realizing, a blue lizard-like snout of sharp-looking white teeth is approaching the burger slowly, so slowly, its snout gets closer and closer to the greasy meat and American cheddar cheesy goodness and then-
"Nom." One bite of his burger and the snout quickly backs away into the bushes. The sound of this creature startled the man and made him look to see that someone took a bite of his burger.
"OI?! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" He shouted.
Probably not.
Shdwkyz felt that he should have brought his favorite latte drink and sandwich as he watches this unfold.
And then, the British man jumps away from the log next to the bushes as hefinallyrealized that the thief is hiding behind him. The man whirls his dual chains and throws one sickle into the bushes. He got caught of something.
"Ack!"
"There you are, your food snatcher!" He said. With a jerk of his chain, he forces the thief out of the hiding. Already, his shoulders slumped as he stares in horror and takes steps back from the creature.
What came out of the brushes is a monster. A human-sized monster with wings. It was blue, scaly, and has white eyes, sometimes people can't tell this creature is wearing clothes because of this partial transformation, confusing its navy jacket and hood as it a second hide. The creature black hair and has a unique maw where its white sharp teeth are visible. Its feet are like the talons of a raptor and his claw-like fingers.
Of course, Shdwkyz knew who this creature was. This creature is Van Ink The Dragon who is holding the poor man's drink and now slurping it to her heart's content standing before him. This action causes the Bristish blond snapped out of it and yells,
"OI! That's my drink you're drinking!" The man yelled in disbelief, watching this creature drinking his cola with a straw no less. His fear quickly wavered as he realized this is the person or...thing whatever is messing with him, not to mention, this monster is eating the food he paid for!
Shdwkyz wasn't sure if he should get involved or not. It's like...
this is the dumbest he has ever seen but can't help but keep on watching to see how this goes.
Then he heard a humming sound, a ringtone that is punk rock, he brings a communication sigil to his ear, "Hello?" He whispered to the sigil.
"Shdwkyz, where are ya right now?" It was Rust checking on him. Maybe he's watchin this too thanks to Fosh's magic use of cameras being around.
"If you're wondering about a British man catching Ink in the act of stealing his happy meal, that's where I am." His mask distorts his voice into something demonic to hide his identity but friends are used to it.
"Shit, you're watchin it, too? Right now, in real-time?"
"I am."
"Fosh says that he didn't come up on his cameras or anything until like minutes ago. He's saying that this guy just came out of nowhere." Rust explained.
"Is that right?"
Teleportation magic then? That fast? No way. Then again, it's no wonder, Fosh didn't inform him right away. So how did Ink know?
A loud slurping sound came from her as she continues to drink this man's cola.
Shdwkyz just stared. Maybe the smell of fast food that she stumbled upon. Yep. That's probably it.
"Hey! Are ya listenin? Don't take things that belong to ya, mate! I pay for that!" The British man complained as he points out, then he decides to twirl his sickles, "Never met a scaly bloke like you before..."
Then the man grins, "But I hope you better think up a cool way to lose, mate."
Axl Low decides to take a break from the city and enjoys his lunch with a Danny Missiles meal. Delicious greasy goodness of his double cheeseburger, fries, and a soda. He felt this is a good way to take a break after this whole end of the world-Universal thing. Just to take things off his mind. The sounds of birds are chirping, it was like another day for him. Of course, little did he know. That there's a monster living in these woods.
And so..weird things start to happen. First, his medium-sized drink gone missing but it was on his side ( he probably thought he misplaced but he finds out that wasn't it) when his chips gone missing and finally, the final straw was that someone or something took a bite out of his burger! He soon realized that something is behind the bushes.
At first, he thought it was some kind of animal but no, he thought it was a thief, it would make sense! But soon, he starts to regret what kind of animal he dragged out of the bushes. A monster that looks like a devil. Then he remembers the chief who is known for hunting and fighting these things.
Gears, yeah?
He thought most of them are out of commission. He heard Gears are very dangerous so of course, he is frightened until Gear continues drinking his cola like it was theirs. That made him think that this wanker needed a lesson in taking people's things without permission.
"Hey! Are ya listenin? Don't take things that belong to ya, mate! I pay for that!" The blond complained then he twirls the chain with the sickle. "Never met a scaly bloke like you before..."
Axl grins, "But I hope you better think up a cool way to lose, mate."
But for some god-awful reason, the minute he says that. It's like this thing is smiling at him, accepting his challenge for a showdown. Did it understand him?
The Gear flexes its claws and soon flaps its glided wings.
Ah hell. Axl quickly wolfed down his burger despite having a monster taking a bite out of it. He's not going to waste perfectly good food here. Nah huh. "Ok scaly, let's go!"
HEAVEN OR HELL
Let's Rock!
Axl Low went first with a Sickle Flash, throwing a sickle at the creature.
Van Ink dodges it by jumping to the air to which Axl smirks as he directs the chain sickle to attack upwards. Soaring Chain Strike! The creature widens its white eyes and is taken down to the ground with a thud.
"After this, I hope ya got money to pay for my meal, mate," Axl says.
The winged beast quickly recovers and flaps its wings, she lands onto her feet. Axl then keeps throwing his sickles at her. Sickle Flash at her. She dodges it by running to the side, however, like how he directs his sickle to the air, he also brings his chain in a swing towards her side. She ducks under it before the Axl retracts his sickle and twirling it for another attack.
Tch...it seems like this guy does long-range and or rather far-out attacks. That's pretty troublesome. Shdwkyz thought as he watches and brings up his comm sigil. "Fosh..I hope you have a camera for this." He answered.
"I do and I am recording this right now." Hidden magical cameras sigils are recording this and showing the team what kind of opponent that Ink is dealing with.
He can overhear the conversation on the other line of awes and wows.
"Should we help out?" Fosh asked worriedly.
"No... I think Ink got this." Shdwkyz answered. "Just watch."
Ink is couching, staring at him intently while patting on her knees with her palms.
Huh? Is it me or does it look like it's thinking? Wonder what he's thinking bout. Axl thought as he observes the food snatcher draconic-like Gear. He lashes out with another sickle attack to which the creature reacts which only to surprise him.
It's coming for him straight.
So, lunging for him in a straight line instead of avoiding his long-range. It's risky but it's a good start. Will he retract his other sickle in time? Shdwkyz thought.
If so, how quickly?
"Not so fast, mate!" Then Axl quickly retracts his sickle at the last second, missing the Gear by inches (which the Gear dodges barely) then he spins his sickle in a circle, creating a vacuum force that can suck anything into the weapon's spinning motion.
Spinning Chain Strike!
"Heh." Axl grinned.
Ink, you better think fast. Shdwkyz thought.
Then Ink switches her lunging position to a fierce airplane kicks surprising both the British blond and himself.
"Oh hell..." He cursed before he is kicked in the chest, sending him across the ground. The Gear's talons skids across the ground, stopping to the halt. The Gear gave a burp due to drinking the soda earlier.
"I goin to feel that in the morning." Axl Low groaned as he got up and quickly dusted himself. He got right back up, "Not bad, but that isn't enough to keep me down, mate." He said it with a smile.
The Gear is jumping on its feet, excited before lunging at the man with another kick.
Not today! Ink misses Axl as he jumps into the air, doing a flip and delivers an attack from mid-air. And bam, he hit the Gear at her feet making her fall on the ground. But this didn't deter the Gear as Axl lands on the opposite side. The Gear hisses and skids on its right heel, it turns around in a sharp turn and darted after him.
This one is quick, huh! Axl thought as he throws a sickle flash, only this time. On contact, it creates an explosion. Winter Cherry!
"Seriously, this guy has fire magic?!" It was Fosh on the other line.
"What the hell are you so worried about?" It was Navarro talking.
But then the smoke from the explosion clears with a flap of her wings, she keeps on going for Axl without stopping.
"That's nothing!"Navarro yelled. "Fire magic is something Ink can handle!"
"Yeah...I should know." Maggie rubs her stomach as she winced at a memory when she battled Ink with her fire magic.
That didn't work on her?! Oh crap, gotta think fast! Axl said and thinks, 'Maybe I use that! He has dual sickles together as the Gear came close and then, he launched forward with a fiery strike. "Axl Bomber!"
"Rar!" The Gear is hit and sent to the air and then Axl follows up with another strong attack. Sickle Storm! With the first strike of this attack, it made a direct hit in an explosion, and then with a second strike with another explosion, Axl sending the Gear flying away in a smoky state. Ink hits the ground face down.
Shdwkyz stares. Never see someone did that much damage to Ink before.
"You were fast but I had a longer reach!" Axl exclaimed with a smile. But then suddenly, he felt a pull, "Huh?" He looks down to see one of his sickles isn't return into his hand. In fact, one of his sickles, his left one is in the Gear's right claw. Ink stands up despite in a smoky state and grips the sickle tightly. Then with a jerk, she pulls the sickle towards to her.
"Oi, what are you-"
Then he saw its expression, a wide pearl-fanged grin as another claw grabs the same sickle and wraps the chain around its wrist. For some reason, Axl can't imagine right now what that Gear is thinking right now. Soon, he starts to get an idea of what this Gear is planning to do though.
"Hey, hey, what's with that face-AH!" Then with a fierce pull, the Gear got the blond off his feet and gave him a wild spin around in the circle with intense spin.
Crap, crap, crap. I got to let go or else. But if I do, I might be sent flyin outta here! Axl panics as the force of the spin had his eyes winced and is now thinking that maybe he can stop this with his time-traveling ability. Maybe he can freeze time! But before that thought came to his head and trying to apply it, he hit a tree hard as the Gear stops. Axl groaned and slumps down to the ground. "Ow...my back..." Yep, he's not going to get back up for a while after that.
"Yes!" Her team cheered.
"Nice one." Shdwkyz whistled.
Ink still has a chain around her wrist and approaches the man. "Human...what is your name?" It spoke, surprising Axl Low. Hell, this Gear is full of surprises, ain't it? Axl Low thought.
"It's Axl Low." He answered.
"Axl Low!" The monster bellowed, it spreads its wings, intimidating the poor blond, although she liked the sound of the name of it. "I demand an offering!"
Oh, here she goes... Shdwkyz thought.
"An offerin? U-uh sure! Wh-what is it? " Axl Low is praying that the Gear is not thinking what he's thinking. Does it mean to sacrifice? Axl Low, himself doesn't taste good. How would he know?! Because he knows! He's too young to die.
"I demand..."
Axl gulped.
"Another soda, fries, and a plain double bacon cheeseburger."
"Wait what?" Axl Low just blinked, not twice but three times at the Gear's demand. He can't help but stare at it.
"Eh?!" Axl Low is flabbergasted.
Almost everyone on Ink's team at the arcade watching this whole thing face-faulted to the floor. Shdwkyz can't help but snickers at this.
"As usual." Shdkwyz chuckled.
"Shadow the Phantom Slasher." Sol read the report, "I heard about this one. He goes after gang members, members of the mob and supposedly bad cops. A bounty of 70,000 world dollars. Never caught because he has 'dark magic' at his side." He scowled, "Most of his victims are slashed and was never the same again. People say that they got a piece of their soul taken away but doctors said they were traumatized. " Sol scoffed at such a claim.
"That's the one. The last whereabouts was that he is chased by mercenaries hired by a corrupt police chief in the local area, into the same forest that the Redless Gear resides." Ky keeps on writing as he remembers vividly of the report. "Ky explains, "Then mercenaries were arrested with some serious injuries on them and one of them told the police that a monster with wings and bright white eyes attacked them."
"Not the Slasher?"
"Indeed. There were no sightings of him after that until he resurfaces a later weeks ago." Ky replied. "This happened one year ago."
"Around the same time where the sightings of the Redless Gear begin to increase. Not bad for this Henderson cop." Sol mused as he knows the answer. "So, I have to keep mi eyes open for this one, just great." He sighed. "Annoying brat."
"Now Bounty Hunter Axl Low. What is your decision?!" Ink cackled.
"Well...uh..." Axl doesn't know what to say but then he became confused at what the Gear says, "Wait...I'm not a bounty hunter, what are ya talkin bout?" Axl stared.
"Is that so? Wise decision! HAHAHA- wait wut?" Van Ink The Dragon pauses, hearing that,
"Whaddya mean you're not a bounty hunter?" She squints her white eyes at Axl.
"I'm really not." Axl held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just here to enjoy my lunch and enjoy the scenery here, ya know."
"Wait really?" Ink slumped her shoulders at that as Axl Low just nods his head. "Sooo~ you didn't come for my bounty or anything like that?" She asked.
"Nah, mate. I don't know bout some bounty. It's all news to me."
Silence...
"Aw, man..." Ink sighed as she facepalms.
Shdwkyz could only sigh, "Ink, you idiot."
"Oh, one more thing. The Phantom Slasher isn't named Shadow but it's like...the name Shadow but think of it without the vowels and add the k, y, and z at the end." Ky Kiske revealed.
"The hell?" In Sol's head, he can imagine it. So, it's like Shdw-kyz, who the fu- who the fuck can pronounce that?
"That's how the Slasher introduced himself every time to his victims after he slashed," Ky added.
"That sounds like an edge lord." Sol deadpanned.
Okay! That was a long chapter. To be honest, I was conflicting if I should choose Bridge or Axl Low for this one. So I went with Axl Low for the sake of comedy and action ( I did it for the lulz to get this story going! ) Not to mention, I studied Axl Low thanks to Guilty Gear Strive Guide to Axl. Plus, with the title, since Axl Low is inspired by Guns & Rose, I hope this song is good to pick for the title. ^w^
Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter.