Pov Kurumi
"Boooommm!"
A sudden bang and shaking of the entire bunker woke me and Neo from our slumber. Turning on the scroll screen I illuminate the dark room and look at my mouse holding the frightened cat only for the next slight quake to sprinkle some dust from our ceiling onto our heads, as our mirror leaning against the wall almost fell to the ground .
" What is going on ?"
I ask aloud looking at an equally confused Neo .
"Booooommm "!
Another explosion louder than the previous one makes both me and pink mouse get up from the bed only to then walk out of the bunker to the store in just our pajamas .
' Whatever happened , we could hear it in the underground bunker '.
I think, gathering myself to the roof as the sound of emergency vehicles is getting louder in my ears . Going up to the roof on the night image of the city I see huge clouds of smoke at two different points . Not knowing what is happening I witness another explosion that occurs , more or less on the other side of the city .
The sound of the explosion makes all the dogs in the neighborhood bark like crazy and the birds fly away as far as possible . But for me the image of the fireball and the roar of the explosion brings a vision of my dreams which makes me panic , suddenly I feel like running away and hiding . Not knowing what to do , I start breathing hard as tears fall from my eyes .
' what is going on ? '
With another explosion in the distance , I almost fall over backwards but luckily Neo caught me in time . Helping me to sit down , she grabs my cheeks then she sticks her forehead to mine . In the hustle and bustle , screams , sirens and dog barking I feel my heart finally calming down .
Looking at my smiling pink mous my scroll turns on a beeping signal indicating that someone is calling me . However, in a constant panic I am unable to answer which causes Neo to take my scroll from my hand to check who is calling and looking through the two-way cholographic screen I see that it is Ash .
" Neo , Kurumi are you all right ? "
Asks surprisingly Cupper immediately after Neo answered the call . However, without thinking too much about it I gather myself and answer .
"Yes , with us all ok . Cooper do you know what is going on ?"
I ask hearing more and more emergency services siren .
" Are you outside ? If so quickly go inside . If you are at your base , best sit in your bunker . "
Cooper says without answering my question .
"Cooper what's going on ? "
I ask again when Neo and I run down to the bunker .
" From my father's words someone has invaded Xiong territory and there is a huge mess . No one knows what is going on however looking through the windows , the gangs are shooting at each other there is a total purge . "
Cooper says when suddenly from his side of the connection I can hear the sound of windows being broken .
" Cooper are you all right ?"
I ask without hearing him anymore at the scroll .
" I'm fine , it's stray bullets . That's why you are not go outside . Generally the commercial district should be safe but you are not taking any chances . "
Said Cooper when me and Neo go down to our bunker .
" Cooper me and Neo seem to have obtained information on who is attacking Xiong ..."
I say , realizing what we have learned during a previous exchange that we overheard. By this I mean to continue , however I am interrupted .
" Kurumi it is not important now . Stay in the bunker and wait for things to calm down we will contact you in the morning . "
Says Cooper hanging up as Neo and I watch the dust fall from the walls again following the slight shaking of the entire bunker .
Pov 3rd person
Sitting in their bedroom, in the bunker. Kurumi and Neo covered with a thin blanket are sleeping peacefully leaning with their backs against the wall when one of Kurumi's books is still in her clenched hand , showing that she has fallen asleep reading .
Suddenly a hand was stretched out toward the girls, the structure of which indicated it was male. On one of the fingers of that hand was a ring identical to the one that Kurumi and Neo had received from Cherry as a sign of family membership .
But before hand touched the girls a black little cat ran out from under the blanket making Kurumi's red eye open wide when her other hand hidden under the blanket was stretched out . And then the gun in that hand was pointed straight at the unidentified man .
"Ash ?"
Asks a sleepy and surprised Kurumi looking at the expression on Ash's face .
" Gun "
Says Ash looking at the barrel of the gun when Kurumi understanding the message lowers the gun . In the noise caused by this event Neo was also awakened making her look with the same surprise as Kurumi towards Ash .
" How did you get here ? Why are you here ? "
Asks Kurumi as she and Neo stand together from the ground .
" You didn't close the door on the roof and I'm here because you didn't pick up the scroll ."
Says Ash looking at Kurumi's pajamas filled with white bunnies .
"Apparently we fell asleep ."
Says Kurumi rubbing her eyes then looking at Ash who continues to stare at her she covers her non-existent chest .
" Come out we need to get dressed , pervert ".
Says Kurumi gaining a sigh from Asha .
" Get dressed quickly , the matter of your information about who did this is important as long as you have this information " .
Says Ash seriously , making Kurumi also become serious .
" I have information "
Says Kurumi when Ash only nods then he leaves the room closing the thin steel door behind him . Immediately after that Kurumi undresses quickly. Taking her underwear and one of her dresses Kurumi dresses in front of the mirror in the room , finishing by pinning up her hair into double ponytails .
Neo instead takes her clothes with her , after which she leaves the room and passing Ash she enters the bathroom. Tying the eye patch over her eye Kurumi walks out of the room and there she meets Ash looking at their black cat .
" You didn't say you had a pet . What is its name ? "
Asks Ash stroking the cat which was sitting quietly on a crate .
" The name of the cat does not matter now . Will you now tell me what is happening outside ? "
Asks Kurumi meanwhile opening one of the crates from which she pulls out a bottle of water .
" We don't know much ourselves , however someone has definitely planted dust bombs in Xiong territory . "
"When these exploded they caused a fire and at the same time panic . And before someone put out these fires , many smaller gangs attacked their competition . "
" In the poor regions , a massacre happened overnight , our pawshop was hit during a fight between two groups. Fortunately, no one was injured . "
Says Ash falling silent for a moment .
" There is no mention of it in the media yet , but on the way I saw a mass of bodies on the streets . Those main streets are cleaned up immediately but those on the outskirts , not only the gangs were shelled but everyone who was on the street at that time . "
Says Ash shaking his head .
" During that night at least half of the groups in Vale disappeared knocked out by , competition . If it wasn't for the hunters , the fighting would have continued into the morning . Now it is quiet , and in Vale we have a state of war because all the grimms in the area have thrown themselves on the city ."
" I honestly have no words for what happened . All the tension and the abnormal number of hostile to each other gangs finally exploded in on one moment ."
Says Ash when a grave silence falls between him and Kurumi .
"You should call your homeless friend and ask how he is ."
Says Ash when Kurumi simply waved it off .
" He is fine , he already called me at night . Their warehouse was on another side of town where there are few gangs so there was no such problem on the streets . "
Says Kurumi while slowly drinking water .
" Neo is taking something long . Is she okay ?"
Asks Ash to which Kurumi just looks at him pointing with her free hand to her lower abdomen . Understanding the message Ash nods then he goes back to stroking the black cat .After waiting for a while Neo comes out of the bathroom and she is forced to quickly catch the water bottle flying towards her .
"Since you have information , we will pass it right away to Xiong let them take care of their problems ."
Says Ash looking at the two girls then he moves to leave , Neo fully understands the message drinks the water from the bottle then she moves after Kurumi and Ash .
"Do you have weapons and information with you ?
Asks Ash after leaving the Bunker where he starts climbing the ladder .
" Yes I always have weapons with me and Neo have the information on her scroll " .
Says Kurumi after which she glances at Neo who nods in confirmation .
" That's good , keep your gun hidden in your shadow . The police and hunters have gone crazy , they search everyone ."
Says Ash as he and the girls climb the stairs and then they exit the bunker to the roof . Closing the door with a padlock , the group descends from the roof .
"Where is your car ?"
Asks Kurumi looking around the alley as Neo meanwhile hides the cable .
"The center is impassable I wouldn't get here by car ."
Says Ash as he and the girls walk out onto the main street where Kurumi and Neo go into shock .
" Yesterday everything was normal , how can a few hours change the city like that ?"
Asks Kurumi looking at the empty street on which a police car drives by from time to time .
"How do we get to the Recycling Facility' building . ?"
Asks Kurumi again .
" First we go to Lombard from there we will send a message with information , it is better not to move around the city today ."
Says Ash when the group passes four normal looking people . However, after one look Kurumi and Neo knew that they were hunters .
" All the hunters who have not been on a mission are on standby even the students from Becon ."
Says Ash when after walking through several alleys Kurumi and Neo find a legless body lying under a dumpster .
" I know him " .
Says Kurumi recognizing the muscle man to whom she once jabbed a drug needle into his thigh causing him to lash out at his friend . However , not too concerned about this , the group moves on only to see an even bigger mess on the way .
" Stop , there is no passage ".
Says a heavily armed policeman in a commanding tone , when behind him other policemen arrest a whole group of people with haracteristic tattoos , symbolizing the affiliation of these people to one of the gangs .
" Take children out of here , this is not a sight for them . Best go home quickly "
Says the same policeman only that this time in a friendlier voice . Saying nothing more Ash turns back with Kurumi and Neo to walk down another street where a car slammed into a store window .
Without even looking Kurumi and Neo arrived at the pawn shop whose storefronts were smashed , and a dried puddle of blood had collected on the doorstep right next to another fresher one .
" Big papa "
Says Kurumi seeing the characteristic shotgun splatter of blood on the ground .
" The bastard tried to get your friend . I shoot him before he could ."
Says a voice familiar to the girls, but the way of speaking and tone does not match that person at all . However , looking at the front door Kurumi meets big papa , however his copper eyes are not soft as always . With sharp eyes and a shotgun in hand , he looks at the troupe indicating them with his thumb to go inside .