La Calavera de Comala
Near the entrance of a ruthless mountain range, surrounded by a slightly dried forest and desolated grasslands that had seen better years, there was an old and decrepit dust-mining village. Due to the overexploitation of the area's natural resources, unstable terrain, insufficient capital investment, and the presence of Grimm, Villa de Mineros had been abandoned and left behind to its luck years ago.
Unfortunately, it had become the current hideout and base of operations for one of the last active criminal groups in the region, El Cartel de Coyotes.
"It's a cloudy morning today." One of the bandits, designated as the watchman on top of an improvised wooden lookout tower, near the entrance of the village, said with appreciation. He was dressed with armor plates, covered by a brown and orange striped serape, wearing a big cream-colored sombrero, and had over his lower face a black bandana with fangs drawn on it.
In the desertic bad lands of Olvido, long-lasting temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius were common, so only those with access to dust, survival skills, aura protection, and knowledge of the desert, could tolerate the harsh and dangerous conditions of its abandoned regions infested with Grimm. But around Villa de Mineros the weather had been gentler than usual, in the last couple of days. Offering not only rain but even comfortable temperatures below 40 degrees, which drove the fleeing and weakened cartel into temporarily installing themselves there, all while still doing their best to recruit new members and resupply to recover their former strength.
They had been chased to the end of this region by 'something', and were now worried that it would catch up to them, even in the middle of nowhere.
•
"Who is he, and where is he now? Talk!"
The leader of the wild cartel ordered and screamed in desperation to a tied kid. Both were in a decaying house, recently turned into the cartel's 'head office', deep within a valley, past the entrance of the village.
The leader was wearing the cartel's signature serape, but unlike his henchmen, he didn't bother covering his face or head with anything. He had a big mustache and long beard, to compensate for his balding head. His brown skin was covered in sweat and his veins were visible. He was furious and scared, because of the 'something' going after him.
"For the last time, I do not know, señor. Whatever they told you, they lied to you!" A brown-skinned kid in his early teens answered with more frustration than fear. His hair was a mess and had some bruises and blood on his face. Fortunately, the interrogation had barely started, so he was still in good shape.
"Do not lie to me! One of my men saw you running errands for him, near the border of Comala!" The coyote leader grabbed the kid by the shoulders and shook him violently, making him fall to the ground after losing his balance. "Tell me who he really is and where he hides, if you don't wanna die!"
•
"Ey, it's sunrise already, where's the guard relief? Wanna sleep already, been up all night." The current watchman complained and shouted to those below him.
"Como chingas! Already climbing the tower." His relief answered irritated, as he was going up the wooden ladder. As soon as the relief reached the top, he received equipment from his partner. A fire-dust sniper rifle and binoculars. He started to complain, right before his partner went down the tower. "Why carajos we need to do this, it's not like someone is dumb and suicidal enough to attack us all at the same time, on our turf-"
The chilling cries of hundreds of small Grimm birds in the distance interrupted the relief's complaint. At the other extreme of the desolated grassland in front of the villa's entrance, flocks of birds that had rested the night on the dried forest's woods were escaping from 'something'. Suddenly, a rumble became discernable to both guards, among the Grimm's flapping.
"Why are they flying away like that? Grimm don't normally do that." The perplexed relief said, while using his binoculars to look at the woods, in a futile attempt to locate the source of the noise.
"It's not a someone." The coyote guard who had been up all night replied with anxiety.
"Que?" His partner looked at him with confusion, taking off his gaze from the forest.
"I was there when it happened. The thing that took down our previous headquarters wasn't a person. It was a monster. The Grimm Reaper itself." The tired and scared guard stated, looking into the distance in shock.
"Lies! The boss told us we lost the previous base to a wild bunch of Grimm. The Grimm Reaper isn't real." The relief guard not believing his partner's words, went back to looking at the woods with the binoculars, trying to hide his fear.
The rumbling's volume kept increasing, as the small Grimm birds that flew away from the dried and tenebrous gray forest, now numbered the thousands.
"He wanted to save face. I have seen it. Mik Calavera is real." The tired guard started approaching the tower's alarm bell, but before he could start ringing it loud detonations emerged from the forest.
Projectiles of a kind rose among the forest's dried trees, making it to the skies, before reaching their peak altitude and starting to fall. The bell started to ring. From one and two-story houses located past the entrance arch of the villa, around 20 coyotes walked out into the streets. Some took improvised battle positions on the rooftops of some houses, while a dozen of them walked into the main street, hiding behind barricades, while preparing their guns. They had made their first mistake.
The projectiles fired earlier finally came down, crashing into the houses and the entrance's main street. Cans that contained and released smoke all over the place.
"I cannot see!"
"What's going on?"
"Smoke grenades!?"
"Grayish dust?"
Coyotes, nervous, confused, and alarmed, started to cough and shout, while trying to disperse and see among the smoke. Finally, a last detonation from the woods came out. A new red projectile flew over the grassland, landing on the villa's entrance's street covered in gray dust smoke.
It was a fire-dust missile. After landing, its content combined with the 'neutral' catalyst smoke from earlier triggered a wide explosion, which spread across the main entrance's street and nearby houses.
While the force of the explosion itself had not been strong enough to blow up houses, kill the coyotes, leave a crater, nor destroy the improvised barricades entirely, its flames had been wide and intense enough to start a chain reaction all over the villa's entrance, which made several of the cartel's boxes with dust ammo and grenades blow up. Around half of the men were knocked down and had their auras broken. The lookout tower came down and some of the men located in rooftops fell, betrayed by their dust supply boxes.
"I cannot see a damn thing!"
"How many down?"
"Let's regroup!"
"Test your guns! Grab all those that still work!"
"Behind that barricade!"
"Don't bother with the wounded, hurry!"
All the dust explosions combined covered the entrance of the villa with residual smoke, making the place look even more like a ghost town than before. The ten remaining men concentrated in the last three barricades, the nearest ones to the entrance's small plaza, away from the arch.
The rumbling's intensity kept increasing. Its source was crossing the grassland and about to reach the village's entrance. The 10 coyotes, armed with handguns, rifles, shotguns, machetes, and machine guns, all aimed in front of them, toward the arch.
"He can just enter the villa through the arch, the fortified surrounding walls are wired and too high."
"Once you see the Grimm Reaper, tear him to shreds!"
The scared coyotes tried to give themselves the courage to fight the 'something' that was about to cross the arch. The rumbling suddenly went quiet.
"Think I see it. That's Mik Calavera! Fuego!"
The coyotes with fire weapons started to shoot at the 'something' that came out from the smoke. Its shape was barely discernible, but it did not belong to a man. The 'something' moved fast and... flew, while bouncing off the rain of bullets that attempted to punish it.
"Que carajo es eso!? That's not a man!"
"Take cover!"
The 'flying object' crashed hard against the central barricade made of steel. The men covering behind it were sent flying away several meters and had their auras broken. The object continued moving, without changing its trajectory, while the men behind the other two barricades, resumed their shooting and attempted to discern its nature.
"A metal monster!?"
"Isn't that a... big drone?"
"No, it's a motorcycle! A flying motorcycle!"
"But there's no rider!"
The 7 remaining coyotes tried to surround and give chase to the big bike. Eventually, the reinforced flying motorcycle slowed down, once it reached the plaza. Its two-horizontal big 'wheels', equipped with gravity dust, shined a purple light.
"Now, shoot it down!" One of the remaining coyotes with a machine gun shouted.
Ahead of the coyotes taking proper aim and throwing grenades at it, the bike started rotating fast on its own 'axis', and like a boomerang, spun around the plaza, returning to the direction it came from, the last two barricades. The bike viciously hit the bandits that attempted to hunt it. After knocking cold the last one, it flew back into the smoke, toward the villa's entrance.
Before silence could reign, the door of a house near the plaza opened, from which a 2-meter-tall man came out. It was a coyote bandit, armed with a giant hammer that had seen how everything played out from his hiding place.
"COWARD! Stop being a marica (sissy). Come out and fight me like a real man!" The man furiously screamed in the smoke-filled plaza, trying to find his enemy.
"Using smoke as your cover, huh? Well, that's not going to work with me!" The hammer coyote took a stance, placing with one hand his big weapon by his right side and hitting his chest with his left hand while shouting.
"BOOST! AAAAAAAAAH!" The coyote's sudden aura boost generated gusts of winds and shockwaves that cleared the smoke covering the plaza, cracking its stone floor, plus the walls and windows of nearby abandoned small houses.
The hammer coyote after being done preparing for the fight, turned to look at the main street that led to the arch, still covered in smoke. Heavy and metallic footsteps finally broke the silence.
"Dieciocho." A serene, robotic, yet ghostly and sinister voice came out from the smoke. "Diecinueve. Veinte."
"What did you say?" The footsteps continued, as the coyote took a firmer grip on his weapon, preparing to attack whatever walked into the plaza.
At last, a discernible shape emerged from the smoke.
The 1.80-meter-tall figure wore a big, pointy dark blue sombrero, with a bright purple stripe as its hat band. A white owl feather hung on its left side. The edges of its brim were engraved with intricate bright orange and yellow patterns, which simulated small petals from cempasuchil flowers. From neck to knees, its body was covered by a cloak reminiscent of a jorongo and gabán, not allowing one to see its arms. Its custom-made cloak had a lowered hoodie that covered the back of its head, along its sombrero. The jorongo was mostly dark blue, with yellow and purple horizontal stripes near the bottom edges, and embroidered white patterns that simulated flowers on its side edges. Small ornaments that looked like small bones hung to its bottom edges. The Grimm Reaper also wore something akin to black tactical or military suit pants and boots with metal plates on them. Its concealed gauntlets and gloves had ornaments that simulated arm and hand bones.
The 'something' had a silver metal skull for a face. No eyes were visible on its eye sockets.
"... Mik Calavera (Dead Skull)." The hammer coyote said with a forcefully stern voice, trying to not show signs of being intimidated by his opponent's appearance.
"You are just a man. I am not scared." The coyote started running toward his target to prepare a vertical swing. "You probably are nothing without your bike."
Not bothering to close the distance entirely, the coyote crashed his hammer around 5 meters in front of the mysterious figure entering the plaza. A huge shockwave spread across the plaza and from the place in which the hammer landed, 3-meter spiky stalagmites started rising toward Calavera. The hammer had earth dust within it. Swiftly, the skeletal figure jumped and spun to its right a couple of meters, dodging the attack.
"Don't get cocky. This is just the warm-up!" The coyote swung this time horizontally its weapon, to hit Mik at its midriff, but it simply jumped high enough to dodge it.
"Que?" The coyote, surprised that his opponent effortlessly and nonchalantly dodged two of his 'faster than a bullet' attacks, opened some distance, in preparation for a counterattack after leaving his body open. But the attack never came.
"Agh! You are just toying with me. Take this!" The hammer bandit once more prepared his body to land a horizontal swing on Calavera, which it casually jumped over.
"You fell for it, idiota!" After missing, the coyote activated the wind and combustion dust stored on the other side of the hammer, so that he could complete a 360-degree spin at a fast speed and land his next swing on the jumping Calavera. The hammer moved several times the speed of sound and that of a bullet... Only to miss entirely the target, which had vanished while the coyote completed his spin.
"Where did he go? What happened?" After deactivating the dust in his hammer, the coyote started looking around the plaza, in search of his opponent.
A whistle came from behind him. The coyote turned around to confirm that Calavera had jumped into the balcony of a 2-story house, 18 meters behind his back.
"How?" The bandit confused and angry asked his rival, who didn't bother replying.
Reading the hammer guy's intentions, Calavera had prepared in advance a jump boosted by wind and gravity dust stored in his boots.
"Ah, jódete." The coyote charged once more the earth dust in the front side of his hammer, to fire a rock projectile at Calavera, activating the wind and gravity dust in time to fire it faster, just for it to jump down, before it reached the balcony it was standing on.
The coyote not losing time, prepared his next series of attacks, taking advantage of the gravity and wind dust still being activated, to spin while performing several horizontal swings.
Timing correctly its opponent's movements, Clavera simply jumped on the coyote's head to dodge the swings. The coyote, unable to stop the momentum of his hammer spins, destroyed the walls of 2 houses that bordered the plaza, including the one in which Calavera landed earlier. The roofs, balconies, and upper floors of the 2 houses collapsed under their weight, now that part of their support was gone. The bandit barely managed to stop in time, to avoid the houses falling on top of him.
"Agh, marica! You just keep dodging, because you know that one of my swings is enough to break your aura and kill you!" The bandit angrily shouted, trying to recover his balance after all the spins he had just done.
Calavera just stood silently in the center of the plaza, waiting for its opponent to attack again, infuriating more the hammer coyote.
"Take this! AAAAAAAH!" Once more, he jumped and swung his hammer down vertically, except this time he made sure to activate all its stored dust and aim at Calavera's head, to perform a lethal swing, powerful enough to take down an Alpha Megoliath or Nuckelavee Grimm.
At the last moment, Calavera lowered its head and bent its knees a bit, moving the jorongo aside, for it to grab two big purple guns, hanging on each side of its waist, and placing them in a cross-shape over its head, to intercept the attack.
When the attack landed on Calavera, the ground beneath its feet was pulverized. A 1-meter-deep crater with a diameter of 8 meters formed below it. The rest of the plaza's ground broke or was deformed by 3-meter stalagmites, while the shockwave from the attack further cracked the walls of the surrounding houses.
But Calavera was fine and completely uninjured, thanks to its kinetic armor absorbing and conducting most of the attack's energy directly into the ground while storing the rest to charge its combat gauntlets.
"Veintiuno." The skeletal figure said with its relaxed, artificial, and ghastly voice.
"Espera, how did you survive that!? Not even a scratch!?" Before the scared hammer coyote could finish making distance or putting himself into a defensive position, Calavera started pointing its guns at him and fired.
The two bullets that landed on him were strong enough to break his aura and send him flying several meters back, into the house with the destroyed balcony. After the coyote crashed against it, the rest of the house collapsed on top of him.
•
"Jefe, there were a series of explosions around the villa's entrance!" A panicked coyote thug entered the leader's 'office', to inform him of the situation.
"Que demonios!?" The coyote leader, who was in the middle of interrogating the kid, froze. "It must be him. Mik Calavera is here!"
"Martillo is fighting him right now, but if he loses-" The coyote thug was interrupted, getting his neck grabbed by his boss.
"Release all the Grimm we got near the entrance and start preparing the charges! We must get rid of Calavera, no matter how!" Angered, he threw his henchman across the office, so that he could deliver the orders to the rest of the coyote crew.
•
As Mik Calavera was preparing to leave the plaza, by heading to a stairway that led to the valley between the hills, located beyond the entrance section of the villa, howls, growls, and other types of screams sounded across the place. The Grimm Reaper stumbled a bit and stopped in its tracks.
Soon, 2 Alpha Beowolves, 2 Major Ursa, 4 Boarbatusks, and 6 Apathies, led by 1 Cenitaur in the center, made it to the destroyed plaza.
"Cheap black-market stuff." Once the skull warrior regained its balance and corrected its posture, the Apathies once more unleashed their fierce shrieks to incapacitate it. This was the start signal for the Grimm to land a fatal series of coordinated attacks on their prey.
But unbeknown to the Grimm pack, the Apathies' screams didn't have a strong effect on the silent reaper this time. It had activated the soundproof mode of its skull helmet, after stumbling earlier on.
Taking advantage of its cloak and the Grimms' ignorance, it quickly loaded an exploding compression round into one of its purple guns and boosted it with the energy stored in its left gauntlet. Calavera fired it at the green acid sac of the Cenitaur, which was beginning to charge a long-ranged acid attack. Before the Grimms could understand what had their 'prey' done, it ran deeper into the stairway and broke a door to enter a house situated to its right. The fastest Grimms that were about to exit the plaza and reach the stairway, failed to notice the acid sac of the Cenitaur began to grow, like a balloon, till it finally exploded. A giant splash of acid rained all over the Grimm, melting their black bodies, white armors, and insides. Even some of the stalagmites, left behind by the hammer coyote's fight, couldn't handle the intensity of the acid and melted, while roofs and walls nearest to the exploding Cenitaur got destroyed.
After some seconds, Calavera walked out of the house that it had used as a shield from the acid and continued traveling the stairway's path, doing a 'follow me' motion with its left hand.
Before it could reach the entrance to the valley, Calavera noticed something strange next to a house, near the stairway's end. The coyote's mud prints in the stairway disappeared after a certain point as if these had been recently cleaned.
Picking a rock in the stairway, the Grimm Reaper casually tossed it in front of the house's door, producing a loud sound. A black and thick arm broke through the door, as the rest of its giant black body burst out of the house, breaking its wall. It was a Beringel, waiting to ambush anything that passed in front of the house.
"Was expecting a human, not a level 2 Grimm. Clever stealth tactic." Calavera approached the wall of the house to its right, as the Beringel noticed its presence, still 7 meters away.
The Grimm started running toward the warrior and when it got close enough, it launched a hook with its right arm. Calavera predicting this, raised its left arm, which had a metal shield plate attached to it, and activated the hard-light dust stored in it, to create an energy shield that protected it from the Beringel's punch. Just as the confused beast unleashed a loud growl to scare and intimidate its opponent, Calavera pointed the barrel of its right gun at the Grimm's mouth and fired a round boosted with the energy of its right gauntlet. The impact was powerful enough to blow the insides of the Beringel's head and kill it with one shot.
"Just durable on the outside." The skeletal warrior calmly made it to the entrance of the valley and reached a crossroad. One path led to a series of houses built along the western side of the ravine, the other one to houses built on its eastern side. Falling off the two old wooden pathways that led to the houses, meant also falling off more than 100 meters, deep down into the steep valley's bottom.
"It's the right one. To the east." The ghostly warrior continued walking, intending to reach the big house, at the end of the eastern pathway.
After walking past some houses and other abandoned buildings, Calavera heard something on the other side of the valley. Around 50 meters away from its standing location, a couple of wooden plates, on the top of a tower built on the western side, fell off. A coyote member with a heavy machine gun turret, customized with a rocket launcher add-on, unveiled himself. Taking advantage that he was on the other side of the gorge, the coyote started shooting at Calavera from afar. Wasting no time, the Grimm Reaper ran to its right side, to hide behind a couple of houses.
While the houses' walls weren't strong enough to resist the bullets, they still were thick enough to conceal Calavera from the coyote's view and buy it some time. Getting desperate, the bandit fired a missile to blow up the house nearest to the valley's fall.
"Colibri, your turn." Hiding behind the next house that was about to get blown up, Calavera took out a 'device' from its right tactical drop leg bag. It was a small bomb, shaped like a metallic bird. "AAIS activated."
After Calavera activated its gravity and wind dust with aura, colibri started flapping its wings to surround the house and fly over the gorge to make it to the tower on the western side. Without the coyote noticing its presence, the colibri attached itself to the rocket launcher and began shining red when its fire dust was remotely activated.
"What's... Ay, mier-" Before the bandit could finish his curse, colibri blew up the machine gun turret, along the top of the tower and the ammo boxes stored in it. The screaming bandit was sent flying till he fell through the roof of a nearby western house, losing his aura and consciousness.
"Veintidós." Calavera resumed walking over the eastern pathway of wooden poles. Passing another couple of buildings, Calavera made it to a bridge. On the western side, a bunch of coyotes, who were hiding inside some houses, came out. Standing on the western pathway, the 8 of them started shooting with machine guns, rifles, and other types of guns at Calavera, while the latter was attempting to cross the long bridge. With no houses nor walls available to take cover, the lonely figure hid behind a wooden pole and activated its hard-light shield once more.
"He cannot move, we got him. Quick, shoot him down with your rocket launcher." A coyote with a machine gun excitedly ordered to one of his comrades.
But as the coyote with the rocket launcher was adjusting his aim and the rest of the cartel members were shooting at their target, Calavera used its index left finger to make circle signs. Out of nowhere, the western wooden pathway started to break making 3 of the coyotes fall into the gorge.
"Que paso!?" Before the remaining 5 could figure out what happened, another huge section of the pathway collapsed, causing all to fall together.
"... Veintinueve? Treinta?" Calavera deactivated its dust shield and continued crossing the bridge.
The 8 coyotes failed to realize in time that Calavera had ordered its flying bike to follow it, as the warrior crossed the eastern pathway since the vehicle was positioned below the western one. Once they had Calavera cornered, their enemy commanded its bike to start spinning and destroy with its wheels the support poles of the western pathway, to make them fall.
With around fifteen buildings left, Mik Calavera was finally close to its goal. He passed in front of another series of houses without any complication, till a sudden thought hit the warrior.
"No one has attacked on this side. It's as if they were-" A series of beeping sounds interrupted its thoughts.
"Mik Calavera, honor your name and die!" A coyote thug, holding a remote control, came out from his hiding spot at the top of a two-story house on the western side.
He had pushed the button to activate all the explosive charges planted on the eastern side's structures and within the ravine itself. The explosion triggered a landslide, which took down into the abyss a huge section of the eastern pathway Calavera was walking on, a dozen buildings, and even part of the ravine's eastern cliff.
Without hesitation, Calavera jumped into the gorge to avoid the explosions and getting dragged down with the houses, wooden poles, and rocks.
"Ehekatl!" Using its hidden AAIS left bracelet, Calavera positioned the flying bike in the perfect spot to land on its seat.
Afterwards, the Grimm Reaper ordered its mount to raise its altitude, so that it could shoot a metallic object, reminiscent of a small claw, from its right gauntlet, into the knee of the coyote that had just detonated the bombs.
"Que chingaos!?" The coyote attempted to escape into the house, but it was too late. The claw that had latched onto the fleeing bandit was connected, via Calavera's aura, to its hidden right AAIS bracelet.
"Treinta y uno." Calavera making Ehekatl fly backwards, pulled the coyote away from the house's door. Before the thug could understand what was going on, Calavera strongly pulled once again the coyote with the help of the bike, so that he fell into the gorge, ordering the claw to release its grip on its victim's knee after he plummeted.
Flying back into what remained of the eastern pathway, to reach the big house at its end, Calavera was about to land the motorcycle, when around the corner of a nearby house, another hidden coyote pointed a gun at the lonely warrior.
"Got you, Calavera!" The coyote standing on the wooden pathway, taunted his target. "Now, step down from your bike. Or else, I'll shoot you!"
"Bueno." Calavera swiftly dropped from its bike, landing one of its feet on the extreme of a wooden pole that was part of the pathway. Setting in motion a seesaw effect with its dropping weight, the opposite extreme of the pole raised and hit the coyote's hand, making him drop his gun into the abyss.
"..."
For some seconds, the two stared at each other in silence.
"Treinta y dos." Calavera said with its ghastly and robotic voice, taking some steps to close the distance between both.
"Que?" The scared coyote answered, extremely confused.
"Treinta y dos." The Grimm Reaper pointed its gun at the coyote's face, and made a hand motion for the barrel to move sideways.
"Ah, I get it! How about... I just..." The cowardly coyote, not bothering to end his proposal, jumped off the pathway into the ravine's bottom.
•
"What's taking those idiotas so long? No way that thing survived the landslide." The furious coyote leader took out a big metal pistol from one of his desk's drawers. Then, he grabbed the tied kid and pointed his pistol at his hostage's head. "Just in case."
As both headed to the first floor, the house's front door opened.
"Finally, did you kill-" The bandit leader stopped talking, once he saw Calavera. He continued pointing his gun at the kid's head. "Maldita sea! Raise your hands, where I can see them!"
"Señor Calavera, perdón." The kid apologized to the Grimm Reaper, as he tried not to cry.
Calavera stood silently, not showing any emotion nor attempting to attack the cartel leader and save the hostage. Having no option, Calavera did as the bandit ordered.
"You, you are Mik Calavera!? The one that destroyed my previous headquarters and got most of my men arrested!?"
Calavera didn't reply.
"What, cat got your tongue? Answer me, or else!" The coyote leader readjusted the position of his pistol so that its barrel made contact with the kid's head.
"I don't get it." Calavera calmly answered.
"... What, what you don't get!? I made simple questions!" The cartel boss answered with extreme annoyance.
"You blew up the pathway out there." Calavera replied, monotonous and toneless, while keeping its hands up.
"Yes, so?" The criminal kingpin asked with a mix of confusion and annoyance.
"I cannot go back walking the way I came from. How are you planning to escape from this place?" Calavera, slightly looking up, simulated a gesture of doubt. "You got a rocket or flying vehicle up there?"
The cartel leader didn't reply this time around. His fury began to lose territory to doubt and fear. The kid also began to wonder how his kidnapper was supposed to leave this place now. Curiosity started to win over his fear and sadness.
"A secret passage? A Grimm with wings? Or a flying sembla-" Before Calavera could finish, the once more furious cartel leader quickly started to point the pistol in its direction.
"CALLAT-" But now the coyote boss was the one who got interrupted, by a sudden strange force, as he was about to properly aim at the Grimm Reaper.
He lost the grip on his gun, which flew straight into Calavera's left hand. The coyote leader and the kid stood in silence. Amazed and scared by what they had just witnessed.
"How did you do that? Monstruo!" The scared cartel leader tried ironically to now make the silent Calavera talk, just for him to point down with its right index finger, towards the floor. "What?"
The kid, understanding the signal, jumped down onto the floor with all his weight, to escape from the coyote's grasp. Precisely when the bandit became aware of his action, he tried to reach again for his human shield, only for Calavera to drop-kick the coyote before he could succeed. The wind and gravity dust in its boots sent the criminal boss flying away, crashing him through the window behind and making him fall into the gorge outside of the house.
"CALAVERAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The shout's volume decreased, as the coyote leader fell deeper into the gorge.
"Treinta y tres." Calavera counted the last member of the cartel, as it stood up and began to cut the kid's rope with a knife that it took out from a pocket in its drop leg bag.
"Sr. Calavera, thanks. But did you ki-" The kid nervously asked.
"Defenestrated him." Calavera, predicting the kid's question, corrected him, as it continued to cut his ropes.
"Defe que?" The kid asked, taking off the ropes that were already cut.
"Defenestración. This is why you need to read and study more, Luis." Calavera was done cutting the ropes, as it walked outside, toward what little remained of the eastern pathway. "Also, I made sure to not kill anyone while getting here... It's been raining lately around these lands."
"Pero..." Luis puzzled by Calavera's statement, followed him, removing the last ropes around his body.
After noticing Calavera looking down into the steep valley's bottom, the kid did the same. The 100-meter fall ended up with a lake, which had recently increased its water level thanks to the rains of the last days. Sheriffs and other bounty hunters from the region were already there with boats, catching the coyotes that had their auras broken by the fall.
"Alguacil, did I count them right? Eleven fell into the waters?" Calavera talked to the authorities below, using a comm device located in the left 'ear area' of its skull-shaped helmet.
"Sí, Calavera. Gracias. As always, you are a lifesaver." A sheriff on a boat, looking up and holding a holodial, answered. "The rest of my men are securing the other 22 coyotes and confirming that the Grimms at the plaza are no more. Want us to take the kid back, to give him medical attention?"
"Luis, you want to go back to Comala on Ehekatl or with them?" Calavera turned its head to face Luis, but the kid was already running toward the gravity bike.
•
Calavera and Luis rode Ehekatl in its anti-gravity mode across the desertic plains of Olvido. The temperature rose, as the clouds began to lose presence against the midday sun. The former had already treated some of the injuries the latter sustained, with a first aid kit he had on one of his bike's compartments, providing him also with a poncho and helmet. Still, they had decided that heading to a clinic, near Comala's police station, was for the best, for extra precaution and medical examinations.
To survive and last longer in the harsh desertic environments, combat armors, serapes, ponchos, or jorongos equipped with ice dust shards were a necessity around these parts of Zenith. Wearing clothes that helped to regulate the temperature of the human body and reduced aura consumption, made a huge impact on the lifestyles and development of Olvido's civilizations. Access to such pieces of clothing was the difference between life and death, in a continent where 'survival of the fittest' was the norm.
"I shall be the one to apologize." Calavera had turned off the voice modifier of his helmet. His youthful voice sounded regretful. "I was careless for requesting you errands, just before I was about to storm the last coyote hideout. Should have kept my distance while I was in the middle of my coyote hunt."
"Sorry for insisting and getting caught." Likewise, Luis had decided to apologize once more, despite not being at fault for the coyotes' crimes.
"Putting a transponder on your clothes was a good idea, but we still should have played it safer. Good thing there were witnesses when the coyotes abducted you." Calavera, while focused on driving the bike, continued to talk.
"You beat them pretty fast." Luis complemented the bounty hunter, to follow up with a question. "How did you know about the coyote's lack of escape plan?"
"This is why reconnaissance and research are important. Had already used drones to spy on Villa de Mineros, before storming the place today. The rains recently caused natural landslides that closed off many escape routes. The terrain's instability getting worse with time, was one of the reasons the villa was abandoned after its dust resources were exploited." Calavera responded like a tutor.
"What about the trick to steal the gun from the boss?" Luis asked, doing with his left hand a 'telekinetic' move.
"Another reason I keep telling you to study and read more. You shall have figured it out, by now. At your school and in books that I have recommended to you, the basics of dust are explained well." Calavera started to recover his enthusiasm.
Briefly, he used his left hand, to point at his arm shield that was now hanging on the back of his waist.
"You can steal weapons with dust and your shield? That wasn't your semblance?" Luis stared at the shield and poked it.
"Magnetism, by combining lightning and gravity dust stored in it. I also used a bit of gray dust to amplify the effect and my AAIS bracelet to direct better the magnetic forces." Calavera raised his left arm momentarily, to display his AAIS equipment, which was no longer hidden by his gauntlet.
"Study, so that you don't end up like those idiots." Calavera advised his riding companion, as they were about to reach the border of Comala.
•
Unlike Villa de Mineros, Comala was a populated and active villa mostly built on flat plains, but part of it over gentle slopes and one hill. Its characteristic baroque, neoclassical, and hacienda architectures, while old school compared to modern urban areas, like Bright Island and Cloud City, adapted well to its hot surroundings. Houses of bright colors didn't absorb most of the heat produced by the strong sunlight and the street's designs allowed easily for the wind to flow across the entire villa. Ice and water dust installations spread across Comala, allowed the villa to develop green areas and for most of its population to live comfortably at regulated temperatures, which usually didn't exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
Walking along a street that went up a slope and was surrounded by colorful two-story small houses, a man in his mid-twenties looked at his holodial while heading to the offices of Poktli Company, a local subsidiary of Nuovo Mondo Dust Corporation, and therefore part of the Vertex Group.
The young man was wearing bright white trousers, and an unbuttoned, true blue suit jacket and vest, over his ivory-colored shirt. He also was wearing a 'true blue' colored fedora hat, that had a white owl feather on its hat band, and brown leather shoes. The frame of his sunglasses was black, except for the temple tips, which were colored and shaped like bones. The young man had brown skin, dark chocolate brown, thick wavy hair, and dark brown eyes.
•
The sun was starting to set, as I approached Poktli's offices. After taking Luis to the clinic, storing away all my hunter equipment, changing my clothes, and eating in a hurry, I received a holodial call from Roberto. Apparently, he wanted to talk with me in person about an important matter.
My first thought was that it had something to do with him wanting feedback on the dust catalyst bombs, the newest addition to my arsenal. After all, real combat performance data was very valuable when it came to finding areas of improvement, for Poktli and Nuovo Mondo's new dust technologies. If he wanted to celebrate with my family our recent accomplishment against El Cartel de Coyotes, he would have cited us in a restaurant by now.
The stone-paved street eventually led me to the eclectic-styled, red and white, 4-story building with a pan coupé façade, which belonged to Poktli Company. I stopped watching the video on my holodial and took off my sunglasses for the guards to recognize me, as I entered the vestibule and boarded the elegant elevator that resembled a golden cage. Making it to the last floor, I walked into Poktli's preside- Roberto's office.
"Your family's fascination for Migdal-inspired architecture and interior design never ceases to amaze me, Roberto." I entered his elegant office, looking at his collection of knight armors, marble statues, and weapons from Migdal's medieval times. Roberto was sitting at his chair, behind a classic-styled desk of fine wood. Next, I notice-
"Padre, Carla! What are you doing here!?" I lost my cool, once I saw my father and younger sister sitting on two expensive-looking, leather wing chairs, in front of Roberto's desk.
My early twenties sister, Carla Calavera, was wearing a traditional Grimm Matador outfit. This time around, it was a mostly white 'traje de luces', embroidered and beaded with silver patterns that simulated vines with thorns and flowers. A small red cape, tie, and waistband complemented her white outfit and black shirt, while a bullfighter rapier was hanging on the right side of her waist. Her light blue eyes were accentuated by her brown skin and dark chocolate brown hair, tied with a ballerina bun and a white flower-wrap accessory.
My father, Huitz Calavera, in his early fifties, like me was just wearing white trousers, a green suit jacket, and one blue vest. His short, yet unruly black hair and green eyes somehow complemented well his mustache. Must admit that it surprises even me how well he blends with this 'normal citizen' life. Looking at him today, one would never imagine how much of a hardcore and terrifying warrior he used to be, back in his prime days as a bounty hunter and Grimm Reaper. Hope that his old 'mount' is doing well.
As always, Roberto Díaz, in his late twenties, was dressed as a refined Migdal gentleman, like the flashy and ambitious entrepreneur he was. His gray suit jacket and top hat were hanging on a rack, near the entrance of his office. Looking at him in his elegant gray vest and pants, white shirt, and face covered with rice powder makeup, would make one think that he was born and raised in one of Migdal's top levels. Maybe even Eden.
"Is that how you are going to greet us, after coming back from work?" Carla ran towards and hugged me while also scolding me.
"Perdon. It's only that your presence took me by surprise." Something that ironically the coyotes and Grimms hadn't accomplished during our battle today.
I took off my hat and jacket, to hang them on the coat rack, while my father walked to the entrance, gently resting his hand on Carla's shoulder.
"Do not worry, Max. We were about to leave."
"What, but my brother just arrived from his mission!?" Looking at my father in disbelief, she complained to him.
"Trust me, Carla. You don't want to see Max getting all nerdy and geeky while providing me with weapon feedback." While kinda making fun of my passion and hobby, Roberto tried to back up my father. It seemed both didn't want to discuss the important matter in front of her.
"Besides, we need to check how Luis is doing. Even if Max managed to save him without any major issues, we still owe him for the trouble." As one of the most important instructors at Comala's combat academy, my father could move around without raising suspicions, since he was one of Luis's current teachers.
"Come on, Carla. I'm sure your visit will cheer him up." My dad smoothly settled the dispute.
Every adult in Comala was aware that many kids had innocent crushes on my sister, including Luis. She was sort of a local heroine among them, thanks to her Grimm-slaying performances at Comala's Plaza de Grimm.
"Eh, so that's how it is? You three are doing something suspicious, I can tell." Carla gave us a scolding, cold, and incredulous look while crossing her arms.
"We will talk about this at dinner. I also want to see Luis before it gets too late." But she gave up and cheered herself up. Carla didn't want to arrive in a bad mood at the clinic attending Luis.
•
Following my family's departure, Roberto ordered his employees to bring me iced cocoa, complemented with a bit of cream and one cherry at the top, one of my favorite drinks. I sat down in a chair nearby of a coffee table, as I drank the cocoa.
"Maravillosa!" The balance of its flavor and its right temperature hit the spot. After being done, I put the empty glass on the table.
"Max, you drank it all in one gulp. I barely finished putting sugar on my coffee." He knew that this was one of my biggest temptations, so he was to blame for it. Not sure why he acted all surprised and innocent. "I'll order you another one if you like. It's going to be a little long talk."
"Right, did my father have something to do with this important matter you wanted to discuss?" I readjusted myself on the guest chair, to give a more 'serious and formal' vibe.
"He's already a bit aware of the situation. In fact, he was even helping me, before Carla arrived." He started to drink his coffee while talking relaxed and keeping his gentleman composure. "It seems that your mother had Carla tailed your father into my offices, so he had to lie about him wanting to invite me personally to have dinner at a restaurant to celebrate."
"Espera. Is this something that we must keep a secret from my mother and sister? It has nothing to do with the coyotes, weapons' feedback, or a restaurant celebration?" I bent my body a bit forward and started subconsciously talking in a low voice to Roberto while taking a brief look at the office's entrance.
"Believe me, Max. As much as I would love to celebrate with your family, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to do so, considering Poktli's situation." He put his coffee down on the table. He wasn't still done with it.
"I have been forced to do another round of layoffs." After saying this, Roberto took a deep breath and stayed silent.
"Maldición. Are the lockdowns affecting so badly the dust industry?" This must be why Roberto wanted to keep this conversation a secret. Comala was starting to get hit by a wave of layoffs.
"The lockdowns, plus the latest transport restrictions and regulations. All these new safety measurements are hurting not only Poktli's but also Nuovo Mondo Dust Corporation's numbers. And many other industries. The less profit our financial supporters make, the less capital they will invest into Comala's economy and help to keep Poktli afloat."
Roberto tried to keep his cool and composure, but it was easy to tell that this alarming situation bothered him. "Operation costs for dust companies are going up, while distribution is either being slowed down or stopped entirely, depending on the place. All because of one person."
"Neopolitan. The trillion-bounty girl." I complemented his statements with bitterness. Remembering her crimes at Sally Island filled me with rage.
A monster in a girl's disguise.
"The higher-ups at Nuovo Mondo and Vertex have warned me how strict the lockdowns can get, whenever and wherever she shows up. Entire cities are paralyzed. No one is allowed to get in or out, not even dust and food transports. People cannot move around freely. Militaries, policemen, and bounty hunters go around stopping anyone with an aura. This goes on for weeks, at worst." Roberto grabbed a remote control and turned on a screen hologram in the middle of his office, displaying information related to this case.
"Her troublesome semblance, which she uses to transform into anyone or anything, makes everything worse. That sweet and cute ice cream appearance of hers is probably a disguise to make fun of everyone." The hologram screen displayed photos of Neopolitan in her supposed 'true form', a half-pink, half-brown, young short girl. Plus showed some of her discovered covers, such as the construction worker at Brick City.
"All this while possibly carrying viral agents or biological weapons around. I didn't know that the lockdowns were this severe." I said to Roberto, keeping my fear and disdain for Neopolitan to myself.
What could drive a person to commit such crimes? She's a twisted individual that must be stopped at all costs.
"No surprise there. Mass media companies are just allowed to inform whatever the governments and Vertex's board decide. Bounty hunters aren't being well informed." Roberto started to drink his coffee once more while closing his eyes.
"They are withholding information, even for The Hunters' Guild's databases? But that hurts the chances of capturing her!" I stood up and raised my voice, as I get hit by this revelation and contradiction.
Without realizing it, I scared Roberto's cooking personnel, as she was about to deliver my second round of iced cocoa. She timidly left my drink on the coffee table, as I awkwardly stared back at her, with a 'I am sorry' face. Roberto continued talking after she closed the door of his office.
"From what I've heard, not even all the big shots at Vertex's main board are aware of why things are being taken too far. This has resulted in confusion and arguing among them. Some think that the lockdowns and restrictions for capturing Neopolitan are too drastic, and only hurting Zenith's economy. Others think they are well-justified. Even the big bounty to capture Neopolitan alive has created friction and discussion." We both start drinking at the same time, probably due to our mirror neurons or something.
"Although, no matter which side they are on, the reality is that we are about to experience a global recession, thanks to Neopolitan." This cocoa is really goo- Ay, mierda. A recession. Goodbye to my dreams of buying my own big house.
"Which is why Nuovo Mondo Dust Corporation, and other companies' heads, came up with a secret plan to capture her as soon as possible." As if having to give up on my bounty hunter pension, for the sake of keeping my real identity a secret, had not screwed me up enough.
"And in advance, I enlisted you among the potential candidates to carry out that plan." The inflation and recent tax increase also fuc-
"QUE!? YOU, WHAT!?" I spilled my cocoa, as I was drinking it, on my clothes. He did it on purpose. I bet his timing was no accident. I started to prepare my fists.
"Max, espera! You were chosen among the finalists! You did it! You won!"
"Hijo de la... you must be kidding me!" My shock stopped me in my tracks. I needed time to process how all this just played out.
I was chosen to complete a secret mission, which I didn't know about till some seconds ago, under circumstances I still know nothing about, related to a case that involves a lot of censorship or misinformation, and a terrorist girl with a one trillion-bounty for her capture.
"Why me?" I asked Roberto, still trying to recover from the sudden influx of information.
"Because of your good track record as a bounty hunter, great use of new technologies, amazing fighting and reconnaissance skills, and most importantly..." I looked with a curious face at my 'friend', who just got me into trouble.
"Nuovo Mondo's heads have saved a lot of money in the past, thanks to your actions. Your efforts against numerous cartels, have opened new routes for dust distribution across Olvido and prevented dust transports from getting stolen. Mik Calavera bringing down the coyotes today was the decisive factor for my bosses. You won their trust." Roberto awkwardly admitted the truth. I silently walked away.
"Espera, Max. I did this for other good reasons." Roberto desperately followed me, noticing that I was leaving for real.
"Sure, amigo." I paid him no mind, as I headed to the coat rack.
"You are the only one who can catch her, without hurting or putting others in danger! I truly believe this! It must be you!" My hands stopped by instinct, just when I was about to pick up my hat and jacket suit.
"Max, other bounty hunters care only about capturing Neo for the reward, no matter how they achieve this. For many, the end justifies the means. Things are getting ugly and complicated out there." Realizing that he got my attention again, he headed to his desk. "Rumors say that convicts are being released and given hunters' licenses, just to increase the probabilities of capturing her."
"Roberto, are you sure?" I have heard of The Hunters' Guild doing questionable things before, but this sounded crazy.
"I'm not, but that would explain why even The Hunters' Guild's database is getting tampered with or being kept purposely outdated. As I said, these are rumors that I heard from my higher-ups." My friend confessed not being fully knowledgeable of the situation, while the spilled cocoa on my clothes started to dry.
"What details can you tell me about this secret plan? Why all the confidentiality?" Using the computer on his desk, Roberto started to change the information displayed on the holo-screen of his office.
"I am not allowed to say much, except that it involves deploying a secret prototype unit. Nuovo Mondo Dust Corporation's biggest trade secret. Very few know about its existence." As he spoke, all I saw were documents with texts. So much to read and catch up with.
"What kind of weapon are we talking about?" I did my best to read the documents as fast as I could. At the same time, I asked Roberto for more important details that I didn't find right away on the documents displayed.
"Bigger than a Colibri, smaller than a Minotaur. There is not much I am allowed to say. Or that I am aware of. Not even I have seen it in person." Not very reassuring, Roberto.
"Is the unit too dangerous to deploy without human assistance?" Don't want the remedy to be worse than the disease. If it's very risky to handle the unit, might as well hire someone to capture Neopolitan without its assistance.
"The head of the project told me that while not dangerous, it's still not recommendable to deploy the unit by itself. It's better for a talented hunter with an impeccable track record, and on good terms with our companies, to handle the unit." Roberto, of course, the head of the project isn't going to talk badly about his or her creation.
"How is the unit going to help me to stop Neopolitan? Will it shoot her laser beams? Paralyze her body? Hit her with a blunt object? Surround her with fire? Throw a bunch of Grimms at her? Nuke her away? Seal her in another dimension?"
Some of these may sound cruel, but she's a bioterrorist killing masses and causing a global recession. No surprise if they want to get rid of her so badly.
"... They only told me that it has access to very advanced biometrics technologies. The best aura sensors and recognition systems in Zenith." Roberto, no need to answer me seriously with a perplexed face, I was joking.
"Oh, bueno. Even a rich corporation wouldn't go around wasting 1 trillion krownas."
No laser beams nor interdimensional prisons to lock her away, so much for Zenith's biggest trade secret. At least she's not getting nuked. Nobody has such extraordinarily bad luck.
"Max, espera. Does this mean that you are interested in accepting the mission?" Roberto stared at me with surprise, after finally asking the big question.
I wasn't going to do this for the reward or the fame. I was going to do this because it was the right thing. The path of justice. Capturing Neopolitan meant stopping the lockdowns, global recession, and layoffs. Which meant keeping the crime index in Olvido down.
Most importantly, putting an end to her massive killings and all those rumored drastic measures being taken to capture her. I wanted the best for the people of Comala. No, for all of Zenith. To honor him.
But doing so would mean stepping outside of Comala and Olvido. I wasn't sure if I was ready to explore the rest of the world. Not sure, if I was ever going to be ready. The situation could go out of control, like it did 15 years ago. Crossing paths with Neopolitan may end up triggering another disaster and changing my life forever for the worse.
If things go wrong... Hopefully, I will die before it reawakens.
"Are you clutching your neck again? Is it..." Roberto noticed me doing something subconsciously, while I was in deep thought. He stood up from his desk, worried for me.
"Cloud City, that's where the unit is located?" I evaded his question and stopped clutching my neck.
"Yes! I was discussing that with your father before Carla arrived. Accepting this mission would mean our companies covering all the expenses, for you to travel and report overseas. At United Nations of Nuovo Mondo." As he enthusiastically talked, I noticed a sophisticated Zenith globe in the office and started spinning it.
"That's convenient." I stated, verifying some geographical locations on the globe.
"Why?" Roberto, finally making it to my standing location, asked.
"First, because I had promised my mother that I would finally take some vacations after being done with the coyote hunts. For months, she had been insisting me to take a break from my job." I rolled my eyes while remembering my discussions with her.
"Your father informed me. But considering the unfortunate situation we are all experiencing, he said it was your choice to accept this mission or not. He will not stop you... Unlike your mother." He admitted with shame, looking away. The three of us were about to become accomplices in a big crime.
"Doing a mission at U.N.N.M, by default provides me a cover, to use against my mother and sister. We will pretend that I'm traveling there, as a tourist." The cocoa on my clothes had entirely dried. "Travelling to Cloud City also gives me another advantage."
"Another one?" Predicting his question, I started walking to the coat rack.
"Yes, it's close to Bright Island." I started searching for it in my jacket's pocket.
"Why is that a good thing?" As soon as he asked, I pulled out my holodial, to show him the video I was watching, before entering his offices.
"Cat girl and gorilla woman vs. 6 vulture d*cks?" My friend read the title of the newest viral video on the interweb, with clear disgust on his face.
"Must confess, I've been secretly researching Neopolitan's case for weeks. If there's someone who has the highest chance of being that terrorist in disguise, then it's her." I played the video for Roberto, to show him better what I meant.
Once it was done, we excitedly said aloud the logical and obvious conclusion.
"Of course! The savage goril-"
"Beryl. The Star of the Night!"
"…"
We kept silent for a while.