Chapter 1; Capture
I looked up at the night sky; twinkling with bright stars. Smiling peacefully, I tipped my head back, feeling the wind rush through my long hair. I was standing on a high cliff face; star gazing happily.
It was such a beautiful night.
I closed my eyes, breathing in the fresh scent of clean air as I looked out over the Alter Forest which was abundant with little animals and alight with Alter energy. I smiled as I saw a squirrel scramble up a tree down below me and into a burrow where a family was waiting for it. I could just feel the power that this forest had; so rich and warm that it seemed as if you could just reach out and touch it.
My thoughts were interrupted by the loud humming of an aeroplane as it made its way across the water towards the Lost Ground; the island I called home. I covered my eyes with my arm as it drew closer, flying overhead, whipped up powerful winds.
I looked up at the plane and through a window I saw a girl dark blue hair holding a necklace around her neck. She looked so happy. I realised that she must be going to the City, because she wouldn't be happy if she saw the situation out of the walls. Just because the island looks beautiful in some places doesn't mean it is. After all, we're struggling to make ends meet here; we have to either try our hardest every day just to get by.
I grit my teeth, shaking my head as I kicked up a cloud of dust. Those city bastards think they can just take over the island; well all I can say is that if they want to take over this place then they have to get through the native Alter users, which won't be easy. It doesn't matter if they have HOLY, their own personal legion of Alter users, their army of pawns; the native Alters wouldn't let them take their home.
But then, on the other hand there's the Alter Forest.
The animal Alter users will never let them take the forest; I can imagine the fight they'd put up against HOLY; HOLY would lose, hands down. The forest was strong. So are the free Alters on the island. They weren't going to be handing over it to anyone any time soon.
I looked back at the plane. My eyes widened as I saw a brown haired man standing on top of the building it was flying over. I was shocked for a moment, but then I noticed what he was wearing. A maroon shirt with a pair of dark blue pants and a jacket; there was a glove on his right hand. I wasn't so shocked anymore.
Jeez, he's up to his old tricks again. Going out for a job I hope, I thought; watching him in awe.
I saw him pull him arm up with a spread hand in the direction of the plane and I just knew; he was going to do something flashy. He always does that kind of thing, just because he can. I think he's a real nut job for using his Alter so much but I guess he's doing it for a good cause.
He closed his fist, opened it again, and then closer it finger by finger. That was when the real show began. Three jagged indents suddenly appeared in the concrete on the roof around him and a cloud of just practically exploded around him. He was gone. I looked up; there! On the wing of the plane; he stepped onto it, busting a hole through it with his Alter before sky diving off the wing with his arms spread wide. The plane veered to one side as he fell towards the ground below.
I watched in awe as my mouth twisted into a smirk. I ran to the other side of the cliff and saw the group of young men standing where he was going to land. One of their own ran towards a group of them and pointed upwards; right at the man. I smiled; he wasn't going to let that one slide.
He was aiming towards the building they were standing next to as I saw that they were holding a hostage. It looked like it was a man dressed in a suit, which meant he was probably from the city.
That meant this was a high paying job. Good for him!
Then again…he did have a habit of 'losing' most of the money he earns through using his Alter; in short, he'd give it away to people without them knowing. They'd find it later. If he gave it to them straight out they wouldn't accept it. They wouldn't knowingly take such cheap and easy charity.
I watched as he slammed down on the building; debris and dust exploding into a cloud metres into the air. A high, multi-coloured pillar of Alter Energy erupted form the centre of the cloud, billowed up into the sky. The building collapsed as the light faded and I couldn't help but smile. He always has been a bit of a show off.
He large cloud of dust began to recede and I squinted to see through it. He was walking out of it, holding the old man hostage who was obviously in a state of severe shock. Who wouldn't be after something like that? I laughed, lacing my fingers through my hair as the wind blew again. I looked out over the Alter Forest again and then stretched my arms up above my head, feeling my back crack as I lifted my head.
That Kazuma sure is an interesting Alter User.
_-_S-CRY-ED_-_
I was sitting in the field just outside our village with Kanami as the breeze flew by. Kanami was holding an umbrella to shield her from the worst of the wind and the sun; the sun could be harsh here, even on such a beautiful day. I stretched out my legs and flipped my hair over my shoulder as Kanami put her hand to the rich blue sky.
"The sky, it's so very blue," she was smiling, "it's like you could reach up and touch it!"
I looked at her, brushing my long white hair out of the way. My hair had always been white. Some people thought it was weird, but still I liked it because it was different, it made me stand out from the average crowd. Kanami once told me it made my eyes look 'so pretty'. They were ice blue; they were known to unnerve some people if I looked at them too long. I loved how I looked, but I envied Kanami. I know she's younger than me by a few years, but still she is just so adorable and she was always smiling.
Her light brown hair was in the same usual ponytail with its cute little red bow, and although she was small she was the most committed and organized person I know. Kanami would stay home and cook and clean, or she'd go to the farm to work because Kazuma was always off doing other things. On the off occasion she'd drag him to the farm to do work but he'd always run off.
"Yeah, it is isn't it?" I replied with a smile as I stood up, stretching my arms as I heard the familiar moo of a dairy cow.
"So, I take it he hasn't returned yet?" Kanami's Grandfather asked, holding his walking stick as he stood by the cow. I smiled and waved politely at him, helping Kanami off the rock she was sitting on.
"No, and it's the third day." She sounded sad but I know she was hoping he was actually working this time and not just running off.
"What'd you think the chances are he's really working this time?" The old man looked sceptical as he petted the cow which was munching on the long grass, even though it was tinged with brown.
"Well, I'd say about fifty, fifty." I replied for her, knowing what she was about to say.
Kanami lived with Kazuma, who had been one of my best friends for like, forever. Since we were little I've always known he was an Alter, and so have most of the town. He's really an outgoing guy and when he puts his mind to something he does it, although when it comes to working he doesn't really like it. Kazuma's always preferred to do things his own way.
I live on the outskirts of town by myself, but I spend most of my time with Kanami or Kazuma and his friends or doing my own thing. You know, going around to places, walking around, sometimes I even go with Kazuma when he goes to do one of his jobs. That means I get to see Kazuma close up in action with his Alter.
"Why don't you two come inside, I can put a cup of tea on." The Old Man smiled as Kanami nodded.
"Alright, but why don't you let me do it?"
I heard the rustling of grass nearby and I turned around to see somebody walking towards us, waving. Kanami laughed and pulled down her umbrella, dropping it on the ground as she ran towards the man who was walking across the field.
"Kazu-kun!" she called out as she ran at him with her arms outstretched. Kazuma knelt down to the ground and gripped the girl by her shoulders as she fell to her knees in front of him. Kazuma looked annoyed.
"Hey, Kanami, didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" He looked tired, I noticed as I walked towards the two of them, folding my arms across my chest.
"Awww!" Kanami pouted, "Why not?"
"J-just because okay!" he grumbled loudly. Kazuma noticed me and stood up, giving me a slightly wave of his gloved hand and a small smile.
"Hey Akira, good to see you!" He was grinning by the time I reached him. I gave him a big hug, then let him go before he starting thinking any differently.
"Good to see you too, you dolt! I was waiting for you to come home; we were just discussing how you might actually be working this time!" I laughed at his annoyed expression as the Old Man walked over to us. The cow plodded off happily to eat more grass, its talk swishing behind it.
"Hey! You know, Kazuma, you shouldn't be away from home so much." He told Kazuma, leaning over his cane to look at him.
"Yeah sure, but we have to eat you know." Kazuma shrugged as Kanami turned around to her Granddad and smiled sweetly in the way only Kanami can.
"Hey Grandpa, we'll have tea later!" She smiled as I put my hands on either side of my face and shook my head in a daze. She was just too cute! Too sweet!
"Awww! You're so adorable!" I crooned to Kanami as she stood up. Kazuma raised an eyebrow.
"Come on Kazu-kun!" The little girl called, skipping away.
"Ah! I told you stop calling me that!" He was such a grumble bum and I told him so as we walked back towards their house. We were laughing along the way as we walked. Kazuma and Kanami's house is actually the old Clinic, but they've turned it into a pretty nice home. It was a little run down, but it's theirs, and that's all that matters to them.
Kazuma was sitting in the old swivel examining chair with his eyes closed as Kanami handed him a drink of clear water. I was leaning against one of the trees that had shot up through the clinic floor a long time ago. There were a few odd plants around the place. I suppose that just goes to show how we people outside the city live.
"So, how was your work?" Kanami asked, giving Kazuma the cue to ruffle through his pocket and pull out a single thousand Yen note. I rolled my eyes; he'd done it again; he'd given most of the money away to somebody else. Oops, he'd 'had it deducted' or he'd 'lost' it.
Kanami took it and unfolded it, looking disappointed.
"Is that it?" she asked as Kazuma spun around the chair with the remote.
"Well, actually, it's like this-"
"It's alright; you don't have to tell me." Kanami looked like a sad little kid as she stood there with her back to him, her hands behind her back.
"Hey! Would you let me finish?" Kazuma yelled before continuing by putting has hand out in front of him, "Everything was going great," he pulled his hand up to his shoulder and then his forehead in a looking pose, "then I got distracted, and looked away for just a second and made this huge mistake." He sounded down with himself now but I knew that Kanami wasn't paying attention because she was singing 'la di, da di, da' while looking at the cabinets.
"This money won't go very far." She told Kazuma as he downed the glass of water and I stepped away from the tree trunk.
"I know…" Kazuma sulked as I patted him on the back.
"You're a worthless, good for nothing bum." I told him lightly as he slumped in the chair.
"It's true, you might as well as stupid loser to the list…" he turned around the chair as he held up the now empty glass to Kanami and she took it, "…thanks for the drink…"
"We've hardly got any rice or vegetables left, what'll we do?" Kanami sounded full of authority as she said this and I smiled, knowing that Kazuma really was feeling down with himself for giving away the money. He never told Kanami this, but he told me.
"Hmm…we'll do whatever we have to do…" Kazuma was looking down.
"Like what?" Kanami and I said at the same time.
"Maybe we could…" he looked like he was concentrating hard and then he looked up, screaming sarcastically, "AHHH! I ACTUALLY SPENT ALL MY TIME WONDERING HOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT!"
He was such a loon.
"So what do we do?" Kanami replied without even flinching or laughing at the joke. Suddenly, I looked over to the window as a familiar guy in a green jacket tapped on the window twice.
"Hmm?" Kazuma looked at the window, "Aw! Man, what do you want?"
"Hey, what's happening?" he asked, opening the sliding window as Kazuma and I groaned.
"Dude, go away! We don't want any!" Kazuma was waving his hand at the guy and I rolled my eyes at the two boys.
"That's harsh man." The guy whined, putting his hands on the window.
"Don't worry about it, come on in." Kanami was being nice to the guy because he hooks Kazuma up with jobs to get money. The guy climbed in through the window and smiled.
"Thanks Kanami; don't mind if I do."
"Not through the window!" Kazuma and I said at the same time.
"I'll get you something to drink!"
"Don't bother; he's leaving!" Kazuma and I once again said at the same time.
"That'd be great!"
Kanami left the room and closed the door behind her as Kazuma stepped off the chair and I crossed my arms. This guy was Kunihiko Kimishima, but everybody just called him by his last name because he didn't like his first name. He was one of our best friends as well and he was a real cool guy but he really can be a pushover sometimes. His greenish brown hair and light brown eyes are pretty normal so he's pretty average. He was kind of stingy, if you asked me, but he was a good guy to know.
"So, what do you want?" I asked him as he saw down on the nearby bench.
"Well, you've heard about the Lardus Gang, haven't you? They hang out by the subway ruins." He asked, putting his hands together. Kazuma walked over.
"That's Hideki's Gang right, just a bunch of kids?"
"That's right, and now there's another gang trying to break into their territory." Kazuma 'hmmed' and I looked on, "Only this other Gang is led by an Alter User."
"Oh yeah, I heard about that, they were terrorising some people when I went there to see Hideki a couple of days ago, he told me about the whole thing. He said it was real bad," I told Kazuma. The Alter user smiled.
"I get it, fight fire with fire."
"Something like that." Kimishima replied.
"Heh, if this guy really is an Alter user I can't guarantee what'll happen." Kazuma didn't sound worried though, in fact he sounded eager and quite happy that he's finally got a job with another Alter User involved, one where he gets to fight.
"Yeah, whatever…"
"Alright, it's now like Hideki's a total stranger or anything," he punching in front of him in a fighting stance, "I'll do it for two thou."
"It pays thirty."
"Are you out of your MIND! Get outta here!" Kazuma yelled.
"You're asking for way too much." Kimishima stood up to look Kazuma in the eye.
"I need the money, I'm like, totally broke!"
"Ahhhhhh? What about that job this morning, you were supposed to make a fortune!"
Kazuma stopped and leant back, looking away.
"I-I'm telling you, I'm broke…"
I tuned out for a little while because I was sick of always hearing those two bozo's fighting with each other. Seriously, if arguing was a sport in any regard, these two would be internationally iconic.
And so, the boys ended up at each other's throats and then ended up having a big rock, paper, scissors match as I realised that Kimishima had just been invited to stay for dinner.
_-_S-CRY-ED_-_
The sun had just set and on the horizon when I found myself waiting in the car with Kimishima for Kazuma while he checked on Kanami.
"So, what's been happening?" I asked, cracking my neck from side to side and flexing my hands. I looked down at my long white pants, grey boots underneath and a tight blue and different blue spaghetti strap top, feeling the wind ripple through my hair. I pulled on my grey jacket, tugging it close around my shoulders.
"Eh, nothing much, just the usual." He answered, fiddling with the snorkel goggles he was wearing. I myself was wearing a pair of clear sunglasses, much like Kazuma's. The person in question walked out the door towards the car Kimishima had built from scratch.
"Sure it's okay to leave her alone?" Kimishima asked as I leant back in the seat in the back behind the two of them.
"Don't worry; she's a lot more mature than she looks." Kazuma replied, pulling his orange tinged glasses over his eyes. I closed my eyes and stretched my arms out in front of me.
"Are you related to her?" Kimishima queried, sounding a little shocked.
"Shut up and drive, it's time to kick some ass!" Kazuma and I both said at the same time.
"Jeez Kazuma, why are you always copying what I say when I say it, you can't read my mind, can you?" I asked warily as I leant forward enough to put my face between the two seats. Kazuma blushed a little bit and looked away from my direction and out the side of the car, which didn't actually have doors.
"Man, it gets cold out here at night." Kazuma complained some time later.
"To you maybe, I like it like this, it's pleasant. Would you prefer it if it was boiling hot every night here?" I put in. Kazuma grunted.
"On the main land, there's supposed to be a place where the weather's like summer all year." Kimishima told him. He was driving the car so he had to watch the road.
"So what?" Kazuma replied.
"You know, I wonder why we weren't born in a place like that, it's not fair." Kimishima kept looking at the road as he spoke.
"Nah, I wouldn't like it."
"Why not?"
"Well, I've heard it's supposed to be incredibly peaceful there," he sat back against the seat with a smile, "I'd die of boredom within the first week." I laughed at that, because to tell you the truth, so would I!
"Man, I can't believe you're such a Neanderthal."
"Not really."
Suddenly the car reared up over a bank and then crashed down again.
_-_S-CRY-ED_-_
"What's this, you still wanna fight?" a fatty of a man with greenish blue hair and red marks on his face growled down at the man who was lying crumpled on the ground. The fat man crushed a long brick between his hands as the onlookers from his gang laughed.
"I love this guy!" One of the goons said to another as they watched. The guy on the ground rubbed his mouth, finding blood on his sleeve. He looked at the people lying around him; they were either unconscious or cowering.
"Alright, listen! This crap hole and everything in it is ours! You losers can either get out of here now or die!" The fat guy punched air and then brought his fist back down again as he instructed the citizens that were left in the near abandoned subway area. "Have you got that?" He raised his fist again.
"Wait a minute-" The guy on the ground started to stand up but the fat man named Biff slammed his fist down on the guys shoulder, immediately dislocating and snapping the bone. He screamed as a boy who hadn't been harmed as of yet ran out of the subway.
"Hideki!" he yelled, kneeling beside his older brother before glaring up at Biff, "You fat goon!"
"Watch your mouth twerp!" a girl holding a long crowbar as she stepped forwards, only to be held back by Biff.
"Hold on," he stopped them, making her go 'huh?' Biff stepped forwards and then knelt in front of Hideki and his brother, "This is your big brother isn't he? I'll bet you love him a lot."
Biff smiled dangerously and slapped him across the face on both side, the second one sending him flying back the way he'd come.
"Masaki…" Hideki exclaimed as he tried to move, but it only made him arm explode with another wave of pain. Biff stood up straight as bright lights appeared behind him.
"Now do you understand? I want you outta- ow!" suddenly Biff was rammed from behind. He turned his head to see a car being pushed by two guys with a girl with long white hair sitting in the back seat. The girl watched at them from inside, egging them on.
"Dude," Kazuma puffed as he stopped pushing the vehicle, "we should leave this piece of junk!"
"This car, it's a classic…" Kimishima replied, breathing heavily from pushing the car all the way there with Akira sitting in the back of it, directing them which way to go and cheering them on.
"At this rate I won't have any strength left for the job!" Kazuma complained, standing up. Akira laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulders as Biff walked up to Kazuma and Kimishima, fuming.
"Aw, come on you guys, stop fighting! Kazuma, you'll just waste more valuable energy!" Akira looked at Kimishima who was still leaning against the back of the car, puffing.
"Hey you! What are you-?" Biff started.
"Aw come on, it'd be stolen!" Kimishima interrupted, "Just a little further!"
"I'm talking to you! Hey!" Biff was getting angrier and angrier and kept on butting in and then eventually raised his arm to attack.
"Hey, we're talking here so SHUT THE HELL UP!" Kazuma spun around and elbowed Biff in the stomach, stopping him mid-way through bringing his arm down. This sharp blow to his fat reserves made him drop to his knees and then drop to the ground.
"Kazuma!" Hideki exclaimed.
"Hey Hideki!" Kazuma replied, lifting up a hand in a wave.
"Heh, sorry were late." Kimishima apologized as Akira flipped out of the back of the car to stand in between him and Kazuma.
"So, where's this Alter anyway? I've heard a lot about him." Kazuma and Akira said at the same time. She smiled at him and he scowled, annoyed with the white haired girl, but then he turned his attention back to the job. Two girls from the gang and Masaki both pointed to the man who Kazuma had just dropped, Biff.
"Oh, well that's convenient." Akira blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected him to be so…large.
"Two grand." Kazuma quipped.
"It's thirty."
"Twenty two hundred then."
"Why is it going up?" Kimishima turned to Kazuma, almost scandalised.
"Probably for your dinner, you did eat a lot." Akira put a hand on both Kimishima and Kazuma's arms, just so they didn't get into a fight right before a job. Otherwise it would make them look stupid. Meanwhile, Biff was beginning to stand up. He laughed.
"Yeah, you ate like a pig at dinner; it's not cheap you know." Kazuma continued from me. Biff had managed to get to his feet by now and he was still laughing. The three friends looked at up at his fat form. Akira and Kimishima stepped back, giving Kazuma some space. Before she left him, Akira quickly pushed her hand through his.
"Good luck Kazuma." She whispered. Kazuma flushed red for a moment before Akira slipped her hand from his and went over to the other side of Kazuma.
"That's real funny, you caught me off guard." Biff laughed.
"I wouldn't wanna be that guy!" The other girl asked, also holding a crowbar.
"Better get back!" the first girl replied.
Biff laughed manically and raised his fist while straight after Kazuma raised his hand a little and imitated him with a really nasal, stupid sounding version of the laugh. The veins in Biff's eyes bulged as Kazuma took a step to the right and Biff pulled down his fist with a lot of force.
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"
Kazuma easily spun down to the ground to avoid and then came back up again, gripping Biff's arm with his right hand, which had a fingerless glove on it. "You know, you might want to bring out your Alter now, I'd really hate to beat you without it." Kazuma said lightly as the rest of Biff's gang went into uproar and started yelling things like 'you little!', 'You're done for!' and 'Watch your mouth!' at him. All of them were brandishing weapons like crowbars or bats.
"Hold on, you're not gonna do anything!" Kimishima called to all of the gang members as he pulled a gun out of his coat and then slipped a second into the other hand out of his sleeve, holding them towards them, "Got it boys?"
"I've gotta agree with you there, Kimishima, because I really don't want to hurt anybody here, do I now, Kazuma?" Akira laughed as from out of her sleeves came two long knives with a flick of her wrists. She held them in front of her and pointed them at the two girls, ready to throw with blinding accuracy. They were about as long as the distance between her elbows and her wrists.
"Now Kazuma, I want you to take care of these guys so we don't have to worry about revenge later." Kimishima told the brown haired guy as he let go of Biff's arm and replied with a;
"No problem."
"So kid, you want me to bring my Alter out, huh? Well, it's you lucky day!" Biff looked like a maniac as he looked down at Kazuma, who looked up with his head down with a smirk.
"Shut up and do it."
The boys of the gang all started to get just a little bit restless, saying things like 'Holy crap', 'Oh no!' and 'Biff's gonna bring out his Alter!' in scared or smug voices. Biff leapt back and landed with a thud as the people behind him ran away with their weapons in tow.
"Alright! I'm gonna kick your ass!" Biff yelled as he put his arms back behind his head and yelled. Akira looked on as the familiar multi-coloured Alter energy surrounded him. Holes and cracks exploded into the ground and the subway entrance, and Biff's goons ran for cover, taking their cars and weapons with them. Kazuma had to crouch so he wouldn't lose his balance because the magnitude of energy the guy was emitting was making the ground shake. Kazuma stood up and took a couple steps back. All Kimishima could think about was his car, which had been blown away. He yelped in surprise as something big started to materialize behind Biff. Something really big.
"Masaki go! Get everyone out of here!" Hideki told his little brother as Biff's Alter began to take shape. It was huge, taller than the buildings around it with giant hands. One was like a club with drills in it, and another held Biff, its thick fingers holding him off the ground, away from the carnage it'd created. It had two glaring red eyes and its head was wrapped in bandages.
"I'll see you later!" Kimishima called as he started to run off towards his car to help get everybody out of there in one piece before the fight between Alters happened.
"Well, you wanted to see my Alter!" Biff laughed as he was lifted high in the air in its hand. Akira realised that the club was more like a hammer kind of thing with spikes on the four edges as Biff yelled into the sky; "Hammer!"
"Oh no, we've gotta get out of here!" two of the goons said as they ran off. The car zoomed off with Kimishima in the driver's seat. Akira moved and squeezed Kazuma's arm one last time before she sprinted away and leapt up onto the car, grabbing onto the frame and putting her foot in what was meant to be the door as she looked back at Kazuma, her long white hair blowing in the wind.
"Good luck Kazuma, I hope you win." She whispered to herself as Kimishima drove off with all of the others towards the outskirts of the town before they got involved.
"Now it's time for you to show me yours!" Biff yelled down to Kazuma. "And it'd better be good or you're a goner!"
"It's been a while since the last Alter fight," Kazuma was feeling pumped as he spoke, "I forgot just how good it feels." The wind blew and swept up the hair off his face, causing it to go rigid and spike on his head. It was something that just seemed to happen when the energy began to flow from him.
"You see, I was born with a strange power…they tell me it's not good but if it makes me feel like this inside, then there's just no way Alter power can be bad!" He put his open fist out in front of him and slowly closed it, finger by finger. "Wouldn't you agree?"
There was a sudden increase of Alter energy in the air as Kazuma let loose his Alter side. The astounding energy blew holes in the road and the buildings around him, imploding matter like it was nothing. The power surrounded him and lit up his whole body; swirling into a vortex of power behind his right shoulder. Three thin, red spike-like appendages appeared on his back, each smaller but more powerful than the last.
It started at his closed fist in front of him, splitting his hand and arm into three strips. Right as it started to come apart he allowed the power of his Alter to take over and suddenly bands of his Alter pulled his arm back together. The bands closed up his arm, and out of them came the yellow and orange and red of his Alter; encasing his arm and turning it into a deadly weapon. It was larger near the elbow where it would hold the energy from the three spikes on his back and turn them into bullets. Kazuma called his Alter Shell Bullet, for that precise reason.
Biff saw that was it and burst out laughing as his Alter lifted its hammer arm into the sky. "You call that puny little thing an Alter?"
"Well come and get me then, you bonehead!" Kazuma yelled back in a challenge.
"Bonehead? I'm gonna kill you!" Biff yelled in his gruff voice as he put his own arm up. His Alter followed, before slamming it down at Kazuma. Kazuma spun out of the way and jumped into the air, landing on the arm of Biff's Alter.
"Hey, Bonehead!" He looked expectantly at Biff. "What'd you saw we take this fight up a notch? I'm starting to get bored here." Kazuma took a stance, grinning.
"Why you arrogant little punk!" Biff yelled as his Alter threw Kazuma into the air, only adding to Kazuma's advantage. It only made it easier for him to dodge Biff as he attacked again and again. Kazuma leapt back suddenly. About a hundred or so metres away from where they were fighting stood Akira, Kimishima and the townsfolk by the car, of which Masaki was sitting in, squirming because his brother was hurt. Kazuma landed in a crouch, ready to go forwards again around a meter away from the car.
"Kazuma, finish it up already, would you?" Akira called from her position sitting on the hood of the getaway car.
"You got it!" the brunette yelled as he leapt forwards into a sprint towards the battlefield. Masaki poked his head out of the car as Kazuma ran back into the fight and Kimishima looked down at the boy from where he was leaning against the hood.
"Now watch this, you're about to see a real Alter User." He told the boy.
Kazuma ran right for Hammer with his right hand outstretched in a fist. This was going to be good, and Akira knew it. Because Hammer and Biff had been slamming around so much there was a huge cloud of dust between around the two of them. The Alter energy radiating from Kazuma's Alter cleared the way for him as he cut through the dust.
"Now I got you!" Biff yelled down to Kazuma when he spotted him through the dust that was quickly reseeding. Hammer slammed its claw like foot into the thick concrete; cracking the asphalt like it was nothing. It raised its arm as the large drills started to whir. Kazuma never let up his sprint as the Alter at his elbow suddenly snapped open, making it even wider than it was before.
"SHOCKING FIRST BULLET!" Kazuma roared as one of the spikes on his disintegrated and gave Kazuma just the boost in strength he needed. "Ready?"
Kazuma ran at Hammer; Hammer threw his arm out towards Kazuma; Kazuma's power increased with every passing moment; Hammer's fist got closer and closer until finally the two fists connected.
There was silence for only a moment, but it felt like forever. An ear-splitting crack rebounded against the buildings as Kazuma's power erupted and cut through Hammer's arm. There was a blinding burst of light as Biff screamed and fell backwards as his Alter began to crack, until finally Hammer fell onto the ruined concrete. Hammer exploded, sending a torrent of Alter Energy rippling through the air. The people near the car covered their faces as the wind blew like a storm over them, nearly tipping over the car. Masaki held on, hovering over Hideki in the car with him.
"He did it!" Masaki exclaimed in awe. He was partly hiding behind the dashboard of the vehicle to shield him from the worst of the wind. The dust cleared, and standing there alone with two spikes on his back and his Alter fully intact was Kazuma.
Then there was a sharp thud as Biff landed a little way in front of the Alter User, and the few remaining people from his Gang of Goons ran to him, trying to shake him awake.
"You hurt our Biff!" one of them yelled at Kazuma as Akira smiled and jumped off the hood of the car, happy that Kazuma had won against such a big Alter.
"Are you next?" He asked. A blinding white erupted from their right, and the gang members shielded their eyes. Akira looked to see that the only people they dreaded were just over the rubble. They'd come to find Kazuma.
It was HOLY; the Alter User sector of HOLD; the security and police force; the law makers in the Lost Ground. They were powerful, but Kazuma didn't care.
"If you're still looking for a fight, we'll be your next opponent, Mr Native Alter." A woman with short bright blue hair and dressed in a skimpy purple, black and white dress called over a loudspeaker from one of the many brown tank like things that were rolling up towards them.
On top of each tank was a team of marksmen; armed and ready to shoot. So, HOLD and HOLY were collaborating on this one. Kazuma looked at the tanks and Kimishima and Akira ran towards Kazuma, yelling for him to get out of there.
"Kazuma! It's HOLD, let's get out of here!" Kimishima yelled at the brown haired boy as he glared down the heavily armed forces of the Organization of HOLD.
"Four thou!" Kazuma yelled, making Kimishima stop short. "Four thou and I'll buy you some time! Now get Akira and the others out of here!"
"You got it!" Kimishima replied, turning tail to run back towards the car, but Akira wouldn't budge. She was determined to stay right where she was; she would help Kazuma any way she could. There was no way he'd be able to hold of HOLY for too long. She'd do anything to help him, even if it meant revealing her secret.
"KAZUMA!" Akira screamed as Kimishima grabbed her by the stomach, hoisting her up and pulling her with him towards the car as she battered against his back with her fists. Her sharp nails were digging into him through his clothing, but Kimishima kept on going. He knew he couldn't disobey Kazuma in this kind of situation.
"Dammit Kimishima! I have to get to Kazuma! LET ME GO!" Akira screamed, pounding against her friends back as he carried her off towards the car. He didn't let go of her, because if he did he'd never catch her again; she was too fast and too agile.
"Now get out of here you losers!" Kazuma yelled, punching the ground and sending a shock wave towards the goons and Biff, sending them flying through the air. He turned to the tanks. "I don't care if you are HOLD!" Kazuma cried. Akira still battered furiously against the back of one of her best friends to try and get to the side of the Alter User. Kazuma jumped towards the tanks. The blue haired girl called for an open fire to the officers, who raised their weapons. Before they could shoot Kazuma pulled his fist back and struck the centre of the tank the girl was on, denting in the metal.
Suddenly, too quickly, the door of that tank opened and out stepped a young man about Kazuma's age with green hair and pulsing red eyes. He was dressed in a blue, black and white uniform and looking full of authority. But what Kazuma didn't know was that this man was the start of a story he could never imagine, a story that would find himself as a captive of HOLY, and sentenced as a Second Degree Criminal.
Meanwhile, far away Kimishima and Akira were driving away from Kazuma and his fate with their friends of the subway area when Masaki asked a question.
"Do you think he's gonna be alright?" The boy asked, sounding a little unsure.
"Kazuma's never gone up against HOLD before, but don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine. I've never seen anyone stronger than him." Kimishima replied, causing Akira look out the side of the car in the seat next to him, hoping, praying that Kazuma was alright.
_-_S-CRY-ED_-_
AN; Hey guys, here's the first chapter reloaded~
AN (Sunday, 1st April- date of completion); Edited and slightly rewritten~ Man, I never realised how many errors there were in here… I did a fair bit of editing and I rewrote it to fix up the little tense errors and made the sentences more…I don't know how to describe it, you could just say I edited the thing, I guess! Oh well! Onto the next one!
R&R