Chapter 11: First catch part 2
Soon the crowd had gone, leaving the once bustling amusement park as hollow as the lies that drained their wallets, the faint creaks of rusty rides echoed like ghosts in the wind,
Three men in dark shades emerged from the funhouse, laughing smugly as they fanned thick stacks of money in their hands,
"Ha!!! We made more than a bank today", one bragged, slapping the cash against his palm,
"Pathetic sheep, falling for everything we say", another sneered,
From the shadows, Tall Boy stepped forward, his beast hand glinting, Time Shifter followed, calm but sharp eyed,
"It must feel good tricking people, huh?", Tall Boy smirked, his towering frame sending a chill down the scammers' spines,
The leader clicked his tongue, clearly irritated,
"And who the hell do you think you two are? Butting into our business? Walk away before things get real nasty", He and his cronies puffed up their chests, making threatening gestures,
Tall Boy chuckled darkly, "Nasty? You don't even know the meaning of it",
Time Shifter stepped forward, his voice low but firm, "We're not here to waste time, you know what you're using isn't yours and it's dangerous so hand over the shard… or regret it",
The men scoffed, trying to brush off the intimidation, but their laughter wavered, the leader flicked open a pocketknife and spat directly at Tall Boy,
"You're dead, you overgrown palm tree!", He lunged straight at Tall Boy,
But Tall Boy didn't flinch, his smirk dropped into a cold, predatory glare,
At the last second, his beast hand shot forward, gripping the man's face like iron, with a flick of raw strength, he yanked him off his feet and hurled him across the cracked pavement sending him tumbling in the dirt,
"How pathetic...", Tall Boy scoffed under his breath,
The other two cursed and rushed at Time Shifter, he closed his eyes briefly, then snapped his fingers time- freezed the men, they charge halted mid-air, their bodies caught in an invisible grip,
"It won't last long..." he muttered, dashing forward, his fists became a blur, striking the first man's ribs, then a spinning kick to the second, with another snap, time flowed again...
BAM!!!!
Both men were launched backward, coughing as the delayed pain ripped through them,
Meanwhile, the leader staggered up, his knife trembling, he slashed wildly at Tall Boy, who dodged effortlessly, weaving around each swing with a sudden twist, Tall Boy grabbed his wrist and,
CRACK!!!!
The man screamed as the beast hand squeezed tight another brutal yank and he went sprawling again,
The other two scrambled toward Time Shifter again, but this time he accelerated himself, his figure blurred into streaks of motion as he zipped past them— WHAM! WHAM! Each punch landed with surgical precision, knocking them flat on their backs.
Panting, the leader tried to crawl away, but Tall Boy lifted him by the neck with his monstrous hand, his eyes glowed red, voice rumbling with barely contained fury,
"I'll ask you one more time…where is the shard?",
The man's bravado shattered, he gasped, clawing at the beast grip, until finally he slapped weakly at Tall Boy's arm,
"O....okay okay! I'll tell you!",
Tall Boy dropped him like trash, the leader coughed, pointing shakily toward the center of the amusement park, "We….we buried it there, under the ground, the shard's glow too dangerous for us...so we hid it and wore shades to keep it from affecting us, please… just don't kill us, we'll quit! We'll never scam again!",
Tall Boy's jaw clenched, his rage simmering, for a moment it looked like he might crush the man anyway… but he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down,
Time Shifter returned, tossing him one of the confiscated shades, "Take it, we'll need it in case the shard flares",
Together they marched into the park's center, Tall Boy dug with his beast hand, the earth tearing apart with each strike, Then a faint glow shimmered beneath the soil,
A shard, greenish-blue, pulsing like a heart.
Time Shifter picked it up carefully, sliding it into a small black sack, "Another one down, let's move",
Before leaving, Tall Boy hurled the shades at the three men groveling in the dirt, "Return every single coin you stole, if we hear otherwise...", His beast hand flexed menacingly,
The men nodded furiously, looking terrified.
As the two walked away under the flickering neon lights of the dead park, Time Shifter broke the silence,
"You know… we don't exactly get along",
"Well, obviously", Tall Boy interrupted with a grin,
"But...", Time Shifter continued, "we make a good team, so let's at least embrace that until the shards are all found",
Tall Boy smirked, "Fine, but don't forget...I'm definately stronger than you",
Time Shifter rolled his eyes, "Don't milk it",
Their footsteps echoed as they disappeared into the night, shard secured, their uneasy alliance stronger than before.
---
Hiroshi and Chimera waited patiently until closing time, the "employees" finally poured out of the building at the exact same time, walking in unison like puppets on invisible strings, their stiff movements and blank expressions made Chimera frown,
"Creepy", she muttered under her breath,
Hiroshi's eyes narrowed, "They're not themselves, the shard's influence is controlling them",
They scanned the crowd and soon spotted the man they had seen earlier the one giving out fake salaries, without hesitation, they stepped into his path,
Standing barely six inches away, the man scowled,
"Hey! You two were supposed to go home, what are you doing here?",
"Tch....", Chimera smirked, flashing the empty paycheck, "We don't accept fake salaries",
The man's eyes widened none of the workers had ever questioned him before, Hiroshi stepped forward, calm but firm,
"We know what you're doing, deceiving people with the shard…it ends right now, hand it over",
The man broke into a nervous laugh,
"I–I don't know what you're talking about, wait a minute…you're not employees at all, you must be frauds! Leave before things get messy!",
"Frauds?" Chimera laughed mockingly, "Says the man who works people to death and pays them with empty checks, you heard him, hand it over!",
The tension thickened, the man broke into a sweat, unwilling to give in, then heavy footsteps echoed behind him, a tall figure in an expensive suit emerged from the building,
"What's all this racket?", the newcomer asked coldly,
The first man leaned in and whispered frantically in his ear, the boss listened, then chuckled darkly, turning to Hiroshi and Chimera, he sneered,
"So, a couple of kids think they can waltz into my company and lecture me? Cute, I could make you two disappear without a trace… but I'm in a good mood today, you've got two seconds to scram",
His voice dripped with arrogance but Hiroshi and Chimera didn't even flinch,
Chimera sighed, cracking her knuckles, "Wrong move, old man",
The boss's smirk faltered as she moved suddenly, her glowing eyes locking onto the first man, his pupils dilated instantly, her illusion had him, he blinked, and in the next heartbeat, found himself dangling from the edge of a skyscraper, skyscrapers below stretching endlessly into the sky,
"What—?! Wh...what is this?! H-HEIGHTS NO...it can't be?!", he shrieked, paralyzed by his worst fear,
Chimera swooped low and gave him low kick of his foot then quickly leaned in, gripping his tie as if he might fall at any moment,
"For someone who works in a big company, you're scared of heights? Pathetic...", she said,
"P....please….I....'m begging you! Don't let go! Don't let me fall!!!!", he whimpered,
"Then tell me where the shard is",
Terrified, he raised his hands, "It's not me! It's the boss! He's the one holding it!",
The illusion dissolved, and he crumpled to the floor, pale and trembling,
The boss clenched his fists in rage, "Pathetic fool…!" He then turned toward Hiroshi with a death glare, "I don't know what tricks you're pulling, boy, but I'll crush you myself",
He stormed forward confidently but Hiroshi only sighed, slipping his glasses off and calmly polishing the lenses with a small cloth, when he looked up again, his hypnotic eyes glowed with an otherworldly light,
The boss froze mid-step, unable to look away,
"I don't waste energy fighting people like you", Hiroshi said quietly, "Hand over the shard",
His voice echoed like a command etched into the man's soul, without resistance, the boss reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black box, handing it over with trembling hands,
Hiroshi opened it, the shard glowed faintly inside, but there was more: a ledger containing the names of every employee, the shard had been bound to their names, making them slaves to his will,
Hiroshi's jaw tightened, "Using people for your own benefits....cruel", His voice turned sharp, "For every name you exploited… slap yourself",
The boss's hand moved against his will,
Smack! Smack! Smack!!!....Over and over, his own palm struck his face, until thirty harsh blows landed, his cheeks swollen red,
Only when Hiroshi slid his glasses back on and snapped his fingers did the man collapse, groaning in pain, the black box was gone from his hands,
Meanwhile, Chimera ended her illusion, letting the first man collapse too, he gasped, clutching his chest, grateful to be alive,
The boss lifted his battered face toward them, breathing heavily, "
"Who…who are you people?",
Chimera smirked, "Chimera here, No doubt",
Hiroshi bent down, his glowing eyes piercing through the boss's fear, he pointed to his temple,
"I am.....Hypno Boy, don't ever forget it",
He straightened and Chimera took the ledger from his hands, without hesitation she flicked her lighter, burning the names to ash, the shard's hold on the employees would break, and soon they would realize the truth,
Hiroshi and Chimera tossed the discarded name badges onto the floor near the kneeling boss, "You'll answer to them now",
With one last glare, Hiroshi and Chimera walked out together, leaving the two men in ruins,
Outside, Chimera raised the shard in her hand, the glow reflecting in her eyes, "So…there are people out there really using these shards for twisted things like this",
Hiroshi nodded, his face serious, "Yes...it's very possible as long as the shards are resurfacing, but we'll keep finding more and we'll stop them… one by one",
Chimera smirked faintly and slid the shard into her pocket, "Then let's keep moving",
Side by side, the two walked off into the night another shard secured, another corrupt scheme shattered,
---
The street grew quiet as the last desperate customers rushed away, clutching their wallets and muttering about selling everything to 'reverse fate' Mae and Skepter, crouched by the window, exchanged a glance,
"It's empty", Skepter whispered with a grin, "Guess everyone's busy giving up their life savings",
Mae narrowed her eyes as they spotted the so-called "old woman", locking the front door, but instead of heading home, the woman slipped out the back, glancing left and right with practiced caution,
"Suspicious much?", Mae muttered,
"Suspicious enough to follow",Skepter replied, his tone light but his eyes sharp,
They trailed her silently until she approached three black vans parked in a hidden alley, from one van stepped a man in his thirties clean-cut, sharp suit, the kind of face that screamed money and arrogance, To their shock, he leaned down and kissed the "old woman" on the cheek, not the pleasentary kind but the romantic kind of peck,
Then with a sly smile, the woman reached up and peeled her wrinkled face away like paper revealing a smooth, youthful woman beneath, her voice was smug and confident now,
"Scamming people is too easy once they see it with their own eyes", she said, tapping the glowing necklace at her throat, "We're the luckiest people alive",
Mae crossed her arms, "Guess your luck's about to run out",
The woman and man froze, spotting Mae and Skepter stepping from the shadows,
"Oh, you two…", The woman laughed nervously, shifting back into character, "You brought the money? My grandma was just—",
"Cut the act" Mae snapped, "We saw you peel your mask off, double-faces? That's my thing, now, unless you don't wanna meet my other me, the savage one....you're gonna hand over that necklace",
Skepter smirked, flicking imaginary dust off his shoulder, "You heard her, Hand it over",
But instead of complying, the woman chuckled darkly,
"Do you think we'd stop just because you two says soo....soon we'll be billionaires and the best part about being rich…" She leaned against her husband with a sly grin, "…is you can hire people to get rid of nosey pests",
"Call them, honey", the woman said to her husband,
The man pulled out his phone, and seconds later, the van doors slammed open, dozens of hired hitmen poured out, armed with pipes and bats, surrounding Mae and Skepter like a pack of wolves,
The woman blew a mocking kiss, "Bye-bye",
Mae sighed, cracking her knuckles, "Guess talking's done", She inhaled deeply, her eyes sharpening as her gentle façade melted away, in its place, her savage identity surfaced, expression fierce, aura radiating raw confidence,
Skepter raised a brow, clearly impressed, "Ohhh…so this is the other you...not bad...I like it",
Mae ignored him, already charging forward as half the thugs lunged, with a graceful backflip, she spun in midair, slamming both feet into two attackers' chests, they flew back like ragdolls, she landed with feline precision, fists already striking at the next,
Meanwhile, Skepter chuckled at the others rushing him, "Come on ants... let's play",
His movements were smooth, stylish sidestepping, striking pressure points, sending men sprawling without breaking a sweat, he almost seemed to be dancing through the chaos, every punch precise, every smirk infuriating,
Mae finished her half with ruthless efficiency, then, spotting the scammer woman clutching her necklace nervously, she blurred forward with a burst of speed,
"No.....stay back!", the woman cried,
Mae didn't listen, with a savage grin, she snatched the glowing necklace right off her throat, then spun and delivered a merciless kick to her stomach, the woman's body flew back, crashing into the alley wall with a sickening thud and she let out a groan of pain,
"My Wife!", the man screamed, rushing to her side,
"Forget about me! The necklace....go get it!" She wheezed,
Fury twisted his face as he charged Mae, she braced, ready to strike but before he could land a hit—
FLASH!
Skepter's hand glowed, unleashing a burst of light into the man's eyes,
The man stumbled, clutching his face, "Aghhh! What did you do?! I—I can't see! I can't see anything!!",
Mae smirked savagely, clutching the shard-infused necklace, "Guess money really can't buy everything",
The scammer woman groaned on the ground, still cursing, Skepter strolled over casually, phone already recording,
"Smile for the camera, sweetheart", He crouched down, holding the lens close, "Tell everyone the truth",
"I.....I won't—!" she spat,
Mae's hand snapped forward, gripping her cheeks tightly, forcing her lips to purse, her eyes glowed with fury, "Talk!!!! Or I'll make you wish you never scammed a soul",
The woman trembled, voice breaking. "O-okay! Okay, I'll talk! I'm a scammer! I used the necklace to make people see fake futures! None of it was real! Please let go of my....face", Mae roughly let go of her,
Skepter grinned, ending the recording, "Perfect, that'll go viral for sure, people will see what kind of a scammer you are", He pocketed his phone with disdain, "You disgust me",
Mae slipped her 'gentle face' back on, her fierce aura fading into soft kindness with a polite little smile, she turned and walked away, Skepter falling into step beside her.
As they passed the half-blind husband still screaming, Skepter whispered, "Awwwn...don't worry, your sight will comes back… eventually",
Before leaving, Skepter kicked down the flashy 'SHAMAN – SEE YOUR FATE' sign, splintering it across the ground, Then he uploaded the video, "Let the world see the truth", he whispered,
Mae held the shard necklace tightly, relieved, "We got got it sucessfully...how delightful",
Skepter started being all flirty as he draped an arm around her shoulders, "And I gotta say… your savage side? It's hot....like bad-ass hot",
Mae stiffened, forcing a nervous smile,
"R-right…", Then suddenly she pointed past him, "Wait! What's that?!!!",
"Huh?", Skepter turned his head,
Mae slipped out from under his arm and hurried ahead with a cheeky grin,
He blinked, then chuckled, "Oh, so that's how you wanna play it? Hard to get? Fine that's cool", His smirk widened as he followed after her, "But game on, princess..... I never lose"
Together, they disappeared into the busy streets victorious,the shard in hand.
---
Finally, Mae and Skepter arrived, the last ones to return, each member laid down their shard and explained how they had gotten it, Hiroshi carefully gathered all four together, including the one he had from before and tried to piece them into place,
But the shards stubbornly refused to fit,
"Ughhh! Great! After everything we went through…they don't even match!" Chimera said and groaned in frustration,
The others lowered their heads, disappointed as well,
Hiroshi quickly straightened, pushing his glasses back up,
"Listen…this is how it's going to be, don't expect the shards we find to match right away...what matters is gathering all of them...eventually… they will fit",
Though weary, the team nodded, they trusted him,
"Let's all rest for tonight", Hiroshi said, "Tomorrow, we move again", he said, they agreed with that, after all it was a long day.
That night, while the others slept, Hiroshi sat alone at his grandfather's old computer, digging through dusty files and records, his tired eyes scanned every scrap of information through his glasses, searching for leads.
By morning, the house stirred awake one by one, Mae hummed happily as she brewed tea, blushing, she set one cup aside, "I made this one extra sweet.....for you", she said directly to Tall Boy,
Tall Boy blinked at her, puzzled, "Uh… why?",
Before she could answer, Skepter slid in smoothly and snagged the cup, "If he doesn't want it, I'll take it",
Mae frowned, "Hey! That wasn't for you!",
Tall Boy shrugged, "Doesn't matter....I don't care about it anyways...he can have it...I'll just take another",
Skepter happily sipped the tea with an exaggerated 'Mmmm', Mae sulked with disapointment & heavy eyes, and the room was filled with steamness of hot tea and quiet until Hiroshi entered with a pile of notes,
Skepter chuckled a little at the scene but then his expression changed when he saw Hiroshi with gathered papers, "What are these?",
"I stayed up all night researching", he admitted with a sigh, "Most shards so far have been in the hands of individuals....so if my theory's right, corporations could be hiding some too....one name stood out—Big Tech Corp, they relocated from the U.S. to Japan, their new headquarters is… here, in our town",
Tall Boy froze, his eyes widened, then narrowed sharply, the teacup slipped from his hand, shattering against the floor,
"....Say that name again", he demanded,
"Big Tech Corp", Hiroshi repeated, frowning, "Why?", he asked,
Tall Boy's jaw clenched, for a moment, his expression darkened then, strangely, a smirk flickered across his face,
"....Unbelievable", he muttered under his breath, "How come I'm just finding out now?",
Without warning, he shot to his feet,
"Tall Boy...." Hiroshi called.
He ignored him, already striding toward the door,
"Wait up for me...I'll be back but if you can't… then go without me",
And just like that, he was gone.
The group sat frozen, stunned by his sudden departure, Hiroshi's gut twisted with unease, something about the way Tall Boy reacted wasn't normal,
Why would the name of that corporation shake him so much?
The air in the room felt heavier, as if something about Big Tech Corp wasn't just business...it was personal...