Voice of an Angel (Part 2)
"Everyone, be careful!" Yukari called out as she and many of the other teens, struggled to stand up, "This ability and that form...We're dealing with a Siren!" Looking at Kamiya's transformed state, he looked the same except for the fact he had sprouted wings like an angel.
"My body...feels so numb." Mizore complained as she and Kurumu struggled to get to their feet. The only one of the teens on their feet was Ben, and he was dealing with other issues. Dammit, I can't see a damn thing! Focusing on the direction of where the music was coming from, Ben blindly shot a web ball. He missed, but it was close enough to distract Kamiya and have him stop singing.
"That form..." Kawamoto started as she slowly got up thanks to Ben stopping the song. She picked up a neck to a table that had the top missing and began walking towards the monster, "You are...the one who killed my husband in this inn. Four years ago." she huffed.
"Ms. Marin!" Moka called out, "Don't do it, he's too powerful."
"So...he killed the man." Ben said as he clenched his fists.
Kamiya scratched his head to think, "Four years ago? OH!" he laughed, "That would have been exactly the time I was dispatched to this branch. I was pretty pissed about it back then, see. I didn't like coming to this hell hole, it stinks of fish. That's why I just went around killing humans." he smiled before turning to Kawamoto with a maniacal looking expression, "I was just clearing my gloom. So why would I bother to remember each and every one I killed!?"
Kawamoto had tears dripping off her face as she gained an angered expression. She cocked back the neck of the table and charged the siren, "WHY YOUUU!!!" Ben knew something bad was going to happen and lifted his arm to stop Kawamoto, but San beat him to it, tackling the woman to the ground. "SAN! LET GO!" Kawamoto cried, "That guy...that guy..." looking down Kawamoto saw San bawling her eyes out as she wrapped her arms tightly around her boss. "Why? Why does someone like this guy exist? It looked like I was going to forget, but thanks to San I was able to remember what it was like to have a family again. It looked like I could treat all of that as a bad dream, but why did he return?" Kawamoto clenched her teeth and gripped San close to her, "Disappear you monster! Don't you ever have anything to do with the human world again!" That word. 'Monster.' It rang out across the teens like a bullet. San seemed to be the one most effected, as if the person she looked up to the most wouldn't want to see her again. Kamiya began laughing at the exchange, causing Kawamoto to squint her eyes in anger, "What are you laughing at!?"
"Ahaha! Did you hear that, San?" Kamiya asked, "The human really doesn't know anything. Okay, human, I'll let you in on a little secret, so listen well." Kamiya cleared his throat before laughing again, "San is also a monster you fool! She's the same as I! What 'family?' What 'human'? You were being tricked! You were manipulated, moron!"
"YEAH RIGHT!" Marin dashed forward again.
Kamiya smirked as he began to open his mouth to start his song again, "Shit, MS. MARIN!" Tsukune yelled out. As Kamiya sent out his song it was blocked by something equally as powerful. The teens' eyes widened in surprise, and so did Kawamoto as they saw it was San's own singing blocking the attack. "No way...she's...just like him." Tsukune said and Moka nodded.
NOW! THAT'S AN OPENING! Ben thought as he shot a webline forward and zipped to Kamiya, punching him across the face. San gasped as she saw Ben leap into action and nodded. Knowing what must be done she gave Kawamoto her notebook, "Marin...I'm sorry." she said softly." Kawamoto's eyes widened in surprise at hearing San talk for the first time.
"You ingrate!" Kamiya shouted, "You think you, a mere human, can defeat me? Compared to you, I am a GOD!"
Ben scoffed, "Yeah, well, I don't believe in false deities. You're no god, you aren't even an angel. You're just a pathetic excuse of a creature who preys on the weak. You are nothing but scum. And just an FYI, I don't 'THINK' I can beat you. I 'KNOW' I can beat you." Ben taunted. It was a bluff, sure, he actually didn't think he stood a chance against that siren's song, but it was worth a try to get the monster to make a mistake. Kamiya growled in annoyance and got ready for another attack, but instead cried out in pain when he felt a bullet hit his leg.
Ben's lenses widened in surprise and he looked around to see who it could have belonged to. "Hey there, Slick." Ben once again heard an all too familiar voice as a man in a white cloak dropped and landed right next to him. The man, was Taskmaster. "I see you've gotten yourself in a bit of a situation."
Tsukune growled in annoyance at the sight of the mercenary, "What the hell are you doing here? Haven't you done enough to us!?"
"Relax, Jabroni. I just happened to show up at the right time is all." the teens stared at Taskmaster with expressions that showed they didn't believe him, "No? Okay, truth is I followed you kids as soon as I was able. I figured if I staked you out Spider-Man would pop up eventually. AND HE DID! Just...also with this guy. Weighing my odds I figured it was best I got the bounty on this monster." Taskmaster pointed to Kamiya, "After all, SHIELD is willing to do almost anything for Fairy Tail information."
"So you figured since I'm fighting him you'd have less trouble." Ben mentioned.
"Exactly, kid. What do you say? It's a win-win situation. We both take down the monster, you protect the girl and I get paid. So...do we have a deal?" Taskmaster held out his hand to shake and Ben hesitated for a few moments. "Burning daylight, Slick, it's now or never." as Taskmaster said that Kamiya began his attack but again was blocked by San, who's voice was almost angelic.
"Fine, but no killing." Ben commanded.
"Deal." Both Ben and Taskmaster shook hands and from that moment Ben let out a breath of relief that he wouldn't have to fight the mercenary for once.
While Ben and Taskmaster were deciding their terms, Tsukune was standing defiantly against Kamiya who had told Kawamoto that he did not eat her husband like she thought, but instead he did it for fun. 'For Play' were his exact words. "Why...Why is it people like you exist? All San-senpai wants is to live together with Ms. Marin." Tsukune gritted his teeth, "We are hoping for monsters and humans to live in harmony! So why are there people like you who only want to inflict harm on us, on San!?" he yelled.
"HARMONY!?" Kamiya laughed, "What a disgusting thing. The aim of Fairy Tail is the overthrow of the human world." he said with a completely deadpan expression.
Tsukune growled and charged forward just as Ben and Taskmaster shook hands, "DON'T SCREW WITH ME! LIKE HELL I'D LET THAT HAPPEN!" before Tsukune could get too close to Kamiya he felt a powerful force of pressure against his face that sent him flying in the snack shack.
"I can still attack you, even if San cancels out my attacks. I just need to change my tune." Playing a melody on his harp, Kamiya turned the ground into a shallow puddle of water. From the water creatures began to emerge, "I can still call upon other 'members.' Space Transfer Technique: WATER MIRROR!"
"Did this dude just shout out his attack like it was a jutsu?" Ben asked with a cocked lens. Ben's Spider Sense blared and both he and Taskmaster jumped backwards to see the ugly beasts that came out of the water. They were Mermen, large half man half fish creatures with fish heads. They also have scaly limps and webbed feet. "Oh great, Sea Men." Ben groaned in English.
"Wha-? No, they're called Mermen." Taskmaster replied.
"Nah, I'm pretty sure they're Sea Men. Hey, hey Tasky...what is it called when a group of Sea Men dog pile you?" Taskmaster turned to Ben, though his mask couldn't show emotion it was pretty obvious he wanted Ben to shut up, "Pfft...it's called a Bukake." Ben laughed.
"Oh shut the hell up!" Kokoa replied with a groan.
Taskmaster cracked his knuckles and pulled out his shield, "I suppose this is where the fun begins?" he asked.
The teens began transforming into their true selves and Ben jumped up and down in anticipation and cracked his neck, "Oh yeah, queue the music."
Music Queue: Flamingo--Token
Unamused, Kamiya sent two Mermen forward. One went after Ben, the other after Taskmaster. "Yeah, right." Taskmaster taunted as he and Ben got in a similar fighting stance and nodded to each other. As the creatures got close enough Ben and Taskmaster crossed each other and attacked the creatures opposite of them. Taskmaster then threw his shield down to the ground to have it bounce up and hit the merman in the chin like he was Captain America. As the shield went airborne, Ben jumped to grab it before zipping downward and slamming the shield on the merman he was fighting. He finished by spinning around and throwing the shield at the merman Taskmaster was taking care of, the shield bounced off its face and back into Taskmaster's hands. Taskmaster then tripped the merman he was fighting and slammed the thin side of the shield into its throat.
"Impossible." Kamiya muttered, "You are but lowly humans!" he scoffed, "Doesn't matter, kill them." the rest of the mermen charged forward. Kurumu was the first to charge forward with her nail claws extended and slice through several mermen at once. "What the hell?"
"Hu~uh?" Kurumu chuckled as she sliced through more, "You guys are a lot less impressive than I thought."
Several merman began to shoot highly compressed water guns at the succubus only for her to be saved both my Mizore who froze some of the water before it hit her and Taskmaster who blocked it with his shield and got knocked back towards the girls. "Ohhh." Taskmaster groaned as he was a little slow to get up, "Oh yeah...I'm getting on in years. Before fighting with broken bones was normal. Now it actually hurts." putting his shield away briefly he fired his wrist guns at the mermen and knocked them down instantly, "Placing that as a technicality, if you can slice through them I can do this. Besides, I only agreed not to kill the siren." he chuckled. Kurumu, Mizore and Taskmaster began to fight side by side, "So," Taskmaster began as he pulled out his sword and threw it in the air. He then began attack the mermen with his shield, "you're a succubus, right? That's peculiar, I haven't run into any of your kind in...oh, seventeen, maybe eighteen years. Real fine looking thing, actually she kinda looked like you." The girls stopped fighting briefly as Taskmaster caught his falling greatsword and spun to slice several enemies at once, "Do you have an older sister?"
Mizore chuckled, "Kurumu...is this your dad?"
"NO!" Kurumu protested with some red on her face, "Or...I don't know!"
"Relax," Taskmaster chuckled, "I was only yanking your chain. The succubus I was with was flat as a board, and Scottish. Man, I would kill to be 45 again, prime of my youth that was."
Kurumu let out a breath of relief. "Wait, you're 62?" Mizore asked, doing some quick math.
"Do me a favor," he said, ignoring Mizore as he tossed Kurumu his shield, "fly up there and protect yourself, yeah?" he pointed just above the group of mermen approaching them. Kurumu was hesitant at first, but did as she was told. As she did so, Taskmaster typed his coordinates into a tac-pad that was on his forearm which sent a singular pod supply cache to land just behind him and Mizore. Mizore gave a questioning glance, wondering how he got that to their location, "I'm always prepared." Taskmaster chuckled. He opened the cache and grabbed the P90 that was inside. He aimed at where Kurumu was flying and fired at his shield, causing the bullets to ricochet and hit multiple enemies across the small battlefield...and hit Ben in the lower thigh.
"SON OF A BITCH!" Ben cried out as he punched another merman, "AGAIN? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"
"Yeah, that's for the broken foot, asshole." Taskmaster chuckled.
With Kokoa, she groaned as she continuously had to defend Tsukune and Moka, "Look, either pull your head out of your ass and fight or release my sister. It's your choice!" Kokoa grabbed Kou and changed him into his baseball bat form and tossed it at Moka, who caught the weapon and swung away knocking a merman into several others. "Alright, use that to defend yourself, I'll go hand-to-hand." she groaned. She then dashed ahead and joined Ben as he took on a massive horde of mermen alone. Jumping forward, Kokoa drop kicked a merman into another before standing back to back with Ben.
"Ready?" Ben asked.
"Yeah...wait, for what?" Before Kokoa could protest, Ben locked his arm around hers and began to spin her around while she kicked the mermen. Then he spun her on his back so she was resting on his left bicep before throwing her forward. Kokoa flew through the air like a bullet and performed a whirlwind kick knocking away several mermen at once. She stood still after landing to catch her breath, "Next time WARN ME, ASSHOLE!"
"Don't look now, but we've got company." Ben warned. Kokoa backed away and the two got into a similar stance before launching forward to perform a monstrous combo, "CRAWLER/VAMPIRE," both smirked as they began their attack and knocked several mermen away before getting to the last two and sent them flying into the wall of the building, "ASSAULT/BARRAGE!!" the two stood triumphantly as Ben flexed his left arm and Kokoa flipped off their opponent adorning a malicious grin, "Get fucked!" they yelled in unison.
Back with Moka, she began fending off the mermen, and Tsukune, taking Ben's advice about responsibility, decided to get serious and joined her side. Dashing forward Tsukune punched and kicked as many mermen as he could, while Moka next to him swung the bat and knocked the creatures away. Tsukune looked over to Moka and saw the cross dangling from her neck. He thought about rushing over to her and removing it, to get everything done and over with. But there was something in the back of his head telling him not too. Something told him that he would have to deal with this threat as is, that he couldn't rely on Moka forever. He wasn't sure what in his body told him this, but he realized it was right.
Tsukune snapped back to reality when he saw a merman getting dangerously close to Moka. Dashing forward, Tsukune grabbed Moka and rolled out of the way from the creature's water attack, then he threw a devastating punch that knocked the merman back to Ruby and Yukari who were having no issue taking on the mermen.
Kamiya stared in disbelief as his minions were being so easily dispatched, "How? Just what the hell are you lot?"
"We are those who wish for harmonious existence between humans and monsters." Ruby exclaimed as she used her earth magic to subdue the mermen.
"We won't allow you to overthrow the human world!" Yukari exclaimed as she hit several mermen with pans.
Ben threw down web bombs to stop a group of mermen in their place while Taskmaster threw his shield and had it bounce off their heads before coming back to him, "Yeah, what they said." Ben added.
Taskmaster cut down a merman and exhaled, exhaustion was starting to get to him, "I want to remind you that I am not with them. I'm just a mercenary. BUT, you getting rid of the human race means getting rid of me, and I don't plan on dying anytime soon."
The teens stood together in ready positions as Kamiya summoned more mermen. "So long as we live, we won't let you do as you please, Fairy Tail!" Moka shouted.
Kamiya grimaced at the group as they continued to fight. "Damn brats! GO TO HELL!" Kamiya began his song but once again it was canceled out by San. Dammit, my song will continued to be canceled out by San. he groaned, She has that protective song. If I'm going to kill these brats I need to deal with San, but how!? Looking behind San stood Kawamoto who seemed to be having an existential crisis, trying to comprehend the fact that San and her friends were all monsters. Perfect.
A merman began to be summoned near Kawamoto and once its head popped up it immediately fired its high impact water cannon. San, knowing that an attack like that would kill a human, jumped in front of Kawamoto, the woman she saw as a mother. "WATCH OUT MARIN!" she shouted. At that moment San was hit by the powerful blow and coughed out blood as she defended her mother-figure.
Kamiya stood and laughed, "No way! You actually went for that? I knew she mattered to you, I didn't think you'd try and give your life!" he chuckled, "Oh well, regardless, you've stopped your song. And now, my Death Melody can play! HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD!"
Kamiya opened his mouth, getting ready to end the lives of everyone in the area. Taskmaster was quick and ran off to a counter that was nearby. Jumping on the counter and lying on his back the mercenary reached under the counter top and grabbed a large rifle, his just-in-case weapon. Putting a bullet in the chamber, Taskmaster looked up and aimed at the siren's skull. Ben, saw what Taskmaster was doing and his lenses widened in surprise. Time slowed down as Ben lifted his arm up and began to fire a web ball at the gun. But just when it seemed it would hit the barrel, Kokoa jumped in front and blocked the webbing with her chest, a smile on her face. Taskmaster let out a breath and pulled the trigger, "I've killed gods worse than you." in an Instant, Kamiya was silenced, the top left quarter of his skull was obliterated, his eyeball popped out of his socket and as his body hit the ground what was left of his brain tricked out onto the concrete.
Ben and the teens stared in surprise as Taskmaster got off the counter and rested the rifle on his shoulder, "Woah, that was too close for comfort." he stated as he walked up to the siren and took a picture of his lifeless body. "Start chalking it up to old age."
The initial shock of what happened finally subsided and Ben approached the mercenary, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" he shouted as he grabbed Taskmaster by his collar, "We had a deal, 'No killing'!"
Taskmaster slapped Ben's hands off him and pushed something on his wrist, "Deal changed when it looked like I was going to die for a cause that isn't my own. I only agreed because I knew you'd help me, but you failed at subduing him yourself. It was him or me, and frankly, I prefer living." out of nowhere a small one manned aircraft came and opened it's cockpit. Taskmaster gave a salute and jumped into the seat. "Don't worry, I made contact with SHIELD before coming here. They are well aware of what's going on. Even sending a 'Monster Hunting' expert." he chuckled, "Catch you around, Slick." and with that he flew off.
"No." Ben muttered, "No, no, nononononono! DAMMIT!" Ben punched a brick wall and left a slight crater, "This is bad." he muttered to himself again. Looking back he saw his friends all worried. Kawamoto was crying over San, who seemed to be better, expressing how much she wanted to stay with San, and that it didn't matter she was a monster. And then there was Kokoa standing with her hands behind her head and smiling. His anger boiling over from hearing that SHIELD will be here any minute to undoubtedly screw things up, Taskmaster breaking his promise and Kokoa stopping Ben from stopping Taskmaster, Ben approached Kokoa and shoved her slightly, "What the hell is your problem?"
Kokoa scoffed, "My problem? I don't have a problem. What is YOUR problem. Trying to stop the guy who was going to save us."
"We don't kill people, Kokoa." Ben said with venom in his voice.
"AND WE DIDN'T!" Kokoa laughed, "He did! And who cares if the siren died, it's like Taskmaster said, it was him or us, and frankly I like my head on my shoulders. Or, would you prefer looking like that dick head?" she asked, pointing to Kamiya's corpse, "What's that thing you told me? 'With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility'? Well, we have the power to stop him from killing others, so that makes it our responsibility to do so."
Ben clenched his fists, "If that is what you took from that...then you haven't been listening at all. As heroes we can't do that."
"WE AREN'T HEROES!" Kokoa shot back, "We're monsters, you're a vigilante!"
"We don't have the right to decide who lives and who dies. I thought you would have figured that out by now, but I guess not." Ben squinted his lenses in frustration, "You know what? Just go."
"What?" Kokoa asked with a smirk.
"I said leave! Go back into the room and get out of my face. I don't want to see you right now. I have way too much shit to deal with. Fuck off." Kokoa stared into his lenses before huffing and leaving to the room.
The other teens looked at Ben with concerned expression, "Ben--" Moka started but was quickly cut off when Ben put up his hand.
"I don't want to hear it. All of you too, leave." the other teens looked at each other before begrudgingly going back to the room.
Kurumu looked behind her adorning a frown, "You know, I get that you're pissed and what Kokoa did was wrong. But you're being a real asshat." As she left all Ben could do was slam his head against the wall.
Up in the room Kokoa looked down from the window and laughed at the sight of Ben slamming his head against the wall, "Haha, look at this little bitch throwing a temper tantrum." as the teens walked in she pointed to the window and laughed, "Guys, look at him throw a tantrum, I can't believe he got all pissed over--" before Kokoa could even finish she felt a hard slap against her face courtesy of Moka who stared at her with a teary eyed expression.
"I can't believe you." was all Moka could say with a very disappointed tone. Kokoa frowned and looked out the window again gasping slightly when she saw what looked to be armed soldiers approaching the building with a red headed woman leading the group.
"Set up a perimeter. Damage Control get to work. Search for traces of other Fairy Tail members." a women with a slight Russian accent commanded, speaking to the SHIELD soldiers as they approached the Hostel. The woman was the elite special agent, and Avenger, Black Widow. She had a tonboyish haircut, and wore an all black jumpsuit. She had wrist gauntlets that were also guns and had a belt around her hips with the red hourglass logo of a black widow. As she, the SHIELD soldiers and an unaffiliated ally of hers walked onto the premises they ran into Spider-Man, waiting for them. "Oh, would you look at this. My least favorite vigilante."
"Hello, Widow." Ben greeted with a nod. "I know why you are here. I want you to leave."
"Leave?" Widow chuckled, "This here is officially SHIELD business. Once Fairy Tail over there made a move on humans it has become our job." she explained, "I wouldn't expect you to know everything." Widow clicked her tongue, "So where's the girl?"
Ben's lenses widened in shock, "What?" he asked.
"The girl, the one that siren was after. We already know she's here. We have...reliable information."
Ben gritted his teeth, "I won't give her to you." Widow smirked slightly, "If you plan on taking this girl away from her home then you'll have to pry her from my cold dead hands!"
Widow gained a call on her communicator and pressed her ear to listen, "Ma'am we've found some kids in the building. They may need to be questioned."
"Good, bring them down." Widow nodded.
Ben's lenses widened again as he saw Kokoa in the window get taken by members of SHIELD. Ben's anger seemed to sky rocket as he got in front of Widow's face, "If you hurt them I swear to God, I will break you where you stand! They have nothing to do with this, so leave them out of it!"
"My, quite hostile, aren't you?" Widow questioned, "Would you really risk being branded a traitor to protect these monsters?"
"Damn right! They aren't monsters, they're people! And if being branded a traitor for the rest of my life means protecting them, then I will." as the kids were brought down and lined up the other woman, whom was with Black Widow stepped forward.
"Hold on now," the woman started.
Ben cocked a lens, "Firstly, eww, you have a Boston accent. Secondly, who are you."
The woman nodded, she had fiery orange hair, fair skin and black lipstick. She wore a strapless orange jumpsuit and wore a black leather jacket. She also carried a guitar case with her, for whatever reason. "My name is Elsa Bloodstone, I'm a monster hunter. I'm also an ally of Blade's he...told me to expect seeing you." Elsa took a look at the kids and nodded, "He...also mentioned you'd be with Yokai students."
Ben let out a breath of relief, "So you understand."
"I do perfectly, but..." the two turned to Widow who was already rubbing her temples in frustration.
Widow paced back and forth deciding on what to do, "So...it seems that you have somebody to vouch for you. I can assume for now these students aren't part of Fairy Tail based on the fact you helped defend them from the siren." Widow chuckled and looked towards the teens, "Fine," she started now switching to Japanese, "You monsters are off the hook for now. But just know that if anything happens it's his ass." she said pointing to Ben. "Now, Damage Control. Start the clean up."
So. He's taking the fall for us, hm? the 'Inner' Moka said to her Outer self in secret.
"Woah, what the hell happened here?" the teens turned in surpriseto see Gin looking a little battered up.
"GIN!" the teens shouted in surprise, "Where have you been?" Kurumu asked.
Gin shrugged, "Oh you know, around. So, what happened?"
"Fairy Tail." the teens said in unison.
Elsa walked up to Ben and tapped his shoulder, "Spider?" she asked, "If you have any information on Fairy Tail, it's be nice to know. Both for my job, and SHIELD." Ben nodded and he walked up to Gin.
"Gin," he called, "I know you followed Takahashi, did that lead to anything...weird?"
Gin nodded, "Yeah, you could say that. Why?"
"Because if you have anything about Fairy Tail, these guys will get off our ass." Ben said as he pointed to SHIELD.
Gin groaned, "So that's why they're here." he nodded, "Yeah, so basically--"
Much Earlier...
After being unconscious for some time Gin finally was forced awake. He was riding in some car being driven by Tsubaki. "Oi, Ginei, get out. We're here." Tsubaki announced as the car he was driving pulled up to a large building. Gin didn't think much of the building, but perhaps that was the point? Keep things inconspicuous, make any human passerbys think it's just a normal human building. "This is our hideout, Fairy Tail 7th Branch." Tsubaki said with a smile as he began to run his hand through Gin's hair.
Gin growled at the monster, "You mind letting go of my hair?" Gin asked, "The moment you find yourself in an advantageous position your behavior gets all out of wack. You have a shit personality."
Tsubaki scoffed and slammed Gin's head against the dash, "Oy Oy, watch your mouth you defeated dog." he laughed, "They're about to finish things over there too. 'God' left to take care of them personally. He'll be coming back with San real soon." Gin's eyes widened in surprise, "Oh yeah," Tsubaki smiled, "That inn is as good as finished. 'God's' song is a tune made for brainwashing. Once you hear that, you'll be brainwashed into becoming a member as well."
"Wait...WHAT!?" Gin yelled as he gripped Tsubaki's collar and began shaking him back and forth, "Dammit, if that's the case then there's no reason for me to be here! God, this is bad!"
Tsubaki grimaced at Gin's antics, Who the hell does he think he is? Tsubaki thought as he brought out the speaker from earlier, "You bastard. Do you not understand the position you're in!? If you don't shut up the. I'll hit you with this again--" suddenly, as if lightning flashed, the speaker was taken from his hands and destroyed, "...Huh?" Tsubaki asked with a shocked expression.
Gin groaned and wrapped his arm around Tsubaki, "Of course I know the position I'm in. I only 'lost' so your dumbass could escort me directly to your boss." Gin said as he scratched the back of his head. "Did you honestly think you'd beat me with some borrowed power, moron?" Damn. Looks like I just missed 'em. Gin thought. Nodding, Gin hopped out of the car and began to drag Tsubaki by his collar, "Welp, let's go check the place out!"
Gin walked in through the front entrance of the large corporate looking building, whistling at the interior, "Wow, pretty swank place. It looks like a real human office building. I guess that's the perfect camouflage, huh?" as Gin walked past the front desk the secretaries immediately started making calls and announcing that there was an intruder.
"Um...Ginei?" Tsubaki asked as he was being dragged up the stairs, "But, what exactly are you doing? Just walking through the front door. You have no business here, right?"
"Can't you tell by looking, you piece of trash?" Gin replied with a friendly smile and a seemingly friendly tone, "Since I already bothered to come all the way here I think I'm gonna trash this place you douche-scums live in just for troubling San-senpai." he smirked, "So, I need you to show me around, okay?
Tsubaki's eyes widened at what Gin was saying and he began thrashing about in a tantrum, "TRASH!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'TRASH'?" he complained, "Why the hell are you doing such a reckless thing for San's sake?"
Gin smiled, "Fighting for a woman is a man's romance isn't it? Besides, I owe her a huge debt." Gin smiled as he began to think about his time as a freshman when he joined the Newspaper club specifically to get out of class sooner and slack off, but then he thought about how San put him on the right path. And how in time...he realized his feelings for her were more than just stupid lust like he had for other girls. "I was a pretty dumb kid in my first year..."
*Record Scratch*
Hey folks! Deadpool here, breaking the fourth wall FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE!
What the fuck!? What are you--
I just came to poke fun at this line! Because Gin literally hasn't changed since his first year! Sure, he doesn't get into fights anymore, but he's still a massive perv who takes pictures of women in the locker room!
Great, thanks! I think they know that, now fuck off!
Gin shook his head as he seemed to have one of those weird occurrences when your vision becomes blurry for no reason, you know what I mean? Like you see the entire universe and it takes a bit for your eyes to readjust. "Weird." Gin mumbled, "Anyways, because of San-senpai, and her never abandoning me...it's like she awoke in my eyes." he smiled as he adjusted his hair, "She's someone who will treat anyone nicely and treasure their bonds. Actually, I wasn't the only person she helped--"
"Excuse me for interrupting your talk, but do you have an appointment, sir?" Gin looked up to the man who interrupted him as well as his partner walking beside him. One looked like a giant puffer fish and the other looked like an eel of some kind. But both were walking upright and wearing suits almost as if they were have in human form and half out. "We are responsible, for removing anyone who does not have an appointment." the eel man said. Gin grimaced and Tsubaki 'broke' free from his grasp.
As Tsubaki escaped he backflipped behind the two fish monsters who came to deal with Gin. "No need for him to answer, this guy's an enemy!" he warned, "Kill 'im, slaughter 'im!" Tsubaki began laughing maniacally as he easily outnumbered Gin, "You stupid idiot! I don't care about your 'debt' you can't do anything on your alone! So die, Ginei Morioka!"
Gin stood still with a cool expression and simply smirked as the two fish monsters were hit and knocked down instantly as if from an invisible force. "You should listen until people are finished talking." Gin said with a sigh, "As I said...I wasn't the only one who had a debt to San-senpai." the two fish monsters collapsed due to their injuries and Tsubaki looked behind Gin to see another man had shown up wearing a karategi. Gin chuckled at the stupid face Tsubaki was making, "Ah, I knew you'd come. If it involves San-senpai or little girls, you'll rush right over. Isn't that right, Haiji?" The man was Haiji Miyamoto, leader of the Yokai Academy Karate Club (see chapter 9).
"So...where is she? Where's San-senpai?" Haiji asked, his fist still raised. "When I heard you left to see San-senpai I hopped on a bus immediately. So...why'd you come out here?" he asked as he looked around at the strange building. Haiji then turned and fist pumped with excitement as he imagined holding San in his arms like she was a little girl, "When I see her again the first thing I'm going to do is lift her up and play with her!"
Gin cleared his throat, "Yeah, well...she's not exactly here."
Haiji slowly turned his head with a shocked expression adorning his face, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? WHAT SORT OF LIES HAVE YOU TOLD ME!?! Oh, just when I made a stylish entrance too!"
"Stylish?" Gin scoffed, "You're walking around in a gi, moron. You look like a loser."
"IT'S STANDARD UNIFORM FOR KARATE CLUB THOUGH!"
"Yeah, but we aren't in the karate club, are we!?" Gin countered.
While the two idiots were fighting, Tsubaki and now a large group of monsters amassed, "These idiots are just toying with us. KILL THEM!" Tsubaki yelled out.
Haiji sighed, "Geez, I haven't fought by your side in a long time." he groaned, "So, what? Are these guys friends of San-senpai's? Allies?"
Gin smirked, "What do you think?"
Haiji then grinned in response, "Well, well, well. If that's the case then there's no avoiding it. It'll be just like old times, eh Gin?" the two teens stood back to back as they readied for their battle.
Present...
"And basically me and Haiji just beat the shit out of everyone in the building." Gin nodded.
Ben's lenses widened in response, "Do...do you remember where the building is?" Gin nodded. "Hey Widow! I think I have some information for you!" Black Widow, begrudgingly, began to walk towards Ben and Gin, and the vigilante had to keep Gin from doing his normal antics. Ben cleared his throat, "This is Gin, he'll give you the details." Ben groaned and he walked back to his friends. He looked at the Hostel he and his friends had worked so hard to protect, and now he realized this area, this whole city, would likely be in some sort of SHIELD quarantine just like Hokuto just the year before. "Fucking SHIELD." Ben mumbled.
Later that night, after getting all the information settled, Black Widow sighed as she approached Kawamoto. "So," Widow began, startling the owner slightly. Kawamoto and the others were about to head to the beach, but she told San and the others to go ahead. "I have good news, and I have bad news." Widow started as she sat Kawamoto down, "The good news, because of...the unfortunate incident, as well as the involvement of Taskmaster, a mercenary on SHIELD's most wanted, Damage Control will repair your building." Kawamoto breathed a sigh of relief, "On top of that these SHIELD agents and Ms. Bloodstone will need a place to stay. Due to some...past occurrences, we want to make our presence as little known as possible. SHIELD is willing to rent out all the rooms until our job is done." Kawamoto didn't know how to react to that information. All these people? For an undetermined amount of time!?
"Wait...what's the bad news?" Kawamoto asked.
Black Widow smirked, "Due to Fairy Tail operating in area, we will likely be here a long time. So...do you prefer cash, check, or cryptocurency?" Kawamoto nearly fainted at the information.
Black widow began leaving towards her air transport only to see Ben Reilly, out of uniform, waiting for her. "For a clone you act a lot differently. It makes me miss the mysteriousness of the old Spider-Man."
"Don't call me clone." Ben said with a frown, "I take it you're bailing and leaving your mess behind?"
Widow, in turn, smirked, "Relax. SHIELD recieved your...passionate message about what happened in Hokuto last year. Our goal is to be as discrete as possible this time." Ben cocked an eyebrow, he didn't seem convinced. Widow rolled her eyes and lightly jabbed Ben in his side causing him to recoil in pain and cough profusely. "Sorry," she apologized, "I didn't realize you were injured. Anyways, as part of the new plan we have been lucky to have to help someone who's witnessed these creatures firsthand. We've already made arrangements to support this woman's business until we leave." Ben blinked slightly in surprise and Widow gripped his chin with her right hand, a playful smirk spread across her face, "See, we aren't all bad."
"Woah, back off grandma." Ben pushed Widow away from his face and she began to walk towards her transport once again. "Widow!" Ben called out, "Thank you. Making sure the Hostel stays open was all we asked for."
"I told you, I trust your judgment...for now." Widow gave a wave as the doors to her transport closed, "Until next time, Spider-Man." With that Black Widow left. SHIELD and Elsa, the monster hunter, stayed behind, but they promised no harm would come to San, and that Kawamoto would be greatly compensated for her cooperation. It wasn't the perfect win that Ben had hoped for, but it wasn't a loss either. And, on the bright side, Ben knew he wasn't the only one willing to fight Fairy Tail.
"Well, let's just see where this goes." Ben said to himself before he went to join his friends at the beach so they could light off fireworks.
After Arc...
Ben walked to the beach and smiled at his friends, San, Kawamoto, even Gin and that Haiji guy enjoying themselves. His eyes scanned the area and he eventually saw Kurumu standing on her own. Sighing slightly Ben realized that he may have been too harsh on her. Scratching his head he slowly sauntered over to the young vampire and pat her shoulder. "What do you want?" she asked in an annoyed tone, "Come to scold me more? Or are you going to slap me like sis did?"
"I'm...sorry." Ben said as he looked up at the sky. Kokoa recoiled slightly from what he said, "You see...I guess I just wanted to get a lesson across to you. Something you don't seem to get. You are more than a monster, you're who you make yourself out to be. And I believe you could be a hero."
"Yeah?" Kokoa asked with a snarky tone, "Why's that?"
"Because I see it in you." Ben replied with a smile, "I've seen it in you since the dungeons. You have the knowledge, you have power, I believe you have all the qualities necessary. You may think you're a monster, you may try to convince yourself that you're a selfish person who doesn't care for anything, but I know deep down that when push comes to shove you do the right thing. The issue is that your morality isn't exactly the best, which is fine...I mean, I'm not perfect either." Kokoa cocked an eyebrow in surprise, "You may not know this but sometimes I think the way you do, that it'd be easier to get rid of your enemies so they don't do the same. But that wouldn't make us any better than them. We aren't executioners." Kokoa frowned as she felt Ben was going to scold her again, "But...I've been down your road before. I even killed someone."
"You?" Kokoa asked with a surprised tone.
"That's right. I was in a similar situation we were in earlier today. An evil man was attacking me and my brother. He had stabbed me with his glider, trying to kill me. He then tried to kill my brother. But I wouldn't let him, I couldn't...so I took his glider and shoved it in his back too. Turns out where I stabbed him was the sweet spot, direct line to the heart." Ben sighed, "Look, kid, what I'm saying is that we make mistakes, and we can move past them. That's why I have been training you, and teaching you the way I do. Do you understand?"
Kokoa opened her mouth before she groaned, "No."
Ben sighed and he chuckled lightly, "Look, as a clone I don't have much time left in me. Hell, I'll be lucky if I make it to Forty. So, my plan was to leave something behind, for future generations."
Kokoa's eyes widened and nearly popped out of her head in shock, "A-Are you asking me to carry your baby!?" she asked, her face completely red.
"Pfft" Ben snorted, "NO! But it's funny because I did make it sound like that, my bad." he laughed, "No. What I mean is, I hope I can at least leave my knowledge onto you. I'll die at a young age, but you are a vampire! You'll live practically forever! And...hopefully one day you decide to pass the knowledge you've gained onto someone else."
"So...what? You want me to be like you?" Kokoa asked.
"No." Ben replied with a shake of his head, causing Kokoa to cock an eyebrow in confusion, "I want you to be better." Kokoa was speechless at what Ben had said, despite being so different he out so much faith in her. She continued to stare at Ben until the bright lights of fireworks caught her attention. Ben wrapped his arm around her shoulder and her eyes seemed to light up with joy slightly until she pushed him away
"W-What? Are you gonna confess to me or something? You perv!" Kokoa asked, her face still red.
Ben smirked, "Would that make you happy?"
"WHA--?" Ben grabbed Kokoa's shoulders and brought her in for a tight hug as the fireworks went off.
"Well...I do. I love you, Kokoa. You're like a sister to me. And, for what little time I have left, I want to be there for you." Kokoa was happy, but also strangely annoyed. Eventually Kokoa shoved Ben off her in anger and all he could do was laugh at her antics.
The night went on as usual and the teens relished in the sounds and lights of the fireworks. The next day, they'd be going back to Yokai.
To be continued...
A/N: Done. See what I mean? Really long. better to split it up to give you guys something to read. Welp, that's the end of the Summer Camp arc guys! Next up we'll be going back to Yokai, but before classes start up again our heroes still have some time left in summer. That means more training. Time for Tsukune to put everything he learned from this trip to the test and fight Moka once more. But that's not all, Ben will have a...special surprise for the Inner Moka when they return.The return home also means many twists and turns as well as something that may out a damper on the cheery mood some may be experiencing at the moment. What will it be? Stay tuned and find out.
Until next time, remember the words of Bill and Ted during these trying times 'Be excellent to each other. Party on, dude!'
See you next time.