Chapter 44
Title: Playing Pretend
You guys can support me by donating powerstones on this book
Anyways, Let's begin!
◆━━━◆━━━◆
Third Person POV. -- 29th of December -- 2415
[ Kawaguchiko Town -- Nighttime ]
"Madame, everything is proceeding according to what you foretold. Redvein has been captured by the enemy, –though only in facade. As you instructed before, I've already informed him of what would happen, only leaving out the part you wanted me to. " MisterConfession, a direct executive of the HPSC's top commanding body entails, finishing on his up to date report regarding the proceedings.
"Very well, good work Confession. From here on everything should be going towards wrapping up, and by tomorrow afternoon this whole fiasco will come to an end. " His device, which is connected to Madame Kimmy's private number answers, before it's cut from the other side.
Bringing down his phone, Confession brings up a can of cigarettes from his pocket and takes one out, before lighting it up with a lighter. Giving out a puff of smoke, he looks out the window of the car he's currently riding, his one hand to the steering wheel with his other being free as he rides through the forest pathway.
'It was the mistake of Hans for confronting her out of the blue that day. If he hadn't, then maybe he could have escaped Japan unnoticed. But then again maybe not, considering the Madame's predictions never come out false. '
.
..
...
Late into the night and at the Ryokan where the Benihanas plus Mina and Himiko occupy,
"He's late... " Kie worriedly intones, having moved to the children's room in order to not be by herself, and seeing as its gotten late with no call from Tetsuya's side, she is slowly begining to worry and wonder for his well being.
"I'm sure he's fine Aunty. There is only a few people who could give uncle Tetsuya a hard time, and non of 'em are here at Mt. Fuji so no worries! " Himiko reasuringly says, leading to Mina nodding to her words, her trust in the number 3 as unshakable as Himiko's.
"But still... " But Kie isn't convinced still, "maybe I should give him a call. "
Kie decides, before she brings up her phone and dials's Tetsuya's number,
Ring! Ring! Ring!
After three consecutive rings, its picked up,
"This is Tetsuya, if I'm not answering that means I'm busy. Please leave a voice mail. "
beep!
Canceling the call, Kie looks down at her phone in worry and slight frustration, "agh, not answering the call... "
"Maybe he's in the middle of something. Aunty you know how unpredictable uncle Tetsuya's work can be. Maybe he doesn't have time or put his phone on silence, that's all. " Mina says, eliciting a slight nod from Kie,
"Yeah, maybe you two are right. I'll just call him later. " Kie says, before taking in a breath and looking at the clock, seeing that its already passed 10 pm.
"Anyways, you two should be in bed by now. Look, Retsu has already gone asleep. What she always tells you guys about a scheduled sleep and waking up on time is something valid, it truly helps in making your bodies more healthy so go on, chop chop, go brush your teeth and go to bed young ladies. " Kie says,
"Ehhhhhh! But auntyyy~" The duo dramatically drawl out, pouting at the given command, making Kie's eyebrow twitch,
"Young ladies, do you want me to call your parents on you? Remember, they gave me the authority to enact parental commands upon you two. So go on, Chop chop! " Kie claps her hands, making the duo reluctantly stand up in unison, dramatically dragging their bodies to the side room and going to brush their teeth.
Shaking her head in exasperation, Kie gives out a sigh, "honestly, sigh... "
After that, Kie once more looks to her phone, opening the screen and scrolling to Tetsuya's contact, her hand hovering over the call button for a few seconds before she shakes her head and closes her phone, 'No, I shouldn't disturb him. What if he's in the middle of fighting the villains right now? '
Meanwhile inside the bedroom,
'Sigh, what are you doing, father? ' Retsu internally thinks, seemingly speaking to her father through her mind or something.
But that can't be happening as there is no way for her to do something like that, her quirk not designed for such a feature.
No, Retsu is currently doing something else,
She is currently feeling the blood she had left behind with that pro hero who came to her today at early morning, the elderly pro hero whose hero name was Whiteout.
'At least he was in outer appearance only, ' Retsu quietly muses, having felt the man for the true appearance his inner organs had.
Retsu had felt it in the past before too, an ice or cold type quirk holder. She knows how their quirk slightly influence their inner organs and tissues, giving them a colder property which results in them gaining minor or major cold resistance passive abilities.
She also knew from research that the local pro hero of Kawaguchiko had a snow generating emitter type ability, which would 100% influence his inner anatomy to some extend.
'And this conclusion paves the way, it paves the road to a checkmate I didn't even want to find, but an opportunity that came my way of the enemy's own volition.
The Whiteout who came to me today, the one who interrupted my early morning training in the woods behind the Ryokan building. I was able to feel him through my sensing ability, and at the same time get a scan of his whole anatomy, letting me see a transformed outer appearance that I saw in effect during the cruise ship incident on the first day of our visit.
That means that the man who I felt in the cruise ship that day, the one who was with those spy groups and changed their outer appearance, helping in their blending in, was the same Fugitive who's on the run right now.
I don't fully understand his intentions and the reason why he came looking for me today, but him doing that exposed him to me and now his fate is sealed. ' Retsu thinks, rolling in her futon with no sign of her going to sleep.
'On another note, with the help of my blood that's on him I was able to receive some interesting information, the prime of which being that my father is currently in their 'custody'.
What they plan on doing with him, I don't fully know, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with me and my capture. ' Retsu deduces, having come to this conclusion while taking every event that transpired from their first vacation day until now into account.
Retsu turns straight in her futon, her gaze to the ceiling with no sign of sleep present on her expression. 'The question now is, what am I going to do?
Father obviously has a plan, there being no way for such weak dose of tranqs to affect him. Maybe he's just vying for time, letting the enemy take him to their own lair by making himself a captured hostage, then he'd strike a surprise attack when the enemy has their guards down.
No scratch the maybe, that's definitely what he plans on doing.
On another note, how were the police side able to deduce that they had the criminal amidst them, –disguised as that pro hero, in the first place? Were they somehow able to make that captured spy group talk?
Well it doesn't really matter how they learned of it, so long as they have and father's side is on the winning side. ' Retsu thinks, before she gives out an involuntary sigh, feeling left out despite her having no buisness on the matter.
Just then as she was beginning to try and use one of her many thousand techniques that would help in calming her mind and let her go to sleep, the door to the bedroom gets abruptly opened, and two mischievous heads poke inside.
"Re-re! You asleep yet? " Himiko cheerfully asks, "if you're not asleep yet then get up! We managed to convince aunty in playing cards for a while, and she would allow it only if we're able to make you wake up! "
Hearing the question, Retsu gives out an amused internal smirk, 'hah. An impossible challenge huh, what a sly move mother. But, '
But, Retsu is currently feeling quite rebellious. Her chances of being involved in the conflict seem low in her perspective. And then adding the fact that she's feeling quite on edge these past few days, yeah she's feeling very uncharacteristic right now.
"Hm, alright. What game are we playing? " She says, before sitting up in her futon, her gaze falling on the dumbstruck looks her two friends are giving her, they themselves having not quite expected this.
'I-is this really Re-re? ' Himiko questions herself,
"A-ah! O-okay then, let's go! " Mina nevertheless cheers up again and calls out, the girl not quite understanding her own thoughts but still getting back her spirits.
Standing up from her futon, Retsu moves to exit the room, while her mind is occupied with other stuff,
'If by tomorrow night nothing happens, then I'll make a move as well and join the conflict. ' Retsu decides, before she moves to join her mother and two friends on the low table, Mina having started distributing cards for them while Kie just sits there, the poor woman gobsmacked as to the decision her daughter just made, the same daughter who always emphesizes the importance of sleeping on time to those around her.
.
..
...
Scene change,
It happened yesterday night, roughly around 11 pm.
Inside Whiteout's home, which is situated in a side district of Kawaguchiko where the population is scarce and most activities revolve around crops gathering and other farming works, the man was busy going through some files concerning the missing fugitive.
He was busy, having his mind and focus on the case, so much so that he didn't even notice the time passing by and it currently being late into the night.
His home is a two story, old styled house that's situated a little off the coastal areas of this hamlet, being more towards Lake kawaguchi than the little hamlet at this district.
As Whiteout continues on revising through the reports, indications and or sightings of the man on the run, outside of his window and for at least a kilometer away, a figure is seen sitting on a tree branch, holding onto a gadget as his glowing lime green eyes gazes towards Whiteout's house.
He is specifically looking at the man himself, his special eyes seeing him sitting near the window, his side profile visible to him from this distance.
The man, the same person who was driving the duo of twin villains at the start of this trip, and following after Redvein's vehicle at the start, the same man who had glowing green irises that would track Redvein's vehicle, codenamedTracer.
Confirming his target, Tracer brings up a container beside him. Opening its hatch and taking out a special dart, before he carefully inserts that dart inside the device, the weapon he's carrying beside him.
The weapon, a sleek black, long barreled weapon, as if a sniper but lacking a lense, is brought up and before his form, before he takes aim and his glowing green eyes begin to glow brighter.
"Target on sight, " He recites to no one in particular, before his aim gets locked in place, and he gives out a breath before pulling the trigger.
Pew!
The weapon doesn't make any loud sound, just a simple pew before the bullet is shot out.
Sh-chilk!
The bullet quickly traverses the space, before silently breaking through the window and hitting Whiteout right in his nape, making the man jerk up before he instinctively puts his hand on the tranquilizer dart.
Taking the dart out while his eyes are wide open in shock, whiteout then rapidly begins losing consciousness, before his head hits the table as he loses consciousness completely.
Minutes pass, before a sleek, black sedan arrives and parks before the isolated house, two of its front doors opening for Tracer and Hans to step out, before they start to walk into the house, picking the lock and going in to where Whiteout is unconscious.
"Everything is ready, now all that's left is you taking on his form and infiltrating the enemy's midsts. Inform us of any development that may occur on the other side, Hans. " Tracer says, before he moves to restrain the unconscious man, putting on him quirk dampening cuffs and such, ones who are of the latest technology from overseas.
Hans moves close before touching the unconscious Whiteout. Then his form begins to rapidly change, becoming taller with his hairline slightly receding, it getting a snow and puffy texture while his physique changes, at least on the outside.
And so just like that, Whiteout got replaced with Hans, him being transported to a formerly built cabin in the woods by Tracer, while Hans started on his masquerade of playing as Whiteout, the elderly pro hero.
Later and the tomorrow of the next day, as hans was moving through the district that the target was at, trying to seem as if he's just patrolling as Whiteout while he scouted, he came across Retsu out in the open and in the woods, interacting with her before he parted ways, before continuing on his infiltration plan amidst the police and learning of their motives.
.
..
...
29th of December, late at night, around 12 pm to be exact.
'How much longer is this going to last? ' Redvein thinks, consciously having his blood controlled and held back from destroying the poison in his system that's keeping his body paralyzed, while his cuffed hands are before him and he's sitting on the back seat of a sedan as it's speeding through a forested road.
'Where is he taking me? ' Redvein thinks, his slumped form and lowered head looking down, while he discreetly tries to move up his eyes and look at the back profile of the one who's driving the vehicle,
'So that's Hans huh, I wonder why he isn't taking off his disguise right now? Does that mean he can't or something? Or some other reason maybe. ' Redvein thinks, one of his fingers moving a little while he stays slumped.
'Hm. Even without me using Hemomelt to burn out the poison, my body is still unconsciously freeing itself from the effects, my immune system is slowly winning against the poison it seems.
In that case, he better hurry up before I'm free, other wise I may blow my cover up unwantedly at some point. '
As Redvein pretends to be immobilized while subtly looking out, memorizing the path the vehicle is taking and where he is being lead to, they eventually arrive at their destination approximately 15 minutes later, which looks like a forest clearing with nothing else around.
Hans, –who has taken Redvein's looks and refuses on canceling out his transformation, moves and brings out the latter mentioned man, bringing him out of the backseats and walking the rest of the way into the forest.
He walks forward, while having one hand of Redvein's over his shoulder, keeping him steady as he walks into the forest, and walking for about 5 more minutes before a clearing becomes visible before them.
He moves into the said clearing, arriving and seeing an old, rusty cabin, it's hinges being of old, wooden logs that may snap anytime at this point.
"Not the best of accommodations, but it'll have to do for now. Hope you like the place, number 3. And don't worry, you're not gonna be here for long.
You and your roommate are only gonna stay for until tomorrow night, meanwhile I'll be getting the hell out of this mess, my job here is done. " Hans says, having arrived before the wooden rails of this old, wooden shack.
He moves close and bangs on the door, before a moment passes and the door gets opened, allowing for a man with slightly glowing green irises to look out, Tracer being the one who answers the door.
"How long has it been since he was tranquilized? " is the first question he asks, his tone being composed and with no trace of emotion present.
"Probably around 20 to 30 minutes. Don't worry though, he's still unconscious. " Hans says,
"Idiot! Don't gamble with stuff involving these people. The man you're holding onto is the number 3 pro hero of Japan, he's not the third strongest man of this country for nothing.
Those tranquilizer shots are for normal people, and each shot can keep someone paralyzed for around an hour.
Now that it's been at least half an hour since his last one, you should have already injected him with a second dose! " Tracer says, his tone no longer composed and calm, now having an agitated and furious tone.
It is understandable though, after all, Tracer is a man who knows the severity of underestimating strong people. He having done so in the past, and having paid a terrible price for it.
But that is a story we're not gonna delve into.
"Bring him in. " Tracer commands, before stepping aside and letting Hans through, who moves in and puts Redvein's form on an old sofa in the main room of this place, Tracer having worked fast and brought another tranquilizing shot already.
Injecting the substance in Redvein's hand, Tracer gives an imperceptible sigh of relief before moving back, turning his gaze to the other occupant of this shack.
Whiteout is also here, having been put on another seat while being fed tranqs since his arrival, his mind having been affected which had resulted in him temporarily losing his sharpened mind.
'Whiteout? So he was here huh,' Redvein thinks, seeing the man slumped to the side, before his slightly opened eyes move to the two standing figures before him.
"Your job is done, good work. Anyways, follow this location pattern that I'm sending to your device, you should arrive at a dock at the ends of the journey. There will be a light aircraft waiting for you there, which you will use to get out of Japan unnoticed.
The rest of the work will be done by us, you're now free to go. " Tracer says, making Redvein frown and Hans give out a relieved sigh.
'I should leave a trace on Hans, not letting him get away was this mission's top priority after all. ' Redvein thinks, before discreetly and with no one noticing, a cut begins to appear on his right, cuffed palm, before a droplet of blood seeps through and falls on the floor.
It begins to travel on the carpet, away and unnoticed by the two villains, before it starts hovering from behind Hans' feet, going up and discreetly lodging itself on his clothes.
A Benihana has the ability to control and Manipulate their own lifeblood in any way they want. Obviously doing so requires of them a caliber of sensing capability in regards to their own blood too, otherwise it would be as if they are swinging around a cane while being blindfolded, meaning they can't feel what they're doing once their blood exits their bodies.
A Benihana can sense their own blood, and the kicker part is, it has no distance limit whatsoever.
You could be all the way on the other side of Japan, and so long as you have a trace of a Benihana's blood lodged on your form, then they're able to sense the blood, and consequently your location.
This is a secret capability, and something that no one aside for the Benihanas themselves know of. It is also this capability that doesn't let any villain get away from a Benihana for long.
People have even started out a myth in regards to this, saying that; so long as you confront a Benihana, you may run away from them, you may hide, but you will never be able to get away from them.
A Benihana will always find you, no matter where you go.
The media has theorized that the Benihanas may be capable of sensing their enemies in the past, but they were never able to find any concrete proof as to how or any capability that would allow them this type of ability, resulting in this staying as just a myth, and sometimes being uttered to others as some sort of warning.
Anyways, back to the story.
As Redvein lodges his drop of blood on Hans' clothes, he leaves it there and lowers his gaze, now completely focusing on the conversation they're having and to see if any trace of the Twins' whereabouts get mentioned or not,
'After all, that will be my signal to act.
The moment the location of the last two villains get revealed, I can stop pretending and end this farce once and for all. '
.
..
...
Authors Note/ so! as it turns out, Redvein wasn't captured but got willingly... captured, by the villains. Woooh! What a play from his part!
Though I guess he wouldn't have done it this way if Madame Kimmy didn't get involved with her divinations.
Speaking of which, MadameKimmy, as it turns out is quite a mystery too huh.
We don't know how she's able to live until today's generation, considering it got mentioned that she's been around since the era where the first quirks had manifested, which was around four to five generations ago.
That's at least five times the life span of a normal human being, so how was she able to live this long? Wanna know?
Well too bad cuz I don't know yet either!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyways! Another question to you guys before we wrap this chapter up,
A Descender, what do you think it or they are?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Anyways, you guys can support me by leaving comments on this book, have a great day/night and I'll see ya guys in the next one, Ciao!