Can't Be Held Down (Chainsaw Man SI Chapter 2)

The thing about Devil powers is that they are completely instinctive. You just know them. You know what they are, what you can do, like how someone knows how to breath.

But knowledge isn't experience.

So when I learned I'm a fucking speedster-lite, I was ecstatic.

"HAHAHAHA, YOOOOOOOOO~!"

To the point that I momentary forgot I was being chased by the Control Devil.

I was literally as fast as the wind at top speed. I don't know the exact numbers for that, only that I know I'm that fast.

Reaching some the center of the nearby city, where the buildings cluster together, and there were more people and noise and places to hide in, was easy and a relief.

"Hmm, I see. You maneuvered your way through the city without slowing down. Quite the impress feat of speed, even as a Fiend."

I turned a corner of a food stand and there was Makima, almost like she was expecting me. She seem like she order some takiyaki, given what the food stand owner was handing her.

I yelped, jumped back and phased through the floor entering the sewers.

Yes, another thing I can do, I can just ghost through shit.

Which is not a phrase I want to use right now, when I'm running through shit.

Well, not exactly, I am phasing through it. But still, ew.

Thankfully the sewers expand after a bit of running and are wide enough with even some sidewalks.

Then I turn a corner and some rats convert into this mass of...rat tower?

"Ah, now that clarifies things. Adding in the phasing through objects," Makima emerged from the tower of rat, holding having one sitting on her palm, obediently staying still, but I could see it shaking. "You must be the Escape Devil, or rather the Escape Fiend. That's how you ignored my Order. I suppose I need to be more firm and direct in what I say-"

"ESCAPE!" I pushed off, putting all my strength in my legs and jumped.

Couple being able to phase through the ground, and moving at wind speed, and I dashed off.

I didn't bother running around this time. I just went straight up.

"I believe I can fly~."

"Prurrrt."

"I believe I can touch the sky~."

"Prurrrt."

The open sky is...

I don't know how else to describe it. Just the open blue sky everywhere. The clouds below me, and below them the earth and all the people and buildings on it small as ants. It was all...

Liberating.

Yes, I know that's cliché, but I can't help it. That's what flying without anything like being in a plane, just under my own power felt like.

"Prurrrt."

Although the pigeon flying with me was getting on my nervous.

"Prurrrt." "Prurrrt." "Prurrrt."

I looked around me and the number of pigeon had actually increase.

Five. Twelve. Twenty three.

Then it doubled every few minutes.

Okay, that's a suspicious amount of pigeons...

"You're her, aren't you." I eyed the one closest to me.

Just as I said that, the pigeon gathered, flying around a single point, and from the sphere of pigeons I was a distinct intensely calm yellow eye.

"Perceptive, aren't you?" Makima's voice was calm as usual, but I could feel the mocking tone in it.

I was shocked out of my flight.

I screamed.

First, out of shock of, what the fuck, she's standing on flying pigeons?

And second, because I was falling to the ground and forgot I could fly.

I was sitting cross-legged, hugging my knees in a box.

Well, in a safe large enough to house me sitting in it.

No, I wasn't captured by Makima.

Rather after a long chase, I finally used my ability to...free myself from perception. To just hide completely and not be caught. The ability felt like it wouldn't work for too long, with someone that powerful actively chasing me. But it should work well enough if used right.

Yet that ability felt antithetical to me. Every part of me felt revulsion at using it, even thought I could.

Is it because hiding is a form of control? Or is it because I used that ability because I was forced to?

I didn't know, I was just felt with this feeling of resentment, self-loathing and self-disappointment.

Either way, I avoided surveillance, went underground (literally) and just went to a city, found someone with a large safe in their house, and phased into it, to just sit down and hide.

Now that I was left with my thoughts long enough, I was able to just meditate those negative thoughts away-it was surprisingly easy-and just finally use this calm to think.

What do I do?

I caught the eye of the one person I didn't want to deal with, and right from the get go to.

Are canon plot events gonna change now? Is Denji still gonna meet Makima after making his Contract with Pochita?

...Isn't that a good thing?

Fuck, I don't know! I was just winging the whole thing! No, wait the original plan was to help Denji away from the yakuza all together!

Fuck! I can't keep my plans straight.

"What do I do?" I said to myself.

Makima isn't just gonna forget about me, and I can't avoid every single critter in existence, or keep them from perceiving me forever. I'm not made of endless energy, my powers have limits on how long they can be used.

"Direct confrontation is an instant loss." I sighed as I voice my problem out loud.

Then light a lightning strike, an idea came to me.

"What if I don't have to fight her?"

"Hello, welcome to the Public Safety Devil Hunters Office. How may I help you?" The receptionist greeted me with that cordial fake cheer smile, everyone in public service uses when they just want to get on with their day.

A few Devil Hunters in the hall area behind me stopped eyeing me warily or with confusion, giving me a second look. None of them seem to actually figure out I'm a Fiend yet.

"Hi, I would like the Fiend employment form, please." I smiled back.

"...Excuse me?"

The Devil Hunters behind me, did a double take, and some quick on the uptake took out their weapons, but kept their calm. Thank god, there were only veterans around.

"Yeah, I figured rather than have your annoying asses hunting me everyday, I'd rather you just give me money." I explained calmly. "So where do I sign?"

Makima blinked a few times, as she registered what her bosses in formed her of.

"I see, acknowledged. Thank you for informing me." Makima said in a simple tone into her cellphone with her ever present smile.

She ended the call before looking at the newest member of Division 4.

"Hello, boss! Great to work with you!" Makima just stared at the Escape Fiend, now wearing a suit, who saluted and smiled wildly at her.

Yes, she had accomplished her goal to have him under her command, but... Something wasn't right with this. She did not defeat him to gain control over him. Yet she has him under her command now.

And given the wide smile the Fiend was given her, it's almost like he understood her power but that can't be right.

"Alright, so shall we go and assure the safety of our fellow Japanese citizens today, as we vanquish the accursed harmful Devils!" The Escape Devil said enthusiastically.

"Yes. We shall. Tell me your name." Makima said.

"Agent Metal, at your service, ma'am!" Metal said with a wide knowing grin.

For a moment. A infantile small instant, one of her eyes twitched in annoyance. But surely such a thing would never happen.

His name. Was he making a pun at mine? The thought came to Makima's mind before she dismissed it.

"You're not an 'Agent', as you don't work for some intelligence organization, but a Devil Hunter." She reprimanded, mostly to reestablish control and to test his reactions. "We are going to investigate the possible whereabouts of the Zombie Devil and eliminate it. This shall also serve as a field test of your capabilities, Metal." Makima informed him.

"Aye aye, sia!" He said back exaggeratingly, unfazed by his boss's tone at all.

Thus Makima, Metal and two other Devil Hunters went on their way to an isolated warehouse in the small city they were originally investigating in.

There they saw a whole lot of dead, sliced up bodies. Some in various stages of decay. Zombies.

And in front of them was a being, that had the body of a teenager, with the head of a chainsaw engine, with chainsaw coming out of its head and arms.

"Ho-Hold me, please." The being-No. The teenage body pleaded.

Makima understood right away what had happened. Somehow, in someway this boy managed to make a Contract with Chainsaw Man, and become the Chainsaw Hybrid. A human with the free access and near-full power of a Devil.

Hybrid isn't even the name of such beings. The name was forgotten, but the occurrence of such phenomena did happen, thus had a label.

Before Makima could act to cement herself at this boy's anchor after his life or death ordeal, something completely derailed her plans.

Rather someone.

"I gotchu, buddy! HUGS!" Metal dashed passed her and hugged the Chainsaw Hybrid.

The chainsaw parts began to melt away, showing the teenage boy Denji, crying. The boy was crying because he had a chance, for the first time in his life for a girl to hug him, but it was stolen by this random guy.

Makima's eye did not twitch. For she can control every facet of her being, and no one was looking at her at that moment.