Lloyd woke up from the flat tatami mattress he was using as a bed, still jet-lagged. Mind still groggy, he sat up and saw Glenn and Francis sleeping on either side of him like sardines.
Staring at the Japanese characters on the wall, he then realized. Oh, oh yeah. We’re in Japan now.
Japan….
Lloyd got up and walked to the window. The sky was tranquil, and Mt. Fuji seemed so picturesque from here, piercing through the fluffy clouds. Even it is so far away, it looked so near, yet so far.
A yawn cause him to turn to find Francis stretching on his tatami mattress, his hair ruffled and sticking out in tufts.
“You’re up early…” He commented.
“I never been outside of the States before…” Lloyd shrugged, “Japan is so…peaceful.”
“But of course.” Francis said, getting up, adjusting his dressings. “It’s a very quiet peaceful country. What do you expect?”
Lloyd shrugged and went to the bathroom, which is so much bigger than the one in their apartment, because it came fully equipped with a shower and a bath tub. It’s traditional for Japanese to have a cold shower then douse themselves in the tub, filled with warm water for cleansing. Undressing himself, he was about to take off the entire thin robe he was wearing when he caught sight of his reflection on the small framed mirror.
My hair had grew out? Lloyd thought, staring at his hair which is now touching his shoulders. I never noticed. Then again, I never had a haircut for weeks now. Pushing his fringe away from his eyes, he caught sight of his face which does, in fact resembles him. He had never noticed, how much they both really do resemble.
Shaking his head, he ignored the mirror until he was fresh and up in a black V-collared T-shirt and pale grey pants when Glenn barged in.
“You done yet?” He asked drowsily. “I want to bathe too. Francis’s needs to clean his wounds with the medicine that the hospital gave so let me through.”
He made his way out as Glenn slid the door shut. Francis had already undressed most if his dressings to reveal the deep cuts and the holes in his palms where Guy had brutally nailed him on his palms. The skin is already mending but it will never be the same ever again.
“It’ll be fine.” Francis said, catching his eye. “Besides, shouldn’t you be looking for O. Marsters?”
“I guess.” Lloyd sighed, going over to the thick phone directory book. It’s all in Japanese which makes him groaned, luckily Francis came to his rescue.
“This one, I’ll do it…”
It became apparent that Francis’s Japanese is quite... amateur, but better than him, he couldn’t even speak, let alone understand as Francis jabbered non-stop on the phone, it reminds him of Inari when she was shrieking non-stop at him to break traffic laws. But in the end, Francis had managed to pry the information out of the operator and brandish the small piece of paper to him.
“All done. There’s only one Marsters who specialized in photography and videos. He lives in Shibuya. Not too far from here.”
“Thanks. Take care of Glenn for me, okay?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. Just go.”
Lloyd stood outside the small studio, with his blade wrapped tightly in its cloth and case and consulting his address. Yep, Marster’s Magic Photos, Your One Stop Shop for Photos and Videos.
Lloyd stepped into the shop. It seemed so cut off from the outside world. The shop is rather cramped and antique, with frames and frames of old photos hung in every inch of available space. Stacks of CDs, vinyl record players, video players, CD players and many others are stacked on the desk behind the glass counter, where there’s a display of photos in which you could choose your own designs. Somewhere behind the shop, there’s a music playing Eric Clapton.
This, is one seriously weird place.
“Dare?”
A figure emerged out of a door that leads to a back room. He is about a few years older than he is, tall and lanky, with short reddish brown hair, brown almond-shaped eyes and slightly tanned skin. Definitely a foreigner.
“Ahm, is O. Marsters here?” Lloyd had wanted to try to use Japanese but he decides better against it. It was already bad enough that few people snickered when he tried to buy ticket on the bus and the driver couldn’t even understand a single word of English. None of the passengers were even helpful except to watch this American struggle until he pointed at the ticket machine, where the driver understood him.
“You’re American, I couldn’t tell.” The man said, switching to English.
“Geez, that’s kind of sad. Anyway, is O. Marsters around?”
“I think you meant my father, Oliver.” The man said clicking the music off. “Sorry, he’s dead few years back. I’m his son, Eric.”
“My sincerest apologies.”
“It’s alright, what business do you have with my father anyway?”
Lloyd brought out a flash drive and said, “The Russia-Japan war.”
“What about it?”
“Do you have a desktop or a USB port somewhere? It’s going to be a long day.”
“I know what you mean. Come on in…”
“Where did Lloyd went?” Glenn asked.
“He went to Shibuya to find that Marsters guy.”
“He can’t go out alone, he can’t even speak Japanese, let alone understand it, what the heck is he thinking?” Glenn snatched his coat up from the rack and went for the door. “I’m going after him.”
He had only taken two strides when a big black shadow swooped down on him, slamming him onto the floor.
“I see you had arrived as well.” Revarie sneered, holding him down.
“Oh man, you too?” Francis groaned, staring at Alen, who was holding him into place with Mind’s Shadow. How did he get here that fast?
“We’re one short.” Revarie prodded Glenn hard on the forehead. “Hey, retard, where’s your boss?”
“Now what makes you think I would tell to someone with the likes of you?” Glenn spat.
“Oh, you are going to tell me if you want your Jewish friend alive.” He shook him hard. “Now, where’s your boss?”
“I don’t know.”
“He says don’t know, don’t we all know it is just a trick?” Revarie said to Mind’s Shadow, who laughed. He swooped down upon them, clinging with his dark tendrils and into their minds, exposing all of their darkest deepest thoughts to him.
“Interesting.” Mind’s Shadow said softly, stretching back to Alen. “They found about Guy and V.V…. Their boss is heading to Shibuya, trying to get help from someone.”
“Brillante.” Revarie yanked Glenn by the collar. “I will not drink your blood, but I’ll snap your neck. That way, my family tree will be pruned.” His hands tightened around his throat and he started to squeeze hard.
He never even gone that far, that’s because a gold blue blur rushed past all of them like a wind, flinging Revarie off Glenn, knocking him onto a wooden dresser which stabbed him painfully in the arm.
“What???’
The gold blue blur slowed down and gave a silvery and light, girlish yet child-like laughter, revealing a familiar tall, slender figurine with golden blonde hair with fiery blue coloured tips, with nine-tails fanned out behind her.
“Inari!” Glenn sighed with relief.
Inari gave another child-like laughter. “The tall one is not here? Amai.”
“Get lost, kitsune.” Revarie snarled.
“I dislike that term. I am Inari.” Inari rushed towards Revarie and hurl him out of the window. He gave a yell as sunlight came into contact with him, burning his flesh. He hurriedly pulled up his thick hood and scampered for safety in the shadowed alleys, cursing in Italian.
“We’ll be back in another day, Kitsune Witch.” Mind’s Shadow warned. “We already got what we wanted anyway.” Allen then leapt over the balcony railing and ran off.
Inari was busy giggling like a delighted child. “Oh, it is such a rare sight to see all of you again. Especially in my own homeland. Where’s dear Lloyd?”
“He went to Shibuya, didn’t you hear?” Francis said.
“It seems a lot have happened when I was gone.” Inari remarked, sitting on the floor in the lotus position. “Where’s that aisuru ko – dear child, V.V.?”
“It’s very long story, Inari-san.” Glenn said.
“Oooh, could you get me some sake and rice then?” Inari said, moving gracefully and sitting in the traditional Japanese way, with her legs tucked beneath her on a cushion.
“Well,” Francis shrugged. “We can ask for room service, or we could just go down and get it from the convenience store.”
“No can do, Frances. They might be going after Lloyd.” Glenn yanked his coat from the floor and ran for the door. “I’ll be right back!” He shouted over his shoulder.
Eric watched the entire video clip in silence with Lloyd standing beside him in front of an old Macintosh computer. Even though he had already seen the video, it still gave him the chill when he saw V.V’s crazed face. Blood splashing all over her as she killed soldiers one after another, completely oblivious to the screams and cries of mercy. It’s very obvious that Guy’s enjoying himself as he cut down one after another.
“Well, that’s a very interesting clip you found, Mr Anderson.” Eric remarked softly as the clip ended.
“It was your dad who took the clip. Speaking of that scientist, my partner managed to translate some of his findings. ” Lloyd brought out a sheaf of papers. “Listen to this….”
“1st March 1904 –The Russian are keeping us at bay. The Empire is asking me to hurry it up with my experiment. I’m already trying my best, but most of my experiments failed. I spent the hours of dusk burying all of the bodies to dispose of the evidence. I can’t seem to find anyone compatible to the demon essence of Kagami and Morphix. ”
“5th March 1904 – The odds are still not in our favour, but the Empire had threw in a couple of children from the Russian military. I have no interest in them but left them to my assistant, who is in charge of giving them their basic needs. ”
“Well, this guy must’ve been a crackpot.” Eric shrugged, taking out a cigarette and lighting it with a silver lighter. He sure kept that quiet.
“Wait, there’s more.” Lloyd said, pulling out a small note. “This is probably before the Russian ambushed him.”
“15th May 1904 – It has been months since those two children had been with me. Both had blossomed into their 16 years of age. My assistant discreetly told me that they seem compatible for the experiment. Giving me a report of their progress, I agreed. Maybe they are compatible.
I called the boy and the girl into my lab. I then gave them sleeping drought and huge dose of painkillers before I set to work on them… Indeed, most of my experiments had never made it pass the compatible stage but to my surprise, they both are compatible. ”
“21st June 1904 – The demonic essence of Kaphix (my term for combining Kagami and Morphix) is finally inserted into both of them, but both of them are still in deep slumber. However, I had already made a scan on both of them and discovered, B.B.(The boy) succeeded, but to a side effect. It seems that it had drove part of his mentality insane. V.V (The girl) succeeded, a masterpiece. When she wakes up, I will be able to train her into the perfect weapon against the Russian. It’ll take a while for these two to wake up again, though B.B. is considered as a failure, nevertheless he’ll be useful in the battle. At least I’m glad that I won’t have to bury another couple of bodies.”
“Well, you obviously done your research.” Eric said. “Sorry, I can’t help you much. But why don’t you try looking at the old army base?”
“Is anybody home?” A voice called out.
“Glenn?” Lloyd turned. Eric dropped his cigarette and brought out a katana from a wooden cabinet. An orochi blade, to be exact. “Don’t worry, he’s my partner.”
“Oh, you’re here.” Glenn said, his head peeping out of the doorway. “Is that him, O. Marsters?”
“No, this is his son, Eric.” Lloyd said, Eric lowered the orochi blade a few inches, but his guard is still up. “What brings you here, Glenn?”
“Lloyd, Dario’s pals are here. We just got a visit from the vampire and the shadower.”
Lloyd inhaled sharply. Looks like Dario is also making his move.
“Got it.” Lloyd said, looking alert. “What do you mean the old army base?”
“Well, the base had died out but maybe you can find some clues there. It’s in S-”
He stopped just as they hear a small clink. All three of them looked down to find a metallic object rolled into the room. Shaped like a small pine cone and-
“DOWN!!!” Lloyd shouted as the grenade exploded. Chunks of concretes flew everywhere. The framed photos shattered like showers of ice and the photos were charred in places. As the grey smoke cleared, they all tried to get up but bullets went soaring above their heads. If they stood up a second faster, they would’ve been killed.
“Looks like we been found.” Glenn said, his vamp enhanced sight allowed him to see through the smoke to find Reo standing in the doorway like a hitman.
“Revarie and Alen told me… Now come on out.” He said coolly, gunblades armed in hands.
“Darn, that vampire ratted us out.” Glenn said, taking out his Sauer.
Eric, meanwhile, armed with his revolver, crawled across the room and shoved a bookcase aside. At first, they couldn’t understand why is he shoving a bookcase aside, since the noise it made will alert Reo that something’s up. But then they saw it.
A door, completely hidden by the bookshelf, but now it’s exposed for all to see.
“Get over here, quickly.” He hissed, slowly pulling the door open. Crashes and glasses tinkling are alerting them that Reo is making his way towards the room.
Without hesitating, Lloyd boosted himself forward, passed the debris and mess. Glenn managed to make it safely by using his vamp strength. He seems to be getting used to the perks of having half-vampire.
Eric waited till they’re both safely passed through before he stood up and slammed the door shut, locking it with a number of padlocks, bolts and chains, all which slide into place easily. Then, he grabbed some worn out furnitures and started barricading the door, with Glenn helping him.
Meanwhile, Lloyd took in their surroundings by switching on the naked lightbulb. They seemed to be in the dark room, where the photographs are all processed. The equipments and chemicals all lay neatly in a row, looking just like any other normal room, except there’s another door that leads outside. Even though it’s only noon, the temperature seemed to have dropped into zero degrees.
A photograph on the table caught his eye. He went over and felt his heart gave out.
A photo of V.V., but not the V.V. he knew. This V.V. have yards and yards of hair grown out in extreme length, with bangs covering part of her face, forming blades that are stained with blood, her hands too became sickle blades, her eyes a wild look. From what he could see in the background, hundreds of dead soldiers, all killed in the most gruesome manner. Some of the eyes are glazed and wide opened, staring into nothingness, some face were crushed, or even worse. It made him sick to think that this is actually the V.V. he knew. Except…..it’s not really her anymore, is it?
Whoa, where did that thought come from?
“Yeah, my dad managed to get a snapshot of that.” Eric had came over and turned the photo over for him to see the date behind, written in Japanese, but it’s recognizable for him. The Fourth of July…
7月4曰1904年
“He wouldn’t tell me the exact numbers, but I can tell you that she alone had took out 100 soldiers in 5 minutes.”
“100 soldiers in 5 minutes?” Lloyd choked out.
“That’s right. It was a long time before both party realized sent out their special military to subdue them. ” He fished out another photo from among the stacks. “This one is taken before they’re hauled off.”
This picture is rather peaceful looking. This one shows a very-tired looking V.V. being strapped onto a metal stretcher and bound in chains and belts as she’s hauled away to – from what he could see –A steel military truck.
“How-” His throat dry. “Did they subdue her?”
“That, I don’t know.” Eric shrugged. “But let me ask you one thing, do you think she could still be saved from that?”
Lloyd stood very still. Images of V.V. flashed past his mind. The first time he met her right outside Stellar Inc. –her face and Serenity’s look alike, except with the slight differences-how innocent looking she was, but with a stubborn personality. The first time he brought her 1901 hotdog at the vendor. How she usually try to hide her pain through her tough façade. The times they spent together hunting down the supernaturals and demons that are threatening Manhattan…
Lloyd snapped himself out of the visions and stood steadily, back straight like a knight going out for war, straight into Eric’s unconcerned gaze. “She’s not that V.V. anymore. I’ll save her. I don’t know how but I will save her. ”
“Um, Lloyd,” Glenn piped up from the corner. “I don’t mean to interrupt but Reo seemed to be channeling water.”
They stood still for a few moment and there’s the sound of the waves sloshing outside the door. The naked lightbulb, their only source of light suddenly dimmed, plunging them into darkness.
Eric nodded and kicked the other door open. And without further ado, clambered outside, the revolver strapped onto his back. They followed him and they were shocked to find themselves on the balcony, with no way out.
But Eric only grinned. “I been wanting to do this for a long time.” He reached into his pocket, brought something to his teeth and flung it into the dark room. Then he gestured at a long steel ladder that leads up. Hurriedly, they both head up, following his lead. Just as they reached the rooftop, there was a loud deafening explosion, in bellowing orange and red.
Glenn stared at him in amazement. “A hand grenade?”
The pin is still in his teeth. “Nitrostarch, my own creation.”
But that is as far as he get because the familiar thick-hooded figure charged towards them, grabbing Lloyd by the neck and dashing him onto the ground. Even as they stood, the building suddenly shook violently like a rocket and a huge fountain of water erupted, making a hole and Reo emerged, shooting at Glenn who ran zig-zag. Allen overcome gravity by levitating himself up and smiling serenely, levitated wooden crates and hurled them like huge dices towards Eric, who didn’t even blink but just brought out his revolver and shoot them into pieces.
Soon, they were locked into a sort of tag match. Lloyd against Revarie, Glenn against Reo and Eric against Alen. Revarie had snatched up a long metal bar and is swinging it violently at him, intending to take his head off, sparks contracting as the metals meet. Glenn and Reo were locked in hand-to-hand combat. And Alen was throwing objects after objects against Eric, who is just standing in one position and just pulling the trigger.
“Stop that, kid.” He muttered as he blasted another object apart.
“This is fun, don’tcha think?” Alen giggled, hurling a metal garbage bin towards him. This one, he can’t shoot, but he could duck. Big mistake. A large crate went slamming into his abdomen and he went flying, nearly dropping over the roof edge.
“You found out about Guy, but you know what, Dario don’t really care.” Revarie said, the metal bar crashing into his Zanmato. “He just wanted us to slow you down so that they could deal with their matters.”
“V.V., she’s with him, isn’t she?” The metal bar went flying into the air and clanged loudly on the rooftop.
“Funny you should ask, but they are like a single unit.” Revarie yanked him by the hair, shoved his Zanmato aside and said, “I’ll have your blood, after that, your friends are next.”
As the fangs were about to tear into his neck, someone went stabbing Revarie on the back, causing him to harmlessly cut into Lloyd’s neck but thankfully, not severing any arteries to let the blood gush out.
“Lloyd-kun…”
Lloyd turned to see the slender fox in gold and fiery blue tips staring at him. Her eyes twinkling with mischievousness. The nine tails fuelling with power. On her back, a very petrified Francis clung onto her tight as he whimpered, “Never again am I going to sit on a fox’s back.”
“K-Kitsune???”
“Kitsune? It’s Inari!” She huffed, giving him a playful cuff on the head with her paw. “How could you have forgotten me that soon?”
“Kitsune Witch, you dare to interfere again?” Revarie shouted, keeping his hood tucked to prevent himself from burning.
“I-Inari-san!” Glenn sighed. “Thank you, Frances.” He managed to give a mock-salute before Reo went striking him with a knife-hand jab on the arm, which stings very painfully.
“Come on, Glenn, let’s go!” Frances managed to call out. Lloyd gestured at Eric, who nodded and ran.
Moments later, they’re soaring in the sky on Inari’s back, away from all of the riot.
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