Chapter 2: Start Me Up
Yuki would feel as though someone was watching her. And when she turned around, all she saw was a black cat around her age, if slightly shorter, approaching her.
"Whatever it is you want to sell, wiseass, I'm not interested." Yuki snarks.
The feline stopped. "I'm not interested in selling you anything, I'm actually somewhat impressed with how you handled the officer back there. Swift, efficient, yet not entirely violent. The world could use more people like you, really." He spoke, a slight air of refinement about him.
Yuki grunted. "You don't know anything about me, what the hell do you want?" She asked.
The feline bowed respectfully. "My name is Yuuto. Yuuto Fujioka. I am the second-in-command of an organization known as the Shoheki, and we need assistance eliminating a particularly deadly target." He spoke.
Yuki's brow raised. "...So an assassination." She points out. "You want me to perform an assassination based off of me knocking the shit out of some sleazebag cop. Don't you have better people to ask to do something like that? The Scarves don't exactly have a problem with that sort of thing, go bother them."
"That's the thing. They tried." Yuuto responds. "They sent one of their best over there just yesterday and she only came back in a body bag. Quite frankly, they and us are both desperate to try and remove him from the equation before things spiral far out of control."
Yuki was silent. "...So the Red Scarves aren't capable of doing it? How the hell am I going to do it if they can't?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Because all of the approaches we took tried to poke at it from the outside. It's a bit of a hail mary, but I was thinking internal sabotage. Break everything from within. Worst comes to worst, at least some progress can be made." Yuuto answers. "If you succeed, your payment will be whatever price you name."
"Damn, a blank check? For one guy?" Yuki asked. "...And what if I don't want to do this? I have no involvement in your bullshit."
"You had no involvement in that homeless person's, yet you went in to help anyways. Maybe it sounds like I'm trying to take advantage of your good nature, but I'm going to be completely upfront: You're our best hope by this point. A solid enough moral compass to not wind up melting into the fold, the skills to hold your own in a fight, all this just from seeing you once. The blank check is something we wouldn't offer lightly." Yuuto points out. "Besides, if you don't accept, we'd run out of options completely. The Scarves already sent their best assassin on the job and she came back in a body bag. What we're dealing with is a million times worse than that cop you took care of, as in, 'controls the entire criminal underbelly of Shang Mu' worse, so ignoring the threat is going to hurt a lot of people long-term. Do you understand?"
Yuki sighed. "...Right. Got it. So what the hell do you… Do?" She asked. It was then she noticed a device at the end of the feline's tail. "...Actually, what the heck is that? A prosthetic for the tip of your tail?"
Yuuto glanced back at the device. "Actually, yes, the tip was cut off a… Long time ago." He answered, uncomfortable with elaborating further. The prosthetic then projected a light-blue hologram of the complete tail tip. "It's more than just for looks, though, it's also essentially a multitool. I'll explain more about what we do when we get to HQ, but to put it simply, we're an underground science and research organization looking into the issues no one else will."
"...Alright, so you got transportation?" Yuki asked.
The feline pulled out a black credit card-sized device and threw it near the ground, unfolding into a fully-sized motorcycle.
"...That answer your question?" Yuuto asked, smirking.
Yuki stared, stunned by what she just saw. "...Did that… Come out of… A credit card?" She asked.
"Eh, not quite." Yuuto responds, mounting the vehicle and turning it on. "There's room for one more, you know."
"...I'll just follow you from the sky." Yuki responds.
Yuuto shrugs, revving up the motorcycle and driving off, the falcon flying upwards and giving chase.
To the southwest of Shuigang, off the road leading to Shang Tu, a dirt path led into the dense forest nearby. Grunting, Yuki flies low to keep up with Yuuto. "So when the hell are we gonna get there?!" Yuki asked.
"We're almost there! Just keep up!" Yuuto advised before making a sharp turn to the right. Grunting, Yuki put effort into shifting her direction to keep up, and that's when she saw a barbed wire fence. A few signs were plastered on the fence warning trespassers not to get any closer. At the gate, Yuuto flashed a badge of some sort, the fence opening for the feline. Ahead is a reinforced concrete door, clearly leading to a bunker that looked as though it'd survive the world ending a thousand times over.
Yuki flew in just behind, as Yuuto got off the bike and folded it back up. "Well, here it is. My... humble abode." He spoke. "Got all the amenities anyone can ask for, like self-sustaining energy, vertical farming, enough space within for well over a dozen thousand people, and the most advanced technology development facilities in all of Avalice."
"...Right, and this place was just… Laying here?" Yuki asked. "Because this shit couldn't have been built by you."
"Well, it was actually built by our Boss." Yuuto answered. "He's… Well, he's a character, certainly, but his heart is in the right place. Crazy smart, crazy strong, this place is all his design and surprisingly the second most advanced thing he made."
"The first?" Yuki asks, raising a brow.
"...You'll find out when you meet him." Yuuto answers before flashing his badge at the door. "I've got a guest with me, she probably has what it takes for the assignment."
"'Probably' isn't exactly gonna stop the Crimson King from taking our stuff on the regular, you know? I'll let you two in, Yuuto…" The voice of a male security guard spoke as the door groaned open, leading to a bunker containing several shipping trucks, an elevator, and a set of stairs.
The falcon glanced around at her surroundings. The air was well-conditioned, in spite of being inside of a mountain, with a concrete paved floor and steel girders reinforcing the roof. Yuuto pressed the one and only button on one of the elevators: down. Soon after he pressed the button, the doors slid open, revealing a rather large elevator carriage. "Ladies first?" Yuuto smiled.
Yuki nods, walking into the elevator before Yuuto, the doors closing soon after. The elevator had around ten floors to select from, leading to specific laboratories and facilities. However, Yuuto pressed the last button, simply labeled "BOSS QUARTERS". After he pressed the button, he flashed his badge once more, the elevator seeming to accept the badge and quickly starting to descend.
"So, explain this to me, wise guy, you got all this fancy technology underground, why aren't you using it to help everyone above ground?" Yuki asked the feline as they went down the elevator.
"Technology in the hands of the government only leads to travesty and devastation." Yuuto simply answers. "If we go public, the chances of a bad actor using our tech to further their ends increases exponentially."
"And how can you tell this?" Yuki asked. "It's not like you have any concrete examples."
"...Tell me, how many Water Dragons have you seen in your life?" Yuuto asked in response.
Yuki tilted her head slightly at the question. "…They exist?" She asks, her curiosity piqued.
The feline nods. "The confirmed population only a few hundred years ago was a couple dozen thousand. Now? A couple dozen, period. And that's our more optimistic projections." Yuuto spoke. "The sharp decline happened after the Shang Tu-Parusa War centuries ago, and any sources we attempted to look up from either side as to what happened is blank, especially on the Water Dragons' side. We do not know anything about what happened, but our theories range from them going into deep hiding, being the subject of a genocide, or somehow managing to go off-world. No other Dragon variant's population decreased like that."
"...Damn." Yuki breathed, genuinely stunned by what she was just told. "So… What, are you able to do anything about that?"
Yuuto exhaled. "Well, maybe, hopefully, but... Classified intel." He answers simply. "Sorry. It's something the Divisions have been working on for ages by this point, including myself."
"Well, at least you're somehow doing something about it. Way better than a lot of other people I know." Yuki remarks. "So what's this about these Divisions?"
"We divide our facilities into multiple different divisions to ensure we have proper procedures in each one, but a good portion of us specialize their work in one or two." Yuuto spoke. "There's Alpha Division, responsible for technology development and supernatural research. There's the Beta Division, responsible for the study of Biology, Agriculture techniques and general sustainability. Gamma Division does chemistry and medicine, Delta Division does deliveries to other clients alongside miscellaneous mercenary work, and Lambda Division does physics and pocket dimension research."
"And what are you a part of?" Yuki asked.
"Alpha." Yuuto answers. "Believe it or not, I'm actually a bit of a big deal there."
"Oh, really, and what the heck did you invent? A cure for the cold?" Yuki snarked.
"Teleportation, holograms, miniaturizing pocket dimension tech..." Yuuto smirked. "Who else would be able to fit an entire motorcycle into a credit card aside from us? Shoheki Technology is the greatest in the world, after all!"
"Gee, how humble." Yuki deadpans before the elevator doors finally opened, revealing a clean hallway leading to a single extremely large door. As the feline approached, the door swung open, revealing a clean, well-organized room. In contrast to the purely utilitarian surroundings, the office was rather lavish, yet not gaudy, as there was a warm air about the room, with well-polished wooden furniture, a map of Avalice with a few points of interest labeled "WATER DRAGON VILLAGE SITE" numbered 1-3, "PANGU LAGOON [FURTHER SURVEY REQUIRED]" and a series of pins colored green, brown, red, blue, gray, sky blue and purple. In the back of the room, sitting at a large desk in front of a massive pair of bookshelves, was the imposing figure of a large bear wearing a formal suit and white gloves, a smirk on his face as Yuki walked in.
"Well now, Yuuto, it is certainly fascinating you managed to bring this one in!" The bear guffawed. "Child, I welcome you to the Shoheki, the greatest technology production organization in all of Avalice!"
"Uhh… Thanks." Yuki sweated. "So… What's your name?"
"You may call me Boss." The bear grins, extending a hand. Yuki nervously approached, gripping his hand and feeling cold, firm metal.
"...Did you lose an arm?" Yuki asked as she shook his hand.
Boss simply guffaws in response. "Ha! Good one! I did not lose an arm, that would imply I did not want it taken from me!" He responded. "But we are not here to talk about such trivial things, yes? We are here to discuss your potential for the job. Yuuto, if you may?"
Yuuto nods, pulling out a red folder labeled "CRIMSON KING VICTIMS" from a drawer, opening it up on the table. "Just so you know what you're dealing with… The Red Scarves already sent three of their best and brightest to go after the guy." Yuuto spoke, pulling out a picture of a green feline. "His most recent claim… Candela Tea, codename Scimitar. Mid-40s, mother of 3, skilled in assassination, theft and espionage."
Yuki looked at the photo. "...What happened to her? You said she came in a body bag..."
Yuuto glanced at the photo and slid another one from under it. It was a photo of Candela's disfigured corpse alongside the body bag she presumably came in. The bag looked worn and beaten, as though the person transporting it had no care for her condition. A pit formed in the falcon's stomach as she looked at the condition of the Scarf.
"An autopsy suggested intense blunt-force trauma to the head, but from the way the body came in… We can't say if it was the head or some other upper body part that did her in. Either way, her elder two daughters aren't taking this too well, and the youngest… She hasn't found out, as far as I've heard. And I pray she never has to." Yuuto spoke.
Yuki stared at the picture further, bearing witness to the sheer brutality which was on display. Her expression was unreadable, but it was clear the scale of what she just went into was evident to her now.
"It is… Understandable, if this news troubles you…" Boss softly spoke. "But rest assured, we are-"
"Did she have a good relationship with her kids?" Yuki interrupts, looking at Yuuto and Boss.
"As far as we're certain, their relationship was positive." Yuuto confirmed. "...Is there a reason why you ask?"
Yuki stared at the picture of Candela. "...I have my reasons." She spoke. "But if what you say is true… Then this Crimson King took the life of a mother of three. Presumably someone who cared for her children…" She blinked a few times, holding back tears. "...I initially joined up with this whole gig because I heard there was some asshole that needed to be taken down, someone who performed actions which indirectly harms who knows how many people… But I see he doesn't even care for anyone directly, either. Even a damn Scarf like her doesn't deserve to be treated like this after death." She looked at Boss and Yuuto once more. "...I'm in."
"Well… I suppose if you desire to continue, then I should let you know we do regularly work alongside the Scarves. They're literally our most valued customers." Boss points out. "So if our association with them is going to get in the way, say so now."
Yuki sighed. "My problem with them is unrelated. They're opportunistic bastards who wouldn't stop hounding anyone who catches their interest, and they annoy me more than anything. They're like the Daybreakers asking if you'd wanna do work for no pay with how persistent they are." She spoke.
"Guess a few Recruiters tried getting you in their ranks?" Yuuto asked. "Doesn't surprise me, to be honest."
"Guess so." Yuki shrugged. "So, where do we begin?"
"First, we shall have Beta Division perform a physical checkup, and after that, you will have an actual series of tests performed in our Simulation Room." Boss spoke. "After that, we shall try and get in contact with our mole within the King's ranks try and find a way to let you in, should you succeed these tests. I do not foresee this process being immediate, however, so you shall receive word tomorrow morning."
Yuki nods. "Got it." She simply replies.
"So!" Boss spoke, clasping his hands together, the sound of a metal clang reverberating from the impact. "Do you have any questions or concerns? Once you go ahead, there is no going back, child."
Yuuto stared at Yuki as the falcon thought for a few seconds, eventually nodding her head. "Right… Let's go." She responds.
Boss grinned at the answer. "No hesitation! That's what I like to hear!" He joyously exclaims. "Let's see if your skill matches your enthusiasm, then!"
Shoheki Beta Division Medical Wing
In a clean, orderly room, The Shoheki's doctors began taking a look at the falcon, measuring her height and weight, as well as other physical characteristics.
"Yuki Bo. Female Gyrfalcon, 16 years of age, purple eyes." A doctor spoke. "163 centimeters, weighing in at-"
"Don't even finish that." Yuki snapped.
"...A perfectly healthy weight." The doctor finished. "How regularly do you exercise?"
"I take active flights about an hour every day, I'd say I'm pretty fit."
"Any family history of disease, illness, physical ailments?" The doctor asks.
Yuki was silent for a bit. "...No." She answers.
"Alright, then from the look of things, you're good to go for further testing." The doctor nods. "Right this way."
The doctor led Yuki to a room with a single door labeled "SIMULATION ROOM". Within, several scientists were preparing to take notes on what would follow. The doctor opened a pair of thick steel double doors, leading to a neutral deep blue environment, white grid lines encasing her in a large, warehouse-sized box. "Right, Yuki, this is the Simulation Room. We will perform a series of tests to measure your capabilities here, including agility, stealth, and combat." The doctor explains. "If you feel any mild disorientation, please let us know right away."
Yuki stepped into the room. "Gotcha. Start it up, doc." She responds, the doors closing behind her. The room seemed to contort and expand, revealing a long pathway of platforms floating over a red, glowing floor. At the end of the pathway was a yellow, glowing circle, floating in midair.
"This is the parkour test. You may believe this to be rather simple, given you mentioned having a capacity for flight, but it is not." The doctor's voice rang through the area. "Here? Speed is the concern. Ground speed. You need to get from where you are to that glowing circle within a minute. Timer starts now."
The simulated sound of a gunshot rang through the air as Yuki began running, hopping through platforms as fast as she could. However, lasers would begin firing at her from various angles, forcing her to begin forming icy walls to protect herself. "Bastards, you didn't mention anything about lasers trying to fry me!" She shouts as she continues running as quickly as possible.
"Well, try not to have them hit you. Forty-five seconds left." The doctor responds. As Yuki leapt from platform to platform, she grunts, knowing the lasers were growing more accurate and adapting to her every move. It was then she noticed something: The air. It was air-conditioned, yet there was enough humidity…
Thinking quickly, she froze the surface of a longer platform and formed icy blades on the bottom of her feet before she began to skate across the platform, building up further speed and outrunning the laser's aim! "Ha! Gotcha!" Yuki grins as she continued to skate, leaping across platforms as the yellow circle grew closer. However, just as it was beginning to get into arm's reach, it shot up, way up, past the platform and to the roof. Gasping, Yuki skidded to a halt as she stared at the circle. "OH WHAT THE FU-"
"Thirty seconds remaining." The doctor's voice spoke.
Growling, Yuki knew she had to fly, fast. She flapped her wings vigorously, ascending upwards towards the ceiling as fast as she could. Yet somehow, the orb remained just slightly out of reach...
"Fifteen seconds."
It was then Yuki used her Affinity, launching an ice fist at the yellow circle and immediately claiming it. Got it! The falcon thought before she landed back down.
"Your time was forty-six seconds and 96 milliseconds." The doctor spoke as the area turned to another setting. An abandoned military installation, with winding corridors and several doors. The air grew humid, and the sound of footsteps around the area would fill the air. "Now, we have the stealth test. You need to find File X, located in the office of Sergeant Demetrius. If you are caught by any patrolling officer, you instantly fail. You can, however, dispose of them discreetly. Good luck." The simulated gunshot rang once more, and Yuki ducked behind a corner to figure out where to begin.
There were a few soldiers pacing around the area. Shuigang's soldiers. Of the three mainland kingdoms, Shuigang has the most numerous experienced and battle-ready soldiers, in spite of having less quality equipment than Shang Mu and less resources than Shang Tu, and absolutely none of said kingdoms even come close to the Parusan military. However, the equipment of the troops was not what mattered. It was actually getting to the proper room which did.
A soldier approached from a corner, moving towards her location, though he clearly had no idea she was there. Grunting, Yuki takes advantage of the situation and freezes his mouth shut, pulling him away from patrol and shoving him into a door, freezing the lock on top of it. She silently runs out of her hiding spot and begins scanning the doors for the Sergeant's. However, she failed to find him where she was. Because why would it be that easy? Scowling, Yuki decided to make a turn and start roaming around for the sergeant's office.
She found a few guards with their backs turned to her, which she takes advantage of by summoning a pair of ice hands and striking the sides of their heads to render them unconscious. It was there she found the door she was looking for, moving to open it. However, she found it was completely locked.
"...Shit, need a key…" Yuki grunted. "...Or I could pick the lock."
Ice encased the keyhole on the door, as Yuki used her ability to push the pins from inside the lock, forming a perfect replica ice key and opening the door. Thankfully, the Sergeant was not inside, and she could reach into the drawers to pull out a file with a red "X" on it. "Right… This is File X?" She asked.
"Your creativity in this situation is rather impressive, Yuki…" The doctor spoke. "Well done, you passed the stealth test."
Yuki found herself in the default testing environment, as the environment dissolved after picking up File X. "...Alright, so what the hell is this next challenge supposed to be? Or are we done?" Yuki asked, pacing around. To her shock, Yuuto warped in behind her, the falcon squawking when he did so.
"Congrats on beating the physical tests." Yuuto smirked. "Now you gotta pass a combat readiness test."
"...And what does that entail?" Yuki asked.
Yuuto spread his arms. "Knock me out." He smirked.
Yuki blinked. "...Excuse me?" She asked. "What's the point? I thought I was already combat-ready in your eyes." Yuki asked, her wings on her hips.
"Yeah. That was talent scouting." Yuuto responds. "Now? This is something more intense. Besides, you haven't seen me use my Affinity."
"Your wha-" Yuki began, only to see Yuuto's eyes flash with yellow electricity before he disappeared in a blur to the falcon's right side. Turning around, she noticed he went all the way to her left and quickly turned for a counterattack, only to be slugged across the face by an intense right hook, sending her tumbling across the arena.
"My Affinity. Like you have the power to manipulate Ice, I have my own sort of abilities." Yuuto remarked, closing his fist. "Though I do admit… It's rare to see someone react to Fortune Acceleration like that."
Yuki grunts, standing up after she was knocked on the floor by the feline. "The fuck is that all about?!" She spat, summoning her ice hands to her side once more. "What, decided to call it something fancy instead of just calling it super speed?"
"Well, I suppose an explanation is in order…" Yuuto spoke. "Fortune Acceleration slows down my perception of time, allowing me to move far faster than normal. On top of that, it keeps me more in touch with my 'Seventh Sense'. Future vision. There's nothing you can do that I would not be aware of."
"...Hu-" Yuki responded, only to suddenly be slammed across the face once more and sent further back. "STONES DAMN IT ALL, WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT?!"
"Nope." Yuuto smirked, before drawing two yellow and black chakrams the size of frisbees with a set of rotating blades and throwing one towards Yuki. The falcon blocked the device with an ice hand, before noticing the white kanji inscribed upon it.
"Jump", it simply read.
Suddenly, Yuuto appeared right at the disc's location, causing it to explode into several shards of shrapnel which cut into Yuki's skin. Letting off a grunt of pain, Yuki used the ice hands to guard against a series of rapid kicks from her feline adversary. Yuuto then launched himself off and landed a good distance away. "How do you like that? I call it the Jump Disc! Bit of a prototype though, it explodes whenever the actual jumping happens. Not exactly ideal for repeated uses!" Yuuto smirked.
"You mean it's not supposed to do that?!" Yuki spat, firing several icicles at the feline, who then proceeded to dodge each and every single one.
"Yeah, well, I'm ironing that part out!" Yuuto responds before activating Fortune Acceleration once more and rapidly approaching Yuki, the two clashing attacks against each other which seemed to affect Yuuto more than Yuki. Soon after, he ran to her side, only to be met with a sudden strike from an icy fist at his solar plexus, sending him back. "Gah! How-"
"You said there's nothing I could do you wouldn't be aware of, but there's clearly a bit of a lie to that; you can't really predict what you can't see!" Yuki smirked before she rushed at him, attempting to slam with her ice fists only for Yuuto to dodge once more.
"You missed!" Yuuto smirked before attempting another strike, only to be caught by Yuki's other icy fist. When he activated Fortune Acceleration, he found he couldn't move, and when he looked down…
He saw his shoes frozen to the floor, so quickly that he didn't even feel it.
"So… What was that about missing?!" Yuki spat before absolutely rocking the feline with a sustained barrage of icy blows, grunts of pain coming from the feline as he was battered by the falcon before him. Taking the second Jump Disc, he launched it away to retreat, but by then the damage was done. When he warped and the disc detonated, he was left on the ground, panting and attempting to regain his composure as Yuki approached. "So… Am I good enough for you now?" Yuki asked as she walked forward.
Yuuto looked at Yuki, chuckling. "Alright… I admit, you got me." He spoke. "Test's over. You passed."
The environment then removed the wounds on Yuki, with the icy fists also disappearing. "Wait… Was all this-" Yuki blurts before realizing what had actually happened. "...None of that fight was even real, was it?"
"Yeah, even your Affinity was simulated this entire time." Yuuto spoke. "Pretty advanced technology, even by our standards. It does require a lot of setup and coordination to get working, but when it does, it feels just like the real thing!"
"Right… Is this the most advanced thing your Boss has made?" Yuki asked, looking around the now inactive simulation room.
"No, not even close." Yuuto answered. "But hey, I bet you're starving, right? Why don't we grab a bite and get you a room to stay?"
"...Can't argue against that, I feel like I've been through hell." Yuki sighs as she leaves the room alongside the feline.
Shang Mu, later that evening
In a dark room, the Crimson King stood, speaking with someone on the phone.
"...Yes. Processing and distribution is going well. The Tea's little… Disruption yesterday will do nothing to stop anything." The dragon spoke.
"Ah… That's good to hear, my King." A female voice spoke on the other end. "Any new developments on your little… Plan?"
The dragon glanced to the side. "...Yes. I'll need to be out of the HQ for longer periods of time, more eyes are beginning to be placed on me, especially with November rapidly approaching. I'll need to direct things at a distance, especially if another Scarf wants to enact payback." The King responds. "Should an assassin find out, and emerge successful, however, I can still trust you to maintain things after I pass."
"Ha! That would assume anyone could succeed in the first place! Why would I follow you if you weren't already the strongest there was?" The other voice asked. "Speaking of, have you managed to find out who the mole within our ranks is? I do hope we can finally put that whole issue to rest."
"Unfortunately no. Whomever they are, they're rather careful. Else I would have already turned them into a smear on the wall." The Crimson King answers. "Clearly it's someone deep within, but I haven't the faintest clue who."
"I'm no stranger to defectors and moles myself, but clearly this one is… Particularly tricky. Either way, their plans to try and kill you will certainly be put on hold for now." The female voice spoke. "And by the time they get their next chance…"
"It will already be too late." The dragon grins, finishing the sentence. "Now then, Black Queen, I must make my departure. Give word to the rest of the Court, I cannot give the message myself."
"Very well, my King. I wish you the best of luck." The female voice spoke before hanging up, the dragon smiling to himself as he hung up the phone, leaving the room…
Yuki emerges successful in the Shoheki's testing! With the Crimson King's plans well underway in spite of his recent setbacks, will the falcon be able to end his reign of tyranny once and for all?! Find out how Yuki's journey into Shang Mu begins next week's Chapter 3: Fool for the City!