A bunch of crazy people live in Magnolia. You can see it with all the criminals that roam around Magnolia. There are old and new. Especially new as a guy with long brown hair wearing a grey coat with jeans and boots came over and one could see an X scar over his bare chest. He walked right over to a spooky sword in a display case. The sword had bronze grip with the blade coming out of an eye and it looked like it had a claw on the butt.
"It's mine." The guy said as he took a dagger he had and used it to smash open the case could take it. The eye in the sword did glow red, but nothing really happened to it. "Yes... You recognize that I have shed my humanity. I can now wield you."
"Hold it!" A security officer called. "Drop the sword! Now!"
"I think not. After what I did, I've earned this. Let it be known that I, Callous, now can't be stopped." He claimed as he went on the attack and something horrifying has come.
...
The Team
Meanwhile, as dusk came over, Salamander and his team were in the middle of stopping another robbery. Some of the robbers had guns on them and tried shooting at them, but the team were more than they could handle as each bullet bounced off of Black Steel. Using him for defense, Nova Ray shot some attacks and tried to blast the robbers.
"I got them!" Maiden called as she gathered the wind around the robbers and lifted them up in the air. That gave the others an opening as Salamander, Thunder Legion, and Shadow each attacked on and knocked them out. This was child's play to them, but there was still one more. The last one had a bag of cash and tried making a run for it.
"We got a runner!" Ray called. The robber went down an alleyway and tried running for it, but he was knocked out and beaten thanks to Cobra.
"Rookie mistake." Cobra said as he grabbed the bag of cash. That was when someone who worked at the bank came over a little cautious given Cobra's background. "Here you go." He tossed the cash over and gave every bit back.
"Thank you, Cobra." The man said and went back to put the money back.
"Nice work, Cobra." Salamander said. "I've got to admit that you really came around."
"Yeah. You just had a bag full of cash and gave back every penny." Legion said. When Cobra first joined, they all weren't sure about him, but it seems like Cobra has made a real effort and changed.
"Don't go thinking I'm going soft. I mean, I'm not stupid to against all six of you at once." Cobra said.
"He's got a point. He might not have tried anything, but that doesn't mean he won't." Steel said.
"Well, I think we should be proud of the progress Cobra has made." Maiden said.
"Whatever. It doesn't really matter to me." Cobra said. "Now, I'm going to get my drink on." He said as he walked away from the others. It does seem like Cobra has made an effort to change, and Salamander thinks he should be given the benefit of the doubt.
"Wait! How about I go with you?!" Salamander questioned. "What about the rest of you? Do you guys want to come?"
"I think we're just going to call it a night." Ray said as the rest of them left and it looks like it was just going to be Salamander and Cobra.
"Well, drinks for two." Salamander said.
"Are you sure? Bit of a tip, you should leave the costume on. Where we're going, you might need your powers." Cobra said. Salamander didn't know what that meant, but he might already regret this.
...
Later
"Oh! You want some! You want some!" Cobra called as Salamander practically had to drag him out of there. They just got finished at a bar that looked a little sketchy. "I told you would you need your powers to get out of there!"
"That was crazy! Why would you start a bar fight with a bar filled with guys that hate cops!" Salamander said.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Cobra said as the two of them started walking.
"Well, I guess it could have been worst." Salamander said. "Still, I should have known. You probably know all the sketchy places around. Your knowledge on the criminal mind is why you're on the team, but it looks like you've really changed. You could be the hope other criminals need to reform."
"Don't hold your breath." Cobra said.
"I'm just saying that it's great. Just look at right now. Would you ever imagine us hanging out like this as friends?" Salamander questioned. Cobra was stunned. Salamander really considers him as a friend now. Sadly, there was no time to talk about it as an explosion went off just across the street. Both of them looked to the flames and saw Callous walking out of the flames like he was enveloped in them just like a demon. Salamander and Cobra didn't know what to think of this.
"Looks like I found some prey." Callous said. "Do not attempt to escape Callous. Do not attempt to flee. There is no way you will be able to escape from I."
"Who said anything about running?" Salamander said as he ignited his fist and Cobra had his poison ready.
"You are the ones named Salamander and Cobra. Your blood will serve my new sword well." Callous said as he held up the sword he stole.
"Threatening us? Big mistake!" Cobra said as he was the first to attack. He tried to attack him, but Callous swung the sword around with him keeping Cobra back. Salamander joined in the fight as he jumped over Cobra and tried to attack him, but Callous caught his arm and kicked him back. Cobra tried to strike him with poison, but Callous avoided him and tried to strike him down, but Cobra was able to avoid it.
"That's it. Fight me and make this fun." Callous said.
"I've never met him before. Why does he want to kill us?" Salamander said.
"Based on that knowledge you say I have, I would have to assume he's just another serial killer, kills just for the sport." Cobra said.
"You would be right. Now, I shall hunt!" Callous said as he tried to attack them again. Salamander rolled out of the way while Cobra tried to fight off Callous. Salamander was about to attack again, but then he noticed something. He spotted a young girl in white with blonde hair asking for them to follow her. It was weird, but this guy proved to be tougher than he thought. In fact, Cobra managed to land a strike of poison right in Callous' face, but he just smirked and acted like the poison didn't bother him.
"What?!" Cobra said.
"Poison won't help you with me. I feel...nothing." Callous said like he was void of any feeling. He was about to attack again, but Salamander jumped in and kicked him right in the face.
"I think we should fallback until we have a plan. This guy is not normal." Salamander said.
"Sounds good." Cobra said as the two of them ran off and into an alleyway. "You really never heard of this Callous before?"
"Nope. He's knew, but I think I see someone who might." Salamander said as they looked ahead and spotted the girl.
"We're following a kid? Who even is she?" Cobra said.
"No clue, but maybe she knows something." Salamander said. The two of them kept on running until they reached a dead end. "Where is she?"
"Up there!" Cobra said as he pointed up to a roof. "How did she get up there?"
"Let's go." Salamander said as he had Cobra grab on and started crawling up the wall and was able to make it to the roof with her. "Thanks for the save, but who are you?" He asked, but the girl just stayed quiet. "Do you know something about this Callous?" She just stayed quiet and wouldn't say anything.
"Hey! You wanted us to follow you! Give us something!" Cobra demanded. All she really did was point behind them and saw that Callous was able to find them.
"At leas you're making this fun with a chase." Callous said as he tried to attack them again.
"Not this time, creep!" Cobra said as he tried to fend him off. Callous swung his sword at him again, but Cobra leaned back like it was a game of limbo and kicked the sword right out of his hands. "Get his sword!" He called to Salamander while Cobra kept trying to fight him off. Callous still fought back as he pulled out his dagger and tried fighting Cobra with it. Cobra tried being evasive, but he did get a couple cuts on him. Cobra tried to fight back, but Callous was able to fend off each attack.
"You're fighting two battles, I see." Callous said. "You're outer battle against me and the inner battle with your struggles. You can't fight two battles at once. Your demons hold you back, but they don't hold me back. I don't resist, I embrace them."
"Will you shut up?!" Cobra said as he kept fighting him off. As for Salamander, he went grabbed the sword, but that was when something happened. The small claw moved on its own and grabbed Salamander's hand, digging into his skin.
"Aw!" Salamander shouted in pain and had to let it go. Cobra kept trying to fight off Callous, but Callous stopped it as he slapped Cobra across the face and pushed him back.
"Did he really just slap me?" Cobra questioned.
"What's with that sword? I tried to grab it and it actually moved on its own." Salamander said.
"This sword can't be held by anyone." Callous said as he reclaimed his sword. "One must devoid themselves of their humanity. This sword was forged from dark and demonic magic, and can only be wielded by someone who is pure."
"Purely crazy. Magic? Yeah right." Cobra said as he didn't believe that.
"No, magic is real, Cobra. I saw it myself." Salamander said. "That means we could be in trouble with this one." Salamander tried to figure out what to do until he saw the girl further on a few buildings and kept asking for them to follow her. "That girl wants us to follow her for a reason. Let's give ourselves some time." Cobra agreed to that. Callous went at the two of them again and jumped up to attack them, but the both managed to strike him as hard as they could and knocked them back. Once they did that, they started running after the girl.
"I think you were right when you said we were in trouble." Cobra said. "It's like that guy doesn't feel pain or anything. My poison isn't slowing him down."
"I don't know what he did to himself to get that sword, but I'm hoping that girl can give us something." Salamander said. The two of them kept going until they found themselves on the roof of a small apartment building with a yard. "Now where is she?"
"This is nuts. Who is she?" Cobra questioned. That was when they saw Callous caught up to them again.
"What is this?! This can't be a coincidence! You end up here at my home?!" Callous said.
"Your home?" Salamander questioned as it seems like they just got played. That was when Callous really used the magic in that sword as he unleashed some sort of energy attack and electrocuted both of them until they blacked out. Now they were at the mercy of some sort of killer.
...
Cobra
"Urgh... My head..." Cobra groaned as he pulled himself together and woke up to see he was tied to a chair and was in someone's apartment. "Where am I?"
"We're in Callous' apartment." Cobra looked behind him to see Salamander was in the same position as him. "You doing okay?"
"Do I look okay? I can't believe that kid lured us here." Cobra said. That was when Callous showed up as he walked right in.
"Start talking. How did you know I live here?" Callous questioned.
"Don't give us the act. You can drop it. You had your little partner lure us here." Cobra said.
"Partner? I have no problem. I don't need anyone's help or getting in my way." Callous said, but that couldn't be right. If the girl wasn't his partner, who was she? "No matter. I'll get answers out of you. For disturbing my own lair, you don't deserve a quick death. I just need to find the right tools. Decisions, decisions..." He said as he walked out of there. They need to get out of there or else this guy might offer them or torture them.
"This doesn't make sense. If that girl isn't his partner, who is she? Why did she bring us here?" Salamander questioned.
"Who cares? We need to get out of here and fast." Cobra said. Salamander struggled to get out, but that was when he saw her again standing in the doorway.
"Look. She's back." Salamander said with Cobra looking at her. Then, something strange happened. All she did was hold out her hand and all their restraints came undone.
"How did she do that?" Cobra questioned. The girl wanted them to keep following her. It had to be better than waiting for Callous to come back. The two of them tried to stay as quiet as they could and hurried out of there. They made their way down some stairs and tried to get out of there, but then Cobra spotted something. "Salamander! Look!" He said as he showed a photo of Callous...and the girl. "It's her! They do know each other!"
"But Callous just said he doesn't have a partner." Salamander said. "Are they...brother and sister?" This didn't make much sense to them until Salamander spotted the exit. Both of them hurried to the door and saw they were in the yard. "There's something here she wants us to see." They looked around to see what it could be. Cobra searched until he saw something.
"Over here!" Cobra said as he found a patch of dirt. "It looks like there was something recently buried." Both of them wondered what it could be until they actually saw the girl actually emerge out of the ground. It was like she passed right through it. Only one thing could have done it.
"This is what you wanted us to see!" Salamander said. "You're... You're dead..."
"A ghost... A real ghost!" Cobra said as he couldn't believe it.
"How did this happen to you?" Salamander questioned. That was when she used her powers and formed an image of what killed her.
"Callous' dagger!" Cobra said. That was when the door behind them burst open and he was standing right there.
"You dare disturb a grave?" Callous questioned.
"Us?! You did this! To your own sister!" Cobra shouted. "Don't tell me you did this just to have that sword!" The way Callous smirked was an indication he did. "You psycho!"
"I had to shed my humanity to wield the sword." Callous claimed. "I had to destroy the only thing I love more than myself for me to have it. Now there is nothing holding me back." That was right when he noticed her standing right behind them. "Ginger? What trick is this?"
"No trick. She's how we found this place." Salamander said with Callous surprised. "She brought us here to see this and for us to see the monster you really are. I think I know what she wants us to do now." Callous wouldn't allow that as he tried to attack them, but Salamander was able to kick the sword right out of Callous' hand. He reached for his dagger, but Cobra knocked that out of his hand as well.
"What was that you were saying about inner and outer struggles?" Cobra questioned.
"No! I'm not sorry!" Callous claimed. "I had to kill my own heart to do what I did! It was by choice!" He tried to fight with his hands, but Cobra grabbed him by the arm and threw him to the ground. He lifted him back up and hit him as hard as he could with Callous hitting the wall and finally knocked him out.
"Nice hit." Salamander said as they were glad this was over. They then turned to the ghost named Ginger. "We'll make sure you get a proper burial." She seemed glad to hear that as she faded away so that her spirit can now rest in peace.
...
The Airship
"That's quite a story." Jellal said. Natsu and Erik made it back to the ship and they just told Jellal what happened. "Well, the authorities can find her next of kin to make sure Ginger is properly buried, and that Callous will be going away for a long time."
"I still can't believe anyone could do something like that." Erik said.
"Yeah... You seemed to have taken that rather hard. It almost seemed personal." Natsu said with him concerned. "Something you want to share?" Erik did seem tempted to share a piece of himself, but he said nothing just like how Ginger stayed quiet.
"It's okay, Erik. You can talk to us." Jellal said as he did some work on a tablet. "In the mean... What?! No!"
"What?" Natsu questioned.
"The police had Callous, but he got away. Someone just busted him free!" Jellal said.
"What?!" Erik said as neither of them liked the sound of that. "Who would actually help that sister killer?!"
...
Callous
"I do thank you for freeing me, but why did you?" Callous questioned as he went underground and was speaking with the one who freed him. The one who freed him was none other than Zero himself.
"I like your style." Zero said. "I've taken a bit of an interest in the way you do things. That's why I have them." He said as he showed the other four villains that he's recruited. "You might have worked alone before, but now Salamander and his friends aren't the only one who has formed a team." Zero seems to be forming his own team now. Now two psychotic villains are working together with a few other dangerous enemies. What has Zero done?
