Chapter 11: Roar of Challenge
Kenta:
The Black Sedan's door opened in front of a narrow alleyway, allowing Lung to get out and stretch his feet. The car's back was usually comfortable enough for short rides, but after being stuck in traffic for over half an hour, the lack of leg space had become apparent. As soon as he stepped outside he was met with the full force of the early afternoon sun, reflecting torridly against his steel mask and onto his bare chest. The heat could never bother him, of course, but it was still a nostalgic feeling. Such weather was not very common along this part of the East Coast, but right now the temperature and the humidity made him feel like he was back in his childhood, running around during the middle of a hot Japanese summer day.
Lung was surprised to find himself missing the buzzing of cicadas echoing in his wake. Such thoughts were not like him at all. The situation at hand must have put him in a rare, weird mood.
He gestured towards his driver to park nearby and wait for him. This shouldn't take more than an hour at most. The man quickly nodded and rolled back his window, almost forgetting to put the car in reverse before taking off. Lung let out a small huff. The guy was fresh blood, still unused to his sudden promotion after Lee had become unable to chauffeur him around in the foreseeable future.
Speaking of Lee, in an uncharacteristic display of initiative, the silent demon had offered to accompany him today. Lung refused him. A one-armed man serving as his entourage would make him seem weak. And even if not for that, he didn't need people around constantly licking his shoes like Kaiser did. The man was always desperate for any chance to parade around his subjects, to flaunt his strength for all to see.
Such things were beneath him. He was the dragon. That was enough.
The inside of Somer's Rock was still as dirty and lacking in taste as the last two times he had bothered to show up here. Bathed in a depressing yellow courtesy of a couple of overworked light bulbs, air so stale a window hasn't probably been opened in over a decade, furniture that by this point would serve better as firewood than a sitting place. He could spot a couple of rats in a corner munching on the broken-off wall plaster.
Lung wouldn't have minded any of that if only the booze hadn't been so bad.
It seemed like he was the last one to arrive. There were more capes present than he remembered inviting, but they didn't matter to him. The only people worth his time were the ones seated at the main table.
Kaiser, in his usual gaudy armour and sense of superiority. Hookwolf and Victor by either of his sides. The Iron King's fake hospitality aside, he had expected some stronger glares from the other two as he was walking in. Hookwolf in particular seemed a little out of it for the moment, as if he needed a moment to process where he was.
Coil, the only other person here aside from himself to come alone. The man's body language didn't betray a single thing, in a different way from Lee though. While his subordinate merely had no need for unnecessary expression, the man in the skin-tight body suit sitting across from him moved carefully, the slightest twitch of his fingers a calculated move. The type to easily get on his nerves.
Lastly, Faultline and the giant snail man whose name he couldn't remember at the moment. They were of little consequence, though if he had a little more free time, he would have made sure the little circle of freaks would think twice between accepting a job hitting his turf again.
"Welcome, Lung! We're glad you've finally decided it's time to join us. And as well dressed for the occasion as ever, I see. Feel free to pick up something at the bar before we begin, there's no rush. We already waited for you so far, after all." Kaiser greeted him, immediately taking charge as if he owned the place. "Though I hope this wasn't just some petty ploy to waste our precious time. I don't know how things run in the ABB, but the rest of us here are actually trying to run lucrative businesses."
Lung didn't bother signifying his barely concealed jab with a response. So what if everybody scowled at him for being late to the meeting he himself had set up? If any of them actually had anything better to do by now, they would've left already.
But they didn't. Because they cared about what he had to say. And they cared because they feared him.
So there was no rush in his steps as he made his way towards the counter and picked up a cheap beer. It was difficult to actually drink anything with his mask on, so he briefly lifted it up to take a swig, enjoying the way everybody seemed to squirm in their seats at his actions. For them, the masks were a way to protect themselves. For him, it was merely a symbol. The difference between the two was clear as day.
The taste was as awful as he remembered, but he took his time to savour it, not making any effort to take a seat with the rest of the villains and instead opting to rest against the dirty bar counter. That way he could make sure their attention was on him, as it should be.
He wasn't here for negotiations, after all. He was just going to make an announcement.
"If we're all down posturing now, could we get on with this already?" Faultilne rolled her eyes. He couldn't tell if she was actually annoyed or was just playing it up in front of him. The woman was a professional through and through. "You barely even bother to show up whenever a truce is invoked, and now you're the one calling on us? Can't imagine what brought on such a change of heart."
"There's no particular reason, just figured things would go smoother this way." He simply said, looking everyone over.
"I want none of you to get in my way when I make my move next week."
"You realize this is a hard thing to promise when we don't even know what that 'move' is gonna be, right?" Coil said, grasping his hands together over the table. "I don't believe you plan on attacking one of our territories and honestly expect to have us just roll over for you, so it must be something else. Are you going to clash with the Protectorate perhaps? If so, I don't see why any of us would get involved in the first place. "
Lung took another long swig of his drink before answering.
"I'm gonna kill a Ward."
There was a moment of silence when every cape present could do nothing but stare at him.
"What the fuck man? Are you planning to have Legend drop down on us? Don't drag us into this because of your shit!" One of the nobodies from the booths exploded. Lung said nothing, simply craning his neck to stare at him and letting a small trickle of his power run free. His eyes prickled as his irises were invaded by a slight shade of orange. The idiot promptly clamped his mouth shut.
If only the people at the main table would be so easily cowed. He would've taken over the city by now.
"Do you have any reasons for such a...drastic measure?' Kaiser asked. "Or do you simply take pleasure in the act of killing children? If so, I would strongly advise you to reconsider." Ah yes, paint him as a bloodthirsty brute while making himself the voice of rational reason, the picture of civility. As if he didn't have a Birdcage-bound murderer with him right now.
He wouldn't expect any less hypocrisy from some Nazi scum.
"The little fairy doesn't play around by the rules, she laid her hands on what's mine," he said, his voice harder. "If she wants to go around moonlighting as another cape while ravaging my territory and killing my men, she shouldn't expect her status as the heroes' pet to protect her any more than it would any random independent. She must be put in her place."
"Wait," Faultline cut in, "you expect us to believe that Nimue girl has been going around putting down gang members?"
"It seems rather farfetched" Coil agreed. "I happen to have stumbled upon a couple of reports regarding the killings you speak of, and I must say, they are particularly gruesome. I find it hard to reconcile the image of a newbie posing around town in a prom dress and a tiara with crushed windpipes and dismembered corpses."
*SCRASH*
Everybody turned their heads towards the edge of the table, where the shattered remains of a glass splattered into Hookwolf's fist. The man in question barely even noticed; he only continued to stare unblinkingly at some weird necklace he was wearing, seemingly unaware of the stern look Kaiser was giving him.
Victor got up from his spot and walked towards the dazed cape, whispering something in his ear and breaking him out of his weird stupor. Hookwolf glanced around in a way that didn't really fit him, before giving Kaiser a small nod.
"I apologize for that," Kaiser said, sounding like he was forced to pry open every word from his mouth with a pair of forceps.
Curious. There was something going on there, but Lung doubted he would be able to figure it out at this time.
"I don't really care whether you believe me or not, I just don't want anyone standing in my way." He said, getting back to the subject at hand.
"I don't think there's any need for someone to ask 'Or else?' in this situation." The snail man spoke up. The answer was obvious, of course. "But I have to say, this doesn't seem like you at all, Lung. You've always been short-tempered, but you are not stupid. Getting caught up in the heat of the moment is one thing, but premeditated murder, while fully aware of the consequences? I don't follow."
"Mr. Gregor is right," Kaiser said. " This is rather out of character indeed. If I didn't know any better I'd say you are weary of the girl."
"Careful now," Lung growled between his teeth.
"Even if we were to believe you about Nimue's activities," Kaiser carried on, his slimy grin clear in his voice, "The girl barely looks 15, if that. I understand retaliating against someone who has overstepped their boundaries, but there are much better ways to get about it. What's so special about our young Ward that it rattles you in a way even the whole Protectorate together hasn't managed since you first immigrated here?"
Lung downed the rest of his drink, hoping for the alcohol to cool down the heat rising up inside him. What a bunch of narrow-minded fools, too stuck up in their little schemes and ambitions, content in their blissful ignorance of what lies beyond their slice of the pie. Just like everybody else he has met on this side of the world.
"This country is too young," he said, idly playing around with the empty bottle on the stand. "It's not like it has forgotten much, more like it hasn't even had the chance to learn anything it could remember in the first place."
Something that shouldn't exist walked alongside mortal men. He had known it as soon as he picked up the slight scent that stubbornly clung to Lee's stump. Too faint for normal people to pick up on, the moment that rotten stench had reached his nose he was somewhere else. A younger man, perhaps still a boy, getting drenched by the torrential rain, stumbling across an old forgotten village while on the run from Yangban pursuers. That abomination he had unearthed on that day, he did not know what it was. Only the rumours and ancient stories the villagers had told him after; that's all he had to go on.
Even after all these years, there was no way he wouldn't recognize that smell, an abomination upon his senses which should not belong to a human being. Still, his mind had refused to accept it at first. It was only after tracking down the girl in civilian clothing during one of her patrols on the Broadwalk that any lingering doubts he might've had vanished.
It had taken all of his self-control to not go on a rampage and put her down right then and there. With all those people crowded around, there was a good chance she might've escaped.
That wouldn't do.
"That thing is no hero. I wouldn't even call her a person. I don't know what she wants, but I won't allow her existence infecting my city any longer. I'll burn her down to ashes until there's nothing left of her. And if you're even half as smart as you all think you are, you'll thank me for it."
Everybody present looked like they wanted to get a word in, but Lung wouldn't let them.
"I don't care for your opinions, or whether you believe me or not. But I'll say it one last time: Stay out of my way."
His piece said, he turned around towards the bar and ordered another drink; something stronger this time. The rest of the villains continued talking amongst themselves, but he had no patience for their meaningless buzzing. They were free to call him a lunatic if they wanted, it didn't change anything. The meeting was over.
Soon enough the headless chickens would get the memo.
He stood corrected. There was one who didn't.
"Is the seat taken?"
"What do you want, snake?" he didn't bother to look to his side as the villain walked up to the stool next to him. With everybody else having left and the mute server girl out in the back, they were currently the only ones in the room.
"I must admit, I've taken a bit of interest in this matter." Coil said in his characteristically frustrating measured tone. "That's not to say I'm still not sceptic of your claims, but if you really consider Nimue such a threat, then there must be more to her than meets the eye. After all, when it comes to judging strength, there are few people I would put more stock in than the Dragon of Kyushu himself."
Lung frowned. So he knew about that after all. What a meaningless title.
"So what's it to you?"
"I dislike highly volatile elements. So far she has limited her activities to your territory, but what's to say she won't suddenly turn her attention towards the Empire, or even my own operations? Even if the hero's response to your actions is certain to be drastic, that is still something that we can predict, and thus a more desirable outcome."
"And also because most of the PRT will only come after me anyway, right?"
"Quite so." Coil shamelessly nodded. "As long as it cannot be traced back to me, I am willing to offer my assistance to ensure the success of this endeavour."
Lung couldn't help but laugh. Did the man think him so blind he couldn't see him slithering all around, preparing to wrap around and strangle its prey?
"I don't need your help, I am more than enough." He said. The girl might be a monster, but she was no Endbringer. His claws would reach her without fail.
"You might not be lacking in the firepower department, but your power still needs time to ramp up, correct? Even if you take her by surprise, there is a chance that she might get away before you can grow strong enough to put her down. Nimue has a Mover rating from what I heard. If you lose sight of her there is quite a chance of the Heroes repelling you before you could find her again."
Lung was content to just keep staring into his glass.
"It just so happens I have recently gotten my hands on quite a valuable asset, and I am more than willing to lend him to you. I can guarantee that, no matter what happens, she won't be able to escape my employee's eyes."
"A useful power. Then that means he could be watching us right now, right?"
Coil said nothing.
Lung measured his options for a second. He was tempted to just decline and get this headache out of the way. But then who knew what else Coil would do to take advantage of the situation and stab him in the back? This way, he could at least see it coming and deal with it when it arrived. So better let him believe he didn't notice the drops of venom slowly making their way through his system.
His hand curled into a fist. Coil thought his fangs were sharp enough to pierce the dragon's scales. Lung would welcome the challenge with open arms and crush him into the dirt.
The ABB leader finally turned towards his fellow warlord, his eyes lazily taking in every inch of his black bodysuit.
"Next time you send a body double to talk to me in your place, I'll send you his head in a box."
"Duly noted." the man cooly responded.
Lung leaned back, satisfied. It had been a 50-50% guess.