I own nothing, not the characters, the space where this story exists, or even the eyes that you are using to read it. This is for entertainment purposes only, no money involved.
It had been a month since Mizore joined our little group and she was starting to warm up to other a little more… ok maybe not. But she still seemed like she was having more fun with us. She even joined the newspaper club. Everything seemed to be going great… until they showed up.
"What the hell?" Kurumu swore as she saw a different group of people handing out newspapers. "Who are you people?" She asked the person who seemed to be leading the group.
"We're the super-newspaper club." The girl said arrogantly. She had straight purplish hair and a rather uninteresting demonic aura, except for the fact that it seemed to pulsate a bit. "We were all tired of your boring useless paper and decided that there needed to be a change."
"But… you can't." Tsukune said weakly.
The girl pulled out some kind of document from the office. "As you can see we are an officially recognized club. And we are going to make is so no one even remembers you."
I looked at the document and noticed the club leaders name on it, Keito. It would be a place to start looking into all this. Looking around I noticed that their newspaper was using color printers and flashy pictures of girls to get people's attention. The whole thing remained me of the Masters Blasters.
"If you think you can stay around then why don't you try and compete with us?" Keito said in a way that made me wonder if Kurumu was just going to kill her and get it over with.
"Well that is exactly what we are going to do!" Kurumu shouted and stomped off.
After the woman walked away laughing, I turned to the group. "Something stinks and it isn't just her breath. Tsukune, I need you to try and find Gin. I think he peeps from the roof tops around this time of day. Kurumu, you and the rest of the girls start handing out the papers the best you can."
"What are you going to do, Big Brother?" Yukari asked.
"What reporters are supposed to do? These guys were put up to this. I'm going to see by who and why." I started to walk towards the offices.
It wasn't hard to get the form and permission to look at how the school was distributing the club funding. I would be able to find which teacher requested it and that would tell us who wants rid of our paper. "What the hell. They don't have funding from the school." I said aloud out of confusion. But they had those fancy color printers. Someone had to have bought them. "Damn, don't tell me I hit a dead end all ready."
'What can I try next? Just asking around would take a lot of time. And there is no guarantee that anyone would talk to me or know anything.' I had a copy of their club form with a full list of names. In the room next to me is where they kept the records on all the students.
I glanced around to make sure no one was looking, though I couldn't sense any demon energy. I turned invisible and intangible and moved into the files room. It didn't take long for me to locate the file on 'Keito', but when I did it wasn't good. "Shit." I muttered. "The Public Safety Commission." I grabbed the files on the other three only to recognize them. They were all names of people I counted as disappeared if not dead. Each was part of a club that had been taken down by the Committee.
I grabbed the folders and went and made copies of them before returning them to their places. When I got back to the club room I found the girls all standing around in gothic maid outfits. Moka and Mizore were trying to comfort a crying Yukari as Kurumu simply looked outraged.
"What's wrong, Yukari?" I asked Yukari as I came in.
She looked up at me. "Lolicons are scary." She said through her tears. I don't really know what that means. Was a Lolicon a type of monster? You can't expect me to be that familiar with Japanese. But I patted her on the back and told her it was alright all the same.
"Those jerks in the super newspaper club were only handing out more newspapers because they were wearing skimpy swimsuits. Well whatever they can do we can do better we even skimpier swimsuits." Kurumu said and I had to fight down a blush at the thought of her in a swimsuit.
"As much as I would love to see that, the answer is no." We all looked to see that Tsukune was back with Gin.
"What but why not?" Kurumu almost shouted.
"Sorry, but this is one that we are just going to have to lose. Nothing good can come from beating them." Gin said solemnly.
"Are you nuts? Those talentless idiots that have to use cheap tricks to get reads." Kurumu said angrily.
"I'm more worried about who is behind them." Gin said seriously.
"So you found out too then," I said sadly and pulled out the folders. "Keito is an officer in the Public Safety Commission." I said opening up her file and showing the picture of her in their black uniforms.
"Public Safety Commission?" Moka said a bit confused.
"Who or what is that?" Mizore asked.
"Isn't that the group that tried to recruit you at the club fair, Big Brother?" Yukari asked and I nodded.
"Well in a nut shell they are like a more violent version of a disciplinary committee." Gin said as we all sat down for the talk. "They are all about fighting first and asking question never. They claim that it is all to keep the peace and that they are just taking the bad guys down on campus. People sometime call them the Student Police."
"But if those guys are supposed to be part of the student police then why are they after us?" Tsukune asked nervously.
"Yeah, we haven't done anything wrong." Moka said sadly.
"Because they can. Tsu, this isn't like that society that you were in back in the human world. This isn't Japan. This place is a military dictatorship." I said leaning back. "We had something like it back home for me too. A monster named Walker and his gang. They made up laws and beat down whoever they wanted to. They even attacked the humans in broad daylight and kidnapped the mayor." I shook my head. "They will do whatever they want because no one can stop them. And if you try then you will be labeled the criminal and locked up."
"How do you know all of this?" Tsukune asked.
"I have to look into people's disappearances and check if they just left or if they died. From what I can tell about 20% of all disappearances have something to do with the student police." I said looking at all of them. "But the fact is that the entire school knows about them. They just don't talk about it."
"What do you mean?" Mizore said.
Gin was the one to explain this one. "Everyone has to be in a club because it is supposed to be practice acting like a human for when you try to make human friends in the human world. The Public Safety Commission takes a percentage of every clubs budget as 'protection money'. If the club refuses then they are attacked and the members disappear." He said.
"But why not us then?" Kurumu asked.
"Because we weren't worth the trouble. Ms. Nekonome never figured out how to request a budget from the school. Our club can barely function, our printing press is working on one hundred present pure Fenton magic right now." I said totting my own horn a little.
"I still don't know how you got that this running again." Gin said looking at me.
"Family trade secret." I said with a grin.
"It is hard to believe that a group as criminal as that would be allowed to exist on campus." Moka said a hit of fear in her voice.
"But why are they trying to get rid of us now?" Yukari asked.
"That's the real question I suppose. We probably have gotten to popular for their liking. They are just getting rid of us before we become a real threat." Gin said.
"We should count our lucky stars that they didn't just attack us and try to make us disappear." I said looking around at my friends. 'I don't want any of them to get hurt.' "They probably would have if we hadn't won that scrap with the 'West Bogs Academy' baseball team. They don't feel like risking their men against a Vampire if they don't have to."
"No, I don't think that's it. I think they just thought that this way would be more degrading. Or maybe they want a paper that is under their control in place once we're gone." Gin said shaking his head.
"What just a second, if there is a gang like that at our school, then isn't it our duty as the newspaper club to expose what they're doing?" Tsukune said.
"Yeah, you hit the nail on the head that time, Tsukune." Yukari said grinning.
"That's right, we will keep hitting them with article after article." Kurumu agreed.
I wasn't as sure. Power of the press wasn't that much when there is this much fear and no freedom of speech. Gin seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He slammed his hand down on the table. "We are not going to debate this nonsense any longer." He said harshly. "The newspaper club is done, the rest of these newspapers go to the incinerator."
Gin got up and started to leave the room. "No wait." Tsukune said hoping to change his mind.
"But Gin, we worked so hard on it." Moka said sadly.
"You heard what I said. This is the official club decision." Gin said and was gone in that way he had of just disappearing.
I got up now. "I'm going to go find Ms. Nekonome. Maybe we can set up a different club. Just because we can't make newspapers shouldn't mean we have to split up." I said hopefully and started to walk out.
I reached the teachers office but couldn't find Ms. Nekonome so I just felt a message on her desk saying what happened. But thing just seemed to be getting worse that day. "Hey Fenton!" I turned to see Grail and his two lackeys coming towards me.
"Oh, Grail, how can I help you?" I asked turning to him and smiling.
"Well, know that that worthless newspaper club of yours is going under, I was coming to see if you hadn't reconsidered joining the Public Safety Commission." Grail said grinning.
Did he honestly think that I was going to betray my friends and join the group that closed down our club? I know I didn't really like being stuck writing the obituary, but I did have fun helping everyone out and just being there with my friends.
"Sorry, but I'm just going to stick with my friends. The newspapers weren't what were important anyways." I said. People's heads were starting to turn in our direction. I guess like at any school they could smell trouble and were looking for a distraction from classes.
To my surprise Grail started to laugh. "Well then, I guess it is a good thing that our little Keito is taking care of those friends of yours right now. She was really looking forward to teaching that blue haired bitch some respect. You know the one with a mouth as big as her chest."
My eyes widened with horror and I turned to go and find my friends. But before I could even move something grabbed my arm. Grail was holding me back. "Let me go!" I shout and the thug and tried to pull away. I tried to turn my arm intangible but it didn't work. Just like when against a ghost, I couldn't phase through his aura.
"Not a chance. I was told to take care of you, Fenton. One way…" He body began to grow and the black uniform started to rip as his body expanded. That copper coloring of his skin became more and more obvious. Once he stopped growing he was about as big as my dad and completely made out of copper. "…or another!" He shouted and punched me in the face still holding onto my arm. "This is your last chance Fenton. Join us!"
"You think… you are the first person to give me the stupid join the dark side speech." I grunted straightening myself before kicking off the ground and planting an ecto charged foot in his face. He lost his grip and staggered back holding his face. "Your over confidence is your weakness."
"And your friends are yours." He said making me wonder if this monster had watched Star Wars. Then the two lackeys that followed him turned into eels and wrapped themselves around his arms. He then threw a punch at me that I dodged. The punch left a hole in the wall where I had been standing and electrical sparks came flying out. The eels must have been some kind of monster version of electric eels, and his copper body acted as a conductor.
"I don't have time for this." The pure white ring formed around my waist. As it separated, turning me into my ghost form I leveled my green eyes on the copper golem. "I won't let you stop me from helping my friends."
"So this is your true form. Not as impressive as I had been expecting. Now then… DIE!" He swung one of his fists in a wide arc towards me. I could have easily dodged, but why bother. I grabbed the hand in mid swing. "Bad move." He said as the electricity coursed through my body. But I simply looked at him.
"Please, on a scale from one to ten of all the times I've been shocked this is a three at best." I said absorbing his electricity and building up a charge of my own. "Let me show you a shock." I let loss the electric charge that I called my ghost stinger. It was a far greater amount of voltage then the electricity that he was using. Plus my own ghostly aura was mixed in and it seemed to be disrupting his demonic aura.
He shook violently before collapsing to the ground unconscious. I didn't have any more time to waste. Turning invisible and went our through the walls and flew towards the incinerator back behind the school. To my relief everyone was there and they didn't look hurt. "Guys are you all alright." I said transforming back as I landed in front of them all.
They all didn't seem to be paying attention to me. "Guys?" I said a little more worried now.
Then I heard an irritating laugh from someone nearby. I looked and saw above us Keito in her Public Safety Commission's uniform in the middle of a large web and she had six spiderlike legs sticking out of her stomach. It was gross to say the least. "Looks like Grail wasn't able to handle you after all." The spider-woman said. "But that doesn't matter. I will just have to teach you your place, just like I did your friends."
"Wha… what do you mean?" I asked my heart up in my throat. I looked at my friends.
"You'll see. Minions, grab him for me." Keito said grinning like a mad woman.
My heart went from in my throat all the way down into my heels when my friends chimed together. "Yes Mistress."
Moka and Tsukune both rushed me and I took to the air to get away from them. But I wasn't safe up there. Mizore and Yukari were throwing icicles and metal pans at me and I had to struggle to dodge them all. 'This can't be happening." My mind raced but I still was drawing blanks.
"Hahahaha… It looks like you can't hurt your little friends. But they have no problem hurting you!" Keito laughter caught my attention.
'Maybe if I take her down they will be released.' The thought gave me hope. I flew up higher and prepared to dive bomb the spider-woman. But as I turned down Kurumu was right in front of me with her nails our stretched.
Time seemed to freeze as I shot a ghost ray in surprise in order to defend myself. Kurumu screamed and began to fall towards the earth. The impact resounded in my ears like an earthquake. "Kurumu!" I shouted in horror of what I had done.
"Would you look at that? I guess you weren't that good of a friend after all. Did she real deserve you doing something so horrible to her?" Keito taunted me. From my position in the sky I could see a small trickle of blood go down the side of Kurumu's face.
"You…" I whispered through my clenched teeth. "You will pay." The ring reappeared around me and revealed my ghost form. "I will make sure of it!"
Before the Student Policewoman could respond I flew forward driving my hand into her neck and forced her through the wall behind her into the second story class room. The students were in shock as I bashed the spider against every feasible surface. Blood was dripping from her mouth and her limbs were limp by her side before I stopped and dropped her to the ground. But I wasn't done. Placing one foot on her back, I grabbed her spider like legs and began to pull back. She screamed in pain.
"Change them back!" I demanded hitting her with each word like it was a heavy stone.
"You will pay for… AWWW!" She could finish because of the pain as I tore off one of the spider like legs.
"I suggest you cooperate while you still have legs to stand on." I said threateningly as I tossed the first of the severed legs out in front of her for her to see.
"You think you're strong. Your power is nothing compared to Master Kuyou's!" She screamed as I took another legs.
"I don't see how, him being stronger than me, will stop what is happening right now to you." I said the green in my eyes was preparing to burn holes in her back. "Now change them back."
"I can't…" She was starting to break… but with those words my heart was breaking as well. "They will be my servants as long as we both live. That is how my venom works."
I knew what I was going to do. I could only feel sick knowing that there was no stopping myself. "Then I wish you peace in the afterlife." I said. It was barely above a whisper but Keito went stiff. I put my strength into the leg that was holding her down and crushed her spine and rib cage underneath my foot. He blood and guts were all over me, but I didn't care. I was coming to terms with what I had just done. I had taken another's life.
"No way…" "He just killed a member of the Public Safety Commission." "Is he crazy? There's no way Kuyou is going to let him get away with that." The people in the class room were all saying in hushed whispered. But the one thing that stuck was the name 'Kuyou'. He was the leader of the thugs that caused all this. It was because of him that Kurumu was hurt.
"Kurumu." I whispered as the memory of my friend came back to me. I jumped out the large hole in the wall and fell lightly to the ground. The white rings passed over me changing Phantom back to Fenton. The others had recovered from their brain washing. They were all gathered around Kurumu.
My feet felt like lead as I walked towards them. Yukari was leaning over Kurumu who was being held in a sitting position by Moka. "Is… is she alright?"
"Yes, I am." Kurumu said opening up her eyes. "Doesn't hurt nearly as bad as one of Moka's kicks."
"Kurumu, I'm so sorry I…" I started trying to apologize but she cut me off.
"No! It isn't your fault Danny." Kurumu snapped. "It is that stupid spiders fault. When I get my hands on here, I'm going to…"
"I don't think that will be necessary." I said a little sadly. They all looked at me in shock. "She said that you would be her slaves as long as she lived." I said quietly. This information took a moment to sink in. Then they looked down at my bloodied trousers.
"You did what you had to, Big Brother." Yukari said trying to cheer me up. But it was no good. I didn't even try to find another way. I killed her… no one deserves to die… even if she needed to.
For some reason Vlad's face came to me. 'You're more like me then you know, Little Badger.' It seemed to be saying.
After a moment Tsukune spoke up. "I've decided." He said getting our attention. "I don't care if it goes against what Gin told us. It is our responsibility as a newspaper club to expose what the Public Safety Commission is really like." This was a surprise to all of us. Tsukune had always been the follower of the group, the most soft spoken. But here he was declaring war against the most powerful group in the school. "You guys don't have to do this, but I've made my decision."
"I'm with you." Moka said putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You can count me in." Yukari said excitedly.
"Me too." Mizore said in her monotone voice.
"We'll show those jerks, right Danny." Kurumu said she was starting to stand up again.
I look at them all. I really wanted to say yes. But… "I can't. I have to leave the club." They all looked at me like I was dropping a bomb on them. "I just kicked the snot out of a member of the Public Safety Commission in front of everyone… and then I killed her. I can't stay. They will be coming for me." I said sadly. They all looked like they were about to cry. "I will help, but I will have to do what I can from the outside. I keep them busy and put up one hell of a fight." I turned and started walking away. "Yukari… I'll be at those ruins if you need me. You know the ones." I said before turning the corning. I didn't dare look back. If I did then all my resolve might have disappeared.
I didn't expect to meet a different group around the corner. "So you're going to be fighting the Student Police, huh Fenton?" It was Keri. Natsu and Claps were standing behind him. "Well then… where do we sign up?"
"No, guys I can't ask you to risk your lives." I said a little surprised to find them there.
"You don't have to. Us mates got to stick together. If it was one of us you wouldn't think twice about sticking you junk in the fire to help." Natsu said using… a creative image.
"You can't do this alone Danny. They have an army." Claps said. "So you need one to."
I looked at their determined faces and sighed. "You think that four people make an army?"
"No… but we know where you can get one." Natsu said, his smile exposing several long pointed teeth.
"You know, at first I had my doubts about breaking into the enemy head quarts, beating up their guards and rescuing their prisoners, but the security here bites." I said as I tossed the last of the dozen guards to the stone ground.
"Well, it's collection day. All the units are out gathering the month's bribes from the clubs or beating them up." Keri said as we walked into the holding area. "That and Kuyou always goes to all the student council meetings with his elite guard in order to intimidate them all into just doing what he says."
"Couple that with the rest still searching for you for taking out that Keito girl and you have an empty base." Claps said. "In others words we got really really lucky that all those happened today."
"How did I ever get by without a leprechaun in my group back home?" I said as we walked up to the first of the cells.
"Who… who are you people?" The frightened occupant asked.
"We're the Yokai Underground." Natsu said. We had voted on a name before we got there and that was the one that stuck. "We're going bust you all out and work on taking down all them slack jaws in the Pubs Safety Company and tear off their willies." We all looked at the crocodile headed monster in alarm but…
"Yeah that pretty much covered it." Keri said as the Griffon started to open the cages.
I looked down the row of cells. There must have been at least a hundred people down there. This is going to be our army. "The war begins, Kuyou." I said as I dropped a note onto the ground.
'I am sorry but I seem to have released your prisoners. Phantom of the Yokai Underground.'
I wouldn't expect another chapter for a while. I am writing a sequel to my Soul Eater DP Crossover story.