Tor Maju Vigilantes
(Writing Prompt Fill: Tor Maju) (Author's notes: For some context, the Doki Doki Team is helping Drekus get his revenge after the events in Drekus Inc.)
Under the cloak of night, Inigo, Junichi, and Hoge navigated the urban jungle of downtown Kyoto. Drekus, their guide, led the way with purpose, steering them towards a dimly lit alley. The three masked teens looked down at one of the hidden gates of a place called Tor Maju. A notorious market deep in the criminal underworld.
"Have you ever been there before?" Junichi asked.
"Only once, with my brothers. I'd rather they don't recognize me as Daiichi," Inigo replied, uneasily.
Hoge was very quiet. Her blurry form suggested that she was in high alert. Inigo could feel her presence lingering close to his. Even with her unyielding determination, she was still just a girl who was out of her element. She never lived with criminals like they did. He felt her hand take his and he gave her palm a reassuring squeeze.
"This place very hard to enter. Very guarded. Drekus can get in, but witchboy and boneboy need reason," Drekus said, as the large 7ft tall blue-skinned mutant came out of a corner.
"What about her?" Junichi asked, gesturing to Hoge.
"I can get in by myself," Hoge stated simply, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
"So how do we enter?" Inigo inquired.
"Let's just bust in. I hate waiting," Junichi growled impatiently.
"That's one way. I can try to contact the Five but it might take some time," Inigo suggested.
"No fighting. Tor Maju defense too strong, even for Drekus. Do not worry. Drekus has idea!"
Drekus held up two overly-designed gothic dresses.
"Drekus has flowerhair quirk. He will grow your hair," Drekus explained.
"Absolutely not. Hell no!" Junichi refused vehemently.
"Crossdressing?" Inigo said, he turned hearing a sound from Hoge. "You're enjoying this aren't ya?" Inigo accused.
"Ini, it's for the mission," Hoge said pragmatically.
"You're right... C'mon bro. We have to wear it if we want to get into this Tor Maju place," Inigo reasoned.
"Fuck you. No one else better hear about this," Junichi growled.
"I won't tell anyone I swear!" Inigo promised.
"I wasn't worried about you," Junichi clarified, glancing at Hoge.
"Fufufufu~" Hoge giggled quietly.
"If she takes a picture I'm killing you all," Junichi threatened.
As the four of them approached the gate, Inigo adjusted his corset.
"It's not so bad actually," Inigo admitted as he examined the dress.
"Ugh..." Junichi groaned in frustration.
"It is good plan. Trust Drekus," Drekus encouraged them as he stepped up to the gate.
Drekus knocked twice. And then. Three more times.
"Drekus brings pretty girls. Open gate," he called out.
A camera blinked and a scanner's laser shot up to move across the three of them.
Inigo wore a red dress with his hair styled in two buns with Gigan having transformed into an ornate fan.
Junichi wore a purple dress with his hair in a long curly braid behind him.
Both wore stockings and heels, as well as flowery gloves.
"It's been a while Drekus. Those girls are pretty cute. Heheh." A voice called out from a speaker. "You're good to enter, sweethearts."
Inigo giggled behind his fan, "Oh you. I bet you say that to all the girls."
Junichi grumbled under his breath.
The gate opened and the three of them entered into Tor Maju, with Maru sneaking right behind them. Even with the gate's advance equipment, she was impossible to detect.
The four of them stepped into one of a dozen elevators. It didn't just go vertically, it sped them through a network of tunnels. Such was their speed that they could've been out of Kyoto by now.
The elevator ground to a halt and the doors slid open with a sharp hiss. The group was met with a scene of overwhelming sensory chaos - the massive underground black market known as Tor Maju. Their ears were assaulted by a cacophony of shouts, chatter and bizarre cries echoing across the sprawling complex. The air was thick with exotic spices, acrid mechanical fumes and the earthy stench of animals and unwashed bodies.
As the group moved through the market, burly guards with tattooed faces watched them warily, hands on their weapons. Scantily-clad dancers gyrated rhythmically on platforms, enticing potential customers. From its reputation alone, Inigo knew all manners of people filled the shadowy aisles - mutants, masked villains, government agents, gangsters and smugglers from across the Japan. Anything could be bought or sold in this dark place if you had enough money or know-how.
"Hey, I buy my shampoos here. Not me personally, I send a guy. We can go shopping later," Inigo commented.
"We can go shopping when we're not in these clothes. These stockings are itchy," Junichi complained irritably.
Drekus chuckled, "Drekus will not say where he gets dresses."
Standing in front of an overly colorful parlor called "Darla's Bee Hive", stood a rotund Irish man in a fancy orange suit. Next to him stood two bodyguards wearing bee costumes.
"Ah, Drekus darling, you've brought me some new honeys. And living ones - this time," the Fat-Man exclaimed.
"Hello Darla. Drekus try something new. They are pretty, yes?" Drekus responded.
"They look absolutely delightful," Darla purred as he licked his lips. Drekus nudged Inigo and Junichi closer to Darla. The boys shot each other a nervous look as Darla placed a hand on each of their waists and led them to a room.
"You know the drill. My lads and I have to get acquainted with the new products. Tata~!" Darla sang as he and his two bee-costumed bodyguards walked into their parlor and disappeared behind the curtains.
Moments later, Inigo and Junichi emerged from the curtains wearing bee-costumes.
"You know, you didn't have to go that hard, bro," Inigo remarked.
"Shut up. He deserved it," Junichi growled.
"You cut off a dude's arm," Inigo pointed out, concerned.
"He'll be fine," Junichi dismissed callously.
"You looked kinda nice by the way," Inigo admitted.
"Yeah you did too... Now, let's go already," Junichi urged impatiently.
"Hang on, just gotta make sure this is tight enough," Inigo said as he tightened the rope around their three unconscious victims. Darla was missing an arm, but his quirk seemed to have stopped the bleeding.
The two boys met up with Drekus who was busy looking at torture tools at a stall.
"Good good. You get access card for Drekus?" Drekus inquired.
"Yeah we got it. Those guys were jokes," Junichi scoffed arrogantly.
"Darla will not be happy with Drekus, but this important. Drekus will find Charlatan tonight!" Drekus declared fervently.
"We're right with ya, buddy. And we'll find out who's behind the Legion leaks too," Inigo affirmed supportively.
Inigo got a tap on his shoulder and he felt Maru's presence next to him.
Inigo grinned, "Did you get anything nice finger-shopping black market goods?"
The blurry shape nodded and she seemed to hold up a shopping bag. Inigo could make out the words "Hexatox nerve gas" on Hoge's shopping bag.
"Sweet. Anything useful?" Inigo asked enthusiastically.
She held up a stack of papers for him.
Inigo looked through the sheets. They were bounties?
"Whoa, someone out there really dislikes Kaylee... and Sandy? Must be that government thing, huh?" Inigo mused. "And who's Holden Deckard? Looks like he could use a warning. He might be an ally too. What do you think?"
The blurry shape of Maru shrugged ambiguously.
"Yeah, we'll save these for later," Inigo decided, tucking away the papers. "Y'know, they have a nice bakery here. We should come back later."
"You two coming or what?" Junichi called out impatiently.
"Oh! Yeah! Right behind ya!" Inigo responded hastily.
"Drekus leads the way. Come come," Drekus directed them.
Drekus led them through the maze-like black market until they found themselves descending down a spiraling set of stairs. Darla's access card let them through into a wide open nightclub filled to the brim with guests.
In the middle of the nightclub was a fighting pit where two chained mutants, one frog-like, the other had the head of a fly, were fighting. Blood covered the pit's floor. The mutants were clearly being forced to fight - whenever they stopped from exhaustion, guards outside the pit jolted them with long tasing sticks. Bodies of dead mutants littered the sides of the fighting pit. Behind those was a large cage full of large wounded mutants.
Inigo's stomach clenched at the scene. He never knew mutants were so mistreated... Here in Tor Maju, it's almost like the 100 years of chaos never stopped. Inigo's glanced over to Hoge. Some would say that Hoge had mutant-like traits. If things had turned out differently. Would they put her in one of those cages? Inigo felt his blood boiling. At the same time, Gigan was going wild in his pocket.
(I know buddy. You want to help, but we've got things to do first.)
All four of them took seats at an empty booth. Drekus brought over bottles of vodka from the bar.
Junichi reached for one of the bottles.
"NO!" Drekus bellowed. "You are too young to drink. Vodka is for Drekus."
"Have you seen where we are, asshole?" Junichi snapped. "I need a drink. These people are scum."
"NO!" Drekus yelled again.
"Fine," Junichi lit up a cigarette and turned to Inigo with a look of concern. "Hey, you okay?"
Inigo breath out sharply through his teeth. "Yeah.."
"Witchboy is mad. Mad at fighting pit. It is no good, many poor things die here. Drekus was in pit once too," Drekus observed solemnly.
Drekus chugged the vodka thirstily.
"I'm fine... Where's our target?" Inigo deflected, changing the subject.
"Drekus does not know. Maybe here already," Drekus admitted with uncertainty.
Inigo heard the familiar spritzing of aromatherapy scents and Maru appeared next to them in the booth.
Maru pointed up to the second floor, "Up there, in the VIP booth. He's the one you're after," she said turning to Drekus.
"Can we take him?" Junichi asked eagerly, summoning a bone sword in anticipation.
Maru shook her head grimly, "They're heavily armed. At least 10 bodyguards."
"I got a plan," Inigo declared eyeing everyone.
Drekus marched up to the second floor of the night club, the two boys flanking him. They had removed the bee costumes and were now in their vigilante outfits - Inigo in a dark version of his Ryukishi armor and Junichi with a mask over his face resembling a horse skull. The three of them hid in an empty room.
At Inigo's signal, Gigan's dragon form emerged from his pocket. It grew and flew to the center of the nightclub. Letting off a massive roar, the 20ft tall dragon tore through the entrance to the fighting pit and rampaged towards the jailers, bringing Inigo's inner anger and justice to life. At the same time Maru stealthily opened the cage containing the imprisoned mutants. Some of the mutants broke loose in a fury, the other half ran for the exits. Chaos broke loose instantly in the club. People screamed. Weapons and quirks blasted through the air chaotically.
As half of Charlatan's bodyguards ran across the hall to get to the first floor, Drekus and two vigilantes made their move - rushing the private VIP booth.
"NOW! DREKUS GETS REVENGE!" Drekus bellowed furiously.
Drekus scrolled through his multiple mutant quirks rapidly. He burst through the VIP booth with a flurry of steel feathers, shattering glass all around him as one guard fell, impaled. Flames, hot enough to cause a forest fire, ignited from Drekus' palms blasting another of Charlatan's guards, before a third found himself webbed to the ceiling.
Inigo and Junichi slammed the last two guards to the ground before they could lift their weapons.
"Drekus.. How? I don't understand," Charlatan sputtered in shock and fear.
"DREKUS COMES TO SETTLE DEBT, OOMORI!" Drekus roared accusingly.
"Please, my old friend.. Let's talk about this. You're not still mad over your company are you? That was such a small thing. You were in jail for - like what? - a month?" Charlatan pleaded desperately.
"YOU WILL KNEEL TO DREKUS!" Drekus commanded as he wrapped his large blue fingers around the scrawny man's neck. Trembling, Charlatan kneeled helplessly on the ground.
"I can give you back your company, Drekus! No - I'll double it. Triple it! I'll make you insanely rich. Surely your companions can understand that logic. Please, don't let him kill me!" Charlatan begged pathetically.
Inigo shook his head in refusal. This wasn't about money.
"I'm only here for this," Junichi stated coldly as he grabbed Charlatan's laptop and threw it into his pack. "You shouldn't have messed with Legion. Now you're fucked.
Drekus stared intensely into Charlatan's eyes. His head was barely an inch from the smaller man's skull.
"YOU WILL BEG FOR MERCY AGAINST THE WRATH OF DREKUS!" Drekus decreed furiously.
"The hell I will!" Charlatan shouted defiantly.
Charlatan lunged desperately for a button on his chair, pressing it just as Drekus sankk his sharp spider-fangs into the man's neck.
Charlatan fell unconscious instantly, but an alarm blared across the chaotic night club.
"Shit! We got company!" Inigo warned urgently as he spotted two dozen heavily armed mercenaries storming into the night club. One of them launched a rocket at Gigan's dragon form, nearly shattering the construct and forcing it to retreat.
"They almost took out Gigan in one hit."
Junichi summoned twin bone swords, ready to fight. "We'll fight our way out!"
Drekus grabbed Charlatan's limp body and placed the man on his massive shoulder. The three of them ran down the hallway, heading for escape.
The trio battled fiercely through Charlatan's remaining guards. As they made their way down the stairs, they had expected the first floor to be filled with enemies, but instead they found silence. Maru casually stood amidst a pile of unconscious bodies. All the mercenaries were down. She held up the now empty shopping bag that previously contained the potent Hexatech nerve gas cannisters, save for one lone cannister.
Inigo whistled, clearly impressed.
"You're scary, you know that right?" Junichi murmured.
"As expected from the slayer-of-Drekus! Good job blurry-girl!" Drekus praised approvingly, still carrying Charlatan's body.
"Let's go before more arrive," Maru urged, vanishing once more.
And so, as alarms blared, the team disappeared successfully into the chaotic night, escaping into the streets of Tor Maju's black market with their target in custody. Inigo's heart felt heavy as they emerged into Kyoto's back-alley, they had saved many of the mutants in the club, but how many more were still trapped in the darkness? And how many of them were there because of his family.