Massacre of the Innocence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NMP7ZmVlvo
A boy is running down an alleyway. The light of Christmas decorations reflects in his tired eyes. He's breathing heavily. A bruise peeks from above his bone mask. Blood trickles from the place where one of his piercings got ripped out. Crimson droplets run down his neck and soak into his collar.
The swiftest among his pursuers catches up to him. A blade of a knife gets stuck in one of the extra ribs of the boy's exoskeleton. The following exchange is short and brutal. Every second that passes is a risk that the others will catch up to them. Spikes on the boy's knuckles pierce through the assailant's jacket and skin. They lodge themselves in deep before getting pulled back out. Another strike follows. And then another.
The predator has been turned into prey and is now roughly shoved into a nearby dumpster, visible enough to hopefully attract his allies. Helping him should slow them down; give the boy enough time to lose them. At least for now.
He continues running.
The last day of internships at the Kraftwerk agency was eventful. Surprisingly many villains decided to try their luck this Christmas Eve. It served as a fitting final test for the youths, which they've passed with flying colours. The incidents were mostly minor, definitely not even close to being the grandest achievement in the month they've spent working under Impakt, but it was still a solid day of honest hero work. It filled them with pride and helped forget about how bruised and battered their bodies were.
After a commemorative dinner together, they've wished each other Merry Christmas and each went their own way home.
"Fuck! Had I known that bastard wasn't bluffing, I'd make sure to destroy every shred of evidence in there! How the fuck was I supposed to know that place belonged to the Night Parade?!"
Junichi swears to himself in the midst of panting. His back against a wall, he's taking a moment to catch his breath and prepare for what is to come.
"Okay, Marrow, time to get your shit together. Those fuckers aren't playing around. How do I get rid of them?"
While his brain churns out a plan, his body is running on autopilot to get him ready. New bone replaces the chinks in his armour. His ulna separates into two and one part starts to elongate and thicken. First, it forms a handle. He grabs it and tugs, helping speed up the rest of the process. The blade is serviceably sharp. He could have done better if he had more time.
But he doesn't. Another pursuer had found his trail.
Hifumi settled himself on the train. Most seats around him were empty. A sword in a bag bearing the logo of Shiketsu kendo club was resting on his lap. His armour was breached today, so he left it at the agency to have it repaired. The damage to it wasn't major, so it should be ready for pickup before the New Year. At least he didn't have to haul it with him now.
A commercial's jingle caught his attention. On one of the screens, an image of the Kansai International Airport was displayed. His thoughts drifted towards her. They should have landed a couple hours ago.
He leaned forward and pulled out his phone. Fingers tapped through the menus; automatically taking him to messages. A smile bloomed on his face. Less than eight hours until he can meet her again. It's been a long month. With her doing an internship in Korea, and him being buried in his own work, there wasn't much time for them to talk, so they had to rely on texting.
But that would change soon. They promised each other to spend the whole Christmas together, starting at sunrise. He couldn't wait and decided to call her.
As snow continued to gently paint the scenery outside the train window, a boy exchanged words of love with a girl.
The blood loss is starting to make him dizzy. How long can he continue to fend off these attacks? He needs some way to end this chase. He needs help.
But whose? Calling the Legion would be too slow. Inigo lived too far away, and besides, he'd rather avoid getting him involved. He doesn't want to get the Five mixed into this, either. The answer is simple. There is one other person who is already just as guilty of raising the wrath of Tomi as he is.
His phone got cracked a couple hours ago, and there is no time to go look for a different one right now. He does roughly know where Takeda lives, so he decides to just go there and hope for the best.
It is a gamble, but he sees no other way.
Hifumi stepped out of the train and headed in the direction of his home. His mind was occupied with a mental checklist for tomorrow, or rather for today, considering the hour. The plan was set. Some crucial activities were already booked and the time for them reserved. Other periods were left more open for spontaneity, but with a preparation for various options already in place, just waiting for one to be chosen.
The gift was resting safely in his room. Every yen he earned during the internship, that did not go into the family budget, went towards it. He knew that this kind of money was insignificant to her, but he hoped she'll like it.
All that was left was to try to get a couple hours of sleep, get himself presentable, and then show up on time. The first one might prove difficult with the mix of excitement and nervousness pumping down his veins. They've been together over half a year, went on tens of dates before, and yet, before each one, he had the same fluttery feeling as before the very first. Meeting after such a long separation only made it so much stronger.
But then again, he was pretty tired after a long day, a series of them to be honest, so there is a possibility he'll shut down as soon as he lies down. Maybe it's waking up on time he should be worried about. He pulled out his phone and set two more alarm clocks just in case. Even if they fail to wake him up, they should be enough to get his sister up, and she'll get the job done. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but she'll forgive him if it does.
When he looked back up from the screen, he was met with a familiar face, though the state it was in was worrying.
"We're in some deep shit, I need your help, no time for questions, follow me."
The string of words comes out of Marrow's mouth rapidly. Challenger takes one look at his battle brother and nods before he can even parse what is really going on. He's not one to abandon a friend in need, and this is clearly such an occasion.
Junichi quickly surveys their surroundings and darts off into one of the side alleys. Hifumi follows suit. Together, they dive into the urban maze.
The boy in front constantly scans the rooftops and the connecting roads. The other one joins him in that, even if he's not sure what he's really looking for. After a while, he decides to ask.
"Can you at least tell me what we're doing here?"
"Sure, just want-"
As he's turning around to respond, he abandons the explanation mid-sentence. Hifumi barely has time to react before Junichi's sword thrusts mere centimetres over his head. A metallic clank echoes from where it meets something.
Hifumi ducks and spins to see what happened. Before he finishes that movement, his sword is already out of the bag and in his hand. The faint blue glow illuminates the scene in front of him.
A masked man with a knife in hand, his surprise attack interrupted, is being pushed back by Junichi's assault. The steel of his blade clashes time after time with the bone of Marrow's sword. The would-be assassin is not lacking in murderous intent, each of his blows clearly aiming at his opponent's vitals, but his skill in open combat is subpar. The teenage boy has a clear edge in this match-up.
Or he would have if not for the exhausted state he's in. After the initial explosion to protect his ally, his breathing gets shallow. His movements are more sluggish than usual. It creates an opening, one which the trained killer he's facing jumps on.
As the sword is slow to return to a defensive position after its strike missed its mark, the assassin follows it like a shadow, the point of his knife aimed at Junichi's unprotected armpit.
But before it can land, it's time for the other boy to return the earlier favour. He appears in-between the two fighting. The blunt edge of his sword strikes into the man's stomach. The horizontal slash from this angle would have been impossible to perform without cutting through his ally, if not for the fact that most of it was performed before he closed his eyes.
The impact knocks the man backwards, leaving him gasping for air. The teenage duo leaves him no space for that. Like wolves hungering for prey, they leap on him.
Junichi was leaning against the wall, while Hifumi was finishing tying up the disarmed, unconscious man.
"... So yeah, that's why I was looking out for shit like that. Should've just walked past that day."
"Those girls needed us, and I'm sure you're glad you helped them, even if you didn't wait to hear their thanks. Anyway, we've dealt with him, so we should call the polic-"
"Fuck me, aren't you a little Boy Scout. Didn't expect that with your looks."
"What else do you propose? Just leaving him like that?"
"There is no time to worry about it. More of his buddies will be coming soon. And I really don't want to deal with the cops. They didn't take care of them properly after the last time, or we wouldn't have to deal with his shit tonight. Besides, if they showed up now, they'd probably just dump me off in jail together with this bastard to get shanked there."
"That's not necess-"
"I ain't taking any chances."
"Fine, what's our plan then?"
"We've gotta deal with it ourselves. Just survive whatever they've got for now. It's not like they have a whole army. You can write your reports after things quiet down. Just leave me out of them like the last time."
"Sure... Do you know how many of them are out there?"
"Nope. We'll just have to wait and see. Speaking of the devil..."
Multiple large figures blocked the exits from the alley. Knives and bats in their hands matched the aura of violent intent that they exuded.
Its targets sighed and prepared their own weapons.
This was going to be a long night.
Two boys are sitting on a small bench. Desperate, shallow breaths fill their lungs. The cold air burns their throats, matching the feeling that now rules every muscle in their bodies.
"You said... they don't... have an army..."
Hifumi struggles to speak. Each word is a small battle; each heavy inhale a brief respite.
"I guess... we've really... pissed them off..."
Junichi has to fight in much the same way to respond. After he does that, he heaves himself up with a groan, and walks over to an unconscious man lying in front of them. Patting him down quickly, he finds a wallet in his pocket. He spills the coins from it on his hand, and stumbles towards a nearby vending machine.
"Couldn't they've... chosen a different day... I've a date... in like three hours..."
"I ain't raising... another flag... with no false promises..."
They both smirk. Junichi walks towards Hifumi, two bottles of sports drinks in hand.
Their short break gets interrupted before they can even finish them, as another wave of gangsters catches up to them.
"Ah shit... here we go... again..."
//Insert a short scene about the phone ringing with the morning alarm. It lures the gangsters, so Junichi grabs it and smashes it. They find them anyway. Here to tie in to the setting of alarms earlier on, to highlight the passage of time, and to rid Hifumi of his cellphone.
"The intervals between the attacks seem to be getting longer. Do you think they are finally running out of bodies to throw at us?"
"I can just hope so."
The first traces of sunlight were beginning to pierce the darkness, announcing the arrival of dawn. The long night took its toll on the two. While both of them were athletic, with the accumulated exhaustion and damage sustained in hours of fighting and running, it's only their strength of will that prevented them from collapsing.
Once again tonight, they've arrived at a crossroads.
"It's your time to pick the route, and no throwing a stick this time. I bet it's what helped them catch up before."
"Fine, fine. How about this-"
The light banter, that through the night was as important to their mental states as the breaks to catch their breaths were for their physical ones, got cut short when a low rumbling noise came from one of their prospective paths.
"That way."
Hifumi said while pointing away from the source of the sound. They knew they couldn't outrun it if it were their pursuers, but they wanted to delay another clash even a little bit; to get a chance to catch a breath or two more.
Junichi nodded and they set off. Their steps were wary, and their senses poised to pick up any threats. Weapons in their hands, that had served them so faithfully throughout the night, readied to defend them yet once more.
The moment they've stepped off the crossroads, the sound stopped.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
The feeling, however, did not stop them in their tracks, and soon after, the road ahead of them split once again. And once again did the rumbling sound reach their ears.
"Okay, it's not attacking yet, so I'll just take this as a chance to rest."
Again they've directed their steps away from it, and not long after, landed in the same situation.
"You know what, I feel like, whatever that is, it's just toying with us. I think I'm ready to face it here and now."
With these brave words, Challenger headed towards the source of the sound. Each step he took, the noise grew louder and, in some way, more irritated, until it turned into a sort of hiss.
Hifumi took the next step cautiously, but before he could take another, he had to leap backwards. A mighty bang, akin to one a wrecking ball would make, exploded from above, and a rain of bricks fell down on the alleyway.
When the dust settled, it revealed a half crumbled building blocking their previously chosen path.
"I guess it doesn't want us going that way."
"I could try to get us up there."
"You'd have to stay there with your eyes closed. Let's just go the other way for now."
And so they did, but the road curved, and soon they arrived at a familiar intersection, the same one at which they've first heard the rumbling noise.
"The bastard is just toying with us. I can practically hear the glee in that sound. What even is that supposed to be? It sounds a bit like purring."
"'Purring'? I think I know what that is..."
It seemed that the source of the noise had enough fun playing, and before Junichi could expand on his thought, decided to at last reveal itself.
//The above scene feels like a pointless drag. Maybe I should rewrite it somehow? Or cut it altogether? But I feel like I need some build-up for Nekoko showing up, and want some "playing cat and mouse", but I feel like this might not actually do the job. Or am I overthinking it, and it's not terrible enough for me to bother with it?
It lands in front of them with agility that does not match its size. An absurd mass of muscles coils under layers of fat, fur and elaborately designed robes. Slowly, methodically, joint by joint, the grotesque hybrid of a human and a cat stretches to its full height, towering over the boys.
"... Nekoko... Tomi's construct."
The construct's only answer is an impossibly broad smile, revealing two rows of sharp fangs. It tilts its head a bit to the side, observing with amusement the reaction of its prey. Searching in their eyes for the dread that usually accompanies its arrival.
But it doesn't quite find it.
"I guess it's time for the big boss to show up."
The boys take their stances. One last moment to steel their nerves. Ensure that they will hold out for just a bit longer. The last chance to gather their breaths. To ready themselves before this final trial, more daunting than anything they've faced so far.
Nekoko removes the outer robe and throws it away. Dropping into a squat reminiscent of a sumo wrestler, it drags its claws on the ground, leaving deep trails in the pavement as easily as if it were clay.
"Let's put this beast down."
Hifumi flips the switch on his sword.
The alleyway gets drowned in crimson light, and explodes into violence.
Nekoko charges, assured in its own superiority. It leaps with feline grace, but the inhuman strength that propels the deadly claws is such that they easily rend most obstacles in their path. The two exhausted mice should not pose much of a challenge to this hunter.
And yet, they do.
Barely.
Marrow dances at the edge of death. The bone of his sword cracks under the onslaught. Hastily set up shields shatter after every blocked strike. Some attacks slip past them. Trails of blood follow chunks of flesh rent off him. He patches himself with small osteoplates, but the stiffness of them limits his mobility. As his movements turn sluggish, his defences start to fail him more and more often.
Challenger without his armour is vulnerable. Only the speed of his blade and quirk keep him from doom. He's forced to rely on Junichi as a shield, while he tries to keep his distance and exploit the rare openings. With the speed of their enemy, it turns into a desperate game of tag. Each mistake costs him dearly. He manages to avoid hits that would end the fight, but blood slowly seeping from wounds opened by those that did reach him put him on a timer.
A timer which inevitability seemed to dawn on them with each of their attacks being nullified. The blades fail to reach the cat monstrosity. Regardless of the angle and timing, even when they synchronize their offensive in attempts to prevent Nekoko's escape, it twists its body in ways that allow it to dodge even that. The rare few attacks that manage to graze it, fail to even penetrate the layers of fat. The only reaction is the cat's mocking grin growing wider.
"I feel like we need a new plan." Hifumi says before Blinking to the other side of the alley. The clawed terror runs after him.
"How about a change of scenery?" Junichi shouts. He quickly breaks a lock on the nearby doors and barges inside.
Hifumi opens his eyes, returning to his initial position, milliseconds the strength of his block would be tested. Without wasting another moment, he follows his ally.
Challenger shuts the door behind him, and Marrow blocks it by knocking over one of the shelves standing by it.
Nekoko bangs on the doors a couple of times. The boys take a couple steps back and, with readied weapons, watch the makeshift barricade shake as it struggles to hold. They know it can't stop him for long.
But then it stops. The silence after the storm feels eery.
They know it wouldn't give up that easily, probably decided to toy with them again. Wary of another ambush, they do, however, take this chance to recuperate as they take in their surroundings.
"What is this place?"
"Warehouse of a furniture shop that went bankrupt recently. I thought we could use some more light and space. The way it cut angles by bouncing off the walls pissed me off."
Junichi flips a switch, illuminating a vast hall sparsely occupied with mostly empty shelves and some crates.
//Junichi decides to pull out Trigger.
//Nekoko bursts in through a skylight and intercepts him and the syringe before he can do that.
//Junichi is getting crushed. Hifumi teleports into a syringe and injects himself (accidentally when trying to get Junichi out or on purpose?).
//Trigger kicks in, Hifumi stares down Nekoko, and without closing his eyes, disappears
//Hifumi is going into overdrive, pries Junichi from the hands of Nekoko, and keeps appearing and reappearing.
//the finisher is stabbing into Nekoko and teleporting them high into the sky
//while they fall, he twists his blade inside, Nekoko tries to claw at him, but he's on his back, so the wounds aren't that deep
//before they fall, Hifumi teleports again, below the falling construct and rotated, so the momentum pushes him upwards, using that he strikes hard enough to decapitate the beast
//constructs body disappears before it can hit the ground
//Hifumi still has upwards momentum, his hand(s) are broken from the impact of the slash
//when he starts falling, he returns to Junichi
//starts checking on him, Junichi is not critical
//the talk switches to "I must go"
//Sun starts to rise, Hifumi enters schizo mode
//Hifumi thinks only about getting to Hailey
//He teleports randomly all over the city, crashing into things
//He remembers he first needs to get home
//gets there, his family is panicking but for him, it doesn't even really register or connect with the situation. He only speaks about how he's late and needs to get ready, takes the present
//maybe tries to clean himself by teleporting into a bathhouse with a big splash
//continues on
// finally gets to set place
//sees Hailey
//apologizes for being late, while she's shocked at his state, and he passes out