I slide into the night. Everything about the night always soothes me. It is the only time of the day that I feel entirely free.
You might as well dub me a nocturnal creature. All I do in the day is sleep and eat and...fuck.
The breeze whishes my hairs backwards, causing it to tickle the back of my ears. I can't exactly calculate the speed at which I am moving, but it feels like I am flying. Everything is just a bit of a blur. The city lights, the scantily starred night sky, the cars rolling by, the people walking by, the stone buildings. I feel a distant kind of relation with the place.
Then, I start to smell it. The acrid stench of blood. The choking dust that makes the air so dense that I can barely breath. Houses are fallen everywhere. I can see limbs and body parts scattered everywhere. The beasts seem to have moved on from this place. There is nothing left of the place. All the houses and shops around the coast have been brutally destroyed.
I shield myself from the deadly dust.
This must already be on the news.
But, the monsters have left a trail of either slime or saliva. I dip my gloved hand into the sticky mess and rub it between my fingers.
There is no telling what I would do when I find them, all I know is that, I need to find them.
Mind you, I am not some type of hero who thinks it is wise to take upon the responsibility of saving the world. The sheer notion would make my head swell ten times its size. The only reason I am here is because I am the only person on the planet who has the slightest clue what these monsters are and where they come from. Believe me, I would rather snuggle in bed with a glass of brandy and cuddle a wife that only heavens knows her whereabouts.
I hear the quiet growl of an animal. I initially shrug it off as a dog, or something related, but the growl becomes wilder, louder and more insistent.
Instinctively, I pull out a sword and shield myself as a creature as black as the night jumps on me.
It pins me to the ground, but I manage to keep it from biting my head off with my sword.
It seems to have a certain amount of intelligence superior to that of normal animals. Sticky fluid drops from its mouth and narrowly misses my face.
It presses my arms down until they start to give way. Who would have thought that on my non- heroic quest to save the world, I would die like a helpless chicken at the hands of the first monster I encounter.
After this, I deserve a prince's treatment in heaven.
Then, the monster divides into two halves and each half falls to either side of my limp body.
A hand reaches out to help me up.
The man is wearing a hoody, concealing his face. I stare at the outstretched hand hesitantly. He has a snake tattoo at the base of his wrist.
I grasp his hand firmly.
He pulls off his hoody and I stare into sturdy eyes.
"Who the hell are you?"
I stop in my tracks when I see the tattoo on his neck. He is the inspector that turned out to be a black shadow. What is he doing here? Is he here to arrest me? Probably not, he came alone, not with a team or squad.
"Furuno Shigaraki". The man says and offers a handshake.
I take his hand slowly and his grasp feels firm.
"I found you at last, Toshiro Karim-san".
I watch him with narrowed eyes, remaining on my guard in case I have to swing my sword and take off his cocky head.
"Why are you looking for me?"
Shigaraki adjusts his stance even though he does not look any less intimidating.
"I'll be honest with you. I am a black shadow as you must have figured out. I chose to leave my clan because they were violating our way of life with their reckless killings".
I scoff.
"And you sound as if you are any better than them. How does the use of guns keep your way of life?"
I notice him stiffen at my question. I must have hit on something sensitive.
"I never mentionned I was in the force. Is that a lucky guess?"
I can hear the stiff sarcasm in his voice. His voice has a lulling melody like it is coming from the back of his throat.
"You've still not answered my question". I evade quickly.
"I have a friend who was willing to compromise and give me the names of the assasins in the area. Your name was first and you are highly skilled. I put two and two together. I found footage of you at the airport and tracked you down here".
I am tempted to put a hand on my waist to show how bored I am at his indirect, cock and bull responses.
"Still not the answer to my question".
"I know you killed all those people. Who was your partner?"
"I don't mind adding another body to the pile, buddy". I say and flash my sword intimidatingly.
He does not look the least bit intimidated.
"Go ahead. I did not come all this way to turn you in. I quit the force. I figured you would need some help. I am also curious about your partner, is it one of these monsters?"
I stiffen at the question.
The way he referred to Arya as a monster made me want to grab him and toss him into the rubble, but of course, I am way to self composed and reasonable to do that.
"I don't have a partner. I work alone".
"Then, who was in the video?"
"I have no idea". I lie unconvincingly.
Even the pigeon that landed on the power line above seemed to shake its head at my brilliant lying skills.
"Fine. But, you owe me exactly everything you know about them".
"I don't owe you anything".
"I just saved your life. You owe me everything".
I feel trapped.
"Why would you quit the force just to come here and help me? How did you even hear about it?"
He smirks.
"I was never really in the force, and I was already on your tail out of curiousity for your partner. These monsters are just a huge bonus".
I scoff.
"We are not talking about mere vermin. Underestimating them would be the end of you".
"What's my life worth anyway?"
I size him up in one sweeping glance. He is dressed in all black with broad shoulders and arms that seem incapable of any harm because of their leanness.
"You want to partner with me?"
"I'm glad you're finally getting the gist. What's it going to be?"