by WOTNOPOLIS: 30
“The mayor has given up control of the city,” Punkfilter said as he stepped off the elevator. “And with that the Military, or at least the parts of it that Jose hasn’t crushed is now under our control.”
“Excellent,” TFK spoke as he stared out the window. Bright lights littered the landscape before him as clouds of smoke drifted upwards. “Its amazing. From this high up you can almost forget that the view was created at the expense of so many lives.”
Punkfilter watched TFK without a word. His hand quickly moved toward his tie and he reflexively straightened it. “I trust you are reorganizing the Military’s resources for own army, aren’t you?”
“It’s being done as we speak,” Punkfilter answered. “The tower’s initial attacks crushed a large percentage of the Military’s fighting power in terms of men. And Jose destroyed more tanks than he needed to. Still, our men are salvaging some interesting things from the Military.”
“Heh,” TFK smiled. “Venomu thought that having the Military entering WOTNOPOLIS would make me weaker. I’m sure he never suspected I’d just take over that force and use it as my own.”
TFK turned toward Punkfilter and locked eyes with him. “Since everything is going according to plan I assume that you are here for something else, yes?”
Punkfilter didn‘t speak for a moment as he stared at TFK. “Yes. It’s about the rats in our basement. I know we’re already dealing with them according to plan, but I was wondering if we could change up that plan?”
TFK watched Punkfilter carefully. It wasn’t often that he made bold requests like this. “Even though it was you that devised the plan? You’re the one who created the tunnel from Venomu’s lair and left it open so that the police would take note. And Jose is now exterminating the pests just as you had hoped.”
Punkfilter’s hand twitched and he nodded slightly. “This was my plan and it is working smoothly. However, there’s one noticeable flaw. I didn’t expect the likes of the Eagle gang to get mixed in with these forces. I also didn‘t calculate such a large force. The plan could run into complications with these stronger elements mixed in. I’d like to be on hand for when that happens.”
“You make some good points. Speaking of which, have JJDomer executed as soon as possible for failing to kill them,” TFK said and shook his head. “But yeah. I’d rather you be on the ground there as well. In case Jose screws up. As long as you continue to organize the Military as I ordered you to.”
Punkfilter nodded and turned toward TFK’s elevator. He pressed a button on the elevator for a lower level. “Have fun with the Eagle gang, Punkfilter,” TFK yelled to him as he watched the doors closed.
“It isn’t often you see him smiling,” TFK said to himself. “Then again, I’m in a good mood today as well.”
****
“Today is a day of fate. We should all remember it is a day of fate that brought us together,” Yoyo repeated as the group of people ran down the hallway.
KKQ burst into laughter as she heard Yoyo quoting Bano’s speech. Clair put a hand up to her mouth to stifle her own laughter. “Kill me now,” Bano groaned.
“No! It isn’t your fate. Your fate!” Yoyo said to him.
“Oiy,” Bano cried.
They came up on a larger hallway and he saw that everyone was standing there. “What are we doing here?” Bano asked.
Knssquad panted. “I’m tired. That was a lot of running. We all decided to take a break.”
“What the heck?” Bano kicked Knssquad. “That was like five minutes of running. You guys are lazy.”
“But it’s been a long day,” Knssquad whined as she kicked Bano back. “What if we all wait here and take a nap first? Nothing like an afternoon nap to get you in the mood for battle?”
“No! We’re not taking a nap. We have to fight. Save the city. All of that crap I said earlier,” Bano snapped.
“Sorry, but no one knew what the heck you were saying earlier,” Knssquad shrugged. “Fine. Guys, we can’t nap. Bano won’t let us.”
The group stood up and grumbled. “Thanks a lot, Bano,” Zergio hissed.
“That guy’s the worst,” Death and Dei nodded in unison.
“You really disappointed me this time, Bano,” Jz said.
“Why are we all acting like I did some shameful deed?” Bano asked. “It’s normal not to have a naptime during an enemy infiltration mission! You’re the disappointments. Worst invasion squad ever!”
“Bano,” Clair patted him on the shoulder. “You’re sure saying a lot today. But um, no more speeches, okay?”
“That wasn’t a speech,” Bano hung his head low. His eyes quickly darted behind him. “Hey, there’s something up.”
“What do you mean?” Yoyo asked him as the group left ahead of them.
Bano stared into the barely lit hallway behind them for a minute. Yoyo, KKQ, and Clair stopped moving and stood there with him. “What’s going on?” Clair asked.
He continued to look into the darkness. His hands gripped his Kama as he waited. “Were we the last ones in our group?” Bano asked.
“No,” Yoyo answered and her hands reached the hilt of her swords as she realized what Bano was referring to.
“What’s going on?” Clair repeated her question.
“We weren’t the last ones running here. There were people behind us. Yet they didn’t catch up with us here in this room. And there’s no sign of them coming now,” Bano said as he pulled his Kama out. “They shouldn’t have been more than a few feet behind us, let alone a few minutes. And now they’ve disappeared without a trace.”
Clair and KKQ stared at the hallway for a moment. “What do we do?” Yoyo asked.
Bano put his kama away and shook his head. “We move forward. If we get attacked then we deal with it. But stay on alert. The enemy knows we’re here and they’re attacking us already. And we missed it.”
****
“I’m pretty ticked off right now,” Mikel said as he glared at Draco. The man just laughed in response to Mikel‘s statement.
“I don’t mean to tick you off,” Draco said politely. “In fact, I apologize for any personal offenses I may have caused.”
“Hm,” Mikel said he stepped toward the man.
Crispi quickly translated it for the man so he’d know to stay out of his way. “He says, ’He’s already ticked off enough that the city is falling apart thanks to TFK. And now TFK is insulting him by sending Draco to deal with me? That’s just a slap in the face. I know I got injured but I can take care of trash like this guy.’ He also hasn‘t forgiven you for attacking him last time.”
“He said all that?” Draco said as he dodged Mikel’s fist. His fist smashed through the concrete wall of the building behind him.
“He’s really cranky right now. It seems he just wanted to nap today. Like he does every day he can,” Seshimazi answered. Mikel glared at him for a moment before turning his attention back on Draco.
Mikel‘s foot smashed into the street. Draco found himself falling into the sewers below. He looked up and saw the giant man looming like a shadow over him. He leapt out from the drainage of the street and into the air. His eyes caught the image of the fist coming at him from below. Draco’s threw both his hands up to block the attack.
His body spasmed as the power of the force behind the attack hit him. He rocketed through the air and slammed into a wall behind him. The world around him tumbled for several seconds before his momentum stopped. His head ached as he sat up. “Unbelievable,” Draco whispered. “I can see why TFK always kept an eye on this guy.”
Mikel scowled at the spot where he’d sent Draco flying. “Today’s crap,” Mikel said. “But TFK couldn’t be serious with sending just you.”
Draco stepped out from the hole in the building and smiled. “No, you’re correct,” he said. “I alone wouldn’t be enough to take you down.”
He reached out his palms and light started to emanate from them. “Its not my style to do things like this but, orders are orders. I’m sorry that I can’t fight you fairly; I know a fight like that would lead to my loss.”
Mikel suddenly understood as he watched Draco point his hands away from him. He raced towards Crispi and Seshimazi. A flash of light moved past him and he watched as the spot where the two of them had been standing exploded.
He jumped into the dust as the rubble landed around him. He heard a cough and saw slight movement to his right. He leapt towards the spot and saw Seshimazi. The man was covered in a thick layer of blood. “Seshi,” Mikel whispered as he looked down on the man.
Seshi stared up at Mikel and smiled weakly. “I’ll kill Draco in a second, boss. Right after I take a quick nap.”
Seshimazi closed his eyes and laid his head back down on the ground. Mikel looked at him for a moment before his eyes began to search again. A small hint of blue caught his attention and he focused on it. “Crispi,” Mikel said.
He kneeled next to the girl and frowned. She was wheezing heavily as she looked at Mikel. Tears ran down her face as she tried to catch her breath. “I’m sorry, boss,” she coughed. “I should have moved faster.”
Mikel pulled her head to his chest and shushed her. “Be quiet, Cris. You‘ll be alright.”
After a moment Mikel laid Crispi’s head back down. His body shook with rage as he turned around. “Mikel,” Jan said to him.
“I know. I can’t contain it either,” Mikel growled.
****
JJDomer watched as jeeps poured out of the base and onto the war torn road. Soldier’s bodies littered the road and the war base. Those who had resisted TFK‘s takeover had been beaten back earlier. But that hadn‘t stopped TFK‘s men from killing whomever they wanted. JJDomer smirked as he watched the helicopters flying over head. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him.
“The very weapon Endless had planned to end crime was now just another piece of TFK’s arsenal,” JJDomer sighed. He pointed to a group of soldiers and they moved out.
JJDomer was only alive and in command still because he had sided with TFK in this war early on. It wasn’t as if he didn’t regret his decision, but what could he do? The men marched through the crumbling city. Each crumbling building and each body on the street was a stark reminder to him why he joined TFK in the first place. Those who didn’t ended up like this.
“Are you alright?” Azarni Rin asked from the seat next to her superior as they bounced down the road.
“Yeah,” JJDomer said. Even though he said he was alright he knew he was in trouble. He had failed to stop the Eagle gang. In the end it wouldn’t do him any good if he sided with TFK if he couldn‘t do what TFK wanted.
He envied the Eagle gang in that. Everyday he’d chased them and fought with them he could tell how free they were. Unlike himself. He was stuck in a life or death situation. And even when he chose life he was only extending it by however long he could manage to.
“Stop up here,” Azarni Rin said. JJDomer motioned towards the other vehicles behind him to stop ahead.
“Sure,” JJDomer said absently. He pulled the jeep over and looked back at his men and smiled. “Alright, guys. We’re looking for any sign of the Eagle gang. Let’s go.”
A clicking sound was heard behind him. JJDomer’s heart froze as he turned towards the group of men standing behind him. Several headlights were on him from the jeeps he’d brought with him. Behind each set of headlights were several guns pointed at him.
“What’s going on? Are you guys rebelling against TFK?” JJDomer’s voice caught in his throat as he said the words.
“Sorry, commander,” he heard a man say. “We’re not rebelling against TFK. We’re following orders. He’s put you on the list to be eliminated.”
JJDomer’s eyes widened. His time had run out. He’d failed. “This can’t be. I-”
“Commander, we all liked you well enough. So don’t ruin your image now by pleading for your life. Die with dignity,” the man said.
JJDomer closed his mouth and stared at the row of guns pointed at him. It was small consolation, but he was happy that his murderers liked him. He had worked with them for several months now.
An explosion caused JJDomer to fall back. Azarni Rin stepped forward and looked at JJDomer. “Go on,” Azarni Rin said as she fired another blast from her gun. “Live, commander. I can‘t just stand back and watch you die.”
JJDomer jumped to his feet and began to ran as he heard the sound of gunfire behind him. He caught sight of Azarni Rin falling to the ground. He couldn’t begin to process what had just happened as tears ran down his face.
****
“Captain Shiro,” the radio squawked at him. “Sergeant KKQ. We will not tell you again. Return to police headquarters and put your weapons down immediately. This fight is out of your hands now that the Mayor has surrendered the city over to TFK.”
Shiro shook his head. “Hey KKQ. Q and I are dealing with some crap but we’ll catch up with you guys soon, okay?”
“No problem, Shiro. Just hurry up! And be careful, Shiro. I don’t want to have to get used to a new captain,” KKQ answered back.
“Of course,” Shiro laughed into his radio. “That’d be a pain. You stay safe, too. Although, I don’t think we’re really police anymore after this. You know what to do from here, right?”
“We won’t ask you two again to-”
Shiro’s hammer smashed his radio into pieces as he looked out at the runway where Q and Dark Raptor were moving back and forth. “So, what the heck are those guys doing? I thought we were here to get help from you guys not to fight,” Shiro said as he looked over at Dark Raptor’s gang.
“Our boss is determined right now,” Toshii said. “Q’s in real trouble.”
“It’s too bad,” Pein said. “Q seems like an okay guy. But Dark Raptor’s not letting him out of his grip.”
Shiro watched as Q dodged each of Dark Raptor’s attacks effortlessly. “Are you sure about that? I’ve been around both of them for a while. And sorry to say but Dark Raptor doesn’t exactly seem like he’s a serious contender here.”
“Hey, leave boss alone!” Thicup yelled.
“Dark Raptor is the best,” Toshii said.
“I wouldn’t worry about Dark Raptor,” Pein smiled. “He’s been planning for this a long time. Q doesn’t have a clue what he’s dealing with. And Dark Raptor isn‘t going to hold back on him.”
Little Shiro’s eyes glanced away from the fight and focused on a van parked against a fence nearby. “Seems we’re not the only ones who want to watch a fight,” Shiro mumbled as he looked back at the two men on the runway.
Q dodged each attack his brother sent at him. “Dark Raptor,” Q said as he backed away from another punch thrown. “This is stupid. I came here to get you to help me fight TFK. I want your help. I don’t want to fight you.”
Q instinctively ducked as a blade shot towards him. Dark Raptor brought his knee up to strike his chest. His foot was blocked by Q’s. “You’re not listening, Dark Raptor,” Q continued. “I have no interest in fighting you here.”
Q tried to jump back from Dark Raptor as he felt something coil around his foot. A metal chain gripped around his leg and his eyes widened in pain as a knife buried into his thigh. Q hit the ground with a thud in front of Dark Raptor.
Dark Raptor loosened the chain around Q’s leg and spun it with his left arm. He pointed his right arm’s talon at Q laying before him and nodded. “Q, you’re arrogant if you think I haven’t gotten better since we were younger. I’ve learned plenty of new stuff.”
Q glared up at his brother and shook his head. “Fine. I won’t hold back anymore. You’re freaking insane, though.”
“Whatever,” Dark Raptor said as he snapped his chain around Q’s left arm. “You’re not in a position to talk much, ya know?”
Q jabbed his right arm into the ground. Dark Raptor tried to leap back from the spot where the vibrations were coming but Q held firm to the chain Dark Raptor had wrapped around his arm. “Not going to let you off that easy,” Q smiled as he yanked the chain.
Dark Raptor felt his body pulled into Q’s fist. His attack sent Dark Raptor flying into the ground away from him. Q shook his head as he looked at him. “I don’t get your grudge match against me,” Q said. “But-”
A rocket smashed into the runway. Q leapt back from it as fire swept out in every direction. “Shoot, that was really close,” Q whispered as he looked back at TFK’s Tower. “I really don’t have time for this.”
A chain wrapped around Q’s leg. He attempted to leap up but a blade went through his left arm. “Sorry, brother,” Dark Raptor said as he yanked on the chain. Q smashed into the ground beneath him as he pulled the chain to himself. “But this is what you get.”
****
The group ran down the tunnel without saying much. What Bano had said about someone attacking them was weighing heavily on their minds as they continued to move through the long tunnel.
They all jumped when they saw that Knssquad was standing before them. “Hey guys,” Knssquad waved to them. She was shaking nervously.
“What’s wrong, Knssquad?” Bano asked.
“This tunnel. We should have never come this way,” Knssquad said as she looked up at them. “We were fools.”
“What’s wrong?” Bano asked again. Each of them were nervous as they stared at Knssquad standing before them all alone. She lifted her head up and stared at them.
“This tunnel is definitely haunted!” Knssquad cried out.
Yoyo smacked Knssquad with the hilt of her sword. “No such thing. Quit trying to scare us,” Yoyo said.
“How come the tunnel can’t be haunted? There’s definitely ghosts or something here!” Knssquad argued. “People up ahead were disappearing! We were running together, a group of us, when two of them just disappeared. I told them not to worry I’d go find them. But they never came back.”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Yoyo said firmly.
“Others in our group passed by and told me that their friends were going missing, too. They asked for me to wait for them here. I’ve been waiting and waiting. But no one’s come,” Knssquad rambled. “The only reasonable conclusion is that this tunnel is haunted. By ghosts!”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Yoyo repeated herself.
“Then what happened to them all?” Knssquad asked.
“They clearly all got lost. The tunnel is dark and they took a fork in the road,” Yoyo shrugged.
“This tunnel has been straight,” Bano said.
“They found a fork and took it and got lost, okay?” Yoyo exclaimed. “It makes more sense than the tunnel being haunted.”
“Or, uh, its what Bano said about us being under attack, yeah?” Clair asked.
“If that’s the case we need to catch up with the others and warn them, quick. We need to regroup, now,” Bano said. The group started running faster down the hall.
“I still think its haunted,” Knssquad said.
“Ghosts don’t exist,” Yoyo continued.
“But cursed swords and demons are okay?” Knssquad glared at Yoyo.
“Ghosts don’t exist. And while we’re at it, neither do the zombies you and Q are always rambling about,” Yoyo said. She turned toward Bano before Knssquad could respond. “Still, this is getting serious. If we don’t act fast our entire group will be decimated.”
“And what’s worse,” Bano stated. “If the enemy knows all about this tunnel there’s a chance that it doesn’t even lead to TFK’s Tower at all.”
****
Q watched as his brother stepped closer to him. Blood was dripping off of Dark Raptor’s blade. He started to open his mouth but Q’s left foot was already off the ground. He smashed it into his brother’s legs and dropped him to the ground.
Q leapt up and took the knife that was buried into his leg out. He walked over to Dark Raptor and stepped on his arm. Q put the knife to Dark Raptor’s throat. “Idiot,” he said.
Dark Raptor watched as Q dropped his knife next to him. “I’m not interested in any of this,” Q said as he turned away from him. “I’ve always said that.”
Dark Raptor rolled his eyes and jumped up. “Q!” he yelled as he charged forward. His talon pointed at Q’s chest. He wouldn’t give up yet. He was going to end this.
Q dodged the attack and kicked Dark Raptor in the knee. Dark Raptor yelped as he hit the ground face first. “Stop this, already,” Q shook his head. “Does it tick you off that much that I’m better than you?”
“No,” Dark Raptor whispered.
“Then why? Why are you so obsessed with this?” Q asked.
“Why?” Dark Raptor asked and looked Q in the eyes. “That’s what I want to ask you! Why?”
Q stared at him confused. “What the heck?”
Dark Raptor slowly stood up and glared at Q. “Why didn’t you and Bano take me with you guys?”
Q stepped back. “Um, what do you mean?”
“When you guys came to WOTNOPOLIS. Why didn’t you take me with you?” Dark Raptor asked.
“You’re kind of annoying,” Q explained. “And besides, you’re too young for this place.”
Dark Raptor pointed at his gang. “Really?”
“Well, I guess you weren’t too young for it,” Q shrugged.
“I hated it,” Dark Raptor stepped forward. “Being in that small town while you guys were in WOTNOPOLIS. It was agony being left behind.”
“You only stayed there for like a month before you left,” Q snapped.
“But we were a team!” Dark Raptor shouted. “It was the three of us that tried to fight off Shugo that night. And it was the three of us that lived on after everything fell apart. We had always stuck together. Even when you guys split up the gang it was really always the three of us. So why? Why did I get left behind?”
Q stammered for words. “Well, didn’t you want your own gang?”
“I did,” Dark Raptor said. “But I wanted to go with you guys.”
“Well, fine, I’m sorry,” Q apologized. “I guess we should have taken you with us back then.”
Dark Raptor nodded. “You should have.”
“Well, hey,” Q said. “You were supposed to take care of our gang.”
“Eh,” Dark Raptor said. “You should have known I would fail at that.”
“And you wonder why we didn’t take you with us!” Q snapped.
“Uh, Q,” Dark Raptor smiled. “I’m sorry I’ve been trying to kill you. If its alright, can we go kill TFK together?”
“Yeah,” Q smiled at his brother. “I think I’d like that a lot.”
“What the heck did we just watch?” Shiro yelled.
“I don’t know, but our boss sure is cool,” Pein nodded. “He forgave Q and let him live.”
“You clearly weren’t watching the same fight I was,” Shiro shook his head. “Those two are definitely related. They’re both idiots.”
Q walked over to Shiro and smiled. “Let’s go kill TFK, Shiro. The three of us!”
“Hey guys,” Dark Raptor announced to his gang. “I have some business with the first Mafia. Stay here till I return.”
“So cool!” everyone yelled as Dark Raptor winked at them.
“But first,” Shiro said and pointed at the van across the runway from them. “Let’s see what they want.”
****
“Hey!” Bano yelled as he saw a group of people sitting ahead of them. “We caught up with some of you guys.”
“Bano,” Jz spoke up as he stepped towards them. “Is there anyone behind you?”
“No,” Bano said. “We haven’t seen anyone come from behind us.”
Jz shook his head. “This is bad, then. This is all that is left of our fighting force.”
Yoyo looked around the group. Their numbers had been cut down to about half of what they started out with. “We’ve decided that we’re going to move together from here out. No more rushing. If you notice anything suspicious yell it out immediately,” Jz declared.
The group started walking down the hallway. “This is going to be bad,” Bano whispered to Clair. “I can tell.”
****
“So,” Q said as he knocked on the window of the Van. “What are you guys doing in there, huh? Come out already.”
Q listened as he heard whispering for a moment. A loud ‘shhh’ noise followed. “Um, we wanted to know if you’d watch our show real quick and judge it for us?”
“Your show? What? Whatever, I guess. Make it quick,” Q said. “I’m late for this meeting thing.”
“Don’t act so nonchalant about the invasion, Q,” Shiro snapped.
“Well, it’s just we’re a little nervous about the show. We haven‘t shown it to anyone. So be fair, but not too fair. Be honest, but lie a little,” Titan yelled from inside the van.
“What the heck are you asking for here?” Q asked as he pounded on the side of the van. “Just hurry up.”
The back doors of the van flew open. Smoke poured out from the van as different colored lights started to flash out of the van. Amaterasu leapt out onto the ground in front of them.
“Is this really what we should be doing with the city in trouble, Q?” Shiro asked as he stared at the scene before them.
Titan stepped down onto the ground in front of them. She wore a pair of baggy jeans, a clock tied to a chain around her neck, and an oversized T-shirt. A backward cap completed the ensemble as she held up a banner that said: T-Dizzle-Anium.
“On second thought, no. This isn’t okay,” Q said to them.
“Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit,” Amaterasu began to chant.
“Yo, I’m Titan and I rock.
I beat your mama, and her socks.
We’re super fly and smooth, baby.
If you don’t agree we’ll punt a baby.”
“Don’t rhyme ‘baby’ with ‘baby’ in such a freaky way!” Q yelled.
“Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit- I can’t do it, Titan. I tried. I’m sorry. This is just too shameful,” Amaterasu said as he slipped onto his knees. “There’s just no way I can do this. It’s too stupid.”
“Shape up, Ama boy,” Titan grabbed him by the shoulders. “We have the meeting with the Queen in three days. You’re going to let down her majesty if your Ribbits aren’t perfect. It‘s the key to this entire rap!”
“It seems we stumbled upon something truly frightening,” Shiro coughed as he averted his eyes from them.
“No, you see, these are just some homeless people. Ignore them. They don’t exist. We didn’t see any of the things homeless people do,” Q shrugged and turned away.
“You didn’t like our rap?” Titan called out to them.
“No. We didn’t like it at all,” Shiro shook his head.
Titan kicked Amaterasu in the shins. “Darn it, Amaterasu. Your Ribbits needed to be stronger. Where’s the heart?”
“Why do you need ribbits in a rap!? What do frogs have to do with rapping?” Shiro yelled.
Titan looked at Shiro and laughed. She turned her cap to the side and winked at him. “We’re so ghetto, we’re swamp.”
“No. There‘s no logic in that at all,” Shiro said.
“Well, I thought it sounded really, really good,” Dark Raptor beamed.
“That depresses me,” Titan‘s gaze fell to the ground. “I guess we’ll have to scrap that rap and start over from the bottom.”
“Hey, why did she decide that after she heard my review? I have great taste,” Dark Raptor whined.
“Yo, Titan,” Q grinned as he stepped up to her. “We loved the show.”
“No we didn’t. What’s with the sudden turn around?” Shiro asked.
“The Queen’s gonna dig it, mojo,” Q said and threw out a peace sign.
“Why’s he acting like that? Dark Raptor, did you hit your brother too hard in the head?” Shiro asked.
“I don’t know. Since when does this place have a Queen?” Dark Raptor answered.
“Do you mind if me and my dogs get a lift from you, eh, Titan-baby?” Q asked.
“Q, stop acting like a creep,” Dark Raptor said. “That’s no way to ask a lady something.”
“I’m no lady. I’m T-dizzle-anium,” Titan said as she threw a peace sign at Q. “And sure. Where are you guys headed?”
“There,” Q smiled as he pointed to TFK’s tower.
Titan nodded and hopped into the front seat of her van. “I was hoping that’s what you’d say.”
“The mayor has given up control of the city,” Punkfilter said as he stepped off the elevator. “And with that the Military, or at least the parts of it that Jose hasn’t crushed is now under our control.”
“Excellent,” TFK spoke as he stared out the window. Bright lights littered the landscape before him as clouds of smoke drifted upwards. “Its amazing. From this high up you can almost forget that the view was created at the expense of so many lives.”
Punkfilter watched TFK without a word. His hand quickly moved toward his tie and he reflexively straightened it. “I trust you are reorganizing the Military’s resources for own army, aren’t you?”
“It’s being done as we speak,” Punkfilter answered. “The tower’s initial attacks crushed a large percentage of the Military’s fighting power in terms of men. And Jose destroyed more tanks than he needed to. Still, our men are salvaging some interesting things from the Military.”
“Heh,” TFK smiled. “Venomu thought that having the Military entering WOTNOPOLIS would make me weaker. I’m sure he never suspected I’d just take over that force and use it as my own.”
TFK turned toward Punkfilter and locked eyes with him. “Since everything is going according to plan I assume that you are here for something else, yes?”
Punkfilter didn‘t speak for a moment as he stared at TFK. “Yes. It’s about the rats in our basement. I know we’re already dealing with them according to plan, but I was wondering if we could change up that plan?”
TFK watched Punkfilter carefully. It wasn’t often that he made bold requests like this. “Even though it was you that devised the plan? You’re the one who created the tunnel from Venomu’s lair and left it open so that the police would take note. And Jose is now exterminating the pests just as you had hoped.”
Punkfilter’s hand twitched and he nodded slightly. “This was my plan and it is working smoothly. However, there’s one noticeable flaw. I didn’t expect the likes of the Eagle gang to get mixed in with these forces. I also didn‘t calculate such a large force. The plan could run into complications with these stronger elements mixed in. I’d like to be on hand for when that happens.”
“You make some good points. Speaking of which, have JJDomer executed as soon as possible for failing to kill them,” TFK said and shook his head. “But yeah. I’d rather you be on the ground there as well. In case Jose screws up. As long as you continue to organize the Military as I ordered you to.”
Punkfilter nodded and turned toward TFK’s elevator. He pressed a button on the elevator for a lower level. “Have fun with the Eagle gang, Punkfilter,” TFK yelled to him as he watched the doors closed.
“It isn’t often you see him smiling,” TFK said to himself. “Then again, I’m in a good mood today as well.”
****
“Today is a day of fate. We should all remember it is a day of fate that brought us together,” Yoyo repeated as the group of people ran down the hallway.
KKQ burst into laughter as she heard Yoyo quoting Bano’s speech. Clair put a hand up to her mouth to stifle her own laughter. “Kill me now,” Bano groaned.
“No! It isn’t your fate. Your fate!” Yoyo said to him.
“Oiy,” Bano cried.
They came up on a larger hallway and he saw that everyone was standing there. “What are we doing here?” Bano asked.
Knssquad panted. “I’m tired. That was a lot of running. We all decided to take a break.”
“What the heck?” Bano kicked Knssquad. “That was like five minutes of running. You guys are lazy.”
“But it’s been a long day,” Knssquad whined as she kicked Bano back. “What if we all wait here and take a nap first? Nothing like an afternoon nap to get you in the mood for battle?”
“No! We’re not taking a nap. We have to fight. Save the city. All of that crap I said earlier,” Bano snapped.
“Sorry, but no one knew what the heck you were saying earlier,” Knssquad shrugged. “Fine. Guys, we can’t nap. Bano won’t let us.”
The group stood up and grumbled. “Thanks a lot, Bano,” Zergio hissed.
“That guy’s the worst,” Death and Dei nodded in unison.
“You really disappointed me this time, Bano,” Jz said.
“Why are we all acting like I did some shameful deed?” Bano asked. “It’s normal not to have a naptime during an enemy infiltration mission! You’re the disappointments. Worst invasion squad ever!”
“Bano,” Clair patted him on the shoulder. “You’re sure saying a lot today. But um, no more speeches, okay?”
“That wasn’t a speech,” Bano hung his head low. His eyes quickly darted behind him. “Hey, there’s something up.”
“What do you mean?” Yoyo asked him as the group left ahead of them.
Bano stared into the barely lit hallway behind them for a minute. Yoyo, KKQ, and Clair stopped moving and stood there with him. “What’s going on?” Clair asked.
He continued to look into the darkness. His hands gripped his Kama as he waited. “Were we the last ones in our group?” Bano asked.
“No,” Yoyo answered and her hands reached the hilt of her swords as she realized what Bano was referring to.
“What’s going on?” Clair repeated her question.
“We weren’t the last ones running here. There were people behind us. Yet they didn’t catch up with us here in this room. And there’s no sign of them coming now,” Bano said as he pulled his Kama out. “They shouldn’t have been more than a few feet behind us, let alone a few minutes. And now they’ve disappeared without a trace.”
Clair and KKQ stared at the hallway for a moment. “What do we do?” Yoyo asked.
Bano put his kama away and shook his head. “We move forward. If we get attacked then we deal with it. But stay on alert. The enemy knows we’re here and they’re attacking us already. And we missed it.”
****
“I’m pretty ticked off right now,” Mikel said as he glared at Draco. The man just laughed in response to Mikel‘s statement.
“I don’t mean to tick you off,” Draco said politely. “In fact, I apologize for any personal offenses I may have caused.”
“Hm,” Mikel said he stepped toward the man.
Crispi quickly translated it for the man so he’d know to stay out of his way. “He says, ’He’s already ticked off enough that the city is falling apart thanks to TFK. And now TFK is insulting him by sending Draco to deal with me? That’s just a slap in the face. I know I got injured but I can take care of trash like this guy.’ He also hasn‘t forgiven you for attacking him last time.”
“He said all that?” Draco said as he dodged Mikel’s fist. His fist smashed through the concrete wall of the building behind him.
“He’s really cranky right now. It seems he just wanted to nap today. Like he does every day he can,” Seshimazi answered. Mikel glared at him for a moment before turning his attention back on Draco.
Mikel‘s foot smashed into the street. Draco found himself falling into the sewers below. He looked up and saw the giant man looming like a shadow over him. He leapt out from the drainage of the street and into the air. His eyes caught the image of the fist coming at him from below. Draco’s threw both his hands up to block the attack.
His body spasmed as the power of the force behind the attack hit him. He rocketed through the air and slammed into a wall behind him. The world around him tumbled for several seconds before his momentum stopped. His head ached as he sat up. “Unbelievable,” Draco whispered. “I can see why TFK always kept an eye on this guy.”
Mikel scowled at the spot where he’d sent Draco flying. “Today’s crap,” Mikel said. “But TFK couldn’t be serious with sending just you.”
Draco stepped out from the hole in the building and smiled. “No, you’re correct,” he said. “I alone wouldn’t be enough to take you down.”
He reached out his palms and light started to emanate from them. “Its not my style to do things like this but, orders are orders. I’m sorry that I can’t fight you fairly; I know a fight like that would lead to my loss.”
Mikel suddenly understood as he watched Draco point his hands away from him. He raced towards Crispi and Seshimazi. A flash of light moved past him and he watched as the spot where the two of them had been standing exploded.
He jumped into the dust as the rubble landed around him. He heard a cough and saw slight movement to his right. He leapt towards the spot and saw Seshimazi. The man was covered in a thick layer of blood. “Seshi,” Mikel whispered as he looked down on the man.
Seshi stared up at Mikel and smiled weakly. “I’ll kill Draco in a second, boss. Right after I take a quick nap.”
Seshimazi closed his eyes and laid his head back down on the ground. Mikel looked at him for a moment before his eyes began to search again. A small hint of blue caught his attention and he focused on it. “Crispi,” Mikel said.
He kneeled next to the girl and frowned. She was wheezing heavily as she looked at Mikel. Tears ran down her face as she tried to catch her breath. “I’m sorry, boss,” she coughed. “I should have moved faster.”
Mikel pulled her head to his chest and shushed her. “Be quiet, Cris. You‘ll be alright.”
After a moment Mikel laid Crispi’s head back down. His body shook with rage as he turned around. “Mikel,” Jan said to him.
“I know. I can’t contain it either,” Mikel growled.
****
JJDomer watched as jeeps poured out of the base and onto the war torn road. Soldier’s bodies littered the road and the war base. Those who had resisted TFK‘s takeover had been beaten back earlier. But that hadn‘t stopped TFK‘s men from killing whomever they wanted. JJDomer smirked as he watched the helicopters flying over head. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him.
“The very weapon Endless had planned to end crime was now just another piece of TFK’s arsenal,” JJDomer sighed. He pointed to a group of soldiers and they moved out.
JJDomer was only alive and in command still because he had sided with TFK in this war early on. It wasn’t as if he didn’t regret his decision, but what could he do? The men marched through the crumbling city. Each crumbling building and each body on the street was a stark reminder to him why he joined TFK in the first place. Those who didn’t ended up like this.
“Are you alright?” Azarni Rin asked from the seat next to her superior as they bounced down the road.
“Yeah,” JJDomer said. Even though he said he was alright he knew he was in trouble. He had failed to stop the Eagle gang. In the end it wouldn’t do him any good if he sided with TFK if he couldn‘t do what TFK wanted.
He envied the Eagle gang in that. Everyday he’d chased them and fought with them he could tell how free they were. Unlike himself. He was stuck in a life or death situation. And even when he chose life he was only extending it by however long he could manage to.
“Stop up here,” Azarni Rin said. JJDomer motioned towards the other vehicles behind him to stop ahead.
“Sure,” JJDomer said absently. He pulled the jeep over and looked back at his men and smiled. “Alright, guys. We’re looking for any sign of the Eagle gang. Let’s go.”
A clicking sound was heard behind him. JJDomer’s heart froze as he turned towards the group of men standing behind him. Several headlights were on him from the jeeps he’d brought with him. Behind each set of headlights were several guns pointed at him.
“What’s going on? Are you guys rebelling against TFK?” JJDomer’s voice caught in his throat as he said the words.
“Sorry, commander,” he heard a man say. “We’re not rebelling against TFK. We’re following orders. He’s put you on the list to be eliminated.”
JJDomer’s eyes widened. His time had run out. He’d failed. “This can’t be. I-”
“Commander, we all liked you well enough. So don’t ruin your image now by pleading for your life. Die with dignity,” the man said.
JJDomer closed his mouth and stared at the row of guns pointed at him. It was small consolation, but he was happy that his murderers liked him. He had worked with them for several months now.
An explosion caused JJDomer to fall back. Azarni Rin stepped forward and looked at JJDomer. “Go on,” Azarni Rin said as she fired another blast from her gun. “Live, commander. I can‘t just stand back and watch you die.”
JJDomer jumped to his feet and began to ran as he heard the sound of gunfire behind him. He caught sight of Azarni Rin falling to the ground. He couldn’t begin to process what had just happened as tears ran down his face.
****
“Captain Shiro,” the radio squawked at him. “Sergeant KKQ. We will not tell you again. Return to police headquarters and put your weapons down immediately. This fight is out of your hands now that the Mayor has surrendered the city over to TFK.”
Shiro shook his head. “Hey KKQ. Q and I are dealing with some crap but we’ll catch up with you guys soon, okay?”
“No problem, Shiro. Just hurry up! And be careful, Shiro. I don’t want to have to get used to a new captain,” KKQ answered back.
“Of course,” Shiro laughed into his radio. “That’d be a pain. You stay safe, too. Although, I don’t think we’re really police anymore after this. You know what to do from here, right?”
“We won’t ask you two again to-”
Shiro’s hammer smashed his radio into pieces as he looked out at the runway where Q and Dark Raptor were moving back and forth. “So, what the heck are those guys doing? I thought we were here to get help from you guys not to fight,” Shiro said as he looked over at Dark Raptor’s gang.
“Our boss is determined right now,” Toshii said. “Q’s in real trouble.”
“It’s too bad,” Pein said. “Q seems like an okay guy. But Dark Raptor’s not letting him out of his grip.”
Shiro watched as Q dodged each of Dark Raptor’s attacks effortlessly. “Are you sure about that? I’ve been around both of them for a while. And sorry to say but Dark Raptor doesn’t exactly seem like he’s a serious contender here.”
“Hey, leave boss alone!” Thicup yelled.
“Dark Raptor is the best,” Toshii said.
“I wouldn’t worry about Dark Raptor,” Pein smiled. “He’s been planning for this a long time. Q doesn’t have a clue what he’s dealing with. And Dark Raptor isn‘t going to hold back on him.”
Little Shiro’s eyes glanced away from the fight and focused on a van parked against a fence nearby. “Seems we’re not the only ones who want to watch a fight,” Shiro mumbled as he looked back at the two men on the runway.
Q dodged each attack his brother sent at him. “Dark Raptor,” Q said as he backed away from another punch thrown. “This is stupid. I came here to get you to help me fight TFK. I want your help. I don’t want to fight you.”
Q instinctively ducked as a blade shot towards him. Dark Raptor brought his knee up to strike his chest. His foot was blocked by Q’s. “You’re not listening, Dark Raptor,” Q continued. “I have no interest in fighting you here.”
Q tried to jump back from Dark Raptor as he felt something coil around his foot. A metal chain gripped around his leg and his eyes widened in pain as a knife buried into his thigh. Q hit the ground with a thud in front of Dark Raptor.
Dark Raptor loosened the chain around Q’s leg and spun it with his left arm. He pointed his right arm’s talon at Q laying before him and nodded. “Q, you’re arrogant if you think I haven’t gotten better since we were younger. I’ve learned plenty of new stuff.”
Q glared up at his brother and shook his head. “Fine. I won’t hold back anymore. You’re freaking insane, though.”
“Whatever,” Dark Raptor said as he snapped his chain around Q’s left arm. “You’re not in a position to talk much, ya know?”
Q jabbed his right arm into the ground. Dark Raptor tried to leap back from the spot where the vibrations were coming but Q held firm to the chain Dark Raptor had wrapped around his arm. “Not going to let you off that easy,” Q smiled as he yanked the chain.
Dark Raptor felt his body pulled into Q’s fist. His attack sent Dark Raptor flying into the ground away from him. Q shook his head as he looked at him. “I don’t get your grudge match against me,” Q said. “But-”
A rocket smashed into the runway. Q leapt back from it as fire swept out in every direction. “Shoot, that was really close,” Q whispered as he looked back at TFK’s Tower. “I really don’t have time for this.”
A chain wrapped around Q’s leg. He attempted to leap up but a blade went through his left arm. “Sorry, brother,” Dark Raptor said as he yanked on the chain. Q smashed into the ground beneath him as he pulled the chain to himself. “But this is what you get.”
****
The group ran down the tunnel without saying much. What Bano had said about someone attacking them was weighing heavily on their minds as they continued to move through the long tunnel.
They all jumped when they saw that Knssquad was standing before them. “Hey guys,” Knssquad waved to them. She was shaking nervously.
“What’s wrong, Knssquad?” Bano asked.
“This tunnel. We should have never come this way,” Knssquad said as she looked up at them. “We were fools.”
“What’s wrong?” Bano asked again. Each of them were nervous as they stared at Knssquad standing before them all alone. She lifted her head up and stared at them.
“This tunnel is definitely haunted!” Knssquad cried out.
Yoyo smacked Knssquad with the hilt of her sword. “No such thing. Quit trying to scare us,” Yoyo said.
“How come the tunnel can’t be haunted? There’s definitely ghosts or something here!” Knssquad argued. “People up ahead were disappearing! We were running together, a group of us, when two of them just disappeared. I told them not to worry I’d go find them. But they never came back.”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Yoyo said firmly.
“Others in our group passed by and told me that their friends were going missing, too. They asked for me to wait for them here. I’ve been waiting and waiting. But no one’s come,” Knssquad rambled. “The only reasonable conclusion is that this tunnel is haunted. By ghosts!”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Yoyo repeated herself.
“Then what happened to them all?” Knssquad asked.
“They clearly all got lost. The tunnel is dark and they took a fork in the road,” Yoyo shrugged.
“This tunnel has been straight,” Bano said.
“They found a fork and took it and got lost, okay?” Yoyo exclaimed. “It makes more sense than the tunnel being haunted.”
“Or, uh, its what Bano said about us being under attack, yeah?” Clair asked.
“If that’s the case we need to catch up with the others and warn them, quick. We need to regroup, now,” Bano said. The group started running faster down the hall.
“I still think its haunted,” Knssquad said.
“Ghosts don’t exist,” Yoyo continued.
“But cursed swords and demons are okay?” Knssquad glared at Yoyo.
“Ghosts don’t exist. And while we’re at it, neither do the zombies you and Q are always rambling about,” Yoyo said. She turned toward Bano before Knssquad could respond. “Still, this is getting serious. If we don’t act fast our entire group will be decimated.”
“And what’s worse,” Bano stated. “If the enemy knows all about this tunnel there’s a chance that it doesn’t even lead to TFK’s Tower at all.”
****
Q watched as his brother stepped closer to him. Blood was dripping off of Dark Raptor’s blade. He started to open his mouth but Q’s left foot was already off the ground. He smashed it into his brother’s legs and dropped him to the ground.
Q leapt up and took the knife that was buried into his leg out. He walked over to Dark Raptor and stepped on his arm. Q put the knife to Dark Raptor’s throat. “Idiot,” he said.
Dark Raptor watched as Q dropped his knife next to him. “I’m not interested in any of this,” Q said as he turned away from him. “I’ve always said that.”
Dark Raptor rolled his eyes and jumped up. “Q!” he yelled as he charged forward. His talon pointed at Q’s chest. He wouldn’t give up yet. He was going to end this.
Q dodged the attack and kicked Dark Raptor in the knee. Dark Raptor yelped as he hit the ground face first. “Stop this, already,” Q shook his head. “Does it tick you off that much that I’m better than you?”
“No,” Dark Raptor whispered.
“Then why? Why are you so obsessed with this?” Q asked.
“Why?” Dark Raptor asked and looked Q in the eyes. “That’s what I want to ask you! Why?”
Q stared at him confused. “What the heck?”
Dark Raptor slowly stood up and glared at Q. “Why didn’t you and Bano take me with you guys?”
Q stepped back. “Um, what do you mean?”
“When you guys came to WOTNOPOLIS. Why didn’t you take me with you?” Dark Raptor asked.
“You’re kind of annoying,” Q explained. “And besides, you’re too young for this place.”
Dark Raptor pointed at his gang. “Really?”
“Well, I guess you weren’t too young for it,” Q shrugged.
“I hated it,” Dark Raptor stepped forward. “Being in that small town while you guys were in WOTNOPOLIS. It was agony being left behind.”
“You only stayed there for like a month before you left,” Q snapped.
“But we were a team!” Dark Raptor shouted. “It was the three of us that tried to fight off Shugo that night. And it was the three of us that lived on after everything fell apart. We had always stuck together. Even when you guys split up the gang it was really always the three of us. So why? Why did I get left behind?”
Q stammered for words. “Well, didn’t you want your own gang?”
“I did,” Dark Raptor said. “But I wanted to go with you guys.”
“Well, fine, I’m sorry,” Q apologized. “I guess we should have taken you with us back then.”
Dark Raptor nodded. “You should have.”
“Well, hey,” Q said. “You were supposed to take care of our gang.”
“Eh,” Dark Raptor said. “You should have known I would fail at that.”
“And you wonder why we didn’t take you with us!” Q snapped.
“Uh, Q,” Dark Raptor smiled. “I’m sorry I’ve been trying to kill you. If its alright, can we go kill TFK together?”
“Yeah,” Q smiled at his brother. “I think I’d like that a lot.”
“What the heck did we just watch?” Shiro yelled.
“I don’t know, but our boss sure is cool,” Pein nodded. “He forgave Q and let him live.”
“You clearly weren’t watching the same fight I was,” Shiro shook his head. “Those two are definitely related. They’re both idiots.”
Q walked over to Shiro and smiled. “Let’s go kill TFK, Shiro. The three of us!”
“Hey guys,” Dark Raptor announced to his gang. “I have some business with the first Mafia. Stay here till I return.”
“So cool!” everyone yelled as Dark Raptor winked at them.
“But first,” Shiro said and pointed at the van across the runway from them. “Let’s see what they want.”
****
“Hey!” Bano yelled as he saw a group of people sitting ahead of them. “We caught up with some of you guys.”
“Bano,” Jz spoke up as he stepped towards them. “Is there anyone behind you?”
“No,” Bano said. “We haven’t seen anyone come from behind us.”
Jz shook his head. “This is bad, then. This is all that is left of our fighting force.”
Yoyo looked around the group. Their numbers had been cut down to about half of what they started out with. “We’ve decided that we’re going to move together from here out. No more rushing. If you notice anything suspicious yell it out immediately,” Jz declared.
The group started walking down the hallway. “This is going to be bad,” Bano whispered to Clair. “I can tell.”
****
“So,” Q said as he knocked on the window of the Van. “What are you guys doing in there, huh? Come out already.”
Q listened as he heard whispering for a moment. A loud ‘shhh’ noise followed. “Um, we wanted to know if you’d watch our show real quick and judge it for us?”
“Your show? What? Whatever, I guess. Make it quick,” Q said. “I’m late for this meeting thing.”
“Don’t act so nonchalant about the invasion, Q,” Shiro snapped.
“Well, it’s just we’re a little nervous about the show. We haven‘t shown it to anyone. So be fair, but not too fair. Be honest, but lie a little,” Titan yelled from inside the van.
“What the heck are you asking for here?” Q asked as he pounded on the side of the van. “Just hurry up.”
The back doors of the van flew open. Smoke poured out from the van as different colored lights started to flash out of the van. Amaterasu leapt out onto the ground in front of them.
“Is this really what we should be doing with the city in trouble, Q?” Shiro asked as he stared at the scene before them.
Titan stepped down onto the ground in front of them. She wore a pair of baggy jeans, a clock tied to a chain around her neck, and an oversized T-shirt. A backward cap completed the ensemble as she held up a banner that said: T-Dizzle-Anium.
“On second thought, no. This isn’t okay,” Q said to them.
“Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit,” Amaterasu began to chant.
“Yo, I’m Titan and I rock.
I beat your mama, and her socks.
We’re super fly and smooth, baby.
If you don’t agree we’ll punt a baby.”
“Don’t rhyme ‘baby’ with ‘baby’ in such a freaky way!” Q yelled.
“Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit- I can’t do it, Titan. I tried. I’m sorry. This is just too shameful,” Amaterasu said as he slipped onto his knees. “There’s just no way I can do this. It’s too stupid.”
“Shape up, Ama boy,” Titan grabbed him by the shoulders. “We have the meeting with the Queen in three days. You’re going to let down her majesty if your Ribbits aren’t perfect. It‘s the key to this entire rap!”
“It seems we stumbled upon something truly frightening,” Shiro coughed as he averted his eyes from them.
“No, you see, these are just some homeless people. Ignore them. They don’t exist. We didn’t see any of the things homeless people do,” Q shrugged and turned away.
“You didn’t like our rap?” Titan called out to them.
“No. We didn’t like it at all,” Shiro shook his head.
Titan kicked Amaterasu in the shins. “Darn it, Amaterasu. Your Ribbits needed to be stronger. Where’s the heart?”
“Why do you need ribbits in a rap!? What do frogs have to do with rapping?” Shiro yelled.
Titan looked at Shiro and laughed. She turned her cap to the side and winked at him. “We’re so ghetto, we’re swamp.”
“No. There‘s no logic in that at all,” Shiro said.
“Well, I thought it sounded really, really good,” Dark Raptor beamed.
“That depresses me,” Titan‘s gaze fell to the ground. “I guess we’ll have to scrap that rap and start over from the bottom.”
“Hey, why did she decide that after she heard my review? I have great taste,” Dark Raptor whined.
“Yo, Titan,” Q grinned as he stepped up to her. “We loved the show.”
“No we didn’t. What’s with the sudden turn around?” Shiro asked.
“The Queen’s gonna dig it, mojo,” Q said and threw out a peace sign.
“Why’s he acting like that? Dark Raptor, did you hit your brother too hard in the head?” Shiro asked.
“I don’t know. Since when does this place have a Queen?” Dark Raptor answered.
“Do you mind if me and my dogs get a lift from you, eh, Titan-baby?” Q asked.
“Q, stop acting like a creep,” Dark Raptor said. “That’s no way to ask a lady something.”
“I’m no lady. I’m T-dizzle-anium,” Titan said as she threw a peace sign at Q. “And sure. Where are you guys headed?”
“There,” Q smiled as he pointed to TFK’s tower.
Titan nodded and hopped into the front seat of her van. “I was hoping that’s what you’d say.”
