[Arc II | People's Protection Agency Arc]
"Someone help me carry her to the ambulance!", a paramedic said as they placed Megumi's body on a stretcher. "Don't have her die on us! She's very important!", another said as she opened up the ambulance door.
Megumi only inhaled and exhaled sharply. Her vision was blurry and she could still feel the crawling centipedes all in her body: in her digestive system, under her skin. She was extremely injured from Victor's Plasma Wave, blood soaked red all over her tattered white shirt. "Haa... It huurts...", Megumi whispered, her body on the stretcher in the ambulance. The ambulance doors shut close and it drove off wailing into the city.
Policemen and Enforcement Agents had immediately began to blockade Habukicho street and another one ravaged by the night's fighting. Red and blue lights glimmered throughout the streets. It was still pre-sunrise so many were still asleep throughout Shinjuku City.
Yoru's Apartment - in a High Living Skyscraper
Warm water was stagnant in her bathtub.Yoru, currently in her bathrobe stripped herself off her robe. She gently unclipped her underwear off her creamy skin and gently touched her fingertips across the surface of the water before sighing with content. Yoru dipped her feet into the bathtub before being fully cascaded by warmth, her head the only thing halfway up. Yoru closed her eyes and went deep into thought.
She had just overseen the preparations and guidance for the law enforcement to take care of the effected areas in Shinjuku. This incident was a disaster. Not for her reputation, but for PPA, humanity and the local politics. She had been called in a security council meeting by the Japanese Prime Minister and the American Foreign Minister at the PM House.It was a habit for Yoru to dip herself in warm bath to relax her nerves.
"How long has it been since I've dipped myself like this... I think... Two years ago... I still atone for my sin...", Yoru thought to herself before fully submerging her head back into the water. Her white hair floating up as she started at the refracting light at the surface.
BANG!
Smoke emanated off the nozzle of the handgun. Yoru remembered something from two years ago. Yoru, a younger and more passionate version of her stood right outside an open apartment door. Yoru's hairs were fashionably cut straight at her neckline. Her gun pointed straight ahead. A splash of blood on her face. Her expression serious. Below her was a freshly shot body of a young woman. She couldn't make out her face, but it hurt her.
"Ah... I'm sorry... Junior Agent... I don't even remember her name... Pathetic! You're pathetic Yoru!"
Yoru gripped her hands into a fist underwater. A small bubble leaving her lips to escape up into the air.
"I've done things like a good soldier... I've spent years fighting for humanity... Yet I face with tasks that challenge my own humanity...", Yoru thought to herself. Her eyes closing again.
"I've been trying... First... I lost Ryuske then I couldn't stop Mr Nakamura... I couldn't save Hasuke from losing himself...I killed that girl... And Hikaru... I can't make myself to kill him... I owe her... No... I owe him a good life!"
Yoru imagined Hikaru's face. A timid boy. An innocent smile. As if it was an instinct, Yoru's arm slowly raised towards Hikaru as if to touch him. Suddenly, the scene shifts to the incident of two years ago where instead of the woman lied on the floor infront of Yoru, it was her very own Junior Agent, Hikaru Shimo. Shot dead in the face. The blood having stained his hair red.
Immediately, Yoru let out a gasp. Bubbles of air escaping her mouth before she takes in an unhealthy amount of water in her. Her body began to drown and squirm underwater. Yoru desperately tried to reach out and grab for support before she pulls herself up, sitting straight up in the bathtub.
Yoru panted heavily. Her eyes shaking in stress and trauma before she pulled her legs up close and placed her head between her knees, curling up for protection. The warm water trailed down her back, her shoulders making her pale skin glisten.
The candle lights all around her bathroom twinkle providing little light to her in the world that expects her to be ruthless. "I won't let you be lonely too, Hikaru... I owe him a healthy life... One where he doesn't has to know who he really is... And one where he can grow up like all the other kids..", Yoru said quietly, her head still rested between her knees.
Yoru sighed and proceeded to step out of the bath. She dried herself, wore a robe, used a hairdryer and put on some skin care before wearing her usual work clothes. She left the bathroom and was greeted by the massive wall sized window giving her full view of the dawn lit Shinjuku and to an extent other areas of Tokyo's skyline. She shakes her head before walking towards the kitchen to cook herself some sustinence before the meeting: one avocado, one toast smothered with the best peach jam, two eggs and a cup of dark sugarless coffee.
She took her breakfast to her table and placed it gently on the opulent, pristine glass. Her apartment was minimalist. Probably because she had no time to decorate anything in it. She walked towards her TV box, the latest model of the 80s, with an inbuilt VCR and had coloured screening: a sign of high class at the time. She turned it on and sat back in her seat eating her rather depressive but nutritious breakfast. She slurped her sweetless coffee, it gave her a kick.
Even after her bath and the kick of the coffee, her eyes remained wary and tired. She focused on the TV taking nibbles of her remaining breakfast. The TV, sounded a bit static and had vibrant colours. The morning news had just begun. The anchor, a male began to report, "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of Tokyo. This just in, last night in Shinjuku, a possibly eclipse related incident has taken place where the entirety of Habukicho street has been ruined alongside a few other alleys and the buildings surrounding... The casualties are for now not disclosed by the authorities, but the authorities warn citizens to remain cautious of any eclipse sightings since events like these lead to panic and fear... Moving on, the Soviet Union has been struggling in Afghanistan...".
The lights of the screen reflected back at Yoru endlessly before she snapped out by a bark besides her.
"WOOF!"
Yoru's eyes widened and she smiled instinctively. It was her German Shepherd, Clara. It was a gift she got from her counterpart at the Atlantic Branch, Baron. Yoru sighed in content ment, pulling her up and ruffling, kissing and cuddling Clara's head, muzzle and back. "Aw, who's a good girl~ who's mommy's good wittle girl~", she coped nuzzling her head in it's neck before planting a kiss. "Do you want to eat?"
"Woof! Wuff!", the shepherd responded. Yoru walked towards the fridge, this time in energy as she pulled a piece of expensive steak, a cut of meat that she always bought for this animal. According to Yoru, breeds like Clara need sufficient nutrients. Yoru washed the piece of meat under the sink and placed it in the feeding dish of her dog.
"Here you go baby girl~ I gotta go now okay?", Yoru said sliding the dish towards her dog who licked Yoru's face and began to eat its meal. Yoru washed her hands, grabbed her coat, left the apartment and headed to the elevator to go down and visit the National Security Council where she'd be asked for an explanation.
7:00 AM - Hikaru's Apartment
Ba-ring ring! Ba-ring ring!
"Huh? Ah!", Hikaru woke up to the sound of his alarm clock blaring. He fell down his bed, his blanket following suit and covering him. "Ow... Not cool man...", Hikaru struggled to find his way out and tried to shut the clock down with a punch to its head. The clock stopped. Silence. Peace at last. Hikaru sighed, still smiling under the blanket on the floor before his smile wipes away; is replaced with panic.
"Ah- Oh... What time is it!? I have school!!", Hikaru scrambles out of the blanket and grabs his clock stuffing his face against it, bringing the clock against his left eye. 7:03 PM. "Oww no! I gotta hurry up! Those people nextdoor were at it all night!", Hikaru immediately got up running all around his small apartment. He went to his small kitchenette, slamming the sauce pan filled with water before throwing a pack of noodles in it.
Hikaru looked back at the clock, his hair looking like if he was homeless. "Ah! I'm so done for! It's Mr Reiji on gate duty today!!", Hikaru yelled, his legs overworking all around the small space. He grabbed his uniform, wore it hastily, his tie a bit loose and 'unkept'. Hikaru grabbed a discoloured brush as he began to brush and unlock the locked strands in his white hair. Hikaru spent a bit longer on the large mop of hair covering his right face making sure there was no spot to witness it.
Hikaru sighed, taking a breath of fresh air for a second. "Okay... Okay... I can do this... I've fought eclipses twice my size, being before the gates close isn't going to kill me- Oh god!", Hikaru looked back at his clock it was '7:20'. Hikaru immediately turned off the stove and drained the water in the saucepan and poured himself some half cooked noodles in a plastic bowl. Hikaru immediately began to feast down on his breakfast, his throat working overtime before he let out a yell. "Ah! That's hot! Hot! Screw this!", Hikaru immediate blowed some air onto the noodles using his Senzai Art to cool it down a bit. The noodles became bearable. Hikaru thew the chopsticks away, grabbing the bowl and slurping an entire glob of swirly undercooked, chewy noodles, his throat expanding dangerously, his oesophagus's muscles desperately trying to squish the glob down.
Hikaru threw the bowl in the sink, grabbed his bagpack and left the apartment running towards his local high school in Minato.
Meanwhile, Habukicho Street
Police Sirens and buzzez wailed throughout that part of Shinjuku City. The entire street was untouched and barricaded with officers on either side. Media teams had gathered outside alongside anti government/ conspiracy anchors who loved to grill anything the government did.
"Tokyo! It's me, your favourite host, Sato! Today we have another failure incident that the government has caused! Is the government running eclipse related activities? Definitely yes! They are hiding something that we don't know!", Sato the local conspiracy theory activist said infront of the camera whilst standing near a police barricade. Some elderly locals agreed yelling at the authorities and criticizing the establishment.
Suddenly, Sato was pushed away by two men. "H-hey watch where you're going man-", Sato complained before he stopped taking full view of the men who passed by. The taller one was a very middle aged man. He wore black rimmed circular glasses, gray black hair that curled backwards, a receded forehead, a black lush chin beard and moustache. He wore a neck scarf and wore a suit below. He had a strap going over his right shoulder down below with a black sword like weapon hilted in covering.
The a bit shorter one, a young man, probably fresh out of adulthood: black curly hair, green eyes, a pretty attractive face, black ear piercings and a hoodie, casual attire.
One of the Sergeants in the police identified them, saluting them hastily with some show of fear. "U-uh good morning Special Agent, Mr Taro Yoichi and uh...", the sergeant looked towards the younger man seemingly a bit loss for words to address him.
"It's Harushi. Senior Agent Harushi Hayashi...", Harushi replied calmly, seemingly having no enthusiasm in his voice. The sergeant eagerly nodded before looking towards Taro.
"Ah... Good morning to you too, Sergeant Akira... The Agency sent us under investigation mhm... We or personally me just want to know what happened here...", Taro replied with a grin on his face. He had a pretty good reputation within the PPA, having went overseas in places like Hong Kong, Mumbai and Sydney for missions. He had an elderly accent that accenuated his own charm.
"R-right! Right this way sir!", the sergeant pushed the barricade bearing the open street of the ruined Habukicho with rubble everywhere. Buildings were either collapsed or barely standing and there was blood patches in the middle of the street.
The conspiracy theorist tried to push himself in before Harushi jumped, flipping in air and kicking Sato away. "Stay down... It's for your own good... Otherwise you'll become an eclipse's minced meat!", Harushi warned, his green eyes glinting before he followed Taro down the street. Sato was about to say something but he didn't.
Taro Yoichi crouched down looking at the blood. The early morning light giving everything a golden hue. "Hmm, definitely seems like an attack, yes...", Taro commented as he rubbed his chin. Harushi walked towards him looking all around. Harushi's eyes widened a bit before he saw a transmutated arm in the middle of the rubble.
"Mr Yoichi, I think I've found something...", Harushi said as he pulled a cigarette out lighting it up. Taro looked back up smirking, "Keep that up and you'll die before me, my protégé...". Harushi sighed before he pointed his hand towards the rubble. His finger slowly became green and transformed into a fleshy green vine. It suddenly whipped towards the rubble at speeds faster than the eye can perceive and grabbed something pulling it back. The transmutated arm fell near them squelching and pooling with a bit of blood.
"This... Is this some Eclipse corpse, Mr Taro?", Harushi commented softly pulling the cigarette out with his other hand. His finger returned to normal.
Taro brought the arm closer. He closed his eyes and took a long sniff of it. "Hmm... It feels like an eclipse, Harushi... My Senzai Art allows me to have enhanced give senses, but I might have to do something else...", Taro commented before bringing the arm closer and taking a bite of it, but not eating it.
Harushi's cigarette dropped before he commented with disgust and surprise, "M-mr Taro!? What are you doing? That's disgusting!", Harushi said a bit louder but still calm. Mr Taro chewed a bit before spitting it out and replying, "I was checking... And yeah that definitely isn't an eclipse. What happened here was definitely a work of a human or an evil Senzai User... The guy must have been worse than an eclipse for sure heh...".
"Uh... How do you know that's not an eclipse but um... A human, sir?", Harushi asked lighting up another cigarette. Taro chuckled standing up. "You don't want to know what I've done for my missions, boy".
Chapter 14, end