by Tom Harem
"Are you looking for trouble?" One of them, with long brown hair, a superficial cut extending from his right eyebrow to his cheek and a chubby nose, asked. His low voice echoed through the room. Nobody moved. The air got heavier, and he took two steps forward.
"He's a rookie. Just ignore him. Come on, we got to get going before somebody gets hurt before we arrive.” A brown-haired boy, with younger features than I, intervened.
"You're right. Let's just go." He said, walking towards me, bumping into my shoulder as he left.
Silence ravaged the room. An awkward environment to which no one was indifferent. Suddenly, an alert appeared on the screen - a red exclamation mark flashing constantly. A video of a monster, similar to a wolf but with metal claws, a horn on his forehead and black stains on his white fur, played before our eyes. The aberration had stopped the traffic at the bridge and tore the bonnet of the cars, chasing down some families who were trying to escape as quickly as possible. Even the girl in the black dress took the top hat off her face and paid attention.
"A GROUP OF THREE TO FIVE PEOPLE IS URGENTLY REQUESTED ON OKINAWA STREET."
The capital letters blinked on the screen. There was no one else in the room but me and the two girls.
Chapter III
"We have to go!" I said, my legs trembling and my left foot tapping the ground like a drum set, "Do you have a group yet?"
"Ah...no... But I don't know, what if things go south? What if one of us gets hurt?" The girl in the pink dress said, her sweet voice serving as music to my ears, while she crossed her arms to shelter herself, her tits almost popping out.
"A Hunter can't be afraid of getting hurt. Let's go. People need us. You agree with me, don't you?" I asked the other girl in the room, who had short green shaded black hair and a smooth eyeliner string.
"I don't join groups. I only work alone." She answered, and leaned back on the couch, dribbling her hat through her fingers.
The signal was still flashing on the screen. Although the color was the same as before, it seemed to be redder to me - the danger was getting deadlier and it drew me to it.
"Just once. There's no one else here and those people need help." I said, pointing at the screen showing footage from the nearest security camera.
"Just once?" The girl with the black hair asked, "Okay, you're right. We have to help those people, but don't think this means we're a team!" She said, almost steaming.
"If you two are going... I’m going too. I don’t want to be left all alone. Look at his teeth! So angry, so consumed by coldness. I'm a little scared." The other girl said and stood up, her blonde hair, greyish when the light shone on it, a few strands of it sticking on her thick, wet lips, “I’m Maggie.”
“I’m Kendra.” The other girl replied, almost twisting her eyes until the little blue light disappeared behind them.
"My car's in the driveway. We better hurry." I said, getting more and more excited.
My first mission right before me. My father would be proud if he was still alive. After all, he was the big reason why I joined the academy, why I've had this huge craving in me to become a Hunter ever since I was a kid.
"Hey, what's up? Are we going or not? What are you waiting for?" Kendra asked me, my distraction not going unnoticed.
"Yeah, sorry, let's go. Maggie, are you ready?"
"Not really, but I must, right? Sometimes I wonder why I decided to become a Hunter. Anyway, we have to accept the mission. We just have to place our APPs close to each other. The sensors will recognize the other devices and put us on a team. It will be good for splitting the money and the experience points."
We did as she instructed, pairing the devices until a confirmation showed on each other’s screen. Maggie walked to the digital board on the wall and accepted the mission, positioning her device in front of a bar code until different letters came together.
"MISSION ACCEPTED. 3 PEOPLE. LEVEL 2 BEAST. OKINAWA CITY."
"Finally. Can we go now?" Kendra asked, adjusting her corset until it was so tight to her body that all the subtleties of her curves were accentuated to uttermost detail.
The room was still empty besides us. The walls had been painted yellow recently. It was possible to see the brushstrokes whenever the rotating light on the ceiling fell on them. We rushed out of the room. Kendra and I had to take a few breaks as Maggie almost tripped over her high heels every time she sped up.
Time was dragging on and I couldn't help but think of the danger that the citizens were in. Maggie took off her shoes and ran to the entrance as soon as we got down the escalators. Everyone's eyes hung over her, but she didn't stop. Several laughs rose above the many voices that spread across the wide entrance. Someone was drinking hot coffee, with a soft, sweet spice on top, which went up through our nostrils as we passed them.
As soon as we found ourselves on the other side of the entrance, all the noises were muffled. A breeze of wind whistled through the high trees that hid the building's façade and were also the stage for the lives of a few orange-billed birds. There were very few cars on the road, although lunchtime was about to end, and it wouldn't be surprising if the roads filled up - honking until quietness was destroyed and a disgusting petrol odor lingered in the air. Yeah, because, for some reason, no one had yet come up with a permanent solution for that smell.
We got in the car. Me behind the wheel, Kendra at my side and Maggie in the back, the three seats being taken by her, her hat and her high heels.
I hit the pedal then drove to the highway, which was almost empty, and followed the GPS directions to Okinawa. Kendra turned on the radio - news of recent attacks around the world cooled the temperature inside the car. Not even my cushions padded with warm satin fabric were enough to warm the shaken hearts and the minds repeating the interviewer’s voice who was questioning people who had been forced to flee from their houses. Mourning and crying flooded my little red car, with only its five seats, and prevented the tires and horns of the other cars from being heard.
"Faster," Kendra said, unable to look me in the eyes.
She was gazing at the sight abroad, the green hills that stretched out to infinity, along the sides of the road, illuminated by the fine rays of sunlight shining on the bumpy hills.
"I'm already at full speed," I answered her, already under stress, the usual protruding vein popping up on the left side of my neck.
"Is this all that this car can do?" She said, a slightly sarcastic laugh in the corner of her mouth. By doing so, the cheek on the right side gained a dimple.
"Funny. Do you have a better car?" I answered her, focusing on the still empty road, and on a sign indicating the few meters left for Okinawa.
In the back seat, Maggie pressed her fragile fingers into her legs, the joints already red.
I took a detour to the left. A metal plate whose corners shone and reflected the sunlight indicated the entrance to the city. A police barricade prevented the passage of cars while some doctors took care of the wounded - some on stretchers, others with mere marks, sparkling blood flowing down their foreheads, their faces covered with dust.
People in a frenzied rush and heart-breaking screams scratched our ears.
"He's getting closer," Kendra said and pointed to a place a few feet away from us, beyond the barricade.
Normal policemen, wearing black trousers and blue sweatshirts, were shooting at the monster, which now looked like it didn't have regular hair, it looked synthetic, with a slightly metallic tinge. His claws scratched the ground, the metal tore it up like paper, the metallic howls causing the men's hands to tremble, and the shots fired scraping at his body instead of hitting it right in the face.
"It's time for us to be heroes," I said, stopping the car and opening the door. I palpated my hips to confirm I had the gun in my holster.
"I can't believe I'm really here," Maggie said, getting out of the car and pulling the fire gloves to the top of her wrist.
"Are you always this boring?" Kendra asked her, pulling her whip o
ff the handle, but keeping it folded up.
"I just don't like violence. Not everything revolves around that, you know?" She answered her, swinging her blond hair to the right.
"Why are you a hunter then? You had to know what you were getting into?" I asked, still intrigued. I had never met anyone who abhorred so much fighting. Cowards yes, many, but she didn’t seem like one despite being frightened.
"She's never heard that the good in life is in what we shouldn't do." Kendra counterattacked, winking at Maggie.
I couldn't help but smile at her. I was perfectly aware that it wasn't the right time but that sarcastic and daring personality caught my attention more than the tranquility that Maggie transmitted. A certain attraction to darkness.
"Come on, girls, it's time." I said, "The cops won't last much longer."
We ran to the barrier, showing our Hunters apps to get access. The policeman who guided us to the other side sighed with relief, thanking us for our help.
"Thank you, thank you, we didn't think anyone would come." He said, rubbing his chubby cheeks with his greasy fingers, "What rank are you?"
"Rank E," Maggie replied while taking out a small bottle of camellia scented perfume from her pocket.
She used it to perfume herself surprising the policeman, whose dark circles matched the black irises of his eyes.
"Oh, can you do it?" He asked, putting his hands in his pockets and picking a cigarette from there.
Kendra cast a ferocious glance at him, squinting her eyes and frowning, to the point where the man let the already lit cigarette stumble between his fingers and fall on the floor. The ash danced through the air and he apologized for the offense.
"We better go." The policeman said, his voice trembling while averting Kendra's gaze. "We've already got three wounded cops, one of which had to be taken to the hospital. The cut opened his torso. We managed to keep the monster there, but the bullets seem to be ricocheting. Even when they hit him in the face, the effect is almost zero. He gets stunned, but it only lasts a few seconds."
"Let's go. Tell them to back off. We'll take care of it now." I said, feeling something stuck in my throat, still trying to think of a plan, "Are you ready?"
"I was born ready," Kendra answered, unfolding the whip and swinging it, its metallic tip hitting the ground and sparking.
"I have to, don't I?" Maggie said, opening her hands, letting the small flame take on orange and yellowish colors.
We rushed in until we reached the police force. As soon as they heard the captain's orders for them to move away a wave of relieved sighs circled the road. They walked backward, always with their weapons aiming at the monster, their legs still trembling with every step the monster took.
The wolf had small, green eyes, almost imperceptible from afar. The smell of gunpowder mixed with Maggie's perfume, who was constantly straightening her clothes, and kept saying that if she knew there would be such a putrid aroma, she would have brought other clothes.
Without even warning, Kendra started the attack, maneuvering her whip with tremendous ease, and pulling it back before firing it at the monster. The metal hit the steel, a sound like a chalk scratching on a board, but the effect was null. The wolf took advantage and grabbed her weapon with his sharp teeth, oil dripping between them, sticking them in its sensitive part. As much as she leaned her body, her knees bent and her hands tied to the handle, the wolf was much stronger. There was no hesitation in his eyes, and he didn't even seem to be making a great effort. He was delighted to see the sweat dripping down her face and opened his green eyes whenever a drop of her blood slipped from her hands to the ground.
"WILL YOU HELP ME!?" She screamed, the fabric tearing her hands.
I was so absorbed in what was happening that I hadn't even moved, as had Maggie, who was looking at me for comfort and orders to follow.
"Maggie, shoot fireballs. See if you can distract him while I help Kendra." I said, running towards her, keeping my gun in my holster, and putting my body next to hers, my hands glued to her sweaty palms.
We worked together. We both pulled the whip at the same time while Maggie threw fireballs, the sparks falling to the ground, the flames hitting the wolf. His metallic hair was scorched, and his eyes closed for seconds, but he was still as good as new. He closed his teeth further, gnashing them against each other and turned his face, grabbing Kendra's whip and using it to pull us toward him and throw us into the air. Our bodies rolled down the road, our knees peeling and our hands scraping on the asphalt. Kendra's body fell on mine, my hands on her hips and her hair in my face. The sun overshadowed her face and her green eyes took on amber contours, her warm breath brushing against my neck and one of her knees between my legs.
"I... Ah... Get off me!" Kendra said, tripping over her own words.
"You have to get up first!" I answered, looking to the side, seeing Maggie's fireballs losing color and shrinking in size, almost like mere clicks bursting in her hands.
Kendra got up, straightened her clothes and grabbed her whip which was on the floor, the end covered in a brownish liquid with a smell that almost made her vomit. The policemen murmured among themselves, with their hands in the holsters, already doubting that we would be able to achieve victory. A mere level 2 monster, and we couldn't even defeat that. All the training I had had seemed useless now that I was in a real situation, the voices and roars getting louder than my thoughts, the locals just meters away from me - children crying and clutching at their mothers' as their fathers stroked their foreheads.
"Easy, let's regroup. I've got an idea. It'll work. It's just one monster. We can do it." I said, raising our morale, "Maggie goes left, I go right. Hm, Kendra, as soon as he notices one of us, you try to hit one of his eyes with the whip. Can you do it?"
"Of course, I can. Who do you think I am?" She answered, licking her thick lips.
"Let's do this," I said, and I looked at Maggie, who closed and opened her right fist while using her other hand to remove the wet hair glued to her lips.
"I won't last much longer. My hands are already sore. Using the glove wastes all my body’s strength, you know?" Maggie replied, moving to the left and bending her knees.
"You can do it." I said, a few brown strands of hair falling in my eyes, "I'm going to count to three. One...two..." The breeze scratched my face, the edges of my eyebrows were whirled, my hair losing the composure that the gel provided it, "three! Let's go!"
I pulled the gun out of the holster and fired bullet after bullet, drawing close to the monster whose eyes were rolling over, targeting me and Maggie. He seemed confused, not knowing where to focus and we kept gaining space. My hands were heavier than usual, and the gun had the weight of a brick, but I still didn't drop it. Even my legs felt like they were made of a material I couldn't move if it wasn't for the adrenaline running through my veins. My heart was pounding so loudly that it drowned out the sound of the bullets tearing through the air, leaving behind a trail of smoke and a metallic smell. Although the tip of the bullets contained a compound harder than normal steel it was not enough to break the wolf's shell, just bruising it enough for it to twitch for a few seconds.
"This doesn't seem to be working," Maggie said as soon as she finished throwing another fireball.
"No... wait! Look at that! Lower left corner, in the armor, isn't that a crack? If we focus our attacks, there... We can do it. The plan stands, but Maggie and I are just going to attack that spot." I said, smiling at them, my bitter-sweet sweat dripping on my tongue.
"Come on!" Maggie screamed, the energy flowing through her, while her face glistening with sunlight, "I'm sorry. I got carried away."
I laughed and looked back at Kendra, who, as expected, still had her mouth closed.
We slowly got closer, striking and blowing incessantly, the fissure opening gradually, revealing a shiny interior, several collusive threads, working like a small-scale factory. The wolf roared, its metallic voice losing its sparkle as the circuits became affected by the explosion
s in its torso.
"One last effort!" I yelled, "This is it. Kendra, his eye."
She turned her hip to the side, raised her left foot and fired the whip like a guided missile. In a few seconds, it hit the monster's eye, which broke into chunks of glass, the wolf became disoriented, gnashing its last whimpers able to realize that his end was near. Suddenly, his tail began to spin, like a helicopter ready to get him out of there as soon as his vital signs descended into a danger zone, and his feet moved off the ground.
"HE'S GONNA RUN AWAY," Maggie screamed, out of strength. Her fireballs couldn't reach him in the air, "What do we do?"
I took a deep breath. I knew exactly what to do. It wasn't a question of "what?" It was a question of "can I do it?" I lifted the gun, placing it at my shoulder level. I closed half an eye and aimed at the small hole in the monster, as it moved away faster and faster, its presence being just a close memory. I slowed down my breathing and let my heart settle down. A few strands of hair moved, rubbing against my forehead, but I ignored them. I fired. The bullet came out of the barrel, a roaring sound, and burst through the air until it reached its goal - it entered the crack, causing a short circuit that stopped the tail from turning and shut down the monster. He fell from the sky, crashing into the road, breaking into several pieces after a colossal crash. The area where he fell would have to be interdicted and blocked.
I wielded my gun in the air, waving it, celebrating our victory. In the background, the people and the police applauded us, thanking us and hugging each other, happy they could return to their homes. A thin river of tears flowed down Maggie's face. I kept my gun and walked to her.
"Are you okay?" I asked her and put my arms on her thin shoulders, her hair covering my hands.
"Yeah, yeah, I am. For a moment I thought it would all be in vain." She said and hugged me, her chest rubbing against mine, her tears dampening my chin.
"It's over. We better call in a pickup patrol now and get the experience points. See if we can climb the ranking."
