The bustle of people waiting for the next subway was less intense than during rush hour. It was nearing the end of the day for all commuters, so it made sense that there weren't that many people taking the subway at this hour.
Still, those present chatted with their companions if they were traveling with anyone. As for those who were alone? They were lost in their thoughts or focused on something to entertain themselves in the meantime.
An elderly woman wore her glasses to read the book she held. Whatever she was reading seemed entertaining enough to be subtly reflected in her smile.
A boy dressed in black with long, multicolored hair that covered one of his eyes was nodding his head constantly. Black earbuds in his ears gave away what he was doing: listening to music.
Then there was a girl who seemed to be chewing gum. She carried a black backpack, with one hand on her hip and the other holding a pink object, a state-of-the-art cell phone. It had a flip cover, a camera, and even games!
However, the young woman wasn't taking pictures or playing games. Instead, she was rapidly pressing the phone's keypad, not to make a call but to type a text message. How could she send text messages while underground? Anyone familiar with the latest cell phones would shake their head in disbelief. Cell service doesn't reach the subway.
However, if you looked closely, you'd notice that the device in the woman's hands was different. It had no antenna, and it was thinner, wider, and much longer. Plus, even though it was pink, it didn't seem to be made of ordinary materials but of something much more durable.
It was a custom phone! If someone were bold enough to take a peek at the screen, they'd notice that the interface was easier to use and much more pleasing to the eye. There were no distracting colors or tiny text. They'd also know what kind of messages the woman was sending and receiving.
[ME: I'm here 😎]
[Jae: Ok, I'm on my way by subway 😒]
[Jae: I don't want you to ruin it 🙄]
[ME: ¡Hehe! You're the only one ruining things, you jerk 😡]
[Jae: Maybe this time my hand will slip and you'll end up with a new haircut 💥💥💥]
[ME: Annoying and boring bitch 😤]
[Jae: Wild and hot-blooded dumbass 😑]
¡Clack!
The young woman snapped her cell phone shut. The click echoed throughout the subway station, catching the attention of the few people there. They quickly returned to their activities, however, paying her no further mind.
One of them, however, seemed interested in the woman. He moved close enough to her to get her attention. Thus, he got a clearer look at her.
Above any other feature, the first thing that caught the eye was her piercing yellow eyes, which seemed quite similar to those of predators. If her pupils weren't normal, anyone would believe they were facing an inhuman and dangerous creature.
Then there was her light blue hair, reminiscent of ice. This color would sometimes deepen or lighten depending on the light, an interesting detail that made the person consider the woman exotic.
She had fair skin, delicate facial features, a prominent bust, and a strong body. She seemed to be in shape, but she didn't have bulging muscles that distorted her beauty. Rather, the muscles seemed to define her form like the chisel marks that transform marble into a sculpture.
She was 1.79 meters tall and wore a black blouse and jeans, which contrasted with her skin tone and the dim light of the subway station. He noticed that her fingers were stained brown or dark red as she put her phone away in her backpack. It looked like nail polish or paint, so he didn't think much of it.
Anyone who paid attention to this woman would come to the same conclusion: She was like a rose, beautiful but covered in thorns, inviting onlookers to admire her. However, she didn't seem to realize her fierce temperament because she smiled as she chewed gum carefree. She only focused when she felt someone walking toward her.
"Is something wrong?" the girl asked the man who had approached her unusually. She didn't seem surprised, though. She simply found it interesting and raised one of her eyebrows.
"I just noticed your backpack. Are you a college student?" The man pointed to her shoulder, where the backpack strap was visible.
"Yes, but that's no reason for you to get so close," the young woman said, taking a step back. The man didn't seem uncomfortable or annoyed, though. Instead, he shrugged.
"Isn't it too late to go home? Don't you think it's dangerous? Even though it's crowded now, the subway is usually empty at this hour, almost deserted," the man replied casually. The topic caught the blue-haired girl's attention, so she decided to probe further.
"You sound like you've gotten used to it. Doesn't it make you uncomfortable to be at the station when there's almost no one there? Liminal spaces tend to be uncomfortable." The woman's question seemed to have piqued the man's interest. He looked from side to side before turning his attention back to her.
"Because of how I make a living, I usually travel on the subway very late at night. Everything seems different and intriguing. Have you ever looked out your window at three in the morning? The street seems unusually quiet, empty, and even terrifying.
But if you were on the city council and had to walk the streets every day to clean them, you'd surely get used to that feeling, just as I did," the man explained before running his hand through his hair and shaking it out.
"I'd never noticed that. By the way, my name is Ember. What's yours? What do you do for a living? It must be interesting for you to get used to the subway station being empty all the time." In an unusual gesture, Ember took several steps closer to the man, leaving barely any space between them.
At that moment, a triumphant smile spread across the man's face as if he had just achieved something. His smile was reminiscent of a fisherman who realizes a fish has taken the bait. Now, he just had to wait for the fish to put up a little fight before reeling in the line.
"Name? Call me Ethan. I work as a security guard, sometimes days, sometimes nights. Isn't that great? I can be your guardian tonight. What do you think?" Ethan put his arm around Ember's waist, brazenly ran his hand over her toned butt, squeezed hard, and pinched the skin at her waist.
However, Ember didn't seem to notice; her yellow eyes, once intimidating and fierce, had become slightly misty. Her body seemed to respond to the stranger's groping. She moved so close to him that they were practically touching, as if she'd developed some kind of dependence on him.
"Hmm. Maybe. Though I feel like you're interesting, and I could trust you. Don't you think we're moving too fast?" After a soft, melodious sigh, Ember asked the key question, but Ethan's smile only grew more unrestrained.
"Don't worry about those things. Isn't that what you always say? I'm someone you can trust. Why worry about whether we're moving fast or not? Besides, don't you feel the chemistry between us? Smell the air. It's sweet when we're together," he urged. His black eyes had lost all trace of white, though only Ember could notice this due to the station's lighting. At this point, however, she was already lost according to the man's experience.
Ember did as he instructed, taking a deep breath through her nose and savoring the soft, tempting aroma in the air as if she were standing in front of several loaves of freshly baked bread. However, Ethan noticed something.
Instead of becoming docile and wearing a silly expression, the woman in his arms clicked her tongue with a hint of disappointment. Moreover, her previous submissive attitude had vanished, and the tears in her eyes had dried up, revealing her sharp yellow eyes once again.
"You really are an inexperienced kid, aren't you? You can't even affect me for more than five seconds. To think I let you touch me like that... It makes me so angry just thinking about it." Ember's voice grew deeper, and her words made Ethan's blood run cold. Before he could pull away, the sound of the train pulling into the station distracted him for a moment.
"That asshole is about to show up. Better hurry," Ethan heard Ember mutter. Before he could figure out what was happening, a delicate yet swift fist appeared in front of his eyes. It struck him in the cheek, sending him crashing into a pillar at the station.
The people present were alarmed. They had thought this pair was just another couple getting a little too enthusiastic due to the small number of onlookers.
Some people with particular tastes get excited and do all sorts of indecent things, but as long as there are no minors present and it doesn't affect anyone else, very few people care if someone gets a little too carried away on the subway.
Who would have thought that, instead of a spectacle of kissing, groping, or even public sex, they'd see a woman beat up such a burly man? Ethan really did look like a security guard. Standing at 1.90 meters, he had a burly build, with muscles bulging beneath his tight-fitting clothes.
"The Peacemakers Order is handling a case. Everyone, step back!" Ember shouted, pulling an ID from her pocket and flashing it at the crowd. They collectively took several steps back.
"Is that guy extraordinary or a freak?" asked the young man who had been listening to music a moment ago. He stared in amazement at the unfolding situation.
"I don't know. Don't ask. The best thing you can do is stay out of trouble with the Peacekeepers and what they deal with," the old woman advised. She was holding a book, but she had stopped reading it. Clearly, something more interesting was happening right in front of her. Yet she was also the first to walk away from the scene, demonstrating her experience in such situations.
"As long as they don't destroy the station..." muttered one of the onlookers, recalling all the times the Peacekeepers had damaged the city's infrastructure while solving a case.
"Are you one of those foolish humans who meddle in things that don't concern them? If I were an adult, just by smelling my pheromones, you'd be nothing more than my dinner tonight!" Ethan shook out the shoulder he'd bumped against the column.
There was a large bruise on his cheek, and his lips were stained with blood. Instead of being red, though, the blood had a greenish tint and seemed slimy, unlike what a human would have running through their veins.
"I'm a meddler, but you're just a subway rat. Why don't you take off that skin you stole, 'Ethan'? At least then you'll have a little of my respect," Ember said mockingly, wrinkling her nose as she emphasized the name the man, or rather, the creature, had mentioned to her.
"No, it took me a lot of effort to get this far. Why would I listen to my prey when I'm your natural predator?" Ethan growled, and the muscles in his body bulged with rage.
Just then, the subway arrived, and its doors opened, but no one got off. In fact, people at the station who weren't involved in the matter quickly boarded. The doors closed quickly. It was clear that the driver knew what was happening at the station.
However, one figure did step off the train: a girl with green hair, black eyes, and features typical of the Eastern Realms. Her expression was neutral, as if she lacked any emotions.
Unlike Ember, she didn't have a striking physique; she looked somewhat thin at 1.75 meters, with no trace of physical fitness in her build. Wearing a white blouse and a black skirt that fell below her knees, she approached the blue-haired girl, ignoring Ethan's contorted face.
"I see you didn't let yourself be charmed by this rat. That's something, I suppose," said the green-haired woman, causing Ember to roll her eyes at that exasperating comment.
"Jae, I've been training in the Order for years. You're the rookie, you little shit. Where does all that arrogance of yours come from? From your tiny little tits? HA!" Ember ignored Ethan completely. To her and Jae, he was just an easy target, but she didn't need to take it out on her partner.
"Making jokes about my chest again? Yeah, I'm an A-cup, but it's better for fighting, isn't it? It's more honorable than distracting my enemies with big, jiggling breasts." Jae pointed her chin at Ember's chest in a gesture full of disdain and contempt.
"Imagine thinking that having something like that hanging off your body is praiseworthy. Don't you understand that I don't care if you have bigger breasts than I have? In the end, I'm still the strongest. You? Maybe you're better at producing milk. There's a reason you have those lewd udders," Jae continued, giving Ember no chance to respond.
"Not only that, but just look at those hips and ass. They scream how slutty you are. Why bother training when your entire being seems focused on fertility and getting pregnant, like the disgusting bitch you are?
What good is all that sensuality when we're facing beings who see us only as food or sexual release?" Jae concluded, pointing at Ethan, who had a surprised look on his face with no trace of the anger that had been evident earlier.
The worst part was that Jae's face didn't change despite saying those words. She kept her expression cold, which made Ember, who had a fiery temper, grind her teeth. She didn't know how to respond, so an especially awkward silence fell.
"That was too much, you know? It's not my fault, I'm beautiful. It's not my fault you're flat-chested. It's not my fault; my good genes show, while you can only be happy that you can see your toes when you look down.
You're just a jealous bitch." Ember was angry and embarrassed, but she thought for a few seconds before responding to her teammate's tirade. However, it was clear that she had lost this exchange of words.
Ethan wasn't as angry as before. The absurdity of the situation, two members of the Order of Peacemakers apparently arguing like street thugs, left him unsure of what to do.
Throughout the whole process, he was a mere spectator, unsure of what to do. He could have intervened; after all, this was supposed to be a fight. But there was something off about the atmosphere, so he remained cautious and exposed himself to the argument. He was even dragged into it without ever having actively participated.
One thought crossed his mind: Should he cling to his pride and hope to fight with both women, or launch a despicable attack while they were distracted by their argument?
His internal debate didn't last long. In a display of their tacit understanding, both women attacked him by surprise at the same time, each using her own method to demonstrate her ability to take him on.
As she ran toward Ethan, Ember brought her right hand to her mouth and bit down hard enough to tear her skin and let her blood flow. This act of self-mutilation was something the man had expected, as he already knew what these women were capable of:
Extraordinary Humans. Ember's blood seemed to react in a special way with the oxygen in the air, suddenly heating up and beginning to emit fierce orange flames with a faint blood-red glow. Her blood was burning like fuel!
¡Fwoosh!
The blue-haired girl controlled both the fuel and the flames. Her arm was engulfed in fire, illuminating her predatory eyes fixed on her prey, Ethan.
Jae didn't move from her position, but she brought the index finger of her left hand to her mouth, biting the tip and letting a drop of blood appear. Of course, hers didn't burn like Ember's. After all, they had different abilities.
Jae controlled the red drop, keeping it firmly on her fingertip. During this time, it seemed to grow larger, though this change wasn't very noticeable.
Faced with the threat of fire, Ethan retreated at superhuman speed, hunched forward with his arms stretched and twisted in unnatural ways.
With his legs spread apart and his eyes fixed on Ember, who was running toward him, his posture resembled that of a humanoid praying mantis waiting for an imminent attack.
"Burn, rat!" Ember exclaimed, throwing a punch into the air and releasing the flames that had gathered in her arm. The flames flew toward Ethan, but he wasn't afraid. He was ready.
¡Fwooom!
From what he had seen and sensed, the flames shouldn't have been that intense since they hadn't burned Ember's clothes. With his body's defensive capabilities and the strength in his arms, he thought he could handle it.
However, he soon realized he had made several errors in judgment. Even though the ambient temperature had barely risen and the fire hadn't shown its destructive power yet, it was undeniably hot and powerful. He felt this firsthand when he attacked the flames overconfidently, trying to disperse them with the wind generated by his twisted arms.
¡Crackle! ¡Crackle!
The pain and burning sensation quickly shot through his nerves and spread throughout his body until reaching his brain. But that wasn't all. He was thrown backward because they were not only extremely hot but also had a powerful impact.
¡Bam!
With singed arms and an expression suggesting he was about to scream but couldn't, Ethan crashed into one of the station's waiting benches. However, he wasn't human; he only looked like one. Therefore, he was able to recover at an unimaginable speed.
Then, he noticed that Ember had taken cover behind a column instead of continuing to chase and attack him. It was the same column he had crashed into in the first place.
Seeing the green-haired woman point her index finger at him triggered an instinct within him, one that would only develop through many experiences and hunts, warning him of danger.
He was in danger, deadly danger. He could only watch as a blood-red marble flew toward him at high speed and struck his chest. But that wasn't the danger; it was what came next.
¡BOOOM!
A deafening explosion engulfed him like a firework. Everything associated with explosions, fire, light, heat, pressure, and shock waves took him as their testing ground. Since he bore the full brunt of it, his body could not withstand such a beating.
¡Splat! ¡Splurp!
One of its arms flew off, completely shattered, and thick green blood splattered across the wall and floor. Its charred skin looked like a broken mirror, revealing what lay beneath.
Because of the words that had been spoken, it was clear he wasn't human, but Ember saw his true nature when she stepped closer to look. Beneath the human flesh and skin was a creature with a light green, chitinous body stained by soot and blood.
The creature resembled a giant praying mantis compressed inside a shattered shell. Beneath the cracks in its formerly human face was a large red eye glaring with hatred at Ember. She merely held out her right palm, covered in crimson fire.
"Subway Rat, a mere cub like you, has caused the disappearance of ten men and women. I admit you really did look attractive in that human body, and your charm, though immature, is lethal to anyone caught off guard. But..." Ember stopped speaking suddenly. Her yellow eyes scanned 'Ethan' from head to toe, though she was no longer using her normal vision.
The world in her eyes had grown still, and everything appeared in shades of blue except for objects warmer than the ambient temperature. This allowed her to identify her target immediately because the heat emitted by humans, including extraordinary ones, was different from that of her prey.
Ethan didn't show the usual human heat signatures but ones she was already familiar with: a type of creature she'd encountered before in other subway stations. They were far more dangerous than the specimen in front of her.
Her visual ability was the enemy of these monstrous beings of diverse origins who shared a single designation in her mind: prey. Ember considered telling Ethan this, but Jae's earlier words had angered her, so she decided to take it out on this annoying rat.
¡Whoom! ¡Whoom! ¡Whoom!
The fire in her palm quickly formed a sphere. Without hesitation, she threw it at the fallen creature. Screams of pain echoed through the empty station, but Ember stared intently at the dancing flames, relishing the soft, distinctive sound of the fire reducing everything to ashes.
¡Crackle! ¡Crackle! ¡Crackle!
Jae approached Ember, but instead of paying attention to the fallen enemy, she looked directly at her partner's profile. A mocking smile spread across the green-haired girl's face.
"Can you imagine if I were the one burning?" Jae asked bluntly. Ember raised her hand, still stained with blood, though the bleeding was much lighter than before.
"Hehe, whenever I want to see you burn, I can make it happen on my own. We're done here." Ember was still annoyed by how rude Jae had been earlier. Although their argument had helped them easily deal with Ethan, the blue-haired girl couldn't shake the discomfort.
"I've only known you for a month, and I feel like I've hated you my whole life," Ember continued before waving her left hand and walking toward the other end of the station. She didn't want to wait for the subway next to her supposed partner.
Jae fell silent, mulling over her words. However, the smile on her face betrayed her disdain for Ember. Still, she felt it wasn't wise to keep pressing the issue, so she went on her way as well.
¡Crackle! ¡Crackle! ¡Crackle!
As the two women waited, the only sound was that of the flames struggling to reduce Ethan's remains to charcoal. Perhaps it was the only sound suggesting that these two estranged individuals had once worked together.