On the most normal day of Kahuna town, the School kids going to school. Salary men going to work. Shopkeepers already making sales. And among these common folks—two faces, pale, sweaty— those two ran, Like there lives depended on it. Thier eyes wildly darted around for a small knee height girl named lily
"WTF! Ethan, can't you even keep an eye on a brat for a minute without getting dumbfooled by cosplayer. " Rion scolded Ethan as she and Ethan looked around in town.
Ethan ran even faster through crowd and both stood at center of the crowd "I am sorry. I was distracted."
"Who cares if you were distracted. We are now done for, Elias will have is burned in a human size microvave since his brat is gone now." Rion kicked the poll.
"We should inform police" Ethan suggested.
"And we will get zero in the report card."
Ethan says " alright . They couldn't have left so early. So they have taken Lily to some kind of hideout"
"Nice shit sherlock. And where is this hideout?"
"Let's seperate and look." Ethan suggested.
"Alright, call me if you find anything. Don't do something i wouldn't have done"
Rion and Ethan seperated to look for Lily.
Rion POV.
"Jesus christ, that boy got distracted by a uncensored version of some manga. He is.... pissing me off" she thought
She asked around the the people, hoping for any sign of Lily
She asks a old lady first
"Excuse me. Did you saw a small brat—i mean a small girl of around 6 of age. "
Old woman looked at Rion. She Snickers and thinks. Old lady took her time to think and spoke up"Age 6?.....when i was six year old , there was handsome kidnap—"
Rion cuts the lady off "What the fuck, old hag. I ain't asking about your fetishes. A kid has gotten lost....any clue?"
Old lady eye widens "a lost kid. A girl?"
Rion, eagerly nods. Glad that old woman will give some intel "yes, ma'am. A small girl"
Old lady closes her and Snickers. After another well time taken, she spoke up"Well kids should not get lost, when i was—"
"What the fuck, old hag. You..."Rion punched air and just walked past to another area to look after.
Ethan POV
Ethan asks around couple shops.
"I haven't seen a girl with two cosplayers"
"Sorry friend. I have no clue"
"I haven't seen anything buddy. By the way, you should try sushi. Special missing child discount "
After getting no answers, Ethan reached a ramen shop. There he noticed a small gap leading to a empty lot. Ethan out of curiosity, he walks in. There was a small abandoned apartment but nothing.
Ethan peeks inside , looking for any signal. And here he found. Two guys watching anime while eating ramen. Lily pouting because she isn't being fed
"I got them" Ethan immediately calls Rion. But it didn't connected because of poor connection.
"Jesus christ. Alright, I'll do it myself"
Ethan sneaks inside the room through window. Both kidnappers were busy watching the show. Ethan, signals lily to stay quiet. But as soon as he took off cloth from lily mouth, she spoke up
"why did you took so long. Uncle would have rescued me and had me on way home" She said..
Her voice loud enough to snap both kidnappers out of thier zone
One kidnapper picked up a baseball bat and other kidnaper picks up iron rod.
"You are dead boy. "
"You should have sticked with manga, boy"
Ethan pulled out dagger"stay away, i don't want to hurt you"
They laughed at they saw nothing but a weak attempt of showing strong front
"Stop laughing. You have no idea who my uncle is. He will make a fool of you" Lily puffed her chest out
"I don't see you uncle kid. " First kidnapper mocks her.
"You!!!" Lily pouts but Ethan held her back
"Stay back lily. "
Ethan knowing there was no way out moves forward and puts dagger in his waist and took boxing stance
"Come "
The first kidnapper swinged bat horizontally towards Ethan head, with intent to break the skull of Ethan. As just the moment, bat was about to hit Ethan head, he ducks below bat and landed a left hook on liver.
That punch momentarily stuns the kidnapper. upon seeing his partner backed, second kidnapper swinged with intent to hit top of Ethan head with iron rod. Ethan sidesteps and landed a right hook this time ,over ribb of second kidnapper.
Ethan, grabbed second by arm and throws him over table. Ethan dodged a jab and cross from frist and gave him a spear from immediate close distance. Causing them to crash against wall, but the move wasn't impactful enough to daamage first and first landed some sharp elbows on Ethan back.
Ethan landed continuous punches on first stomach, successful punches and hits seemed to boost the confidence of Ethan, which made him obvious that second kidnapper has recovered. Kidnapper swings bat at upper back of Ethan, causing Ethan to stumble forward, the first kidnapper hits a punch on Ethan face.
Ethan once again was down. First landed some kicks. Second picks a rod and landed a good few hits on Ethan back, the pain sharp and immediate, the only sign of visible pain was grunts Ethan failed to bite down.
First grabbed him and smashed his face against wall and then threw Ethan over TV. The sparks of the device filled the room for some span of time, and screen shattered and stung inside flesh of Ethan.
First dragged him out of mess and lays him down in center. Walking back to pick his bat to have final shot.
Second, had walked over towards lily and grabbed her by arm and lifted her at the level of his face. Grabbing her chin with second hand
"What was you saying brat? Speak it again"
Lily screams
"Let me go, my uncle will—" she genuinely get's terrified and her lips started to tremble.
"Oye, brother? We should have fun with brat before selling her" said the second kidnapper while he licked his lips, his intentions unhidden behind those eyes. Lily jerks in his grip but the grip remained firm
Through brink of consciousness, Ethan heard cries of Lily. He felt remorse at the pain of child he is trusted to protect, and he failed to do so. Which was failure bigger then his defeat.
He dared to open his eyes through blood running down his face,Upon seeing her in that state, Ethan felt genuinely helpless and he decided to go all out.
Just as first was about to SMASH Ethan head, He pulls dagger out and stabs first on thigh and twists it. The sudden unexpected pain, caused bat to fall down from first hand. Ethan immediately pulled dagger out of thigh and threw it at back of second, which causes lily to fall down.
First in rage, grabbed Ethan by shirt to lift him up, but Ethan grabbed bat and smashed first head. With full force drawn from core, the first was unconscious in single shot. Just then Ethan heard click.
He turned around to see that second has pulled pistol out, the dagger was stuck on his back.
"You piece of shit, you killed my brother?"
Ethan glanced at lily, her terrified face. He closed his eyes shut. The clench of jaw was another signal of hidden fear he carried.
Shot rang—
But it wasn't Ethan who fell. He glanced backward to see a hole in wall just next to his face, he looked ahead , his breathing hitching upon the site, Ethan saw second laying down with a dagger stabbed in head. Blood staining carpet.
Ethan, went visibly quiet. He glanced at door to notice Rion, who was the one who threw that dagger. Her arms, still She herself was breathing hard, knowing how close the moment was.
Their shock was broken by sound of crying of a child. Ethan immediately noticed Lily, now hiding behind the sofa. hand of Ethan trembled and He gulps before He walks over and picks lily up in his arms. Hiding her from view
"Call Giovanni. Ask him to send some backup" He said to Rion as he immediately went outside to comfort the child.
In thier shared quaters at Balleni estate :-
Ethan was all patched up, Lily was comforted by her father and she would probably carry this for a long time.
"Did you ate Ethan?" Rion asked , she was already eating ramen.
"I am not feeling, hungry" Ethan said
"Are you feeling well? Are you .... i don't know" Rion mutters and buried her face in her hands and growls, a tactic which made Ethan look at her side way with a uncertainty whether it's safe to share a room with her not
"Alright, let's start from beginning, what is your problem?" Rion sat next to Ethan
"Excuse me?"
"By problem I mean. Why are you so down? Because of what happened?"
"Well.....a bit of both. Why were you so shocked, was that your first kill"
"No stupid, my partner almost died. Was i supposed to be chill about it?"
"I guess so."
Moment of silence
"So, yeah. We ain't fired, so happy?", she tried to change topic
"Should I be?"
"I guess so"
Somewhere in Philippines:-
"He is here. Balleni is here" said a old man. Reading Bible in the cell.
his cellmate, spoke up "Rex seems determined "
"He is"
"So who exactly is he?"
"You don't wanna know"