Kai, a few days before the Battle
"Okay Cameron, let's do it again." I tell my friend.
"Alright..." She says.
"I come at you with a punch to the face, what do you do?" I ask, slowly throwing my fist at her.
"Hands up, shoulders square...dodge?" She replies as she goes through the motions in a kickboxing stance.
"Parry." I courteously correct her.
"Oh." She says.
"Which hand do you use? Outer arm or inner arm?" I say as I advance my fist at her.
"Inner arm." She uses the arm closer to her to redirect the slow-motion blow.
"Why?"
"Because...using your outer arm leaves you open?" She asks, unsure.
"Correct." I say, her relief is subtle, but noticeable.
"Now, let's do another. This time, don't hesitate." I say as I move away from her and take a position as if I were a would-be attacker as I begin to charge at her. "If you feel like you need to neutralize someone coming at you with obvious malicious intent, what do you do?"
Following my directions, surprisingly after doing a quick breathing exercise, now donning a look of focus, she flicks out her arm. From her long sleeve shirt, comes a special weapon I designed for her.
There hasn't been a single day I haven't been at my workbench.
Ever since I got my first paycheck and bought the materials from the hardware store, in addition to pawning some precious metals I had on hand to pick up some other miscellaneous weapons before we both came here, I've been hard at work.
A special 'sleeve-gun' based on my hidden blade mechanism that I've engineered specifically for Cameron, as she'll need it with the monsters, of which I've been researching, that roam around.
There are many sources of power, and the application of proper knowledge is one of them.
SPRING-CLICK!
A Smith and Wesson Bodyguard, a hammerless revolver chambered in .357 magnum that is popular with everyday carry, currently loaded with dummy rounds for us to practice self-defense drills.
Though there's not been a designated place for us to use live rounds, even though she'll need to use them if she's in a life or death situation.
The gun is holstered on a rail that's strapped to her arm, concealed using her sleeve and now gives her room to use it when she slides it down.
She used to roll up her sleeves, but now she lets them down all the way to accommodate the new weapon.
She points it at me, pulling the trigger as fast as humanly possible.
"Quickdraw." She says, eyes piercing into me.
"Good." I say in response as I stop. "What if you're out?"
She quickly reaches into her pocket, pulling out a speed loader also filled with dummy rounds. Opening the cylinder, she punches out the 'spent casings' using the ejector rod and inserts the new 'rounds' into it, twisting the knob and letting them fly in. Soon she closes the cylinder, ready to 'go' again.
"Perfect." I say. "You've been practicing."
"I've gotta find some way to spend my time." She says. "How much longer until you can get that club of yours up and running?"
"Zechariah still has to confirm that the room he's looking at using will be vacant soon. The club currently there failed, so he's getting things situated in that aspect."
"Sooner the better." She says.
"Regardless Cameron, when it comes down to it, and I hope it wouldn't, but if it does...remember..." I advise her.
"Don't hesitate." She says, having heard this from me several times now.
"I can never emphasize that enough." I push the subject.
"I know." She says.
"But on another note, I have to say something, Cameron..." I say.
"What?" She asks.
"You've been doing better when it comes to hanging around the animals around here." I point out.
"How so?"
"Your 'emotional state', so to say, hasn't been skyrocketing as much. Sure, you get unnerved, but against the wave of your fear, you've still been staying strong, at least externally." I say, impressed.
"Honestly, I have you to thank for that. In addition to getting used to my new surroundings, that little breathing technique you showed me has worked wonders, actually. Plus you teaching me more on self-defense and giving me this weapon...I've felt...better. Confident, even." She admits, smiling.
"I've given you a little bit of strength, control, and stability over yourself when you feel surrounded by chaos, madness, and fright. It's a counter, a solution I'd daresay, to what you've been experiencing all this time." I explain.
"And it's done more for me than having to vent to a therapist every week...I've actually felt somewhat...calm...at least when I'm not around the animals...yet..." She says.
"So we'll continue to work on that in the coming days." I say.
"Alright. Thank you, Kai. I think it's time for me to go. I got some paperwork I gotta get done." Cameron says.
"Understood." I nod as she walks away, content...but...
I know that her fear of animals is connected with her mother and her death...
I just need to be on guard for when she either opens up about it or when I find out about it...
Because honestly...it had to have been something effed up to have caused her THIS much PTSD against ALL animals.
For now, I'll just have to keep encouraging her.
"Hey, Cameron?" I say as she's walking out the door.
"Yeah?"
I smile.
"I'm proud of you."
"Thanks." She smiles as she closes the door.
?, a day or so after the Battle
"Hmm...okay! Let's try this again...who's counting the souls arriving on the east side of hell today?" I ask my subordinates.
"I am!" A red, horned one says with a cracking voice, raising his hand.
"Alright. Bob is on the east side. How about the west?" I ask.
No response from them, only a cough from Bob.
"Anyone?"
"Well...Major Styx...sir...Carl was on the west side, but he was fed to hell hounds by a demon gang...ya know how things happen over there..." Bob explains.
"DEMON GANG?!" I interrogate them, they recoil, but I relent with a sigh. "Well, fine, so who wants to replace him then?"
"Uhh..." The two say, unsure.
The green one speaks up.
"Well sir...the west side is where the worst demons are...they make our jobs with the souls kinda...hard...shouldn't somebody more...I dunno...strong-"
"HOW COME I AM JUST NOW LEARNING OF THIS UNRULY DEMON STUFF?!" I scream, annoyed at this lack of vital information.
"Well, you never come to our faculty meetings..." Bob sheepishly says, holding out his hands.
I growl in frustration.
"Do you know how much trouble I will be in if Lucifer finds out souls aren't being counted?" I rhetorically ask them.
"SOULS ARE NOT BEING...WHAT?"
That voice...is the last thing I want to hear right now...
"OH MY FREAKING GOSH SATAN!" I recoil at the sound of my boss behind me. "Wha-what are you doing here sire?!"
"I was looking for my son...what is it about souls...?"
I inhale, trying to figure out which topic to answer...eventually deciding on the former, so as to not have to worry about the latter at least for now.
"Y-You said you're looking for Damian?" I ask.
"Yessss, he was absent for his weekend performance. My wife was rather irate..."
"The Queen? Oh, how dreadful! I have not seen the prince all day sire!"
"You are sure you don't have any idea where Damian might be?"
"N-no sire! Of course not!"
"Fine...report to me if you find him..."
"Of course sire!"
I stand there, watching my superior walk away, holding my breath until he's out of sight.
When he is, I let out an exhale of relief, of which soon devolves into suspicion.
"Tentadora..." I whisper to myself.
I start grumbling to myself as I make my way to her office that says 'Kick Please!' on it.
I think I might just do that.
Though instead of kicking, I slam open the door.
"TENTADORA! WH-NGH!" I shout as I discover her office completely empty. "WOMAN! GET BACK HERE AND TELL ME WHERE THE DARK PRINCE IS! NAUNGH!"
Damn voluptuous woman, she's almost nowhere to be found!
If I don't find out where she is eventually, I'll have HELL to pay! LITERALLY!
If this keeps up, I'll even have to answer to our Lucifer's...
Counterpart on the other side...
I think he's got a daughter, random thought...
Though they're also going through a purge, or they're about to, so things aren't doing too well over there either...
And it doesn't help that the vampires here are getting unruly...
Guarantee you someone pissed them off...
Damian
"AHAHAHAHA! OH GOD! That reminds me of the time I tricked my cousin into asking out a pyromaniac!" I laugh. "She ended up setting him on fire! It was hilarious!"
My friends in front of me also join in the banter.
"Heh! Sounds kind of familiar ey Vince?" The grey one in front of me asks his brother.
"Heheh...I told you never to speak of that again..." He passive aggressively says through his teeth.
My green friend Addison turns to me.
"Ya know that story is sorta funny the 300th time hearing it, Damian." He says.
"Hey, I got a new story for ya! Y'all heard the rumor goin' around?" My friend Sahara says.
"What rumor?" I ask, confused.
"The one where Kai was supposedly kickin' yer ass?" She asks, giving me a cheeky look.
My blood runs cold at the mention of that...
I hate to admit it...
But he was definitely putting me on the ropes in our duel.
Only saved by the vampire showing up.
If I started using more of my power, Dad would've picked up on it and realized I wasn't home again...
"How'd that-JACK!" I say, but soon angrily realize my cousin must've told everybody.
"Guessing that was prolly revenge for that pyromaniac incident, huh?" Vince says, raising his eyebrow, I merely grumble.
Kai...ever since you showed up...
Things have been...
I don't know...
Different...
Kayla
Where's Zill? He should've been on his way home by now.
I walk through his normal route to where he'd normally be getting his stuff, looking where he might be as he tends to get distracted.
As I do, I can't help but hear the sound of thumping behind a door to my side.
Using my giant ears, I press them up against the wood and listen carefully for who or what it is.
"Stop trying to hit me and hit me."
"Says the guy who's going all autopilot on me! How am I even supposed to move with these things on?!"
"Again."
Kai and Zill?
What're they-?
I look to the door sign.
Fight Club
Not even a few days after these most recent attacks and there's already one of these?
No doubt this was Kai's goal for a while now...
I crack open the door to see...
A sight, to say the least.
Zill is currently winded, having to breathe in and out after having his stamina nearly drained.
He's wearing what looks like metal bracers on his arms and legs, with a metal suit around his body.
It doesn't look like armor as much as it would be for the sole purpose of being heavy.
Zill's a strong guy, and for someone like him to get tired...whatever he's wearing is bound to be cumbersome to say the least.
Meanwhile, Kai's looking like he's barely breaking a sweat.
"Dude, I-"
"Again." He boldly says.
"Grah!"
I watch as my boyfriend charges at our best security guard, throwing wild haymakers at him, of which he dodges and ducks under before sidestepping a kick he throws at him. He circles around him quickly and pushes him away, much to his frustration.
"Okay, why are we doing this again?!" He asks, throwing his hands up in the air.
"Have to gauge your abilities. Everyone requires specific training, so I'd need to see where you are." He explains.
"You had to have waited until I was in a sweat, huh?" He asks.
"Had to have you get your warmup for the day." Kai says.
"That was just the WARMUP?!"
Kai cracks his knuckles.
"Fret not, I won't be doing that very often, for now. I think I can show you that move or two that I promised." He says.
Zill gives a look that just says 'FINALLY!'
"First things first, you already know how to punch. That's good. But now, you need your stance." Kai advises.
"What do you mean, stance?" Zill asks.
"I mean a stance you can assume that allows you to access your techniques and abilities as fast as possible once you do. Positioning your hands and your legs in a certain way to maximize your preparedness for a confrontation." Kai says.
"Okay...?" Zill says, unsure.
"Let me show you mine." Kai says.
He slightly spreads his legs, bends them, and puts his arms in front of him. Hands slightly open, body positioned sideways, and shoulders squared.
"Now, I'll go easy on you, but throw a punch at me." He says.
"Why?"
"I'll show you the move if you do."
Albeit with some hesitation, much to Kai's frustration at that, Zill moves in to punching distance.
He prepares his fist, and lunges it at Kai, albeit with difficulty due to him being tired and still wearing the heavy suit.
At my surprise, as well as Zill's, Kai instantly knocks it to the side with his back hand, and throws his free hand underneath Zill's arm up to his face, stopping centimeters away.
"If there's one thing you need to know when learning the art of war, it's the act of parrying. Your best defense can also be your best offense if played properly. Against inexperienced fighters, and even those who have experience if you use it at the right moment, it can be an invaluable technique to use. For most, if not every attack, there is a counter. Same reason why if there is a problem, there is normally a solution to it." He says, lowering his arm as Zill relaxes.
"Oh, cool..." My boyfriend says.
"I'll show you more, but on the condition you could maybe bring in some more students. The more people who know how to fight, the better chance we have at defending ourselves the next time an attack like that happens. More so if I'm not here." Kai advises him.
"Worry not, man. I got lotsa friends here. You're already pretty popular around here after that little stunt you did against those vampires. I'm pretty sure I can put in a good word for you." Zill says, smiling.
"Well, I think that influence of yours seems to precede you."
"Why?"
"We already have company." Kai turns his head to the door where I am, causing me to slightly recoil. "You don't need to hide, nothing secretive is going on here."
Wait, how did he know I was here?!
I know how to move and when not to make sounds, I know for a fact I didn't even make a peep right there...
Albeit hesitantly, I creak open the door to reveal myself, much to Zill's surprise.
"Kayla? What're you doing here? Thought you'd be heading home by now." He says.
"Was looking for you, babe!" I say to him. "Thought I'd see you at your locker."
"Got...distracted, so to say." Zill sheepishly says, holding his hand on his head.
"Well, it's alright." I assure him, turning to our armored human. "So, Kai, you finally started that club you've been dropping hints like crazy about these past couple weeks?"
"Yes, the timing was impeccable on Zech's part, considering the attacks were no more than a few days ago." He says. "The fencing club is good for swordplay in the sports aspect, but here we'd be looking more at a practical perspective in terms of combat."
"Yeah, I saw the 'Fight Club' sign out there." I say, gesturing behind me. I soon realize I wanted to ask about the things that Zill is wearing, of which I point to. "Uh, babe? What's that?"
"Kai says they're body weights. Things that you can strap to yourself to get a better workout. These things are at least 20 pounds each." He says, pointing to them and causing my jaw to drop slightly.
Wait, so there's one on each limb, as well as one on his waist-
"You have 100 pounds of extra weight on you?! Zill, you're only 160!" I point out to him.
"Yeah, but you remember I've got extra strength? I gotta compensate for it if it's gonna make a difference in strength." He says, taking an emboldened position while holding his fist out as his eyes glow, showing the metal bracer.
Meanwhile, I just stand there, deadpanned at what Kai's already getting done.
"Kai...I'm guessing you built those?" I ask.
"Yes." He bluntly says.
Is he an inventor or something like that?
I heard that he's been building things...not sure what though...
He gestures to the wall.
"If you like, I have a lighter version of a vest you can wear if you'd like to get ahead of the curve."
"I'll...think about it." I say cautiously, not exactly in the mood to tear apart my body yet.
"Understood, I will not force you to do anything you don't want to." He says assuredly.
"Thank you." I say, bowing my head slightly.
"For now, Zill, this lesson is finished. Thank you ever so much for your time." Kai says courteously to my boyfriend, giving him a bow, to which he is returned.
"No, thank you, Kai. For everything." Zill smiles at him as he starts unstrapping the weights on his body.
"Appreciated. Remember, I hope you can do whatever in your power to bring in more people to the club." He tells him.
"No sweat bro, I got this." He assures him proudly as he places them all down on a nearby bench, stretching after being freed from the extra pressure on his body. "Let's go babe. See you, dude!"
"Alright sweetie. Bye Kai!" I wave to our security guard as we depart the room, arms locked.
"You too, guys." He says, returning the gesture.
As we leave, I embrace my hunk of a boyfriend.
I think he's already bulked up a little just from that little bit of training!
Also, I can't help but notice Kai talking to himself.
"He's definitely different..."
Huh?
Cameron
Okay...
This just happened...
First I'm walking down the hall and suddenly 2 beings spontaneously show up in a flurry of red and pink...
Nothing strange about that...!
One is an exceedingly curvy woman with young pink hair with a white stripe, tan skin, pink eyes with red dots. She wears a long pink dress with white edges and pink boots.
The second, shorter being is thin with blue fur and red near the eyes, it orange eyes and wears a black and red shirt similar to one Damian wears with a skull on it.
Giving off that unsettling feeling that I get from that little antichrist...so I'd have to assume they're affiliated with them...
Huh...where'd that observation come from?
Not exactly a detective.
My hand is ready to flick my pistol out in a flash and make bullets rain if need be.
But even though I'm in that stance, I'm still frozen like a deer in the headlights.
I'm still not...battle hardened...so to say...
They notice my readied position, and almost seem to mistake me for a guard of sorts.
"Oh, ma'am! Please pardon our intrusion, I was just hoping to know when the after school film club lets out!" The pink one requests with a singsong voice, leaning into me, but recoils after I take a more defensive position. "Our little pumpkim is part of that club and we really need to take him home!"
Still unnerved by the fact that I didn't know they existed 30 seconds ago, I pull out a notepad from my pocket.
I look through the schedule for the school I set up.
"It actually let out about 40 minutes ago." I say to them, much to the woman's disappointment and the blue furred one's frustration.
"THIS! IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" He screams at her.
"Oh hush! We have the time to find him, he can't have gone far!" She dismissively replies.
"DON'T TELL ME TO HUSH, WOMAN!" He retorts.
The lady bows to me, not getting closer to me after my previous reaction.
"Thank you so much for your help..." She winks at me. "Ginger snap..."
She soon departs with her blue friend.
"This will be an adventure!" She tries to encourage him.
"NYAAH!" He screams, frustrated again.
Meanwhile, as I'm standing there whilst they depart...
I'm heavily considering calling the actual security...because I don't think they're supposed to be here...I turn away from them only to be met by-
"AAHHH!"
I'm currently face-to-face with 3 more red DISTINCTLY DEMONIC BEINGS, with razor sharp teeth and whip-like tongues.
In a panic, I make the biggest mistake of my life...
I hesitate.
I hesitate to whip out my pistol from my arm...freezing up momentarily as I did a second ago.
In the next half second, when I realize I'm not dead from these little gremlins, I find myself running faster than I ever have, only opting for flight instead of the fight, legitimately forgetting I'm armed.
They're chirping and chittering as they chase me...only serving to make my adrenaline pump faster, and not in the good way...
Without discrimination on exactly what door I choose to burst into, I almost kick it in and slam it behind me, feeling the monsters banging on it behind me.
"THEY'RE AFTER ME!" I scream to no one in particular as I use my arms to hold back the wooden door, also managing to feel...
MY GUN!
SPRING-CLICK!
"WHAT IN TARN- CAM?" I hear Carrie's voice, and the last voice I hear before...
Putting the gun up to the door.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I scream more than I ever have in my entire life...even more so when I first came here...
To correct the mistake that Kai would've probably screamed at me for...
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!
My ears are now in splitting pain, not being able to hear anything as they're ringing from the extreme sound...
I've never fired an actual gun in my life, and without the brace on my arm keeping it in place, my inexperienced limb would've made it fly right out of my hand.
I know I haven't had much history, but at least the drills helped me, hopefully land my shots.
When the ringing subsides, and my hearing returns as well as...well...me...
"Madame Cameron...?" I hear the French accent of Fabian behind me.
But I'm not even afraid right now...nor am I normal...
Just...existing in the fact that I did this...
The 6 holes in the door in front of me...the shield that protected me against those...demons...
I don't even know if they're ali-
"GAH! DAMMIT!"
"SON OF A B*TCH! WHAT THE F**K?!"
In fear at the fact that the assailants are alive, I instantly fly open the gun, using my training to replace the spent casings using the speed loader. After the bullets slide into the cylinder and lock it back into the gun, I'm ready to send more bullets back through the door...
"CAM! STAND DOWN PARDNER!" Carrie quickly pushes my gun down, staring me in the eye as she does it.
"D-Demons...o-out there..." I utter.
"Tarnation...?" Carrie asks, confused as she goes to open the door, observing the bullet holes as she does it. "Holy-These are Hell Sprites!"
She goes to assist them in their damaged state.
There's a one eyed one that I shot in the knee, a chunk of the ear got torn off by another. One carrying a red sign that comically says 'MEDIC!', with a bullet hole in his arm and his pointy tail ripped off. Finally a distinctly female one with bunny-like ears has a bullet hole in each leg, rendering her immobile.
The 3 of them look at me, and my smoking gun...
"YOU SHOT US!" 2 of them shout, and the 3rd flips over the sign to reveal his message as Carrie picks them up.
"YOU'RE THE ONES WHO ATTACKED ME!" I retort, my fear starting to channel into anger.
"WE WERE LOOKING FOR OUR MASTER DAMIAN, AND WE WERE TRYING TO PLAY!"
"WITH YOUR RAZOR-SHARP TEETH AGAINST MY FLESH YOU LITTLE SH*TS?!" I burst out.
I don't curse very often...but with all the bullsh*t that's been happening these past couple weeks...
I'm at my wits end!
"Cameron." I hear Zechariah behind me, he walks up closer to me, being the only animal I'd even remotely allow to. "It's okay now. There's nothing to fear with them."
I doubt that...and he's exceedingly calm considering he just watched me fire a gun indoors...
Albeit with difficulty, I quell my extreme emotions right now, and let my reloaded gun fly back up into my sleeve, the warmth of it being previously fired permeating through the metal of the slide.
"Damian...ain't that the devil's kid?" Carrie asks Zechariah, currently administering first aid to the 'Hell Sprites' by staunching their bleeding with a nearby trauma kit.
"You allow the son of the devil to attend this school and you lock me up?" The one I know as Simon comments from a cage that I discover is in here.
Kai told me about his fight with this guy, apparently the latter got beaten via knockout.
"Damian does not endanger the lives of the students." Zechariah says to Simon, who scoffs.
"Pft! Yer talking about a demon! All demons "endanger lives", even the critters ov'there..."
As he says that, one of them mischievously bites down on Fabian's tail.
"See...?" Simon says, smiling maliciously.
"Well congratulations, you said something we actually agree on." I hear the sound of...
"Kai..." I see my good friend at the entrance of the door, who walked in on the conversation.
He looks around at the bullet holes of the door, the bullet casings on the ground, and the wounds of the 'Hell Sprites', even looking at the hallway behind us is part of his little investigation.
He walks up to me.
"How'd it happen?" He asks.
"Some...beings showed up looking for Damian...I told them he's probably not here...then these guys showed up...I...hesitated...and ran...I closed the door...and...I...f-fired..." I say, already not wanting to recount the recent memories.
He sighs...
But...
He places his hand on my shoulder.
"It's okay. You made a mistake once...but you learned from it quickly. I can't blame you for not acting quicker because it's just not something you're used to. But the fact that you recovered from it quickly is something I'm impressed with Cameron." He says comfortingly, but he gets a little closer. "You're okay now. You neutralized the threat, okay?"
"Y-yeah..." I say, the consolation being sufficient.
"I'm proud of you, Cameron. Hey, you won your first fight." He says, smiling.
I chuckle, looking at my defeated 'opponents', who give me a stink eye and a stuck out tongue.
"Yeah...yeah...I guess I did." I say contently.
"Miss Cameron...Mister Kai...with all due respect...I think we should return...to the subject...at hand..." The long red-haired lady in the black jumpsuit says to us.
"Indeed." Zechariah nods. "What a rogue vampire is doing past the agreed boundaries. You've been here for days now, Simon, and you still have not answered for you and your mistress's actions."
"As if nobody's commenting that I opened fire inside of a school..." I say to no one in particular.
Simon shrugs.
"We got bored-GZZUZUZZUZUZUH!"
The room suddenly lights up with...
Electricity?
I look to the side and see Kai with...
A taser? No, a stun gun. He's sticking it onto the metal and making it conduct through the entire thing, shocking Simon.
"GAUGH D*CK!" He shouts at my friend as he's smoking.
"Demon." He bluntly replies.
"Kai, what the heck? We're keeping him prisoner, not trying to torture him!" Zechariah scolds him.
"The Eighth Amendment doesn't exist here, neither does the Geneva Convention, and he was planning a domestic terrorist attack so I think I have some wiggle room in doing this to him."
"Grrr..." Simon utters, shivering from the sudden shock.
Didn't even know a stun gun had that much power in it...or I guess it has to be another one of his inventions...
"Besides, I already know why you guys were here." Kai says, Simon looks like his blood is frozen.
"Why, Kai?" I ask.
"His 'mistress', Venganza, as he calls her, said that they were here for me and Zill. 'You boys', as she said when Zill and I came face to face with her." He reveals.
"But, why you guys?" I ask.
"Ye, buddy, why our new security guard and one of our students? Y'all hafta have some reason for targeting them!" Carrie interrogates Simon.
"I have my theories, but none that have any evidence...yet..." Kai says, narrowing his eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Simon rhetorically asks.
"You'll see." Kai cryptically says. "Cameron? Do you wish to leave right now?"
I shake my head.
"No thanks, Kai." I turn my head to the teachers. "I'm getting some answers as to what's going on. Actually wanted to ask if you'd want to be here to ask them with me."
He nods.
"I've done my research here, but I'd be open to seeing things from other people's perspective."
"Uh, Miss Cameron, what are you talking about...?" Zechariah asks, confused.
"I've been here for 3 whole weeks. I don't know the who, what, where, when, why, and how of this place. I've got nothing to do for the rest of the day, and if it means getting a history lesson, so be it." I boldly say, taking a seat.
Kai stands in between me and the Hell Sprites/Simon as the red-haired lady, whom Zechariah refers to as Salvia, begins to unravel...everything to us...
Safe Haven...districts...no violent crime for a long time...?
Kai even interrupts her at that point.
"So you're wondering why exactly, at supposedly this time of peace, why a malevolent being has shown up." He surmises.
"Correct...Kai..." Salvia says.
"And it doesn't help that the Fish of Peace were getting agitated when ye showed up either." Carrie comments.
"What was that about the Fish of Peace, Carrie?" Zechariah asks, looking at her.
"Saw them staring at Kai the first day he and Cam showed up. Far as I've seen, they don't pay much attention to anything else around them...except him..." She explains, glancing to and from my friend.
"That's...news..." The giant cheetah utters, surprised at hearing this.
"Maybe they know something about me that could determine what happens next here. The barrier is what protects this place, right?" Kai surmises.
"Yes." Zechariah says.
"Would a splinter, or a crack in it somehow allow beings like Simon to slip through?"
"Hey! We fell asleep in Berlin and woke up in a shack 2 miles from here-!" Simon tries to interject, but...
"AFTER your mistress was given the orders to hunt me and Zill down. I'd assume you weren't given that detail, given you're a servant, not a seeker of truth, just following what she says."
"Hmph, spot on..." Simon admits.
Kai turns to Carrie.
"I think I have something to tell you, Carrie. You were right about me taking my rides on my bike to the edge of the districts." He tells her.
"AH GODDANG KNEW IT!" She victoriously shouts.
"Yes. I did it to investigate what was going on. Fret not about the creatures I encountered there. I did my research before going there, nothing, at least up here and not too far 'down there' could go faster than 250 miles per hour." Kai says.
"Okay bud, how in the heyll did you do yer resear-?"
"Library. You'd be surprised what you could find there." He says. "Lotta history there."
Carrie only pouts for some reason.
"Anyways, during my investigations over there, I witnessed several instances of what I would call 'splinters' in the force field. I believe that is what causes someone to bypass the security of this place and slip in here unnoticed. Venganza must've utilized that to get her and Simon in here and track us down." Kai explains, but soon puts his hand to his chin. "But the question is, if it's obviously not supposed to have faults in it, so who, or what, could've damaged the barrier?"
Virtually everyone not evil in the room is slack-jawed at his proactiveness in this situation, already finding out the problem and surmising the reason behind, and more than likely very soon, a solution to it.
"Uh...well...I'd have to assume it has to be something of either great or malevolent power, or something related to the design of when it was first created..." Zechariah says, unsure.
"Some more investigation would be necessary." Fabian adds.
"Indeed." Zechariah says, nodding.
"Yunno..." Simon says, interrupting any further conversation we might've had. "My mistress and I aren't the only ones out there. Safe Haven: All these rare and diverse creatures all congregated in this concentrated spot here, legendary for hunters like us...would be a shame if more like us could just slip in through those cracks, wouldn't it...you'd be surprised how fast news spreads from here to the outside..."
Kai grips his knuckles, they crack slightly.
"Good." He says just loud enough for all of us to hear.
The only thing we can say, at least mentally is...
'WHAT?!'
Even Simon is surprised at this statement.
To further push that one word, Kai walks over to the cage, putting his hand on the bars and staring down the vampiric wolf he defeated.
"Let them come...Simon..." He says, turning around to leave. "I plan on bringing unity to this place...but with people like you and your friends out there? I've encountered them before...and if there's one thing I know..."
As he nears the door and departs, he doesn't even look back at our enemy...he then says something that unnerves all of us...
And even changes my perspective on him a little bit...
"When they come...they're gonna be much further than 6 feet under..."
Chapter End
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