On a bright and sunny day, a five storey office complex was completely surrounded by heavily armed police forces. The block cordoned off, with curious onlookers, trying to capture everything on their phones.
The officers waited around anxiously, readjusting their sweaty grips on their rifles, and catching themselves forgetting to breathe.
The captain of the squad stood in front of the mobile command centre, tapping his foot, and gritting his teeth. He stood a towering two and a half metres, built with muscles to pull a truck, decked in full gear.
"Where the hell are those Hunters? The Agency said they would be here A.S.A.P." He said, bending the tablet in his hands.
A police officer sprinted in saluting him, craning his neck back to meet his eyes.
"The Hunters are here sir. They're waiting at the front door." "Finally." He rolled his eyes, following the officer, shaking his head. He spotted them from a distance, looking at them in disgust and anger.
The Rift Agency had sent them two teenagers!? A tall beautiful blonde girl, wearing high waisted tight jeans, a pair of white chucks and a black t-shirt tucked in.
Beside her, a short man. Dishevelled black hair, wearing a baggy plain t-shirt, and black jeans with hiking boots.
The two of them lazed around the front, looking at their phones. "Uh, those are the hunters, Captain Francis. Zeke Chen, D grade Hunter. Moon Kim. C grade Hunter." The officer said.
"Where are the men I posted here?" "They ordered them to leave sir." "How old are they?" "Agency said they're both 17 and capable, sir." Francis reeled back annoyed, taking a deep breath.
"Thank you officer Jenkins. I'll take it from here." Francis said, waving him off. He approached them, forcing his frown to go away, but unable to muster a smile.
"You two took your time." Zeke spun around first, his dark eyes widening in pure shock. "Good fucking god you are big! What are you half Orc or something?" He exclaimed looking at him up and down.
Moon punched him in the arm. Captain Francis noticed the strong gust of wind that followed it. "Come on, man. Can't you be a little bit more professional?" "What? He surprised me. How many humans you know get to his size, and hold down a full time job?"
She turned to him, with her emerald eyes filled with tired strained veins running amok, and bowed deeply. "I am deeply sorry for my idiot partner here." She said rolling her eyes.
"May I ask what the situation is?" "Where you two not briefed by the Agency?" "Our message just says. Stop Necromancer." She said showing him her phone.
"That's an oversimplification. About three hours ago at 8am, we received a distress call from the CEO inside, about people biting one another in the office."
"Mmhmm..." Zeke hummed disinterested. Captain Francis furrowed his brow at him, but continued to read on, changing the screen to a recording.
Some of the quiet office workers, suddenly stood up in their cubicles letting out a shriek, before leaping onto others and biting them. Those bitten quickly became rabid leaping onto others.
"As you can see it's a clear Zombie case. My plan is to have you two run point, and my men will clear them out."
"They're not Zombies." Zeke said. "I'm sorry?" "He's right, those aren't Zombies." "They're biting and spreading the disease to each other. That's clearly a Zombie infection."
"Do we have eyes and comms with the CEO?" Moon asked. "Yes, his barricaded himself in his office with several others."
"Have they 'turned'?" Zeke asked. "No, they weren't bitten, because again this is a Zombie infection."
"May I talk to them please?" Moon asked. "Okay, but be quiet, I don't want them to be attacked." She nodded, gently grabbing the pad from him.
"Can you all hear me?" She whispered softly. The CEO and the others, were all elderly men and women in expensive suits, nodded back to her.
"Are you all the big bosses of this company?" They all nodded confused at the question.
"Okay, now I want you all to answer truthfully, otherwise, I'll come up there personally and fuck you all up."
Captain Francis reeled back confused, with the others doing the same.
"Which one of you dumbasses, had the bright idea of using a Grimoire?" None of them answered.
"Wait a Grimoire? That's a Zombie infection, not dark magic."
"You really want to shoot a bunch of people don't you?" Zeke said. "Too bad this isn't an American school."
"I won't ask again. Which one of you dumbasses used a spell from a Grimoire?" Moon growled.
"I've told you before this isn't the work of magic. Some parasite from a Rift probably did this." "We-we-we were just trying to motivate our workers." A woman said.
"AAAAnd there it is." Moon said throwing her hands into the air frustrated. "You couldn't just throw them a pizza party to motivate them. You went and decided to use dark magic."
Moon let out a exasperated sigh, pinching between her brow. "Alright show us the Grimoire."
The CEO hesitantly pulled out a black leather bound book, with a magic circle on the cover and ruby tassel.
"You have got to be fucking kidding. Zeke, come and look at what these fucktards were using."
"Judging by your reaction, and how violent that spell was. I'm guessing it was a Drow's Grimoire?" Zeke asked, with them nodding.
"Bing-fucking-goh!" She sighed again, shaking her head. "Why are people so stupid?"
"No idea, we at least know that they aren't Zombies. Captain, call all your trauma teams and Healers if you can afford them. We'll go in and-" "Now hang on!" He snapped. Zeke and Moon reeled back startled at his outburst.
"This is my operation. I only waited for you two on orders. I didn't think the Agency would send me two tweens. I don't care that you two are Hunters. I'm the adult here, I'm in charge here, and you two will respect that. Now you two are gonna stay outside, and my men and I, are gonna go sweep the building clean of the infection."
Zeke and Moon gave him nothing but a blank stare. She glanced over to Zeke, giving him a nervous smile, he rolled his eyes and sighed in response.
"Fine, but you're explaining this to, Edelgard." "Deal." "What are you two talking abou-" Zeke yanked Captain Francis down by his vest, spinning him around, and sunk a deep headlock.
He thrashed in Zeke's grip, clawing and spitting, trying to break free. Zeke looked at Moon disinterested, as she waited for the call to connect.
Francis felt weak, the world went dark, unable to muster any energy before passing out.
"Hey Edelgard. What? Nothing's wrong. Why would you assume that? Because you just saw Zeke choke out the Captain on the CCTV footage? I-"
Both of their eyes bulged filled with pure dread and fear. They looked up to the small camera staring down at them.
They both forced a smile waving to the camera. "We can explain-SAVE IT!" Edelgard shouted through the phone.
Moon pulled the phone away from her ear as the call disconnected. "I think that went well." "She's gonna kill us."
"YEP!" She said stretching. "Might as well get paid, before we get fired." Zeke let out a long sigh through his nose.
"Call the trauma team, I'll get started on control." He approached the large metal shutter door.
He dug his fingers through the steel, like it was made of sand, and ripped the entire shutter off its hinges. He entered into the empty foyer.
"Well that definitely should have attracted any of them." Zeke made his way to the first floor.
The rabid officer workers leapt onto him, attempting to sink their teeth in, and clawing at his skin.
Unfazed he proceeded to incapacitate each of them slowly, with a headlock. He winced in disgust, wiping the saliva off his face and neck.
Making his way to the second floor, Zeke answered a call from Moon. "How's it going?"
"First floor cleared, definitely need a shower. How's your side going?"
"Trauma team is on their way. The police are pissed at us. And where the FUCK IS THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING!? Do they mean 'up' north? Or facing north? Who the fuck even uses north to describe their location in a building?"
"The same dumbasses, who thought they could read Drow-ish."
"There's no such thing as Drow-ish. It's Quenderin, with translations for the Drow."
"Feel like we're saying the same thing, only you're using more words than me."
"Just secure the workers." "Already on the second floor. Hurry up and secure the Grimoire." He said hanging up.
Moon tucked her phone away, leaping up to the roof in a single bound. She landed with a gentle step, the dust blowing away from her feet.
As she approached the fire escape door, her phone vibrated with a new text.
'President Edelgard: Secure the Grimoire, find source, leave rest to enforcement.' The text read.
Moon made her way down the stairs, with a few of the rabid office workers charging at her. She deftly and swiftly evaded their lunges.
With a gentle flick to their chests, they went flying across the room, crashing into furniture and office computers.
She winced, seeing them thrash and attempt to rise to their feet. "Oh, they're gonna feel that tomorrow." She said jogging through the floor.
Moon found the barricaded office, surrounded by rabid and feral workers, throwing their bodies against the door. Drenched in blood with their limbs bruised, broken and dislocated.
She clapped her hands together, catching their attention. Their heads snapped to her, they let out a piercing shriek, charging at her.
Raising her right palm, she released a concussive force knocking them all to the ground. Carefully stepping over them, she raised her right palm and released another concussive force, blowing the barricade away.
She entered inside, with the CEO and the others reeling back speechless.
"Alright, which one of you dumbasses has the Grimoire?" The CEO, placed the black tome onto the desk.
She approached him slowly, before snatching his tie and dragging him over the table. "Where did you get this?"
"Pawnshop! South of here." "Stop using compass directions! Give me an address!"
"Corner shop in Hunter's alley! Our colleague bought it!" He yelled, clawing at his throat.
"What grade!?" She snapped. "C!" He gasped. "Is that Hunter in this office!?"
"Yes he is." A woman said. "Shit! Stay here and wait to be punished!" She said throwing him aside, taking the Grimoire, and sprinting out of the office phone in hand.
"Pick up! Pick up! Pick up!" The phone beeped. "FUCK! Damn it Zeke!" Sprinting down the stairs, she reached the next floor peeking her head out the fire escape.
"ZEKE!?" She called out, her voice booming through the office.
A cacophony of shrieks rung out. "Damn it." She groaned slamming the door. As she stuck her head out of the door on the third floor.
"FUC-" Zeke whizzed past her, crashing into the wall. She let out a sigh of relief.
She peeked out further seeing the Hunter. A short stocky man in a black suit, with eyes filled of rage, and saliva frothing.
She spun around to the destruction left by Zeke's body.
"Hey Zeke! We found actually found a Hunter shorter than you." He raised his arm flipping her off.
She snickered, as the Hunter let out a shriek, charging at her. Tucking the Grimoire under her right arm, she raised her left palm.
Charging in he threw a feral barrage of punches, shrieking at the top of his lungs, spit flying out. She looked at him disgusted.
His attacks and spit connected with a force field, being absorbed into the air. Dropping the Grimoire, and lowering her left, she raised her right palm blasting him away.
He slammed into the concrete wall, falling to the ground convulsing. Zeke pulled himself out of the rubble, dusting himself off, and patting down his wet and torn shirt. Moon stood over him, Grimoire in hand, and frustration across her face.
"What's wrong?" He asked standing up. "I can't undo the spell." "Because you don't speak Drowish."
"I've told you before there's no such thing as Drowish." "It's gonna catch on." "It's never gonna catch on." "It will, if you stop rejecting it."
"Just hold the damn thing, I'll carry the dipshit who bought it back." Moon slung the Hunter over her shoulder with ease, groaning instantly as she felt his sweat soaked suit touch her skin.
She threw him onto the ground instantly, shuddering and tensing, desperately trying to wipe herself clean.
"Swapswapswapswap!" "You're already covered in it, just deal with it." Zeke said, opening the Grimoire.
The ink itself slithered to the edges of the page, as if scared to be read.
"Well a spell is in use. Which means, I'll have to go deal with the upper floors." Zeke said.
Moon ripped open a tissue box wiping herself dry.
"Edelgard, just wants the Grimoire. We're leaving clean up to them."
"Then what the hell are we still doing here?" The two of them left the building, coming face to face with a firing squad aimed at them.
Captain Francis wore a scowl behind his scope. They both came to a stop rolling their eyes annoyed.
"I thought you knocked him out." "I did!" "Does he look knocked out?" "He was clearly woken up."
"ENOUGH! You have assaulted an officer of the state! Under Australian Law-"
"Any Hunter that attacks a citizen unprovoked, is to be terminated. We know." Zeke said.
"Hey fuck-face!" Moon yelled. "You realize, that you were gonna kill a bunch of innocent people right? Once we undo the spell cast, they'll go back to normal."
"They're Zombies damn it!" "Man, this guy really wants to shoot something." Zeke said. "He is frothing for it." She whispered to Zeke.
"Look! Just make sure no one leaves that building till the Trauma team comes. Don't listen to that retard."
"OPEN FIRE!" Moon raised her left palm. Bullets barrelling towards them. Zeke tucked the Grimoire under his pit, covering both her ears, from the deafening hail.
After a few seconds the last shell clattered on the ground, and a smoke haze wafted in front of them. In front of Moon was a wall of floating bullets.
They all stood frozen in disbelief. "You think after the first bullet didn't hit me. They would stop and save their ammo."
"You'd think." Zeke said taking his hands away. "Remember, use only 10%." "Yeah, yeah."
The bullets fell to the ground, and she raised her right palm, releasing a giant concussive blast. Blown back metres, all of them rolled on the ground, clutching their stomachs, their ears ringing.
Blaring sirens drew closer. "About time those guys came." She said tapping Zeke's shoulder with her fist.
"Come on, I'm starving. Let's get yelled at already, and go to a buffet." "Any kind in particular?" "Fried chicken place just opened. Let's go there."
Men and women clad in resplendent silver plate armour, wielding golden ornate cudgels and staffs, exited the armoured vehicle.
They approached Zeke and Moon with a scowl across their face. "What's the situation?" One of them asked.
"Idiot cops, everyone is affected by Drowish magic." "What's ...Drowish?"
Moon smacked the back of Zeke's head. "Elven Magic, using Drow dialect." "Ah!"
"Feel like we're saying the same thing." "We're not. Spell is contagious via bite, first three floors are subdued, there's also a C grade Hunter unconscious on the third floor. We're returning to the Agency to undo the spell."
"Thank you. We'll make sure they're okay. Please make haste to undo the curse." The two nodded going on their way.
They entered into a small run down Holden sedan, covered in scrapes, peeling paint, worn out tires, and fist shaped dents.
The car started with a loud bang, the engine rattled and it started sluggishly. Moon sat in the driver seat hunched over the wheel.
"Come on. Come on. Come on. Don't give up me Howard." The engine came to a stop and black smoke rose from the engine.
Moon slammed her head onto the horn, that didn't activate. "We really gotta get a new car."
"Yeah let's get a new car with all that money, we don't have."
"If you just let that Elf kiss you, we wouldn't be suspended from crossing green rifts."
"And if you could activate your Demon's Blood, we would be able to enter red Rifts. What's your point?" She snapped.
"That we're poor as shit, and we should go rob a bank, and retire."
"You can't keep suggesting that, every time we need money."
"I'll stop suggesting it, once we have money."
"Come on, just steer for me, I'll push it back to the Agency." She said hoping out, and Zeke crawling over.
"We're gonna be late." Zeke said.
"The Agency is only, like thirty kilometres from here. I'll get us there in like 15 minutes maybe 10."
Zeke hopped out. "Here swap. I'm already gross and need a shower."
"Aww, what a gentleman." "Oh, don't start that. I'm not doing it to be a gentleman. We can't afford for us to both use hot water." He said walking to the back.
"Think you can get us back to the Agency in under 30?" "I'll try." He said pushing the sedan.
The two caught everyone's eye, as they blitzed through the streets, passing cars driving sixty kilometres and over.
The two arrived at the Agency parking lot, with Zeke collapsing on the trunk, drenched in sweat and heaving for his next breath.
"24 minutes. Not bad Zeke. You good?" He shook his head, waving her off.
"Go...first...." He wheezed slumping to the ground.
"Oh, I'm not getting yelled at by myself, come on." She grabbed Zeke by the arm dragging him to his feet.
"Edelgard doesn't like to repeat herself, you know that." He shook his head. "Couldn't just suffer for the both of us?" "Nope." The two strolled towards a Rift Agency of Australia.
A large multiplex of towering office buildings, surrounded by high steel plated concrete walls, patrolled with heavily armed soldiers at all times, and the size of several stadiums combined.
The two showed their palms to the soldiers. Being allowed in with a salute.
"President Edelgard, has been waiting for you two." "Thanks." Moon said.
"She also incredibly angry right now." "No! How could you tell?" Zeke said rolling his eyes. "I've heard she's smiling." Zeke and Moon gulped.
A sweat bead trickled down the side of her face. "Smiling?" She asked. "Yes. She was also waving to people."
"We are so absolutely fucked." Zeke said.
The two made their way inside the central office. A hundred floors, with hundreds of bustling office workers, frantically answering never ending phone calls, compiling reports that rivalled towers, data logging as if they were master pianists. All swirling in a chaotic symphony of stress, energy drinks, coffee, and mountains of junk food.
The two waited by the elevator, listening to calls.
"Yes, I know you bought Hunter insurance, but that package only covers damages caused BY Hunters. It does not include collateral damage Rift breaches."
"Should have gotten the premium package." Moon said.
"Sir! For the last time, you have to stop calling this number. We do not know if that Hunter is single. Goodbye!"
"Oof, that one sounded like a fun call." Zeke snickered.
"Miss, I know you're upset and in a lot of pain, but it has always been strongly recommended, by the Health Department. That you do not try to sleep with a Hunter as a Citizen, and if you do, be gentle."
"Guess you could say-" "Don't." "She got fucked twice. Eh?" Moon said raising her hand for a high five.
Zeke gave a deadpan look shaking his head. "Oh, come on that was funny." *Ding* The two gulped stepping into the elevator. "Think she'll kill us?" Moon asked. "Not until we get the lecture."
Zeke and Moon stood hesitantly in front of her office door. Her front door seemed to radiate an aura of ominous danger. Moon knocked on the door first.
"Come in." Edelgard's stern voice said through the door. The door slid open, revealing a large wooden desk at the end of the long room, an exquisite leather office chair at the end.
The table was stacked with several mountains of paper work, smeared with ring stains from copious amounts of coffee.
The carpeted floors were littered with specks of shredded paper. As the two stepped into the room, a shadow leapt out from Moon's side, with a violent scream.
With pure reflex and instinct, she took Zeke by the nape of his neck, and his pants. His eyes bulged being dragged violently.
A giant axe bit into his chest. Zeke screamed seeing the axe embedded into his chest, Moon joined in pushing him against the axe.
"Damn your unbreakable skin!" Edelgard yelled dropping the axe to the ground. She walked to her chair in a huff.
She wore a ruby business suit, over her black dress shirt. Her silver hair tied into a messy bun rested on her collar.
Her fair complexion complemented her hair and diamond coloured eyes. Her anger and stress did not. Moon dropped Zeke letting out a sigh of relief.
He glared at her, sucking on his teeth. "What did I say about using me as human shield?" He growled.
She glanced away to think of her answer, before looking back at him with a nervous smile. "Do it?" She shrugged.
He let out a sigh walking off. "Don't be mad at me, be mad at her. She attacked us with an axe."
"Oh, don't be dramatic Miss Kim. I used a regular fire axe. It would have been a surface wound at best." She said slumping into her chair.
"Take a seat." As they took their seats in front of her, Zeke placed the Grimoire onto the desk, leaning back in his seat.
Edelgard composed herself, straightening her hair, before sliding both them a singular sheet of paper. "You're both fired."
"What!?" They exclaimed leaping to their feet.
"Do you two have any idea. How much money you both have cost this agency, since we hired you?"
The two locked eyes for a second. "Not a lot?" They said unsurely.
"$2,689,989.13." "We operate in cents?" Zeke asked. "Could we raise that to-" "No! We are not raising it to "$2,690,000. To make it a 'nice' number!" Edelgard snapped at Moon.
She took a deep breath. "As it stands, the Australian Hunter Agency, cannot fund a D and C grade Hunter. That cause damages, as if they're A and S grade Hunters."
The two sat back down. Moon raised her hand. "What if-" "If you say promote, you two to A and S grade, I will personally throw you both out the window." Moon lowered her hand.
Zeke skimmed through the letter, looking up confused. "I thought you were firing us. This is a recommendation letter?"
"It is?" Moon said snatching the sheet.
Edelgard glared at Moon. "Look, as much as you are a pain in my ass-"
"Can't help but notice, you're only looking at me." "That's because I am. Out of the two of you, Zeke is the least problematic."
"You're only saying that because he compliments you. Which he does because, he has a fetish for girls with silver hair." "Don't kink shame him." Zeke kept his down face turning red.
"You're the one with a destructive history and power. Now as it stands, I don't like the idea of putting Hunters out of work. Governments are already taxing us at insane rates. This is the best thing I can do for the both of you."
"Well, where are we gonna go? No other agency wants us, and the ones who do. We don't want to deal with." Zeke said.
"Become Freelancers."
"That could work." Moon said excitedly. "Wait, does this mean, I'm unsuspended from green Rifts?"
"It does, but-" "It won't matter, because we won't get notified of it first, and someone else will cross over." Zeke said.
"Exactly my point. This is why you are my favourite, Zeke."
"Kiss ass."
"What's the tax rate for Freelancing at?" Zeke asked.
"55%." "What!? That's more than half!" Moon shouted.
"Well, unless you're certified to practice law, do your taxes, manage health and safety regulations and log your Rift entries. You have to pay people to do that."
Moon reeled back in her seat groaning. "This is horse shit! Isn't there a way you could keep us on? Like suspend us from something."
"From what? You're already suspended from entering green Rifts. He can't even enter into red Rifts. And the two of you can't afford or find Consecrated weapons. So Blue rifts are out of the question. The only thing you two had left, was helping local enforcement and you screwed that up."
"What if we apologised?" Zeke asked.
"For what? You two did the right thing. That moron was going to go in and kill a bunch of innocent people, because he wanted be a Resident Evil character."
Zeke let out a sigh. "Come on, let's go. We'll search for a new Agency tomorrow." He said glumly, pulling himself up.
"Zeke, we can at least try and defend our case here." Moon said.
"We've caused her and this agency enough problems. We'll take our fee from securing the Grimoire and be on our way."
"It will be transferred to your accounts by tonight."
"Goodbye President Edelgard, thank you for everything." Zeke said bowing.
She smiled warmly at him nodding. Moon shook her head furrowing her brow, following after Zeke. The two entered into the elevator going down in silence.
"You're in a hurry to leave. Didn't even stand up for us in there." "What's the point? We stay here, we'll just break the rules eventually and piss everyone off."
"So, we're Freelancers now?" "Looks like it. We'll talk about it tomorrow. For now I just want to go home, take a shower, and go to sleep."
Moon sighed. "Yeeaah...that does sound great right now."
A siren blared throughout the building. Red lights flashed throughout, and metal shutters came crashing down over the windows. The workers froze in place.
"RIFT INCURSION DETECTED! ALL CITIZENS PLEASE REMAIN INSIDE! HUNTERS GRADE A AND HIGHER PLEASE REPORT!" A robotic voice announced over the speakers.
The earth shook violently beneath them, the entire building trembled, and the metal shutters rattled. As if something with a thousand legs scuttled across the steel.
Zeke and Moon stood back to back, following the skittering noise.
"There's no gun fire." Zeke said. "It's big. Too big for the guns they have." Moon said following the creaking noise.
It coiled around them, creaking and cracking periodically. "I think it's moving up." She said.
"Fuck! The Grimoire!" Zeke shouted.
The creature outside let out a piercing shriek, that cracked the windows inside. Everyone fell to their knees covering their ears, except for Zeke. To him the sound was simply annoying.
"GO!" Moon shouted, covering her ears.
He sprinted into the elevator, the creature's shriek continued, rattling the whole building. Windows and mirrors exploded.
He felt the vibrations running through his body. Reaching the top, he ripped open the elevator doors, see Edelgard on the floor clutching her ears, a top a sea of broken glass.
Blood running through her fingers. Sprinting past her, he found the Grimoire floating in the air, its pages flipping from end to end.
Zeke snatched the Grimoire forcing it shut. The shriek came to a stop. He looked out the window to a horrifying and grotesque creature coiled around the tower.
Giant connected segmented body pieces made of chitinous husks, attached to hulking razor sharp spiked legs, all covered in a writhing and swarm of centipedes.
The creature coiled around the building, staring at him with beady obsidian eyes, and giant steaming mandibles.
"What...the...fuck?" The giant creature let out a hiss reeling its head back. "Oh fuck." He groaned. The entire top floor was swiped clean from its foundation in one clean motion.