The higher a hunter is in the rank, less missions they get. Some A ranked could go a whole month without doing any missions, but every hunter needed to go on a mission with some frequency. Unless they were A ranked hunters, they needed to go to those missions in groups, and for William, that's a problem. Trying to be discreet while working as a hunter is not only difficult, it's also kind of a dumb idea, at least when said hunter is a B ranked paranoid father that prefers to bring his toddler to the missions over leaving her at the daycare or hiring a babysitter.
That weekend was one of the days William had to do a mission, he wore a face mask on and put a dress on Blair, along with the bonnet and the sun glasses. Dustine called and told him to meet her outside the building they met. She was without her jewelry, not even a single pair of earrings, with lighter clothes and with a bun. When William and Blair came, there was another sitting next to Dustine. He had light skin, long ears, spiky black hair, dark red eyes and some pieces of armor over his hoodie.
- HI GUYS! Jonatan, those are William and Blair! William, Blair, this is Jonatan! -
- Seriously? Why would you bring a baby here? -
- I told you why already! -
- Can't you at least give her actual armor? -
Jonatan stands up and takes out his arm armor and gives it to Blair.
- I AM NOT A BABY! I'M FOUR! -
Blair replies, making the number three with her free hand.
- Sorry Sir. Blair, that's a three. -
William says for Jonatan, right after he bends and starts talking with Blair.
- But that's a four! One, two, three… Oh. I'M FOUR! -
Blair checks out the number and screams at Jonatan again.
- Blair, apologize. -
- But he called me a baby! I am no baby! -
- Blair, please, apologize to the man. -
- Fiiiiine! Sorry sir. -
- And…? -
- And thank you. -
- Good. -
William stands up again, while Blair tries to figure out how that big arm armor could possibly fit on her. Just to give up using it and sneak it on top of the bench where Jonatan was sitting.
- Sooo, can we go now? -
Dustine asks them with an uncomfortable smile on her face and pointing at a car. Cars are used for only two reasons in this world: a considerably distant place without a teleport installed or pure luxury from the richer people. That's why the streets in the Ryolithan cities are so small, most of the population doesn't have or need a car, in worst case scenarios, they usually go by the subways.
They enter the car and it takes them to a rural land far away from Poltergeist city. The files they received for the mission says about people in the region having magic poisoning and it could further affect Poltergeist city. They get out of the car and are seen by an elderly farmer with lizard characteristics.
- You shouldn't be here! This is not a good place for vacation at the moment! Everybody is getting sick! -
Said the old man.
- Oh no no no! We are hunters! And we are here to try to solve the problem. -
Dustine replies.
- See? If you hadn't brought your brat he wouldn't have thought we were on a family vacation! -
Jonatan angrily whispers in the background for William.
- He would have the same idea with or without Blair here because you look like you're starting puberty. -
William replies whispering.
- I think dad called you a dumb dumb! -
Blair also whispers.
- It's called style! Something you don't have! -
Jonatan whispers, looking at William's full outfit. He was with a black long sleeved shirt, a pair of dark jeans, a pair of black sneakers and a face mask. Overall, his clothes looked old, that kind of old that are almost to the point of becoming floor cloth.
- GUYS! Are you gonna stay there forever? Come on! -
Dustine calls them from afar. William goes holding hands with Blair, Jonatan goes behind them.
- So, when did it started, mister…? -
- Robert. I'm Robert. -
- Dustine. The one with black hair is Jonatan, the little girl is Blair and the guy with platinum hair is William. Nice to meet you. -
- It started 3 months ago. We don't know why or how. Just everybody started to grow those black stains around their bodies and something started growing inside their mouths. Some people can't even eat. -
- CAN'T EAT? I don't want to be here anymore dad! -
Blair screams, sounding like she was about to cry, since eating is her favorite thing ever.
- Blair, he's not talking about you, it's ok. -
William bends down to her and use his finger to "clean the tear".
- We're going to be out soon, ok? -
- Ok Dad… -
- Where are you from? -
William gets nervous.
- He's…from the other side of the country. -
Dustine replies.
- Um… Ok then. You don't need to be nervous buddy. -
Robert makes a quick tour with them in the whole small rural town. They even meet some infected people to check out from a distance.
- I can barely sense any magic from here. -
Dustine says.
- It's because we are like 10 METERS AWAY from her, maybe? -
Jonatan replies.
- THAT MEANS that whatever is happening either is not magical or is not that strong. -
Dustine replies, grinding her teeth.
- I came to work here to fight against monsters and powerful beings! If I wanted to become a detective or a doctor, I would have become one! -
Jonatan replies. William comes closer to the woman that was sitting in her bed in the corner of the room.
- Can you stand up? -
William says. The woman struggles a little due to the lack of nutrition, but she stands up. William uses a MFA (magical flow analyzer) on her and discovers whatever is happening with her body, has origin on her stomach.
- Why didn't you bring your… That thing? Huh? You're a B ranker! You should have one!-
Jonatan asks aggressively to Dustine, then interrupts himself and points to the MFA on William's hand.
- Cause mine was destroyed last mission! Now can you stop? -
Dustine answers. "If I knew you would be like this, I wouldn't have volunteered to welcome you." She thinks. The Welcome mission is how the Windbreak Foundation calls a hunter's first and second mission, usually a C or B ranker volunteers to call the newbie for a pacific mission with a small group composed mostly by C or B rankers. And then they would take the newbie for a more violent mission to scare them, and later they evaluate the newbie's performace. But Jonatan was so annoying compared to every welcome mission Dustine had done that she was thinking about stop at the peaceful mission to make him give up.
- Can you speak? -
William asks, the woman sits down and says no with her finger.
- Are you the one that cooks here? -
The woman gives a thumbs up.
- Ok. Thanks for the help. -
William says to the woman and turns in the direction of the door to leave.
- We are going to investigate all day, aren't we? -
Jonatan asks.
- Probably. -
William answers. Jonatan gets annoyed and disappointed and William, Jonatan and Dustine gets out of the room. Blair however, "sneaks in" and gets close to the cursed woman, her body grow slightly larger and her tail was showing, she took out her glasses and the bonnet, her horns and bug legs were larger and her teeth were growing and getting spiky. Saliva was dripping out of all her 3 mouths. She stands very closely the woman's bed and raises her shirt. Than she takes out her long main tongue and licks her stomach. Just when she was about to actually eat the woman, William takes her up. William goes instantly to the bathroom with Blair.
- Blair! You shouldn't randomly attack people like this! Especially someone that not only didn't attack you, but also can't attack you! That's mean and unfair! And mean and unfair girls don't get dessert! -
William lectures Blair, while putting her tail back on place to wrap in on a new band to hide it.
- WHAT? -
Blair questions in shock.
- But… But… She smelled so tasty… -
Blair tries to justify herself, then starts making crying sounds because she can't cry regularly due the unique structure of her head and face.
- Blair, you made something bad. Bad things have consequences. We're lucky I stopped you, or we both would suffer even worst consequences. Let's just hope the lady thinks that was just a dream. Ok? -
- Ok… -
- Here, stay and clean your face, I'm going to clean the little mess you made. -
William gives Blair paper tissues to clean the saliva that was still on her face and goes to the woman's bedroom to clean the floor and her belly. Luckily, she was a heavy sleeper. William grabs Blair's sunglasses and bonnet from the ground, goes back to the bathroom and puts them in Blair. Then they finally get out of the house and meet Jonatan and Dustine.
- Where were you? -
Dustine asks.
- Blair needed to go to the toilet. -
William answers.
- Can't you just put that kid in diapers for the mission? -
Jonatan complains
- She hasn't used diapers in two years. -
- Whatever! I want to finish this as soon as possible. -