Terra Firma

Chapter Two: A Surprise Meeting

The blow knocked him back against the wall, and probably loosened a few teeth.

Surprise was total. Kuroda didn't have time to brace, nor roll with the punch to lessen the impact. So against the wall he went.

Not that it slowed him down in the slightest.

Teeth bared in a feral snarl, he recovered and was on his feet in a snap, ready to launch a savage reprisal in the form of a punch of his own or a barrage of terra-kinesis.

He stopped when he realised he was staring up at a familiar face.

Tetsuo Morioka stood in the doorway looking like he hadn't slept a wink in months, which was actually pretty standard for him. The older male's mud brown hair was mussed and he was sloppily dressed in a plain white undershirt and jeans which he hadn't buckled up. Kuroda noticed that there were marks on his neck and instantly understood the situation.

Tetsuo blinked, surprised, and then offered a hand to Kuroda.

'Sorry man,' he mumbled; his voice croaky. Kuroda could smell the alcohol on his breath. 'Thought you'd be someone else… you look like shit by the way.'

'Yeah, clearly, and thanks,' Kuroda said as he clasped the hand offered and let Tetsuo help him to his feet. 'So whose girlfriend was it this time?'

'Same as it always is,' Tetsuo answered sleepily, turning to enter the apartment. 'So, yeah, sorry man but I'm going to–'

'Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't worry I'll take care of it.' Kuroda answered, stepping inside with Tetsuo. He paused at the entrance to his friend's apartment. The smell of alcohol, tobacco, and more carnal vices hit him almost like a wave. If he wasn't so used to it by now he'd have gagged. Tetsuo clearly mistook the look on Kuroda's face for disgust.

'What? The smell?' the older student asked.

'Nah, I just remembered something and you're going to love it.'

'Oh?' Tetsuo raised an eyebrow.

'Yeah, just hold on here a few I need to make a quick trip.' With that said, he left.

The trip took roughly five minutes and when Kuroda returned he held two indistinct grey briefcases. Tetsuo eyed them warily.

'Am I going to like what's in those?' he asked. 'And where did you get them anyway?'

'Shut up…' Kuroda replied, setting both cases down before releasing the catches and opening them. 'And feast your eyes.'

Tetsuo seemed to shut down for a moment. Then his tired eyes widened until Kuroda thought they were going to pop out of their sockets.

'How…' he began.

'Little present from a friend of mine named Gou,' Kuroda said with a smirk.

'Gou… hold up, you don't mean that Gou, do you?'

Kuroda gave him a pointed look.

'Right, of course it was. So who asked you to bring him in?'

'I dunno,' Kuroda shrugged. 'Some first year kid at my school. Gou and his cronies probably shook him down for cash or something a few too many times, I didn't bother asking.'

'Uh huh,' Tetsuo nodded. 'So how much did he give you for that little odd-job then?'

'About ¥20,000.'

Tetsuo raised a brow at his younger friend. 'That's cheap. For you I mean.'

'Times are tough, I know that. People got to keep afloat somehow and if I charge too much for my little services word'll probably get around.'

Tetsuo stared at the notes in the cases.

'Doesn't look like you're going to have much of an issue keeping yourself afloat for a while.'

'One's for you.'

Tetsuo swerved around so fast Kuroda thought his head might snap off.

'No shit?' He said, gawping in astonishment.

'Well yeah, I mean I still owe you the rent from the last three months that you covered for me.'

A grin spread across Tetsuo's tired features and he pulled Kuroda close in a sloppy one-handed hug.

'You're a real pal little dude. Don't know where I'd be without you.'

'Probably buried in a gutter somewhere.'

'Probably, yeah,' Tetsuo agreed.

Kuroda took hold of one case and strode into his room as Tetsuo continued to marvel at his gift. Unlike the rest of the apartment it was clean, or clean as according to Kuroda Makoto. Worn, dirty clothes were heaped in one corner of the room next to a closet and his plain tan duvet cover was crinkled and marked with various stains.

He set the briefcase full of notes down beside his bed and undressed, wincing as he flexed his beaten limbs. Kuroda stepped into the en suite and took in his appearance in the mirror above the sink. One cheek was swelling and he sported a black eye, which was bloodshot. His lip was torn at the corner and dried blood marked a trail from his nose and stained his upper lip.

'Yeesh,' Kuroda murmured to himself with a grimace. 'I do look like shit.'

He took into account the various other bruises that marked his adolescent body, and finally seemed to realise that they hurt. Badly. He also felt exhausted and groaned wearily. The adrenaline rush had finally worn off and now he was entering the crash. He needed some sleep.

On a normal day he'd have run himself a bath and just let himself soak in it, revelling in the warmth that enveloped him like a blanket. Today he was just too tired and it was too much of a hassle, so he ran the shower and began the process of washing the grime and blood from today's adventure off his aching body before towelling off, throwing a simple plain white T-shirt and some boxer shorts on and crashing into bed.

-X-

Roughly two hours after Kuroda had dropped off his two pursuers dropped onto the balcony of his and Tetsuo's apartment. Yukino had complained that their pursuit had used up most of the water she carried with her almost time. Hayama retrieved a lockpick from his coat and began to work the mechanism that opened the French window.

'You're a Level Four Cryo-kinetic; can't you just use the moisture in the air?' he asked, his voice hushed.

'Well yeah, of course I could. I'm not like those wussy Level Threes, or the pathetic Level Twos,' Yukino answered back irritably.

'Then what are you complaining about?'

'It's just… it's just harder to do that's all. I mean what if we need to freeze this guy in one place? I don't think he's just going to stand still and wait for me to get my gig on.'

'That implies he'll fight us.'

'We're breaking into his apartment, I don't think that strikes most people as a very friendly gesture in the first place,' Yukino remarked snidely.

Hayama paused a moment.

'All right, point made. But if it all goes as Mr Grey Hound suggested–'

'Come on, you should know by now that these plans fall apart as soon as things get even a little bit hairy. You mark my words; the moment we wake this guy up, he'll attack… and why is it that I'm telling you this? You're always the one–'

She was cut off when Hayama held a finger to her lips and, once Yukino had calmed down, removed it and signalled that he was finished. He slid the door open and took several cautious steps inside, motioning for Yukino to follow.

Yukino watched Hayama move in the dark. She didn't know quite how to describe his movements. They were slow, measured, but sure at the same time, like he'd done this a thousand times before. She had a strange thought that this was what it was like watching an artisan work his craft.

Unfortunately, even artisans are prone to quirks of misfortune.

A loud flush reverberated through the apartment and a door suddenly flung open, bathing the sitting room in orange light. A young man slightly older than Hayama stepped out of the restroom, clothed in an undershirt and very creased jeans. He yawned loudly and stopped when he finished and found himself looking upon the two intruders.

The older man's expression went from confusion to realisation to horror in the span of a heartbeat and he opened his mouth to shout–

–Hayama pounced.

But he was an instant too late. A strangulated cry escaped Tetsuo's lips before Hayama collided with him, knocking them both to the floor. Hayama clamped a hand around Tetsuo's mouth, in the same moment pushing his other arm against Tetsuo's throat, cutting off his windpipe and strangling the older male.

'Yukino!' Hayama hissed.

Yukino nodded, even though Hayama wouldn't see it in the dark and with his attention fixed on Tetsuo. She retrieved a bottle of water and froze the liquid inside before moving it and moulding it to restrain Tetsuo's limbs. With that settled Hayama put more pressure on the weakening Tetsuo's throat.

'Hush,' he whispered. 'It's nothing personal. Just relax and you'll be fine.'

'Says the guy strangling him,' Yukino muttered darkly. Finally Tetsuo went limp and Hayama removed his hand before Tetsuo suffered damage from being deprived of oxygen for too long. He spent a moment making sure his victim was still breathing when a sudden slam reached his ears.

He looked up to see a vicious kick aimed squarely at his face.

Kuroda kicked Hayama like he was punting a soccer ball. The force behind the kick knocked the older boy off his feet and saw him lying on his back. Yukino cried out in surprise and moulded what little water she possessed to try and restrain the boy. Kuroda stepped in close to her and hammered a fist into her gut. Yukino doubled over and knew little more and Kuroda slammed his elbow onto the back of her skull, knocking her out.

He whirled around in moments to deal with Hayama–

– but Hayama was already up.

Kuroda threw a hasty right hook that was vicious, but ill-planned and Hayama slithered right around it, stepping inside Kuroda's reach. The older boy moved like a whip, pressing his fingers into various points on Kuroda's body in a snap. He stepped back. The entire process had taken little more than a second and Kuroda had been entirely caught off-guard by his speed.

He was even more surprised though, to find that his body would not respond to his commands. He tried to take a step forward but instead collapsed face first on the smooth, pale carpet of the apartment.

'What did you–' he asked, stunned, but in no pain whatsoever.

'Pressure points,' Hayama replied as if it explained everything. 'It was pretty hard to learn, and even harder to get right, but I had a very good teacher.'

Hayama stooped low next to the prone Kuroda, examining him behind his spectacles, which he had somehow kept attached to his face when Kuroda had floored him.

'You're pretty good you know. No technique, but suffice to say I'm impressed, even managed to take down our own Ice Princess – without your powers no less. Hell, give it a few years I think you may even have taken me out as well.'

'Can't tell you how pleased that makes me,' Kuroda muttered darkly; his spark returning. Hayama chuckled.

'Well okay, maybe you wouldn't have won, but it would've been a lot closer.' With that, he picked himself up and roused Yukino from her slumber with a few taps here and there. She'd be sore for a few hours, but it would be easier with her up and about.

The young woman groaned and clutched her head, which no doubt ached quite badly.

'Whazzat? What happened? Why do I hurt in places?' She asked groggily.

'No reason,' Hayama answered lightly. 'Now, let's get this show on the road. Yukino, stand next to the big boy would you?'

'You touch him and you die,' Kuroda snarled.

'Relax friend, my lovely associate here isn't going to harm your older brother.'

'He's not my –'

'Yes, yes, I know, but your psyche profile was pretty specific. Of course you can deny it if you want – as I'm sure you would if I hadn't interrupted you – but we both know what we both know.' He clapped his hands together, which made Yukino wince. 'Anyway! Do you know who we are, Mr Makoto?'

'Should I?'

'Not really, otherwise it would mean we're not doing our jobs properly. Our… employer wants to have a few words with you.'

Kuroda – who could only just move his neck, and even then with some difficulty – craned his head around, looking for a third intruder.

'I'm not seeing him.'

'Well no, that's… that's kind of what this is for.' With that, Hayama reached into his coat and retrieved a small tablet. He turned the device on and tapped on a few options before setting it up in front of Kuroda. The screen was filled with a man swathed in shadow that concealed his facial features. What was visible was a blocky, powerful figure in a smart business suit and a shaven head. He sat on a large armchair that almost radiated power and when he spoke, it was a deep, gravelly voice that brooked no talkback and demanded supplication.

'Hello Kuroda Makoto. I am known as Grey Hound; a member of this city's Board of Directors.'

Kuroda froze, his blood turning to ice in his veins. What did this powerful man want with him?

Grey Hound continued, 'I will be blunt, as time is very much of the essence. I have been observing you for some time now, as I believe you possess skills useful to me, and to the city.'

A smart reply formed in Kuroda's head and almost instantly withered away when he remembered he was speaking to one of the people who ran this city. He felt his aggression fade.

'Recent events have proven to me that my initial thoughts were correct. I need you, Kuroda Makoto. Your city needs you.'

Kuroda was stunned into silence. It took what felt like aeons before he recovered the use of his vocal chords.

'What do you need me for? Why not someone else?'

'If there were someone else don't you think Hayama and Yukino would be visiting them instead of you right now? I have browsed the files made available to me and I have made my decision. My list was not particularly extensive and the others on said list I cannot, in all feasibility, even attempt to recruit due to directives from the Head Superintendent and other members of the Board.

'What if I said no?'

The figure, who had so far been an unmoving statue, leaned forward. Kuroda could just make out a glimpse of one sharp eye which was narrowed dangerously. He crossed his hands and leaned his face forwards. He turned his head to the side and gave the slightest of nods.

The feed of Grey Hound vanished, replaced instead by what looked like a hospital bed. There was a slender figure laid on the bed – female. She was pitifully thin and her skin was blotched as though it was healing from…

Burns…

Kuroda's eyes travelled up to her face…

And he felt his heart stop.

It had been two years but he recognised that shade of auburn. The way her fringe curled naturally to the left, which, coupled with her short bangs, framed her heartrendingly thin face like a photo frame. Her cute button nose and dimpled cheeks and the small mole under her left eye confirmed what Kuroda thought, but couldn't quite bring himself to believe.

'Aika…' he breathed.

The feed switched back to Grey Hound's persona.

'We retrieved her two years ago shortly after the fire that consumed her student block. If I recall correctly you beat the perpetrator – a level 3 pyro-kinetic – into a coma.'

'I'll do the same to you if you don't tell me exactly where she is!' Kuroda hissed through clenched teeth, his face contorted into a feral expression. Hayama looked down at him with a disapproving expression while Yukino glanced over at the prone youth as if to discern what the commotion was about.

'I have no doubt you would were you informed of my location. You can relax though, Mr Makoto. We are not going to have her killed. Indeed, she was progressing rather promisingly along the power curriculum as a Telepath before that… tragic incident. I believe that she could well have achieved Level 3 at this stage were it not for the actions of one bitter boy's mistake. Indeed, I hope that she will make a full recovery within the span of the next few months…'

Grey Hound's tone of voice made it seem like he was going somewhere. Kuroda had an inkling as to where exactly that was.

'You want me to work for you, and in exchange you'll heal her, is that it?' he asked.

Grey Hound uncrossed his hands and leaned back into his chair. 'My dear boy, we were going to heal her anyway. But I do have access to technology that would make the process a little bit faster, a little bit… less painful. Naturally however, this technology is in hot demand and short supply on account of how difficult it is to develop.

'You are correct in your thoughts though – I like a mind that catches on quickly: in exchange for this… arrangement, I will give the doctors treating her access to this technology.'

Kuroda didn't even need a moment to think.

'I'll do it.'

He could almost feel the smile stretch across Grey Hound's indiscernible features.

'Excellent. I do love when agreement is reached. You will be given a file with a location and a date. Be there on that day at that time. Do not worry about numbers or email. I will have a way to contact you, be sure of that. Until then, Mr Makoto, I bid you good night.'

The feed died and Kuroda was left staring at a blank screen. He suddenly felt drained; like that conversation had sapped years of life from him in one go and he breathed a deep sigh.

'Yeah, I know the feeling,' Hayama said softly, sounding almost sympathetic.

Kuroda snapped his head up to face the older boy.

'So I guess you're his go-to-goon right? If that's all there is and we're on the same team now I don't suppose you can let me up now?'

Hayama raised an eyebrow and stared at him for a moment. The corner of his lip tugged in a small smirk and he raised himself.

'Well, I don't see why not.' He stretched his shoulders and cracked the bones in his hands, exaggerating the movements before entering a strange stance standing above Kuroda's prone form.

'Be aware though, you may sting for a few hours. I am going to just forcibly reactivate your limbs shortly after putting them to sleep after all.'

With that he struck, fingers digging into points only a handful of others could know the locations of and even fewer could actually hit with any degree of accuracy.

Just like that Kuroda felt control return to him and he hurriedly pushed himself up onto his feet. Hayama was right. He ached all over, but at least he was upright again.

'Okay…' he said, taking a deep breath…

Before lashing out with a punch at Hayama.

The older boy stepped aside like he was giving way to an elderly pensioner. He shook his head.

'Tut tut. You practically telegraphed that one. Why I bet even the densest Level 0 would have been able to see that one coming.'

Kuroda, who had overstepped, stumbled and fell to his knees, his face burning. He felt… he didn't know how he felt. He wanted to break something but at the same time he felt like he was on an all-time high as well. Aika was alive. He felt a rush surging through him and suddenly felt like throwing up. Hayama brought him up and rushed him into the bathroom, where he was violently ill into the bowl of the toilet.

'Never seen that reaction before,' Hayama remarked.

'He okay?' Yukino called, having been muted entirely by the conversation between Grey Hound and Kuroda.

'He will be,' Hayama called back.

It was five minutes but eventually Kuroda got back onto his feet. As he stepped out of the bathroom after wiping himself down he caught sight of Tetsuo, still restrained by Yukino's ice on the floor. Hayama was out on the balcony making a call, leaving just him and the ice manipulator.

'Can you let him go now? I'm not going to fight back anymore. Don't think he'll be much up to it either.'

Yukino quirked a brow but removed the ice, letting it flow back into the bottle where she melted it again. Kuroda whistled.

'Ice powers right? That's a pretty handy trick there. With the bottle I mean.'

'It helps.' Yukino replied before replacing the bottle within her coat and folding her arms. Kuroda took in her thick winter coat.

'Aren't you warm like that?' he asked. Yukino gave him a pointed look.

'Right. Of course, sorry I asked. Geez, attitude problem much?'

'You tried to bash my skull in earlier,' she said in a deadpan tone.

'In my defence I thought you were both burglars… or worse.'

'Worse than burglars?'

'You know what? Let's not dig too much into that.'

'What, about the fact that you hunt thugs for cash?'

Kuroda turned sharply to face Yukino, who had a smug smirk on her face.

'Yeah… that.' Kuroda said; unsure of what her game was exactly.

A brief moment's silence reigned, which Yukino broke seconds later.

'So who was it?' she asked.

'Hm?'

'Who was it that made you say yes? I'm pretty sure I heard a girl's name.'

'You jealous?' Kuroda baited with a teasing grin. Yukino frowned, but didn't bite as he'd thought she would. After another moment's silence Kuroda dropped the grin and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about where to start.

'Aika Tsukino. She was… she is… like a little sister to me. Mine and her families were both pretty close back in the day. I got sent here and she followed soon after.'

'What? She was crushing on her brother figure?' Yukino asked with a teasing grin of her own. Kuroda realised with a start that he actually rather liked the look of that grin, and now that he really looked, he noticed that Yukino was a rather pretty thing. Her snow white hair and almost completely clear eyes gave her an aura that Kuroda thought was exotic. He fought through his more impure thoughts and back to the conversation at hand.

'No. No, she was just lonely. She was pretty bad at making friends. Mature for her age. Damn smart but I guess that comes with a price huh? All the other girls her age were playing with dolls and playing mommy. She was reading books.'

Yukino didn't reply, but nodded sombrely, her eyes seemed to glaze over – though Kuroda couldn't tell for sure what with her strange irises and the poor light.

'Anyway, she changed – for the better I might add – after coming here. The power curriculum was probably the best thing that could ever have happened to her in that regard… and then she died. Or I thought she did.'

'What happened?' she asked, though she had a rough idea already.

'Some pyro-kinetic asshole got drunk and burned down her student dorm,' Kuroda said, bitterness tinging his voice. 'Fourteen students, kids – no more than thirteen years old – were killed, including one Aika Tsukino, or so I believed.'

'You found the guy.' It wasn't a question.

Kuroda chuckled mirthlessly, he was delving into memories he'd thought of as the blackest in his entire life.

'Oh yeah. I found the prick and I pulled no punches. Last I heard he was still in a coma in some hospital. Bastard deserved it, and I hope he never wakes up for what he did.'

'You don't regret it then,' as with before, it wasn't a question, more a statement of fact.

'Hell no. I know it didn't bring Aika or those kids back but Judgement and Anti-Skill were reeling with this other case or some shit. I found some intel; asked around, and eventually I found my way to the guy who did it and gave him his just desserts. That's justice, and if there's still any left in the world that scumbag's going to rot and die in that hospital bed because he doesn't deserve to lead a life when so many others don't.'

Yukino nodded and leaned against the wall, glancing outside the French windows at Hayama, who was still on his phone.

'So what about you then?' Kuroda asked.

Yukino tilted her head to the side as if considering whether or not to answer, before finally she sighed and rolled her shoulders.

'Not much to say really. My parents both work for Grey Hound in his personal R&D Department. I got seconded to him when I developed powers. I reached Level 4 with his help and that of his R&D.' Her face softened a touch as she reminisced on some distant memory.

'So, what, you think he's a good guy then?'

Yukino pursed her lips.

'Worse than some; better than most.'

'What the hell is that supposed to mea–'

It was at that moment when Hayama strode through the door, his call evidently finished.

'Well then, everything's arranged. You and I had best be on our way Yukino,' he turned to Kuroda and handed him an envelope which contained a state of the art smartphone and an earpiece. 'Take those, you'll need them come the due date… oh and by the way, I look forward to working with you.'

'Sure…' Kuroda murmured as he examined his new presents suspiciously.

'Turn the phone on and you'll go through the set-up process. It's on an encrypted network so only Grey Hound and anyone he authorises will know what's being said through it. Once you go through start-up you'll get an email with the details of our first assignment. We'll see you then.' He turned and motioned for Yukino to follow, who walked through the French window and created a bridge that stretched from the balcony all the way to the roof of the nearest building. Kuroda whistled, impressed.

'Ah yes,' Hayama said, turning around.

'Make sure that you are ready… for anything. The world you're getting yourself wrapped up inside… it's nothing like the one you're used to,' he said, his tone and face all set in a serious expression.

'Save it big guy, I can handle myself.'

'If you say so,' Hayama replied, and with that, he and Yukino took off over the bridge, which melted away as soon as they were across it.

Kuroda rubbed his temple as he sauntered over to where Tetsuo lay unconscious. He heaved the older lad into his bedroom and plopped him on the mattress before making his way to his own room. He lay down but found that sleep eluded him. He kept thinking about the intrusion, Grey Hound's words, and, of course, Aika.

He paused to consider Hayama's final words before leaving, and grit his teeth, his mind made up.

'Oh, I'll be more than ready.'