The wet snow outside continued to fall out on the streets. The morning white light travelled through the window and lit the interior of the bar. She could smell the scent of alcohol and burnt tobacco in the drinking tavern, as Nat leaned on the counter with her plateful breakfast on top; the young girl picked up the remote. She switched the channel of the TV, with the morning news being aired. With her other hand, Nat picked up her fork, and stabbed at her breakfast. She watched the news report while eating.
"Just last night, the Golden Eagles have apprehended the culprit behind the thrift shop break-in. The culprit appeared to be generale di brigata (Brigadier General) Francesco Rossini, leader of the 7th platoon in the Golden Eagles. The arrest appeared to be brought up due to the actions of the underground vigilante, the Nightingale. The moment of the arrest appeared to have taken place at the Teatro Filarmonico (Philharmonic Theatre). Spectators say that the black vigilante appeared out of generale di brigata (Brigadier General) Rossini's assigned chamber during the opera, then swooped down to the exit. Upon Rossini's arrest, an act of treason has occurred amongst the military force, and questions for further details from last night's incident are still being withheld from forces."
"You always watch the news first thing in the morn." groaned a voice.
Nat turned her attention to the call; there, she noticed Joshua sluggishly walking down the stairs. The girl took a closer look on his eyes, seeing that it was slightly red. Nat gazed at Joshua upon being reminded of last night's party with Sister Leah and the orphaned children. She remembered how Joshua over binged on the beer.
"With me blasting the news into your ears, it will probably clear that hangover of yours." Criticized Nat, not caring about the massive headache he would feel.
Joshua rubbed his temples with his fingers, massaging the said hangover. He groaned, "You're so cruel….."
Nat gave a small wicked smile, feeling indifferent to Joshua's offhand affront. As she stared at the TV screen again, Nat asked Joshua, "By the way, where's Cain?"
"Hm? Oh, he's skulking around the Via Mazzini. Apparently, most of the good bounties are in the shopping district, so he's going to be gone for about the entire day."
Nat's ears perked; she dropped her head down, feeling disappointed as she heard that. "Oh…..is that so?" she mumbled. The young woman continued eating her breakfast in silence until she finished. Nat stared at her empty plate and shook her head. She then swiveled her seat. "Well, since I got nothing to do, I'm going to hunt some targets myself. Take care of the bar. I'll see you later." Nat strode over to the coat rack near the door, and grabbed her auburn jacket.
Joshua silently watched her leave, hearing the small bell ring as Nat closed the door. The man's silver eyes traced at the TV that Nat left on, while the news regarding the Nightingale continued. Joshua tiredly sighed and scratched his dirty-blonde hair. Just another day of bounty-hunting in the streets, for those two. He thought. I wonder if we'll get another underground case like last night. The thrift shop case was an exception for pay, but we need money, and bad. Getting euros during the day isn't enough compared to Cain's underground cases.
Joshua winced as his head began to feel another throb. He placed his hand to his forehead, trying to dull the pain. "Gah, my brain's not working with me. I should lay down a little in my room, then open up." He awkwardly stepped to the stairs, while trying to keep his balance.
Cain breathed out in the cold air, seeing his breath float in front of him. Snowflakes gently swayed as he leaned against a wall in the shopping district. A swarm of people strode passed the man, while he watched them going about their daily window shopping. With his left hand, he pulled out a dull golden pocket watch from his grey coat, checking the time. The open face revealed the small cracked glass. Despite the slight damage given, the hands still worked; the current time was 8:11.
Cain looked up to the crowd of people as he stowed his pocket watch. There's too many people; if I immediately go hostile on them, it'll cause a massive panic. With his right hand, he pulled out a few sheets of crumpled papers and unfolded them. Wanted posters of the bounty targets with a high reward, a portrait, and a summarization of the person was written on each poster. Cain quickly scanned each of the posters, memorizing the contents.
He then pocketed the papers, and with his red eagle-shaped eyes, he scanned the many people that passed him. Cain blinked as he saw one of the targets. A young woman with long, blonde locks along with her weary hazel-colored eyes painted her face; she was chatting on her phone, while standing in front of a shop. Victoria Phillard, wanted for illegal drug dealing, reward is 500 euros. He noted to himself. And what's more, she's on her phone; this should be perfect. Cain walked to the crowd, blending with them. He reached into the sleeve of his coat, as he pulled out a small, round metal ball. The man then flicked it like a marble, and the small object rolled near the woman's shoes.
"….which is why, I need to be in the Via Mazzini." She answered on her phone. "Just let me do this, and you'll get what you need, okay?"
The metal ball flickered a tiny red light.
"Where are we meeting? ... It'll probably take me about 30 minutes, and-" All of a sudden, Phillard began to hear crackling from her earpiece. "Huh? What the- hey, can you hear me? Oh dang, I'm losing connection. I'll have to call you back."
Just as she ended her call, Cain sneaked up behind her. The target flinched and she whirled around, only to be greeted with a heavy whack to the back neck. Using the chance, Cain then threw the woman to the ground. The woman crashed on the stony surface and was about to get up, only to be stopped as she was pinned down.
"Hey!" she interjected.
Phillard began to resist in response, however, the bounty hunter then cuffed her hands. He then pulled out a small gun and pointed it to her head. The target then froze as she heard a click and felt the gun.
"Try not to move." he threatened. "I get nothing from a brainless bounty target."
"A bounty hunter…." breathed Phillard.
Cain glanced at the people nearby. He saw a few people gathering and staring at the situation, while hearing some murmurs from the crowd. The bounty hunter placed his attention back to the target, and pulled out his phone. As he dialed a number and waited for the receiver, Cain warily watched the woman, not caring about the many stares he attracted.
"Verona Police Department, police desk speaking, how may I help you?"
"I'd like to report a bounty arrest, current location is the Via Mazzini; target is Victoria Phillard, wanted for illegal drug dealing, threat rank, C-class."
"Please wait as I'll send a few police officers."
"Si prega di farlo. (Please do so.)" Cain ended the call, still keeping his eyes glued on the woman on the ground. After a few minutes of waiting, police officers approached to the scene, making their arrest.
The man stood in front of the police desk, signing a few papers.
"Please show your bounty hunter license." Requested the receptionist.
Cain showed his license, as the receptionist confirmed his ID. "Your reward can be received by the next desk." She directed.
"Grazie (Thank you)." As Cain made his way and stood in front of the register, he obtained a bundle of euros. The bounty hunter felt a bit dissatisfied with the amount and drooped his shoulders in disappointment.
Cain was about to leave, only to be stopped by a poster-filled bulletin board near the exit. One poster that caught his eyes was a reused propaganda poster. It revealed a Golden Eagle soldier, saluting the many jets that were soaring overhead. Cain gave a short huff at the picture, feeling irritated.
"There's some kids here on a field trip to learn about the national security. You're going to scare them, Cain." Called a voice, teasing at the person.
The bounty hunter turned his attention to the familiar voice. A tall old man with wavy, white hair stood before Cain. He sported the Golden Eagle uniform with great pride, and his worn expression was revealed through his brown eyes. The uniform's presence was strong with authority, making one feel fearful, but his tired brown eyes felt oddly calming.
The senior military man gave a gentle smile to Cain. In response to the kind smile, Cain's frown softened to a calming face. "I was born with this kind of face, Colonnello (Colonel) Vince."
Colonel Vince replied sarcastically, "It's a wonderful face, if I say so myself. It's actually the only thing to attract the ladies."
"Hardy-har-har; everyone's a comedian." Cain said in monotony. "Are you here to share more 'inspirational' stories to the toddlers?"
"Definitely. It makes me proud to tell them, especially when I make allusions of you, when you were still part of the militia." Colonel Vince grinned proudly.
"And what kind of 'inspirational' stories do you tell that mentions me?" questioned Cain.
"Practically all of them. Like, how you wrestled a culprit who was the size of a bear in order to apprehend him without a gun, or how you rushed through a bunch of thugs, like a bolt of lightning, passing them to rescue a child who was being held hostage-"
"Colonnello (Colonel) Vince!" interjected Cain. He coldly glared at his superior officer, unamused. Cain chided at his former senior, "There's a difference between sharing life experiences and making up stories like a child. Please, act like your age Colonnello (Colonel)."
"You youngsters don't know how to have to fun these days!" he mocked in a husky-like voice.
"Vince." The bounty hunter spoke flatly.
"You said 'act like my age', so I am acting like it." Countered the elder.
"Ugh, I give up." The bounty hunter sighed in defeat. You can be such a wise ass.
"Oh, you're too serious kid; learn how to smile for once!"
Cain angrily clicked his tongue and looked away. To Cain, the very thought of such an action was rare for him. He was the type of person who had little sense of humor, and always acted so stern. It was the last of his concerns.
Vince relaxed his gaze at the young man as a short silence filled the air between them. He couldn't blame Cain's seriousness; the colonel full well as to how he grew up with such an attitude. "Listen," Colonel Vince ruffled Cain's black and brown hair. "You're still young, so try to do things outside your work, okay?"
Cain made eye contact, his hair ruffling at the soft touch. His kindhearted look disarmed Cain's stony expression, making the bounty hunter temper his glare. "….understood, Colonnello (Colonel)."
"Hey, I'm not your superior officer anymore, so no need for the formalities."
"You're still the Colonnello (Colonel) Vince that I respect." He said immediately.
The former soldier's scarlet orbs gazed directly at the old man's brown ones. Colonel Vince could see that Cain's eyes reflected the honor the young man held for him, even though Cain was no longer part of the army. The senior combatant pulled back his large, rough hand from the young man's hair, and shrugged in defeat. "Whatever works for you, pal. I gotta go now, so I'll see you later."
Cain nodded, and both the men said their good-byes. As the bounty hunter left the police department, Vince stopped in his tracks and looked back to where the former fighter left. He furrowed his eyebrows while closing his eyes, lost in his thoughts. Is there anything out there that will make the kid relax for just a moment? The question worried the colonel.
As Cain stepped out of the Verona PD, all of a sudden, his phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his coat pocket and read the screen.
NATALIA NASCOSTO
*Beep*
"Hello?"
A familiar monotone voice called out to him, "Cain, we've got a problem on our hands."
The bounty hunter frowned in response. "What? What's wrong?"
"It's about last night's underground case. I was doing some bounty hunting, but I caught sight of a few Golden Eagle soldiers, and I overheard their conversation."
Cain pensively said, "…go ahead."
"Generale di brigata (Brigadier General) Rossini was ordered by one of the higher-ups to scout the area surrounding the thrift shop that Suor (Sister) Leah was running, but here's the problem: Rossini was incredibly loyal to the army; followed orders and gave continuous support and all that; but, when he was given the order for reconnaissance on the area, all of a sudden he publicly objected. Rossini had a meeting with one of the higher-ups, and after that, he suddenly accepted the investigation."
"That's not good." He grimly commented.
"Yeah." She agreed broodingly. "Cain, did you talk to Rossini back at the theatre?"
"Yeah, I did. I asked him if he had any family so that we can inform them about Rossini, or help them out, but…."
"But what?" asked Nat.
"He told me that all of his remaining relatives were lynched years ago."
Nat stayed silent for a few seconds, contemplating his words. She thought aloud, "Then that means…."
Cain nodded, finishing her sentence. "Yeah, most likely, his family was held hostage by his superior officers. Back at the Teatro Filarmonico (Philharmonic Theatre), Rossini wanted the arrest. He also mentioned that his family died years ago. There's a good chance that he may have just found out that his entire family was gone."
"…."
"Nat, I want you to gather info regarding Rossini's last mission."
Nat realized what Cain was planning by his orders. A new underground case was about to be carried out, and so she questioned, "Little bird vs. the eagle?"
"Yeah; it's time to bring out the Nightingale." He responded. "I'm going to go talk to Rossini. I'll call you back once I'm done."
"Got it."
*Beep*
As the bounty hunter stowed his phone, Cain walked away from the PD. After gaining enough distance, he then sprinted across the street; his eyes quickly glanced around the roads, until he finally spotted an alleyway. He vigorously ran to the passage and quickly scanned the area. After confirming that no one was in the lane, Cain pulled out his folded black coat. He switched his grey coat for the black one and dug into the pocket.
A small black device that had the shape of the Nightingale symbol materialized.
Underneath the device was a small button. Cain pushed it, and a red light flashed. Cain then quickly folded his grey coat and looked around. He found a small space between two garbage cans and placed his grey coat in the space, along with the small device. Joshua should be able to receive the signal with this. He thought.
Cain was about to leave, until he stopped himself. "Whoops, almost forgot one more thing." He said to himself. Cain searched the pockets of his grey coat, until finally, the dull golden pocket watch was in his hand. "Can't forget you pal." The man whispered softly. He stowed his pocket watch in his black coat, then donned the hood, masking his face. Cain pulled out his grappling gun and shot at the rooftop on the building beside him.
The Nightingale soared through the cold air, flapping their black wings in the grey sky.
She sat at the bench, as Nat rubbed her hands together. The girl puffed her hands with her breath, trying to warm them. Forgot to bring some gloves. She regretfully reminded herself. Nat stared at the door to a street store, patiently waiting. A small wind blew her black and purple colored hair. She brought part of her long, dark locks behind her ear, leaving her long, purple bangs on her face.
After waiting for a few minutes, a Golden Eagle Soldier walked out of the store. Nat blinked at the man, and squinted her eyes at the sleeve of his uniform. She noticed the embroidery insignia showing the current rank. So, that guy's a private soldier, huh? This should be easy. A small, devilish-like smile tugged at her lips. The young girl stood up, and followed the man.
As the private continued walking down on the street, he suddenly stopped. He looked behind him, only to find an empty street. "Hm. Must be my imagination." The Golden Eagle soldier raised an eyebrow, and continued walking.
*Clink*
Again, the private stopped in his tracks. He worriedly glanced around his surroundings. "W-who's there? Show yourself." he stammered. The private's breathing started to become audible and grew more quick.
*Clink*
The combatant then pulled out his hand gun. He warily watched the environment, all the while waving his gun. His trigger finger twitched, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.
*Clink*
The man flinched at the sound, finding that it was coming from an alleyway. He gritted his teeth, and pointed his gun at the corner of building.
*Clink*
His hands began trembling at the noise, as his breathing was shallow. The combatant gulped, and cautiously approached the corner. He could feel the sweat of his palms from the gun's handle. Just as the soldier was about to come around the corner, all of a sudden a small shadow hurdled in front of him.
"Ah!"
The Golden Eagle squaddie jumped at the shadow, however…..
"Meow…." A small calico cat appeared in front of him. It playfully scratched its ears with its hind leg.
"What?" The man sighed in relief, and lowered his gun. "So that's what the noise was about."
"Not quite." Called a monotonous voice.
"Huh?!" The man whirled around, only to be greeted with blackness, covering his vision. The soldier struggled, and felt some sort of cloth engulfing his body. He then felt something wrapping his arms and legs. Losing balance, the man fell down and dropped his gun. "Hey!" he called.
"Try not to move, unless you want to lose your throat." Nat pointed a knife at the man's throat. She tugged at the rope that was holding the soldier's body.
The soldier pensively stopped his resistance, as he felt something sharp, poking at his neck. "Who are you?"
"Better for you not to know." She warned. "Francesco Rossini's last scouting mission; who was the one who assigned him that mission?"
"I….I… can't tell you." He hesitantly answered.
"Slit your throat? Okay." Shrugged Nat. She was about to slice the man only to be stopped by his voice.
"W-wait!" interjected the soldier. He stammered in horror, "Please wait. T-t-the one who assigned the generale di brigata's (Brigadier General's) last scouting mission w-w-was Generale (General) Zastik."
"Who's that?"
"One of the few Generales (Generals); the highest rank within the military. He's known to be one of the few tacticians as he's charged with control of the commandos." He explained.
"And where is he?" she questioned.
"He's investigating the crime scene from last night, at the Teatro Filarmonico (Philharmonic Theatre). Now, please," he begged. "Let me go."
"Grazie (Thank you.)" Nat pulled back the knife from the man's throat. She then released the binding and sprinted away from the man.
The Golden Eagle combatant tugged the cloth and rope off his body. He frantically looked around, only to discover that he was left behind.
After gaining some distance, Nat slowed down and pulled out her phone. She dialed Cain's number; hearing the humming for a few seconds, she then heard the receiver was picked up.
"Hey," he greeted. "So who's the superior officer?"
"A man named Generale (General) Zastik. He's one of the army's tactician and has control over the commandos. He's at the Teatro Filarmonico (Philharmonic Theatre)."
"Hmm. I see; listen, I've already contacted Joshua and briefed him the case. I've sent him to the theatre to gather intel. Meet us there, okay?"
"Got it."
*Beep*
Joshua's hand trembled at the object. His lower lip quivered with fear, as his silver eyes stared, dumbfounded. He whispered to himself in great horror, "What the hell...?" In his hand was a card that showed an ID of a Golden Eagle soldier. Joshua grimly glanced of what was in front of him.
Collapsed on the stony ground was a dead body, its face entirely wrapped with a cloth concealing the face of the corpse. Traces of blood were frozen by the cold weather.
He took a look at the ID card again. Blood was stained on the portrait and name; the man's silver eyes could only stare in astonishment by the name on the ID:
Francesco Rossini
End of Chapter 2: An Unexpected Return