Date: September 11
Place: Nagoya, Japan
[Rei]
"Is there anyone else here?" Their eyes perked up, spooked.
"Yes," the girl munched on more chips nervously.
"But there are a lot of bad guys," the little boy jumped in fright, eyes full of worry while crawling over to the oldest's arms.
I forced my lips to curl up, patting their head one by one. "You knew I defeated those bad guys earlier, I'll be fine."
"I need you three to behave, stay quiet, and wait for other people who have this," I said, removing my cloak and giving it to the youngest. They might look scary, but they're real nice people." I tied the lace around his neck, but it soon covered his whole body, looking like a blanket.
"And if anything happens, just scream my name, and I'll come flying," I smiled, slowly standing up to get ready. But the eldest boy tugged my shirt, biting his lips, and was unable to look directly into me. "What is it?"
"Can you please see if big brother Meon is safe?" his eyes watered while his hands shook on my shirt which made me kneel down and give another tight hug.
"Yes, I will," I say before leaving them.
~~
I used the walls as a guide towards the way which they came from, my feet trying to stay as silent as possible as I left my lights with them. "Man, I could really use Kikoe's glasses," I murmur. And a few more minutes of stumbling onto bodies, there was a flicker of light running towards my direction.
I squinted my eyes and those definitely didn't look like my members nor any monsters. I dropped my guard down as I didn't sense any unOrdinay following the person.
Standing still, I waited until they managed to get to where I was.
"Hello!" They greeted enthusiastically, waving her hand in the air. "I haven't seen you around, are you a newcomer?" she had a bob haircut, was quite well fed, and standing not too tall than I am. "Fancy, what's this?" she almost grabbed my knife out of the scabbard that was strapped around my thigh if I didn't put my arm out and created the distance between us.
"I'm sorry but I need you to identify yourself," I gave an unwelcoming tone, readying my hands to grab my weapon while standing on guard. She looked a few years older than my age and from her bright demeanor, it was a bit confusing for me.
"Oh!" she looked shocked. "I'm Grace, I'm looking for my siblings," her energetic mood dropped and became gloomy. "They were too hungry and sneaked out to roam around even though I told them it was too dangerous," she now has these worried expressions displayed, biting her fingernails and pulling some of her hair out.
"Calm down, if you're talking about those kids, they're safely hiding," I stood relaxed and pointed in the direction from where I came from. "Hide with them until my team arrives and teleports you to our base," I showed her the map where her siblings are.
"Teleport?!" she looked more excited than earlier, and I only nodded.
I looked at her flashlight, "Say, do you mind me borrowing that?" I pointed it out and she looked puzzled. "I need to find someone named Meon," I explained asking if there were other people in this area.
"Meon says he's going to catch up after getting a few supplies, he's a few shops down," pointing in the direction where she came from. Then her flashlight hit something metallic in her pockets. "Here," she grabbed my hand and placed the flashlight. "I'll go get the three then," she ran off as I pointed the light towards her waving hands.
Get?
Now I had some lights, proceeding toward the hallway was much easier now. I lit some stores and peeked a few seconds in each one that I passed through. But still no one.
"Reports," I say and they complied.
"Cedrick here, I'm inside the electrical room now," his voice was muffled once again as if he was biting something. "I just need to fix the wirings," he exhales.
"Noel and Kikoe here, we've successfully filled two bags and just put them around the east side of the 4th floor's escalator for easier transport to where the kids are," I hear Noel's calm voice.
"I met someone named Grace who was the three kids' big sister, proceed to their location after you two finish," I cut the contact after they gave their salutes.
I ran through a few more shops until I saw another peculiar blood drawing on the walls of one shop. It was identical to the last one I saw.
I took a few snaps and walked inside, finding a corpse of a boy, lying in the middle of the room with the same patterned symbols on the second floor. Only this time, his body was at one peace. And instead of candles, the eight circles had a finger of an unOrdinary in it.
I dropped down on my knees and inspected his chest for breathing movements, then putting my hand on his nose. He had a similar body to the three which was pretty malnourished and wore tattered clothes, was a few years older looking than them too...
"Guys, was the scream earlier from a boy?" I checked with my busy members. My light caught the red-stained floor behind his head. I rolled him over and saw a bullet hole just right about his neck. My fingers felt the warm blood that was on the floor and the drawings.
The warmth was too fresh.
The puddle of blood around his head was another blood trail, I followed it slowly which led me just a few steps outside the shop. He was dragged inside and was placed like that.
"I'm not too sure," Kikoe murmurs. "But I'm sure that it wasn't a high-pitched scream," he added.
"I didn't really notice," Noel says.
"Yes," a blunt answer from Cedrick. "It was a young voice of a dude who was probably around the age of ten to fifteen," he pointed out. "Why?"
"Thanks, I'll explain later," I say. Cedrick's point was valid enough when I sent another snap to him for a little context as I sprinted toward the shop where I left the kids.
"I might need your help, Cedrick," I say to his line.
"I'm trying," he grunted after I heard a few error sounds on his side. "Just give me ten more minutes," he cut the line.
It didn't take me long to reunite with them, who were walking back in the direction where the body I found was. "Where are you going?" I was a few steps away from them, dropping my stance to reach my knives around my thighs.
Behind the girl named Grace were the two younger ones being pulled by her while they retaliated by pulling their hands out in the opposite direction. But it was of no use as they had smaller figures.
Their silent cries made me notice the oldest who was only following behind, hands tied behind his back and a leash around his neck that was being pulled along the other two.
All their expressions were glum and not even taking notice of me. They were only looking at the floor, shivering and sniffling their cries.
"Woman," I repeated at the enthusiastic girl who I met earlier, now staring at me with cold gazes and a frown. "What do you think you're doing," my jaws tightening at her smirk.
"Move," her cute act earlier was nowhere to be found. "They are my siblings and I decide what is good for them," she suddenly got defensive and took a step back.
"They sure don't look fond of you," I slowly stepped forward, pulling out one of the knives and pointing it at her.