บท 33: The Girl? Part One
Age 1991
"Sera?" Sif said stepping out of the police building. "Why are you running around in the snow? I'll kill Nick!"
"Actually it isn't his fault..." Sera said sheepishly. "It's Hero's fault!"
"...I should be surprised but I'm not..." Sif let out a small sigh as she folded her arms up. "So. What did that boy do this time?"
"Well he ran off, then Ken chased after him, so then I chased after Ken, and then Nick chased after me. Long story short, there was a blast of wind, and snow, and we all got separated."
"I see." Sif let out another sigh as she folded her arms up once again. "Well. Let's go look for them."
"A... Am I in trouble?"
"Did Nick ask you to stop?"
"...Yes..."
"Then yes. You are in big trouble..." Sif stated.
"Darn..."
Meanwhile...
"Hero! Hero! Hero!" Ken called out through the massive snowstorm. The snow had really picked up now. It was almost impossible to see at this point... Most of the way in front of her was also blocked by a shield of white. "I swear to God I'm shoving my sword so far up your-"
"Got you!" Nick announced jumping through the snow and tackling Ken to the ground. The girl let out a yell but Nick reached up placing his hand over her mouth. "Shh!" He hissed at her. "Shut up..." He growled. "I did more research. Apparently whatever takes the women happens during these snowstorms. So stay quiet so Mr. Skeleton doesn't find us!"
Ken gave a small nod as Nick removed his hand. "But what about Hero?" She asked.
"Don't worry." Nick stood up helping the small girl up to her feet. "He'll be fine. The thing only takes women remember. Chances are he isn't a target."
"Is that why nobody else is running around?" Ken asked looking around the open street. After the storm had kicked up everyone just vanished. All of them heading towards the nearest building. The entire city just seemed so dead?
"Yeah." Nick gave a small nod. "Apparently storks are frequent here. Everytime ones starts up that's when Mr. Skeleton makes his appearance. Last week when we were attacked there was also a storm. That's how he escapes. He blends in rather well in this cloud of white..."
"I really wish you hadn't told me that..." Ken said letting out a tiny sigh as she glanced around the cloud of snow and ice. "Now I'm creeped out... Creeped out big time."
"If it makes you feel better the feeling is mutual."
"Well. You're a Vice-Captain one of the twelve strongest people alive, so.. No. That doesn't make me feel better."
"...Oh... Sorry?"
"Let's just head inside God damn it... It's so cold!"
"Well shouldn't have runoff."
"Point taken..." Ken growled out as she shivered.
Meanwhile inside the hospital where is was nice and warm...
"The Doctor will speak to you now." A nurse said as Dawson and Ren stood up. "Right this way." She led them down a simple white hallway and over towards a large metal door. She placed a keycard against it sliding it open and reviling the stone room lit up by torchlight. "Try to speak up. He's losing his hearing in his old age." The nurse said turning and leaving.
The stone room was fairly small. It had a simple wooden desk inside, as well as a few markings on the walls. There was a shelf filled with rows of plants, and animal parts, as well as foul-smelling jars. It looked like your average doctor's office. Behind the desk, an old man was seated. He wore black fur clothing and a wooden mask hung off of his neck. Currently, he was carrying symbols into the heart of a Bestia Macht. Feeding this to a woman in labor was said to increase the chances of the delivery going smooth. It also would be infused with a bit of the doctor's Equation of Life suppressing the infants Attribute so that they didn't kill themselves or the mother, or in rare cases the doctor. They also were a prayer. A prayer to their Lord, their light, the being they call God. The man who made the world.
The man looked up as he slowly set the metal dagger down. "I'm told you wish to speak to me?" The Doctor asked.
"Indeed Doctor..."
"Please. Call me Doctor Lyon."
"Doctor Lyon," Dawson said nodding. He set down in one of the chairs. Ren took followed his lead taking the seat next to him as the two Enforcers faced the doctors. "We came to question you on a few matters..." Dawson said slowly.
"Is it about the murders?" The Doctor asked curiously. "Because you should know I'm not the kind of doctor to ask about those. In fact, no doctor is. None of us have seen the bodies. Merely read about them in the morning paper."
"Actually you can help us with the murders," Dawson said reaching into his pocket. He slid a picture of Tobias over to the man.
Lyon's eyes flashed showing several emotions. Some part recognition, some part regret, some part rage, and some fear. He stared at the picture for a few more moments before finally looking back up. Sadness filled his eyes, as he realized what this was about.
"...His Attribute." Dawson said giving a tiny nod. "What is it?"
Lyon was silent until Ren slowly reached out placing a hand over his. "Please Doctor Lyon. This is a matter of life and death..."
Lyon let out a pain-filled sigh. "Tobias Custer... The Demon." He finally hissed out. "It's a sad story... It was the first time I ever delivered a child. I was a young naive fool. I inscribed the runes wrong... And our Lord punished me so... For the child, I helped bear was an abomination." Lyon covered his face with his hands as he shook his head. "A child fated with blood. It lacked eyes, or skin, so muscles. Nor did it bear any organs. The demon craved them all though. And despite lacking a throat it let out a grotesque and cursed sound. Tobias Custer was born a freak. Tobias Custer was born a skeleton. A living skeleton. A skeleton that desired everything it lacked..."
Ren gave a small frown as her, and Dawson shared a look. "But in the photos he had flesh?" She said raising an eyebrow.
Lyon gave a tiny nod of his head. He reached out placing his hand over the picture. It glowed a tiny blue color before suddenly a second picture popped out of Lyon's other hand.
"My Attribute." He said finally. "It can make a copy of nearly anything, though whatever I make will be frail, and if I make a copy of an organic material, that organic material will age twice as fast. When the baby was born as a monster I realized I would be fired for my job. The parents realized they will be shunned for conceiving a monster... So... So I went to the morgue. I found a body that had only just recently died. It took a few attempts for me to place the organs, and mold the flesh over the child but eventually, I did. I managed to give him flesh, blood, organs. And I gave him bones. Bones to feed on. To crave his hunger. And for years that was enough. For years young Tobias grew shunned, yet happy. Until his father died... You see humanity is a tricky thing. We can build up a wall of goodwill for years, and in a single instance we can stray from the light, and tear that wall down. Tobias is the killer. That I am sure of. He did always have a strange fixation on pretty girls..."
"So then. The Skeleton man we saw was Tobias?" Dawson said giving a small nod. "I was right then..."
"Yes. It is Tobias but you should know. He goes by another name now. A name the Nobles have given him..."
"The Nobles? So they are behind this!" Ren said with wide eyes.
"More than you know girl... It was the Nobles son that started it all. It is always the same story with every Noble. They create a monster out of boredom. That was how project Seraphin originally started, leading to the power-hungry race of man, that was how Project GodsBlood originally started, leading to the Corruption, and that is how Project Hybrid was started."
"Project Hybrid?" Dawson asked raising an eyebrow? "I'm sorry that's a new one?"
"I suppose it doesn't matter now," Lyon said quietly. "For now I suggest you act." He said calmly. "It's time you stop this mess. And you must act now. I fear another attack will be starting soon. And all you've done is poked the raging beast. You've shown him that his previous methods are flawed. Showed him that he has to adapt to defeat this new threat to him..."
"You think a new attack is starting?" Dawson asked with a raised eyebrow. "And you knew all about these attacks but you didn't do anything about it?"
"We don't have time to discuss the morality of my situation. If you want to know how I knew, then the answer is simple. Tobias comes to me sometimes... That's how I know. It's a snowstorm outside. This is when he is going to strike. Get out there and stop him, before anyone else dies!"
Dawson was silent for a few moments before finally standing up. "Okay... I trust you. But if I find out for a second that you're lying."
"Believe me," Lyon said giving a tiny shrug. "We won't be meeting again. At least now anytime soon..." He stated. "Now go. Go before he gets the chance to strike!"
Meanwhile...
"Geez, it's cold!" Hero muttered as a shiver went down his spine. He let out a sigh as his cold breathe became visible. "Hey. That's pretty cool. My air can be seen. It's just like when I use my pipes. Only the cold air isn't firing out my oxygen at 1,500 miles per hour. Or is it? What are physics anyways?" Hero questioned as he folded his arms? "Why did I need to come out here?" He asked himself. "I'm basically blind. And I think my hearing is going out, because I hear really loud breathing-"
Hero felt himself collied with someone as he fell back hitting the floor.
"Hey! Watch it you idiot-" The voice suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. "You're..."
Hero rubbed his head as he dusted himself free of the snow and looked up. "Sorry?" He said sheepishly. "I was deep in thought, thinking about advanced physics!"
"Somehow I doubt you know anything about physics." It was a young woman. In her very, very early twenties. She had short brown hair, and light brown eyes. She also wore a very basic outfit. Not something you would wear during a blizzard. She had an annoyed look on her face as she stared at him.
"What? You have to know what advance physics are to talk about advance physics?" Hero asked raising an eyebrow.
She continued to stare at him dumbfounded. "Oh my God, you're an idiot..."
"Yep."
"...What..." She let out a sigh as she shook her head. "Why... Did... How... So dumb..."
Hero stared at the weird woman for a few moments before turning away from her. "Okay? Well, weird lady, I have to actually go! I'm needed elsewhere."
"It's snow!" She said quickly. "...Shouldn't an Enforcer like you offer me help?"
"I guess I should?" Hero said shrugging. "I'm not sure though. I'm really bad at this job!"
"Oh for the love of... Take me someplace warm! And... And alone-"
"I have a girlfriend."
"What?"
"I have a girlfriend. For some reason, people like Max, and Ken, and Jackson, won't stop flirting with me, and I'm tired of it, so I have a girlfriend just FYI. I mean it isn't official or anything still looking for her but I thought you should know so you won't flirt with me."
'I seriously hate this brat...' The girl put on an obviously fake smile that easily fooled Hero as she placed her hands on her hips. "Right... I'll keep that in mind. But still Hero, you should get me to a warm place."
"Umm... Okay? I don't know where to go though, I'm lost-"
She let out a small hiss before putting on another smile. "Right. Well! Follow me!"
"Oh... Okay?"
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