Sparkler showed up at about 9:00 am, opening the door softly so he wouldn't disturb the duo and woke them up. He was almost going to take a photo before he calmed his childish side down so he could have a serious conversation. "You two." He said calmly, rocking Rumi's body which Rai was attached at the hip to.
The girl jumped up instantly, ready to combat any threat from the look of her fighting pose, while Rai woke up normally with a long yawn before dragging his feet over the side of the bed. "Sparky?" He drawled questioningly, before he realized who was truly in front of him and hardened his gaze.
"I suppose I deserve that look." Sparkler retorted, analyzing the look carefully before Rumi also sat down beside her brother. "You both know what I'm here to talk about, so let's not beat around the bush." The two both nodded and Sparkler pulled up a chair to sit down. "Your first kill."
"Hopefully last." Rai muttered, earning a sad smile from Rumi as she rubbed his back.
"I pray that feeling never changes, kid, because there are people out there that feel nothing, like me, and there are an even worse breed who thrive and feed off of that sorrow."
"How?" Rumi heard Rai start to break up again as he thought of the kill.
"They're monsters, psychopaths, beasts. They aren't human, at least to me." Sparkler's hands began to knead against each other, like he was massaging an answer from his skin. "Look, I've never been the best at these sorts of things, the whole emotional stuff. So instead, I'd um, I'd like to give you something you want, anything. I'm hoping I can make up for what happened yesterday, along with the talk we're about to have."
"So what, you're trying to bribe him?" Rumi asked, hardening her gaze on Sparkler who shook his head quickly.
"No, not at all. I just want… I just want there to be a bright side to this, something you can look forward to at the end of all of it."
Rai looked like a dead fish as he stared at the ground, eyes dull and painless. He had no more left to give in some aspects. "I enjoyed it, in the moment I–"
Rumi lightly bonked him on the head. "That's the adrenaline dummy, what you enjoyed was the fight, that rush, I get it too. So if you're about to call yourself a monster, then that means I'm definitely one." Sparkler nodded at her words, chuckling slightly.
"I guess we have 3 adrenaline junkies in this place. You two and Ryuji all love that stuff, but I feel none of it." Sparkler sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair to stare at the roof. "Too late for that now."
"What happened?" Rumi asked, eager to learn more of the man that had taken her in and provided for her the past few months. Sparkler's face stilled before he looked back towards the two and shook his head sadly.
"Maybe I'll tell you one day. If I end up dying on a mission, the whole story is in my little notebook." He gave a dry laugh at the concept of his death, like the thought had been brought up so many times it just seemed stale. "But enough about me, let's talk about you, Rai. How're you feeling?"
"How the hell do you think I feel?" The boy almost snapped before reigning himself in. "Hollow, bored–" His stomach growled loudly and the child began to blush, "-hungry."
"We can tell that for sure." The other two in the room laughed.
"Maybe that feeling of hollowness will be gone when we get you some food." Sparkler stood from his chair and placed it in its original spot, leading the two out into the main room where Ryuji was lying on the couch. He had a blanket over his head to block out the light while he slept.
"Overworked?" Raii asked, to which Sparkler laughed.
"Barely, he was worried sick yesterday after I took you on the mission and stayed up all night working so he could check on you when you arrived. He ended up being awake until like 1:30 or something before he crashed." The villain walked down the steps and retrieved a box of cereal from the counter. "I can't cook, so this is what you got. Unless you want something else, Rai?" Rumi could easily tell how uncomfortable Sparkler looked. She could almost see the visage of a teenage boy on his first date over him.
"Cereal is fine." He mumbled, grabbing a bowl and the milk from the fridge.
Rumi took out her phone while grabbing a bag of baby carrots from the fridge. "Oh look, your mission is on the headlines."
"18 saved from apartment torture chamber."
Sparkler could barely hold back a smile as he sat down at the table. "See kid? Look at that. You did that." He pointed to the screen with his spoon.
Rai shook his head and sat at the table, slowly eating his cereal. "All I did was–"
"Nuh uh." Rumi forced his spoon into his mouth to shut him up. "No matter what you say, or whatever devil on your shoulder says, you saved 18 lives yesterday." She patted him on the back caringly before taking her own seat at the table.
"Oooo, looking to become a hero, kid?" Sparkler chuckled, waiting for the kid to shake his head vehemently as he did in the past, only to receive no response. "No fucking way." He gasped.
Rumi cackled wildly in the background as Rai began to blush, his face being lit up like a christmas tree. "It was just a thought!" He stammered. "I-I just don't want people to… like… face that end of the road feeling?"
"Well said brat!" Rumi slapped him on the back much harder, Rai muttering something along the lines of 'itchy cuts' after recovering.
The two both looked towards Sparkler who was smiling gently, a look neither of them had seen. It was like he was truly happy. "Mm, that's a good goal." Was all he said before he continued to eat. Both Rai and Rumi were unaware of the whirlwind of emotions Sparkler was being dragged through in his mind. None of them, though, were disappointment.
"Well shithead, you're going to have to ramp up your training. No more half assed vigilante training, we're gonna need to see some big boy hero stuff!" Rumi noted the empty bowl in front of Rai and dragged him from his seat towards the gym, Sparkler cleaning up the plates after them before following the pair inside.
"Why would I ever trust that shit with my stock!?" A rotund man paced the parking lot he was in, palming the gold chain around his neck while he walked. He was wearing a red Hawaiian shirt and cargo pants while looking at his phone. It was the same headline as earlier, but several cracks began to appear around the screen as he crushed the device in his hands.
The veins leading up to his hands pulsed a dull purple color before he threw the destroyed device away and massaged his forehead. "Okay, okay, it's fine. I'll just need to get some more before Hazaki comes for his rounds." The man turned towards a black suv and unlocked it, reaching into the driver's seat to grab a new phone among the many that were stashed. He dialed a number, not even bothering to save the contact because he knew his anger would overcome him again and it'd end up lost. "Fubuki, can I please receive another shipment?"
He waited a few moments, then a few more, until it trailed on and he ended up standing there for 10 minutes before some soft breathing came over the phone line. "Goroge, you fucking rat." The voice snarled, it almost sounded like the woman on the other side of the line was panting. Goroge was starting to sweat, thinking he'd interrupted her during leisure time or something.
"M-My legs, I've lost my legs because of you!" She shouted, before whimpering as she shifted the phone. "N-No please, I beg of you, I'll do anything." Goroge was starting to become confused, did she consider Mugi that important to her plans?
"Blah, blah." He could almost hear the eye roll the man was making over the phone before the call rang silent, the phone probably having been destroyed.
"She was attacked?! Oh no, fuck, fuck. How the hell can I get the payment?" The device in his hand shattered and he threw it to the floor, grabbing another from inside the car.
"Okay, there's only one chance. He's gotta know something." He frantically typed in the number and it rang 3 times before a voice spoke up.
"Yoo." Loki drawled over the microphone, oh no, had he woken him up? Was he not going to help? "Do you need something?"
"Y-Yes! I uh, do you know where I could possibly get a shipment for trigger? Like anyone I can contact or–"
"I'm gonna stop ya right there." Loki chuckled. "Goroge Tomi, correct?"
"T-That's my name, yes."
"You silly billy, you're not supposed to share personal information over the internet. Sparkler, do what you want."
Sparkler? Who the hell was that? Goroge looked around the car park frantically, the sun beginning to set behind him and the street lamp above his head being the only source of light.
"Gotcha!" Goroge quickly looked up to see a man clad in blue crushing his skull against the pavement. Sparkler wiped the gray matter off of his shoes and picked up the phone. "Loki boy! Thanks for the coords." He smiled happily.
"Yeah, I'll contact you if any more morons try to buy trigger through me. I can't be tainting my image with drugs and shit."
"Oh that's cute." Sparkler retorted, rolling his eyes as Loki began to rave on about the importance of his notoriety before Sparkler hung up the phone.
His hunt for trigger dealers had been exciting, and fruitful. Seems like the more hideouts he destroyed and people he killed, the more people were inclined to flock to Loki for information. Therefore repeating the cycle once Sparkler would kill whoever Loki was talking to after he tracked their location.
Sparkler's boredom wasn't the only thing the trigger hunt was curing, it also gave them some leads. Specifically leads towards a big head in the assassin world, conveniently going by the codename sensei. After Sparkler had heard the name from sensei's little pet project, he gained a new goal to achieve while he was in Japan, capturing the bounty on All For One's head.
Aizawa Shouta was a logical man. He'd worked hard, even to the point of destroying his own body, so that he could put his emotions away and behind the more important things, like missions. His previous patrol though, he couldn't help but feel a slight hint of despair when he remembered the villain he'd fought. That inkling of despair was easily trounced by the rage he felt at seeing a young boy being told to complete and corroborate villainous acts, which lead to his current predicament. "So you're saying that you want me to open an investigation into this villain." The detective in front of him, a plain faced young man wearing a brown trenchcoat and beige hat, pointed a finger at himself.
"I don't know what's so surprising Tsukauchi, it'd be illogical for me not to bring your attention to this threat." Aizawa tucked a few of his messy, black bangs over his head while speaking. He watched the detective sigh loudly before gesturing to his desk, where several news reports lay.
"You wanting me to open a case isn't the surprising part. What was surprising is that you didn't look at my desk before getting my attention." He shuffled around a few news reports before handing one over to Shouta, the young hero grabbing it cautiously.
The man's eyes widened while his pupils tracked across the page, "you already had one open? Why didn't you tell me?" Aizawa passed the report back and Tsukauchi chucked it onto the pile.
"We don't, or didn't, have any information. It's like he appeared and disappeared." The detective turned back to his friend, "but you're saying you saw him last night?"
"Yes, and he was with a child."
"A child? Are you sure?"
"Obviously I'm sure. When I caught up to them, he immediately threw the kid away and told him to complete the mission they were on."
"I'm assuming they didn't spill the beans on that?" Tsukauchi retrieved a pen and a clipboard from his desk, writing down Shouta's account while he remembered the events of the previous night. Tsukauchi gave his own thoughts and theories on the events before he suddenly remembered a report from Aldera elementary school that had landed on his desk earlier that week. "I actually think I might be able to get in contact with this boy, wait here a second." The detective lifted some papers and groaned before grabbing his desk phone and dialing the number for Aldera's front office.
"Hello, this is detective Tsukauchi. Yes. Yes. Would you be able to fax through your records on a student named Rai Harukaze? Alright, thank you." Tsukauchi placed the phone back in its place before the fax machine on the other side of the room began to vibrate and buzz loudly. He quickly grabbed the process papers and passed them to Aizawa, along with the boy's yearbook photo. "Is this the kid?"
Shouta looked down at the pieces of paper he was suddenly handed, flicking through them until his eyes zoned in on the visage of the same boy he had seen the night previous. "Yes, that's the one." He nodded, handing the forms back before preparing to leave. "I need to get back on patrol, set up a meeting or something with the kid and his guardian." Tsukauchi nodded and turned back to his desk with a smile, giving a polite goodbye as Eraser Head left.
"Reports of disappearances have increased to 10x their usual levels within the Tokyo area. The chief of police has initiated a curfew for all citizens past 10 pm and train services will be closed from that time as well. Please enjoy the rest of your night, this has been Mari Fumikawa signing out." The cameras in the tv studio tilted down, allowing the supports to rest after an arduous recording.
The tv host, a pale skinned woman with bright orange hair and rainbow eyes, reached under her desk and picked up a water bottle.
"Good work Mari, I'll be sure to add that bonus to your paycheck this week." A short, stocky man with a snout climbed onto the news reporters desk and sat in front of her, dangling his legs over the side of the table like a child.
"Thank you sir, I try my best." The woman bowed slightly and continued to drink her water. "Though shouldn't we have given a bit more information? Like how all of the incidents have occurred near hospitals?"
Her rat-like boss shifted his head from side to side. "Just the numbers alone are causing panic, it's our job to keep the people calm while the heroes protect them. Besides, if we release too much information the killer may get scared off and escape."
"That's true, sorry."
"Don't worry about it, it's a good thing to be curious! But keep in mind what killed the cat!" Her boss patted her shoulder lightly before hopping off of the desk, trotting towards his office while commanding his employees. Mari barely noticed the silhouette already inside of her boss's office before he walked inside and locked the door behind him.
It wasn't that unusual for him to have guests, but he'd often introduce the entire team to them before they were let into the office. She wasn't the only one who noticed either, judging by the reaction of Matsuro, one of her superiors. The man turned around and walked up to Mari's desk, leaning over to talk to her privately. "Fumikawa, do you recognize his guest?" His snakelike tongue broke through his lips and flicked the air slightly, only further reinforcing his curiosity.
The reporter stood from her desk and shook her head, "maybe it's an old friend or something?" Matsuro rolled his eyes, clearly he didn't support the theory.
The two slowly made their way to the breakroom, continuing their conversation until they reached the door. "Maybe he's some secret mafia boss!" Mari opened the door and turned towards the counter on her right, letting Matsuro through.
"Your imagination always surprises me Tatsuki." Matsuro placed his hand on top of the blonde intern's head, ruffling her hair slightly while he took a seat next to her. The other two at the table giggled quietly while she tried to fix it with a frown. "I doubt he's a mafioso though, probably more something like a drug dealer."
The door to the break room opened again, bringing everyone's attention to a man wearing a black suit and tie, slicked back brown hair and sunglasses. "I'd recommend you all stop spreading rumors about our employer before you find yourself reported to HR." He said sharply, emptying the pot of coffee Mari had made into his own cup.
"I'd recommend you get the stick outta your ass." The woman retorted, preparing to make another pot since her ambrosia had been swiped. The other employees began to laugh while the suited man took a seat at the end of the table. "Still, you've got to admit it's pretty weird that he didn't introduce the guy to all of us."
The coffee snatcher took a sip of his coffee while shrugging, his sparkling golden pupils barely shining over the edge of his glasses. "It could just be a mistress."
"Ooooo! A mistress!" The intern clapped happily, "good idea Paku!"
'Paku' scowled and put his cup down on the table. "I told you, it's Pakumo or kumo, Nishimoya." He growled, which resulted in the blonde intern giggling wildly and slapping his back. Mari sat on the other end of the table next to Matsuro, cupping her mug of coffee tightly.
"Should we sneak in? Maybe listen to the conversation through the door?" Nishimoya chirped, earning a chop to the head from Pakumo.
"Besides that being a gross violation of privacy, the only one who would be able to hear is you." He noted, taking another sip of his coffee. The group continued to ramble on about different topics, even if their boss's mystery guest still lingered in their minds.
"And so what? I don't have any personal connection to them, but they're still under my employment. Because of your activity lately, it's been getting harder and harder to cover stuff up." Samba narrowed his eyes on his boss/colleague. Despite his fragile appearance, his boss was no man to disrespect or insult. His jet black suit neatly folded to his form over a white undershirt, with two tubes connecting to his right wrist under the cuffs. In contrast to his dark actions, his hair was pure white and eyes red like a blood moon.
"Samba, Samba, don't worry." He smiled lightly, something that would be considered a kind gesture if it wasn't on the face of the symbol of evil. "I needed more subjects for the good doctor's experiments. Surely you understand, right?" He lifted his left hand and gestured to a picture on the mutated man's desk.
"I get it, I'm doing what you asked. Leave her out of this." Samba reached under his desk and pulled out a manila folder full of documents. He grimaced while handing it over. "The police are starting to get suspicious about my interest in the case, especially since I'm actively reporting on it. I can only use the 'building a story' excuse so many times you know."
All For One peeled open the folder and smiled, sending a shiver down his lesser's spine. "Good work Samba, I'm sure your employees are grateful to be working under someone like you."
"What're you getting at?"
All For One chuckled at the man's panic, waving his hand as if to brush it away. "Nothing at all, I'll stay away from them of course." He stood up from his chair when suddenly a vortex of swirling infinity appeared before him. "Enjoy the day with your daughter, and keep working hard for more to come."